Favorite Books
21 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful
Favorite quote:
“…the waves go on…”
Description:
This book has become quite possibly my favorite of all time. I read it during one of the loneliest seasons of my life and the men that Piper writes about became some of my closest and dearest friends. My heart was encouraged by the fact that they were ordinary men with broken flaws yet had such genuine passion and zeal for Christ that He used them to change the world. This book has inspired me in ways not many have. If you need hope, encouragement or inspiration to keep fighting, this book might just give you exactly what you needed!
A Girl's Guide to Marrying Well
Favorite quote:
“The best way to motivate a male friend to “make things official” is to back off from spending so much time with him. If everyone thinks you’re dating, then you’re probably acting like you are. But by giving him so much access to your time, affection and intimate friendship — without requiring any commitment on his part — you’re removing all the incentives for him to be forthright about his intentions.
It’s the guy who’s supposed to do the asking. By giving him less attention you may actually create the circumstances that will embolden him to act honorably toward you. If he doesn’t, you’ve saved yourself from any more wasted time with a guy whose behavior reveals he’s not interested in moving your friendship toward marriage.”
Description:
If you are a single lady, this is a MUST read. It is G O L D!
A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well
Favorite quote:
"Some of you men are thinking at this point, “Wait a minute. Are you saying that all the risk is mine?” Yes I am. “Doesn’t that mean that she can just tell me ‘no’ and leave me twisting in the wind?” Yes it does. Welcome to leadership. Welcome to trusting God. Welcome to being a man.
Your cards belong on the table. Your intentions and your feelings-- to the extent that you can discern them and it is appropriate for you to share them--should be clear. Part of your role even at this early stage is to protect the woman of your interest from unnecessary risk and vulnerability by providing a safe context in which she can respond.”
Description:
Every single man should read this book twice and take notes.
A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent
Favorite quote:
“On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and not mine.”
Description:
This book thoroughly communicates the foundation of anyone’s true hope, which is found in the gospel of Christ Jesus. Vincent loads this book with scripture in order to encourage the reader to fight the good fight that is before us. Every believer should read this at least once in their life.
A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards
Favorite quote:
“There in those caves, drowned in the sorrow of his song and in the song of his sorrow, David became the greatest hymn writer and the greatest comforter of broken hearts this world shall ever know.”
Description:
This book acts like medicine to the aching heart. It will encourage you in special ways and give you hope in some dark moments. How do I know? Because it did just that for me. Read it slowly, and let its truth minister to whatever ails you.
Before You Save The Date: 21 Questions to Help You Marry With Confidence by Dr. Paul Friesen
Favorite quote:
"Before You Save the Date is designed to help couples be a bit more objective as they EVALUATE their mutual "fit" for marriage...Someone once said that being married to the right person is the closest thing to heaven on earth and being married to the wrong person is the closest to hell on earth..."
Description:
I believe that one of the ways satan (yes small "s") is destroying our culture is fogging up our view of marriage and family life. Men (I use that term loosely) are not leading their families in any way whatsoever and divorce is even more rampant in the church than secular culture. So how do we take back ground and push back darkness? A great place to start is using biblical wisdom and intense questioning to know and understand the individual we are pursuing for marriage. So many people use infatuation and physical attraction to dictate their interest in someone long term. When in reality those things last the least amount of time. It is time for us to be way more intentional about getting to know someone's heart and character before we make a commitment before God that by His grace we will never compromise. This book is a GREAT place to start with that process.
Coach Wooden by Pat Williams
Favorite quote:
“Make each day your masterpiece.”
Description:
John Wooden was paid to coach basketball, but in my opinion his calling in life was to love people. This book unpacks the principles that shaped Wooden’s life. It is one of my favorite books and will be on my shelf until the good Lord calls me home.
Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
Favorite quote:
“So go marry someone, provided you're equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it's not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God's sake start making some decisions in your life. Don't wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God's will, so just go out and do something.”
Description:
This book is biblical to its core. We overcomplicate things. Waiting for signs on the wall or pie in the sky. That is not how God often communicates with us, and it is not God’s will if it is not in God’s Word. DeYoung gives great freedom to the reader that is in accordance to the Bible, writing a message filled with truth that myself and my generation desperately needs to hear.
Kingdom Man by Tony Evans
Favorite quote:
“When a kingdom man steps out his door each day, heaven, earth, and hell take notice. When he protects the woman under his care, she can do little to resist him. His children look to him with confidence. Other men look to him as someone to emulate. His church calls on him for strength and leadership. He is a preserver of culture and a champion of society to keep out evil and usher in good. A kingdom man understands that God never said a godly life would be easy; He just said it would be worth it.”
Description:
This book gives me chills. It awakens something deep inside of me, something the God of the universe placed within me. Gentleman of all ages, we are called to be men after God’s own heart and there are NO exceptions. If you don’t know how, reading this book is a good place to start!
Play the Man by Mark Batterson
Favorite quote:
“Jesus didn’t die to keep us safe. Jesus died to make us dangerous.”
