Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God by Francis Chan

This is a difficult book to read because it challenges the lukewarm Church of the western world. Chan examines common characteristics of western church culture in light of Biblical truth. Could it be that the way we do Christianity in North American is not Biblical? Do we understand and reverence God the way the early Christians did? Do we love God with heartfelt passion? Do we serve others according to the teachings of scripture? Crazy Love is challenging but well worth the read.

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The Puzzle of Ancient Man: Advanced Technology in Past Civilizations? by Donald Chittick

Many believe that ancient man was primitive and became more advanced with time. But is this true? Does the evidence left behind from past cultures confirm this idea? Was ancient man simple and primitive as we have been taught or did ancient man have an intelligence and technology that rival or even surpasses our technology today?

Chittick talks about the discovery of "out of place artifacts" and sophisticated technologies that rival 20th century intelligence. 

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Read to Lead: Seven Examples from History by Ron Smith

This book looks at the lives of seven great men who were voracious readers and for that reason they became great leaders. As Harry Truman said "All readers can't be leaders but all leaders must be readers." The book examines men like C.S. Lewis, Harry Truman, Charles Spurgeon and Theodore Roosevelt.

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How Do You Know You're Not Wrong: Responding to Objections that Leave Christians Speechless by Paul Copan

Copan attempts to help the Christian respond to the challenges to their faith made by skeptics of Christianity. The book will help build up one’s personal faith and is a rich resource to equip the Christian to respond to skeptical questions with informed answers. The book deals with questions about truth and reality, questions about worldviews and skeptical questions about Christianity. The book is primarily geared toward high-school and university students and their parents.

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Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream by David Platt

This book leads the reader to try a one year experiment with their life. This experiment is intended to bring us into line with Biblical Christianity. The one year challenge encourages the Christian to:

1.     Pray for the entire world.

2.     Read through the entire Bible.

3.     Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.

4.     Spend your time in another context.

5.     Commit your life to a multiplying community.

The book gives a detailed explanation of all five challenges.

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Jim Elliot: Missionary Martyr by Susan Martins Miller

The biography of Jim Elliot a dynamic young man who literally gave his life to reach the Auca Indians a dangerous and elusive unreached tribe in the jungles of Ecuador. Jim and four missionary colleagues were kill in their attempt to contact the Auca Indians. The Auca's were eventually reached through the effort of Elisabeth Elliot, Rachel Saint and Catherine Peeke who lived among the Auca tribe and reached them with the Christian gospel.

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Watchman Nee: Sufferer for China by Bob Laurent

Watchman Nee was a Chinese church leader and teacher who worked in China in the early 20th century. Before the Communist revolution in China, Nee worked arduously expounding the Bible, published many books, trained Bible students and church workers and established many churches throughout China. Following the Communist revolution, Nee was persecuted and imprisoned for his faith and spent the last 20 years of his life in prison. A Chinese Christian who impacted China and the world.

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Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive by Thom Rainer

The book looks at the findings of 14 deceased churches. Rainer says as many as 100,000 churches in America are showing decline toward death. The book points out what causes churches to decline and die and what causes a church to thrive and grow.

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I Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian by Thom Rainer

The book talks about the "I will" church member, a member who instead of focusing on their wants and needs they are focused on serving others. They don't say "I want" they say "I will." This book is a sequel to the author's book "I Am A Church Member."

The nine I will's of the book include: I will....worship with others, grow together with others, serve, go, give generously, not be a church dropout, avoid the traps of Churchianity, make a difference.

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I Am A Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference by Thom Rainer

The church of the 21st century is weak because its members have lost the Biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. Church members need to adopt a Biblical attitude toward their church which will naturally leads to right action.

The book examines six biblical actions of a health church member. A health church member will be a functioning church member, a source of unity in the church, not self-serving, pray for church leaders, lead their family well, and see church membership as a gift.

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The Man Who Could Do No Wrong by Charles Blair with John & Elizabeth Sherrill

Charles Blair had one of the largest Churches in America in the 1970's. It was said of him by the newspapers that he was "the man who could do no wrong."  In 1976 Blair was charged with fraud. This book takes the readers behind the headlines. This true story teaches some valuable lessons on how to avoid the pitfalls of ministry.

