Five Books Every Christian Needs To Read

I read daily.

Jim Rohn said, books are the ladder we climb to success. While I don’t think I want the earthly success Mr. Rohn referred to I do want to be a success in my walk with Christ. I have highlighted several book that in my opinion should be a staple in every Christian library. These books challenge your thinking, and the modern American view that Jesus wants us all to be happy and have a lot of stuff.

These book are books that expanded my thinking, and probed my heart. They have, in my opinion, been used by God to draw me closer to Him. I hope you find them as useful in your walk as I have in mine.

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

I read this book for the first time in 2000. I had been a Christian for about three years, and had never heard anyone talk about living a life filled with God. To me God was distant and removed. While he did care about our well-being, we could not get close to him.

Richard Foster Changed My Thinking

Celebration of Discipline is not a how to get close to God guide. It explains 12 discipline that have been practiced in the church for 2000 years, that many modern Christians do not do, or think about. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. There are things you can do to put you in a correct frame of mind to see God for who he really is. And this book will give you suggestions on what those things are.

C. S. Lewis

I know C. S. Lewis is an author and not a book, but I think you should read most of his books.

Mere Christianity
is derived from radio spots done by Lewis during WWII. Mere Christianity deals with the intellectual side of Christianity. Lewis makes the case for God, Jesus as savior, and moral issues. If you are already a Christian this book will help you deepen your faith. It is a good book for non-believers who are looking into Christianity.

The Screwtape Letters
is a series of letter sent by the demon Screwtape to his young pupil and nephew demon Wormwood. Wormwood is tempting a human and Screwtape is instructing him in the fine art. This book gives us a look at the reverse side of temptation in our lives and help us understand the lure.

The Chronicles of Narnia
this now popular series follows children during the great war who escape through a wardrobe to find the land of Narnia. In Narnia they are kings and queens who lead talking animals against their foes. Their story is much like our own story of learning to rely on Christ in dealing with our worries of life.

The Cost of Discipleship By Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer died because he tried to stop the Nazi’s. He died because he lived out his faith in a way many can’t accept. From the book:

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.

As an exposition on, The Sermon on the Mount, The Cost of Discipleship
is Bonhoeffer’s call to the church and Christians to come back to Christ as its center.

The Reason for God

Timothy Keller is pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He has been posed many objections to God, and the gospel of Christ. In The Reason For God, Keller takes those objections and one by one gives the Christian view and why the objection will not hold up to scrutiny.

The Reason for God is a Good book for newer Christians or agnostics and atheists who are willing to be challenged in their beliefs. Don’t go around throwing this or any other book at people who don’t agree with you. Love first and then challenge. A challenge without love make you and Christ look bad.

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