This is part 2 of my review of the best reads of 2014. In this list, I highlight the ministry and
faith-oriented books I read in the past year.
I read some really good books in this category this year –
so many good ones that I found it difficult to choose a few to provide capsule
reviews for. Here are the best, and the
rest.
The Hole in our
Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. This was
my first time reading DeYoung’s stuff –and he has quickly become a
favorite. He has a wonderful way of
communicating deep truths with great mix of humor and conviction. The chapters on repentance and what it means
to be “in Christ” are especially powerful.
Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and our Union with
Christ by Elyse Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick spends about equal time on two profound topics – first, the
incarnation of Jesus Christ in human flesh and second, the doctrine of our
union with Christ. This is not dry
theology, but a book that takes theological truths and explains how they should
change our lives.
The Explicit Gospel
by Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson. This
book unpacks the gospel in two distinct ways.
Chandler looks at the good news from a personal level, aptly describing
how it impacts us. Then he looks at the
gospel from a cosmic level, showing how it affects all of creation. He saves the best for last – the last
chapters about the importance of viewing the gospel in these ways and about the
dangers of moralism are especially worth the read.
The Pastor’s
Justification: Applying the Work of Christ
in your Life and Ministry by Jared C. Wilson. Wilson is another author I discovered this
year. Like Kevin DeYoung, he has quickly
become a favorite. This is easily the
best book for pastors I have read this year.
Humble, honest and gospel-oriented, it is both convicting and
encouraging at the same time.
Spirit-Empowered
Preaching by Art Azurdia. Dr.
Azurdia has spoken at 2 conferences I have attended. His messages are always powerful and
incisive. In this short but deep book,
he probes the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the work of preaching. These truths have changed how I approach the
pulpit each Sunday.
Delighting in the
Trinity: An Introduction to the
Christian Faith by Michael Reeves. I
have read a lot of theology, but I have never had the Trinity explained to me
better than I have in this book. Using
Scripture and many historical testimonies, Reeves does a wonderful job bringing
the doctrine of the Triune nature of God home to the reader.
The Meaning of
Marriage: Facing the Complexities of
Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy and Kathy Keller. I try to read a marriage book each year. This is one of the most sane, well-thought
out, balanced and biblical books on marriage I have ever read. This is a book I would not hesitate to give
as a gift, even to a young adult who is not yet married but struggling with
what marriage really means.
2nd Tier Reads – very good, not great.
Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to
Attend by Andy Stanley
Memoirs of an
Ordinary Pastor: The Life and
Reflections of Tom Carson by D. A. Carson
Making Spiritual
Progress: Building Your Life with Faith,
Hope and Love by Allen Ratta
The Gospel as
Center: Renewing our Faith and Reforming
our Ministry Practices by D. A. Carson and Timothy Keller, eds.
Taking God at His
Word by Kevin DeYoung
Forever: Why you can’t live without it by Paul
David Tripp
The Life of Martyn
Lloyd-Jones by Iain H. Murray
Crazy Busy by
Kevin DeYoung
AHA: The God moment that Changes Everything by
Kyle Idleman
Real Peace: What we
Long for and Where to Find It by Andy Farmer
Idols of the
Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone by
Elyse Fitzpatrick
To Live is Christ, to
Die is Gain by Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson
The Great and Holy
War: How World War 1 became a Religious
Crusade by Philip Jenkins
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American
Dream by David Platt
Broken-down
House: Living Productively in a World
Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp
Church Elders: How to Shepherd God’s People like Jesus by
Jeramie Rinne
Church
Discipline: How the Church Protects the
Name of Jesus by Jonathon Leeman
Autopsy of a Deceased
Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive by
Thom S. Rainer
When I Don’t Desire
God: How to Fight for Joy by John
Piper
7 Men and the Secret
of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
The Wonder Working
God: Seeing the Glory of Jesus in His
Miracles by Jared C. Wilson
The Peacemaker by
Ken Sande
The Daring Heart of
David Livingstone by Jay Milbrandt
3rd Tier Reads – books I finished but were mildly
disappointing.
Rewiring Your
Preaching: How the Brain Processes
Sermons by Richard H. Cox
Killing Jesus by
Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Pure Desire: How One Man’s Triumph can help others break
free from Sexual Temptation by Ted Roberts
Jeff, when I'm a big kid, I hope to read as much as you do.
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