The Top 10 Books We Read in 2018
I’ve you’ve been in a mentoring group or hung around us for any amount of time, you know we value reading. Disciples of Jesus are followers and learners, right? And reading quality books is a great way to learn.
So, our team wanted to share with you some of the best books we read in 2018. But one quick note, this is a list of the best books we read that will grow your faith. Novels, business books, and other nonfiction books are great, and you should read those too, but this is a list of books we think will either fill up your cup as a mentor or could be used in your mentoring group . . .
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The Bible Unfiltered, Michael S. Heiser Michael S. Heiser encourages us as readers of the Bible not to shy away from the parts that challenge our thinking. It has encouraged me to slow down as I read the Scriptures, and that to best understand how to apply the Bible, I need to put myself in the shoes of the author. -Trey Brush |
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Everybody Always, Bob Goff I’m a Bob Goff fan, and I loved Love Does, but it felt quirky and cast a vision that was more of a shadow. I felt that nobody could live like that. His new book is different. Better. It challenged without overwhelming. -Regi Campbell |
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How to Really Love Your Child, Ross Campbell I reread this book while leading my mentoring group (I first read it in 2002 as a mentee) and was reminded that “the influence of a parent outweighs everything else,” and that the key to my children feeling “happy, secure, and stable” is a well-balanced home. -Kevin Harris |
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Known, Dick Foth I’ve heard Dick Foth several times as a guest pastor at National Community Church. As an introvert, I was compelled by this book’s ideas about friendship . . . taking relationships deep versus wide and adding more friendships. -Kevin Harris |
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Letters to the Church, Francis Chan In Letters to the Church, Francis Chan writes about his journey to understanding how, as the church, we are designed to do life and ministry together. This book does a great job explaining how the church is meant to model and show others “this way of life.” -Trey Brush |
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Love Big, Be Well, Winn Collier I picked up this book after hearing the author on a podcast. Written as a series of letters from a pastor to his congregation, it’s full of honest conversations on faith and practical advice for life and relationships. -Kevin Harris |
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The Road Back to You, Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile An extremely readable combo of beginner’s guide and deep dive into the Enneagram, the ancient personality typology. Not only does this book (and the Enneagram) help you better understand yourself, it helps you understand, and more importantly empathize with others. -Jackson Beetler |
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The Spirit of Christ, Andrew Murray This book brings the practical reality of the Holy Spirit to life. It’s a collection of short pieces that work together to reveal the mysterious third person of the Trinity in a way that powerfully connects. -Regi Campbell |
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The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel Inspiring read that pulls from the book of James and other sages as it explains our choice between two ways of power. The way from below, our natural way, the way of self. And the way from above, where we rely on our weakness and Jesus’ power. -Trey Brush |
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What’s Wrong With Religion, Skye Jethani Billed as a must read if you’re “disillusioned about religion,” this short but insightful book deconstructs religion and the obstacles it creates to life with God. Not just a worthwhile read for the disillusioned, but for anyone who knows someone who is. -Jackson Beetler |
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Bonus Read: Radical Wisdom, Regi Campbell We’re cheating here since this daily devo just came out, but I promise I read the whole thing (multiple times) in 2018 and it really is thought-provoking for anyone who wants to grow in leadership and faith. -Jackson Beetler |
Challenge: If you’re not a big reader, commit to reading (and netting out) a certain number of quality books in 2019. It doesn’t have to be a giant number but put it down on paper as a challenge to yourself. And if you’re a voracious reader, keep it up! And consider giving away some copies of the books that are impacting you.
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Responses (5)
Delighting in the Trinity (Michael Reeves) – this book does exactly what it’s title says. It is theologically rich.
Inexpressible (Michael Card) – this book shows the power of a single word (hesed – steadfast love) in the Old Testament and how it comes to life in the New Testament and in our relationship with God.
Bond of Brothers (Wes Yoder) – Great book to kick off or refresh your men’s group. Helps men move past the surface with each other and expresses the power of vulnerability.
I’ve set my reading goal for 2019!
Love it. Thanks for sharing David. Those sound like good reads. I read part of Bond of Brothers last year…need to go back and finish it!
Our Father Abraham by Marvin R Wilson
Provides a stark contrast between Greek thinking and Hebrew thinking in order to interpret the Bible in the context of the writers. For example, in Gen 2:18 ‘helper’ is more accurately translated ‘power or strength’. Therefore, God created a power to be equal to the man.
Thanks for sharing those two books Lloyd! Good stuff.
Break Through Prayer by Guillermo Maldonado
Starts out by challenging our view of prayer with this line; “Prayer is a place. A secret place in the Spirit”. Changed my approach and appreciation for time in prayer.