BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (Full Version)

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crazedmom -> BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/16/2008 2:40:55 PM)

Thought it might be nice for everyone to share some meaningful books that ministered to you or spoke on a particular topic that drove a point home, etc...

I read a lot. I usually have somewhere between 5 and 10 books on my nightstand at a time. Of course, there are seasons where I read less; but I always feel like I'm "growing" when I'm reading.

That said... My top books I've read would be something like this:

1) What's So Amazing About Grace? by Phillip Yancey

I loved this book because it was a real eye-opener about how we, as Christians, should be more focused on extending God's grace and forgiveness than on passing judgment. It is filled with many stories that illustrate grace and is an excellent read. Something to strive toward...

2) Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur

This one really ministered to me because it outlined the flaws and strengths of the disciples; and yet, Jesus chose to use them all for His glory. If you've ever wondered if God could use you (warts and all) -- this book is for you! ... And, the answer is -- He can most certainly use you!! [:)]

3) Winning the Future by Newt Gingrich

I just read this one on Saturday and it was so good. If you love America, this book is for you. He outlines the key issues we're confronting today and his solutions. I found myself agreeing with everything he said. I'd definitely recommend it.

4) Fasting by Jentezen Franklin

This is an excellent book on the "why's" and the "how's" of fasting. It's a book to read over and over again.

5) The Battle is The Lord's by Tony Evans

This is a great book on our position as Christians and how we can overcome the enemy of our soul.

6) The Name by Franklin Graham

I loved this book because it talks about the power in the name of Jesus and outlined different historic and political events where "The Name" has been removed and invoked. It was very well written and inspiring.

7) Getting off the Emotional Roller Coaster by Bob Phillips

He shares out of his own pain how we can live a life free from anger, depression, fear, etc. It really ministered to me a great deal.

8) In Pursuit of Peace by Joyce Meyer

9) The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Both books were excellent with so much application.

10) The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

I think I saved the best for last! This book has been transformational for me and many in our church. I just finished a mentoring class where this was one of our textbooks; and we all gleaned so much from it. It will be a book that is on my nightstand for a long time to come. My husband, who has in the past been a "non-reader" is even reading it! I highlighted throughout the book and so enjoyed reading it. God has given him great revelation and we can all benefit from reading this. They've taken this book and are teaching it to the kids at church also. It's a wonderful message for them to learn that they have purpose; they're not an accident; and God loves them and wants to use them for His kingdom!

Okay... It's Your Turn... [:)]



rarepair -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 3:24:13 AM)

The Books That Have Impacted Me Most

1. Gospel of Mark

More than anything else I've read, it hammered home just who Jesus is and forced me to answer the question "but who do you say I am?"

2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Helped me to keep holding onto the anchor during a "dry" period and helped pull me in from wandering.

3. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Helped me see that God is a person. It's not a religion, it's a relationship, one that transforms everything.

4. Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner

Incredible memoir of what Miller was writing about. I learned SO MUCH from her and her Jewish roots. A terrific example of someone who took Jesus seriously.

5. How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee

This book unlocked so much of the Old Testament to me and has given me access to the awesome treasure there.



lexie -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 8:37:26 AM)

Faith Under Fire
and
Left to Tell (by Immaculee Ilibagiza)

Both are books about the Rwandan Genocide. The first is a collection of stories told by Christians about their experience. The second is a woman's story of hiding in a bathroom with 7 other women for 90 days and how her relationship with God developed during that time

Both books had a huge impact on me. It showed me the strength of faith in God, and taught me to truly give everything over to God and trust that He will take care of me in the way He sees fit.

The second book is also an amazing tale of forgiveness. If the woman can forgive the people who murdered her family and neighbours, then surely we can forgive the tresspasses those commit against us.



sunshine4God -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 11:01:52 AM)

Some books that really spoke to me are.

1.The battlefield of the mind-It helped me learn to deal with having low self esteem and to get a handle on my emotions,and let God be in control of my thoughts.

2.Shine by the Newsboys-It helped me learn to be more like God and show his love to others.

3.A purpose driven life-I learned to know what my purpose in life is and how to let God use me in different ways.



wshepherd -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 11:38:26 AM)

Some books that have impacted me are:

1. The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith. One of the most down-to-earth, practical books on living the Christian life I have EVER read.

2. Prayer Works, by Brother Andrew. Very challenging. Is causing me to pray bigger prayers.

3. How to Study the Bible, by Kay Arthur. Precept Ministries taught me how to study the Bible for myself, and consequently, I have a soft spot for this book. Very practical.

