The Empty Bookshelf Challenge

Just before we flipped the calendar over to start 2014, author Jon Acuff threw out a challenge. The Empty Bookshelf Challenge to be exact. Clear a shelf in your bookcase and them fill it up during the year. As you finish a book, write a quick review and take a picture of your shelf. I gladly accepted Jon's challenge (especially since it didn't involve ice and/or buckets). There's just one little problem. I do most of my reading on my Kindle. So bookshelf pics wouldn't mean a hill of beans.

So here's my update through the end of August 2014. Lots of non-fiction. Lots of Christian non-fiction. An emphasis on God's view of manhood and marriage. And of course, a little bit of baseball.

"Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved" by J.D. Greear
-A short but power-packed book on our assurance of salvation. If Jesus rescues you, it's not up to you to stay saved. (Where was this little ditty back when God first got ahold of me?!?)

"Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye" by Len Bailey
-If you're a believer and a fan of the detective at 221B Baker Street, grab this one. Holmes investigates some of the Bible's ultimate mysteries.

"Intentional Walk: An Inside Look at the Faith that Drives the St. Louis Cardinals" by Rob Rains.
-Most Redbird fans might not realize the role that the players' faith plays in the clubhouse and on the field.

"To Live Is Christ to Die Is Gain" by Matt Chandler and Jared C. Wilson
-Cool look at how Jesus and His Gospel totally turned the city of Philippi on its head.

"Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs" by Emerson Eggerichs
-This one has been on my "to read" list for several years. I had my doubts that it would live up to the hype. Wrong! Probably THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK ON MARRIAGE TODAY! Must. Read.

"Stuff Christians Like" by Jon Acuff
-A "best of" collection from the blog of the same name. Acuff is a fantastic writer (I read his book "Start" last year). Laughed out loud on just about every page. And hey, why not try to score a few brownie points from the dude who issued the challenge in the first place.

"Stan Musial: An American Life" by George Vecsey
-The story of one of America's great heroes. Musial's big problem was that he was consistently great and lived without controversy or scandal.

"Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't" by Simon Sinek
-A powerful book on servant leadership. While Sinek has an evolutionary world view, his observations on leaders and their teams will rock you to the core.

"Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole" by Eric Mason
-An inner city pastor from Philadelphia pulls absolutely no punches when it comes to God's view of manhood. Put on your cup before picking this one up.

"The Dude's Guide to Manhood: Finding True Manliness in a World of Counterfeits" by Darrin Patrick
-I love Patrick's combination of being both in-your-face and completely transparent. If you don't want somebody up in your grill (in Christian love, of course), you might want to read "The Notebook" instead.

"One Question" by Ken Coleman
-I've been a fan of Coleman as a regular listener to the Catalyst Podcast. He's an outstanding interviewer who shares some amazing insights from various movers and shakers as they respond to key questions.

"A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future?" by Mark Driscoll
-Driscoll's a real lightning rod. God has used him greatly in my life to impact my view of Jesus, the Bible, and how to communicate the Gospel. He does a great job in this book of giving context to the 21st century church and where we're headed.

"Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense" by Francis Spufford
-I read this after hearing Tullian Tchividjian recommend it several times in his sermons. If cursing and four-letter words upset you, don't even think about this book. Spufford is "unapologetic" in his apologetics toward neo-atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens. Parts of this book are thick and hard to read. Other sections make you think you're holding a grenade in your hand without the pin.

"Genesis Unbound" by John Sailhamer
-I've never been passionate about Creation Science and the evolution debate. Sailhamer pulls apart the opening chapters of Genesis for a view of God's creation that's absolutely spectacular. Buckle your seat belt, boys and girls.

"Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are" by Craig Groeschel
-Groeschel is an outstanding communicator. I always love his books. This is no exception. It's fun to read. It's powerful and convicting. I don't agree with everything he writes but, then again, he's smarter than me. He says that we can't become all fo who God created us to be until we place our egos on the altar.

"All of Grace" by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
-First thing I've ever read by Spurgeon. Man, he can bring it! This book will absolutely blow the doors off your view of our gracious God and Savior.

Looks like I've got more empty space on my bookshelf. Would love to hear your suggestions.

The Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four.

OK, now that I've got all of the Marvel fans' attention. But this time I'm not talking about comic book heroes. I'm actually letting you know of four hard cover heroes you might want to check out.

Over the Christmas break, I get a chance to dive into several books while I'm off work. This year, I had the pleasure of turning the pages on four fantastic works. If you like to read and are interested in outstanding Christian authors who make you think, then you might enjoy these books too.

The first is Mere Christianity. Are you curious about the basics of what it means to be a follower of Jesus? Then check out this C. S. Lewis classic. Believe it or not, this was originally a series of radio broadcasts that Lewis did on the BBC during the dark hours of World War II. If you've heard that Lewis is hard to read, then you don't know Jack. "Jack" Lewis, that is. Mere Christianity is incredibly well crafted and easy to digest.

The second is On Church Leadership. This is a super-fast read by Mark Driscoll. The title says it all. The cover also boasts that it is "a book you'll actually read." If you have any interest in how the healthy church should operate, you can knock out this 94-page wonder in around an hour. You may read it in 60 minutes, but it sticks to your ribs for quite a while.

Batting third is Life and Practice in the Early Church. Don't let the title fool you. Steve McKinion cranks up the Flux Capacitor to see what church life was like back in the first through fifth centuries through the writings of the early church fathers. Pretty quickly you see that they were dealing with some familiar issues. Arguments over worship style. Huge attendance swings at Christmas and Easter. People not paying attention during the service. It's amazing to see how they "did church" still impacts us today.

Last but not least is The Reason for God. I mentioned Tim Keller's book in an earlier post. In the first half of the book, he tears down the arguments against faith in Jesus. The second half makes a powerful case for belief in the Carpenter from Nazareth as the Savior of the world. The last three chapters simply take your breath away. This is a modern day must-read for anyone with an interest in Christian apologetics. I'll almost certainly be re-reading this one in the not-too-distant future.

As Charlie "Tremendous" Jones has said, "You are the same today as you'll be in five years except for the books you read and the people you meet." I'm better for having read this Fantastic Four.

Sorry 'bout that, Human Torch.