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A Doctor at Calvary by Pierre Barbet

The subtitle reads the passion of Jesus Christ as described by a surgeon. The book describes what we know about crucifixion from history and archeology. It gives a detailed physiological description of the scourge and the crucifixion of Christ from a doctors perspective. It describes the type of suffering a crucified person experiences and how they die. It explains how the body of Jesus would have been taken down from the cross and transported to the tomb, prepared for burial and entombed.

The book is hard to get a hold of because it's out of print. 

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The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson

The sub-title reads The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types. The personality type of the Enneagram include (1) the Reformer (2) the Helper (3) the Achiever (4) the Individualist (5) the Investigator (6) the Loyalist (7) the Enthusiast (8) the Challenger (9) the Peacemaker.

The book includes two questionnaires to determine your personality type. A full explanation of all nine personality types, including insight into the motivations, fears and desires of each personality type and also their potential and pitfalls.

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Private Prayer Public Power: 7 Reasons Paul Prayed Privately in Tongues by Ron Smith

It has been estimated that by the year 2050, 12 percent of the population of the world will be Christians who pray in tongues. Pentecostalism has been growing at an unprecedented rate since the early 20th century.

In this book Ron Smith gives us 7 reasons why the apostle Paul prays privately in tongues.
1. Spiritual Warfare
2. Personal Edification
3. Prayer with His Spirit
4. Uttering Mysteries to God
5. Prayers of Blessing
6. Prayers of Thanksgiving
7. Intercession

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Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

Gordon MacDonald talks about the cultivation of one's inner spiritual life he calls it ordering your private world. We have come to believe in Church culture that a busy active person in Christian ministry is a spiritual person and this is not always the truth. A public person can be a person who has not developed his inner spiritual life.

The book looks at our inner motivations, how we manage our time, the life of the mind, spiritual growth, and how we are restored.

This book has been around since the 80's but if you haven't read it yet I highly recommend it.

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Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Gregory Koukl

This book teaches useful tactics in guiding the conversation of an antagonist and unveiling the flawed assumptions of their worldview in a kind and winsome way. Greg teaches ordinary Christians how to use easy to understand tactics to dissect a person's worldview and advance the case for Christianity. This book is a great source for all Christians who desire to defend their faith against the flood of opposing worldviews.

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Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers by Dan Harmon

A biography Charles Spurgeon the English Baptist who became known as the Prince of Preachers. Spurgeon was the pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for 38 years the largest church of his time, today we would call it a mega church.

His preaching held his listeners spellbound this is why Spurgeon was referred to as the Prince of Preachers. It is estimated that he has preached to over 10 million people. Many of his sermons have been translated into print in over 23 languages. Spurgeon was a prolific author who wrote commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry, and hymns. His writings are considered some of the best of Christian material.

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D.L. Moody by William R. Moody

Dwight Lyman Moody named the greatest American evangelist of the 19th century. He was the founder of the Chicago Avenue Church later named  Moody Church, the Northfield School for girls and Mount Hermon School for boys both in Massachusetts, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers.

This biography looks at Moody's early family life raised with eight siblings as an Unitarian in Northfield Massachusetts. His conversion as a shoe salesman in Boston. His tireless labor in the Sunday School moment and the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA). His success as an evangelist preaching in most major cities in the United States and Great Britain.

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Fanny Crosby (1820-1915): The Hymn Writer by Bernard Ruffin

Fanny Crosby was known as the "Queen of Gospel Song Writers." She was one of the most prolific hymn writers of the 20th century, writing over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs. Crosby also wrote over 1,000 secular poems, she published 4 books of poetry and 2 best-selling autobiographies. Crosby's best-known hymns include "Pass Me Not", "O Gentle Saviour", "Blessed Assurance", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "To God Be the Glory."

Moody and Sankey attributed the success of their evangelical campaigns largely to Crosby's hymns. Her hymns and poems would often move people to tears. By the end of the 19th century the name Fanny Crosby was "a household name."

The biography of Fanny Crosby the blind hymn writer is both inspiring and moving.

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Platform Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

Michael Hyatt was the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and is a professional blogger. This book as the sub-title says is a  step-by-step guide for anyone with something to say or sell.

Your platform is the means by which you connect with others through a website, a blog, twitter, Facebook, You Tube, or a podcast.

This book was one of the resources that helped me when I was launching my podcast. I love the way this book is set up each chapter is like a blog post it's short, concise and full of information. Platform a valuable resource for those who want to use social media to get their message out to the world.

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