What's on your bookshelf

My confession today: I want to read books that help me know Jesus better and grow as a leader.

Now the last part of the confession is easy to talk about. You go to any of the cool blogs out there (that I soon will provide links too) and they are talking about all the cool leadership books. Books that I want to and have read.

I want to confess though that a steady diet of Tipping Points, Good to Great, and Purple Cows doesn't make me love Jesus more.

Why is it that books about God aren't on the more innovative churches top reading list?

I am reading "The Nature of God" by AW Pink right now. No, he doesn't pastor a megachurch or have an emergent church with candles. He was born in 1886 and died in 1952. He uses the KJV in his writings and he writes thick words about a majestic God. He doesn't cite any movies or quote the hottest songs or use the newest lingo but he does write brief chapters about our Creator. It is an incredible book. When was the last time you read a book that made you think God was huge? When was the last time you read a book to meet Jesus in and not to get sermon ideas or good illustrations or to grow your church. I have done all that and it isn't necessarily bad, it just makes my soul small and sick if i do it for long periods of time. So maybe i have issues.

Why is it that people are raving about Brian McLaren's books but nobody seems to stop and ask, is he right? I like some of the stuff he says but overall I have serious concerns but others have said that better than me (www.reformission.com and listen to Gerry Breshears do an excellent job talking about his work). Have you read "God is the Gospel" by John Piper yet? What a great book to remind us that are we preaching the good news that people can know through Jesus the most exciting person in the universe? Or are we studying culture so much we are forgetting to study God.

I don't want to get lumped in with those guys that say "Church Growth is from hell" and you should only read dead guys, but as a young pastor of a contemporary suburban church that has attended his fare share of Willow Creek and Creative Church Conferences I do want to raise a flag and ask the pastors of the new hip churches to consider reading a book that is focuses on God and God alone. You might find that it creates a hunger to know Him more.

Let me give some book recommendations.

Knowing God by JI Packer
The God You can Know by Dan Dehaan
The Nature of God by AW Pink or Arthur Pink
The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer
The Holiness of God by RC Sproul
The Sovereignty of God by AW Pink
Desiring God by John Piper (okay anything by John Piper)
Close to His Majesty by David Needham

Of course the Bible is the best book to read! My I recommend "Search the Scriptures" by Alan Stibbs to help you in your studies. It's fantastic.

See-ya