GOOD BOOKS
On his blog Where the Redfern Blogs, Mark Redfern wrote a series of posts on the 5 books outside of the Bible that have influenced him the most. Here is his Top 5.
5. Desiring God by John Piper
4. Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot
3. The Cross of Christ by John Stott
Top 2. The Pleasures of God by John Piper and Knowing God by J.I. Packer
I read Desiring God my junior year of college and I would have to say it is #1 on my list of most influential books outside of the Bible I have read. No other book has helped me know God more.
I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Elliot. I once joked to a friend that I want to be her 4th husband. I was unmarried at the time. Shadow of the Almighty is a great book about the life of her missionary husband Jim Elliot.
I am currently reading The Cross of Christ. It has taken me to depths of the cross I have never known. I'm sure I will return to it time and time again in the future.
I have read most of Pleasures of God and Knowing God. Both books taught me much about the character of God and who he is. Very good books.
You can read Mark's comments here, here, here and here.
If I were to do a Top 5 list I would want some CJ Mahaney in there and would probably bump off Shadow of the Almighty. Sorry Elizabeth. Still a great book, just not Top 5 worthy.
I'm curious what would make your Top 5.
posted by mjm @ 8:15 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I haven't read a ton of books, but here are my top five outside the Bible...
(1) Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ (Piper)
(2) The Doctrine of God (Bavinck...This was hard to read, but amazing...and I'm still learning from it)
(3) Of The Mortification of Sin in Believers (Owen...once again still learning from it)
(4) Jonathan Edwards' Sermon "The Church's Marriage to Her Sons and to Her God."
(5) Westminster Divines (Free Presbyterian Press)
This will probably change over time...there are a lot more that I couldn't squeeze on here...namely Calvin's institutes, Brainerd's Life and Diary...etc.
In Christ
Noah
The more I think about it, I would probably substitute Piper's Future Grace for Pleasures of God.
Unlike Noah, I have read a ton of books, not necessarily of the caliber that he listed. I can't list an accurate top 5 off the top of my head, but here's my attempt (in no particular order):
1) Anything by Philip Yancey, especially What's So Amazing About Grace.
2) Not the Way it's Supposed to Be, by Cornelius Plantinga.
3) Desiring God, Piper.
4) Putting Amazing Back Into Grace, Michael Horton (although the last couple of chapters aren't nearly as good as the rest of the book)
5) End of the Spear, Steve Saint
6) Christ Our Mediator, C.J. Mahaney (this still sticks out to me, even though I've read Living the Cross Centered Life)
7) Anything by C.S. Lewis, especially Mere Christianity and The Great Divorce
Only a Viking fan would set an arbitrary limit like 5.
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