September Book Recommendations

 

Hershael York

Deep Work by Cal Newport
I recommend as a helpful secular book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. I need all the help I can get learning how to focus and be mindful. This book tells me how to do that better. It’s not a Christian book, but run through a gospel filter, you can find many applications in prayer and meditation on Scripture.

 

Scott Riessen

MARCS of a Disciple by Robby Gallaty
Discipleship is an essential process of growth for any Christian and all believers have a clear call to make disciples, yet discipling others is an intimidating process for many. I have found Gallaty’s discipleship resources quite helpful in my own life and I regularly recommend them to others. In MARCS of a Disciple, you’ll find an acronym that shows what a mature Christ-follower looks like: Mature, Accountable, Reproducible, Communal, and Scriptural. These are the areas we should be pursuing in our own discipleship as well as what we are seeking to produce as we disciple others. Grab this short read and be not only equipped but motivated to make disciples.

Will Morris

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
Paul writes in a letter to Timothy, “Train yourself for godliness.” Donald Whitney takes this to mean that if Christians want to become more godly, they must discipline themselves to seek God in prayer, Bible intake, fasting, and other practices. This book is a great introduction to spiritual disciplines and contains both motivation and practical advice for getting started.

Matthew Morvay

God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts
Roberts writes this book “to provide all Christians, from the new convert to the mature believer, with an overview of the whole Bible that will help them see how the different parts fit together” (10). Roberts will point you to the Bible’s supreme subject, Jesus Christ, and the salvation God offers through him. I enjoy the accessibility of this book for all people, especially the Bible study outline provided at the end of every chapter that’s conducive for individual or group use. Be sure to check out this fantastic resource!

Dr. Wesley Noss

Spiritual Leadership, Principles of Excellence For Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders.
In today’s culture, there needs to be a powerful voice from strong leaders/influencers guided by God and devoted to Christ. Sanders presents and illustrates these principles of leadership through biographies of eminent men of God such as Moses, Nehemiah, Paul, David Livingstone, and Charles Spurgeon. In reading Spiritual Leadership, you will be encouraged to place your talents and abilities at His disposal so you can become a leader/influencer for His glory.

 

Dave Parks

Faith For Exiles: Five Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon by David Kinnaman & Mark Matlock
Seth York gave me this book when I attended one of his Gen Z seminars. His presentation was based on the principles in this book. The seminar was very eye-opening, and this book is like a user’s guide for reaching, connecting with, and engaging the younger members of our current culture: Gen Z. They were born into a world and culture the authors call “Digital Babylon” – so-called because it is not at all unlike the Babylon Daniel and his young Hebrew friends were exiled to. “The gravitational pull of digital Babylon is stronger than the memory of Jerusalem.” And yet, Daniel and his young Hebrew friends remained true to their “faith” in spite of all the pressures to use their “exile” to separate them and deconstruct them from their “faith.” Hence, “Faith For Exiles.” The burden and aim of the book is to impress us with the urgency of the need and equip us with the means to connect with this vibrant and passionate generation and engage them with the timeless power and truth of Jesus Christ and His Gospel, which is our Faith. Reading this book has been like a cultural re-education right in the midst of the context where it is on-going. If you care about understanding Gen Z and “passing the baton” to those who are already here now and will be the generation to come, get and read this book.