Description:
If you are a man of God of any age, mentoring and discipling the upcoming generation isn’t an option, but a command that you should take seriously, both for your own children and the children out their who have no father figure, and if you did your homework, there are a lot. I love this book because it gives you practical, yet profound ways to especially impact young men. But a word of caution, in the words of Howard Hendricks: “You cannot impart what you do not possess.” The game is afoot!
Saint Ben by John Fischer
Favorite quote:
“Ben was sure that the things that were important to us were just as important to everyone else, regardless of their age or position. And he had the audacity to act out these convictions, whether or not they were welcomed or appropriate or even solicited, and no matter how far they pushed the adult boundaries around childhood behavior.”
Description:
I had a good friend recommend this book to me. It is nearly 300 pages long, and I read it in two days! Not only that, it gripped my heart in such a way that when I finished the book, I was literally sobbing. A young ten-year-old kid has courage to be himself, and it impacted hundreds of people around him. People spend most of their lives trying to become something that they were never created to be. This book gives you an incredible taste of what happens when someone has the courage to be themselves.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
Favorite quote:
“Leading well is not about enriching yourself – it’s about empowering others.”
Description:
I have never put as many underlines and marks in a book as I did this one. I’ve read it twice and plan on reading it many more times in life. Whether you are a parent, a spouse, a Sunday school teacher or the CEO of a fortune 500 company, the principles given in this book by Maxwell will be an incredible guide to learning how to better serve people and in turn, influencing them to great and impactful things. Grab a shovel, and dig in.
The Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne
Favorite quotes:
“We like to plow fields that no one has plowed before. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t; the occasional colossal failure doesn’t scare us. But I promise you one thing: We will never fail because we gave up!”
“To hell with your soup. I want that blue vase.”
Description:
If you want something, you find a way. If you don’t, you find an excuse. This book is fire in my belly. I personally believe that thousands of desires and tasks are never accomplished due to the fact that the pursuer is either passive or scared, nothing more. You want to ask a pretty girl on a date? You want the promotion? You want the scholarship? Then stop being a simpleton who makes excuses for every circumstance, and go get it! Remembering that failure is not worse than death, failure is actually one of the richest treasures a human being could ever possess. Need a kick in the pants? Read The Go-Getter!
The Sacred Search by Gary Thomas
Favorite quote:
"Family life is such a good life, and intimate marriage is such an amazing gift. The friendship that results from facing all seasons of life together, praying together, raising kids together, serving the Lord together, having fun, having sex, suffering heartaches and heartbreaks, overcoming setbacks and learning to deal with disappointments, growing together through all of them, creates a bond that no initial sexual attraction or romantic infatuation could ever hope to match."
Description:
I see a trend that has developed in my generation. One that we should not be proud of. We don’t commit to anything, myself included. We avoid pain, challenge, discomfort and many more, thinking that ease is our greatest reward. It has affected our involvement in churches, our avoidance of jobs, and our pursuit of holy matrimony. The Sacred Search spoke to me in deep and special ways. I, by God’s grace am slowly learning that the greatest blessings in life come not through ease and convenience, but through struggle and heart ache. If you read it and don’t change your behavior, it will be entirely your own fault.
The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
Favorite quotes:
"Suppose I offer you $1000 today to spend however you want. Not a bad deal. But suppose I give you a choice-you can either have that $1000 today or you can have $10 million one year from now, then 10 million more every year after that. Only a fool would take the $1000 today. Yet that's what we do whenever we grab onto something that will last for only a moment, forgoing something far more valuable that we can enjoy later for much longer."
“…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:20 ESV
Description:
Simply put, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, this world is not your home. In light of that truth, it’s time to stop living like it is. We should be less concerned with being able to watch our favorite Netflix show and more concerned with reaching our neighbor across the yard who you know is on his way to hell. Randy Alcorn brings tremendous biblical truth in a way that doesn’t depress and manipulate, but empowers and affirms. Buckle up, the Lord is up to something good!
Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle
Favorite quote:
“Two things are said to be very rare sights in the world: one is a young man humble, and the other is an old man content.”
Description:
At a conference in Atlanta, I listened to a fairly well-known pastor teach a workshop. At the end, he took questions from the listeners. I raised my hand and asked him this question: “If you were going to die today, what book, besides the Bible, would you want your son to read?” Without hesitation, he answered, “Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle.” This book is challenging to young men and women alike. You have one life. One chance to make a difference and time is ticking. Use that time well.
Trials of Great Men of The Bible by Clarence Edward Macartney
Favorite Quote:
“But from the cross he would not come down. Not the nails that they had driven through his hands and feet, but love held him fast to the cross.”
Description:
I saw this book on a shelf in my dads’ old study. The title seemed applicable to my current reality, so I decided to check it out. I demolished it’s truth like a machine at work. This book is filled with so many gold nuggets of wisdom and gives the reader many options from whom they can relate their struggles. If you are a human being, and you have trials of any kind (if you don’t that is a problem) then this book is for you! Underline. Read it slow and pray as you read. It will bless you richly!