4. The Divine Mentor -- Growing Your Faith as You Sit at the Feet of the Savior, by Wayne Cordeiro. The book that taught me about the importance of having a devotional life, as well as how to have one.



crazedmom -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 1:22:59 PM)

Oh, I just remembered The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom! Has anyone else read it?

It was definitely life-changing! I read that a while back. The things she went through and seeing her sister die in the concentration camp; yet, she persevered! She chose to count her blessings and try to see God in all her circumstances, no matter how bleak the outlook was. She endured much more than I can imagine going through. God really used her as a result of her endurance and great faith. She speaks so highly of her father and their times of Bible reading and prayer, along with her sister -- before the war. It's got to be another one of those "must reads". [:)]



wshepherd -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 2:37:27 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: crazedmom

Oh, I just remembered The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom! Has anyone else read it?


I agree, it was a book with a great story. I just got back from Israel where I visited Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Memorial, for the 3rd time. I saw the tree planted in memory of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, and father, Casper, in the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles. I was told this is the second tree that was planted for Corrie, and it is in a different part of the garden. The first tree died on the day that Corrie died, or so the story goes.



bzirk -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/17/2008 3:41:51 PM)

Some that have impacted me greatly:

1) Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.

2) Oneness with Christ by David Kuykendall

3) Tortured for the Faith by Richard Wurmbrand

4) Foxes Book of Martyrs

5) Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee

6) Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard



RJR_fan -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/21/2008 6:40:12 PM)


  • Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave (Glenn Schell) and The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and the Causes Which Hinder It (Roland Allen) gave me the cognitive tools I needed to break out of a ministry that had made a detour into cultic authoritarianism.
  • The works of the ArmEnian Calvinist, R. J. Rushdoony, introduced me to the staggering fact that Jesus is Lord, not guru. Jesus is the ultimate authority in the real universe, not just over the internal imaginary emotional non-rational "heart." Some of his many books include:

    • The Institutes of Biblical Law
    • Foundations of Social Order
    • The Myth of Overpopulation
    • Revolt against Maturity
    • The Cult of Guilt and Pity
    • The Biblical Foundations of History

  • Paradise Restored (David Chilton) is the happiest and sanest book on a controversial subject that I've ever read. You can download a free copy here, and see for yourself how great, good, and kind our God and His purposes are.
  • Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators (David Chilton, again) will immunize you to the siren songs of "Christian" soft-sell socialists.
  • Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) blows the cover on the thugs whose lust for power underlies collectivist ideologies.
  • The Underground History of American Public Education (John Taylor Gatto) is passionate, erudite, and convincing.
  • Witness (Whitaker Chambers) -- one of the few books that kept me up 'til the wee hours several nights in a row.
  • The Gulag Archipelago (Aleksandr Soltzhenitsn) on of the few other books that did the same.




cheeky_monkey -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/22/2008 1:47:06 AM)

"Pagan Christianity" had a huge impact on me. I see the way we "do church" in a completely different light after reading this book and can honestly say I think every Christian should read it. It's an eye-opener.

I won't get into specifics, but it impacted the way I see tithing, dressing for church, certain roles in the church, etc. Some of it has been hard for me and I'm still praying about how to deal with certain things in my life as a Christian based on the information in this book. I've mentioned it in a few threads here at FCN, which can be annoying, but the impact was that huge.

This is from the back cover:

Are We Really Doing Church "By the Book"?
Why does the pastor preach a sermon every service?
Why do church services seem so similar week after week?
Why does the congregation sit passively in pews?

Not sure? This book makes an unsettling proposal: Most of what present-day Christians do in church each Sunday is rooted, not in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Authors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence and extensive footnotes that document the origins of our modern Christian church practices.

In the process, the authors uncover the problems that emerge when the church functions more like a business organization than the living organism it was created to be. As you reconsider Christ's revolutionary plan for His church - to be the head of a fully functioning body in which all believers play an active role - you'll be challenged to decide whether you can ever do church the same way again.

-----

Anyway, I highly recommend it simply because of the way it impacted me. It's a very easy read and very, very fascinating.



bzirk -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/22/2008 8:26:00 PM)

I forgot to put the why. [:D]


1) Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.

This particular book was the first time I really got hold of the fact that the Lord sought me first. After I read it, I realized the scriptures were replete with examples of the Lord pursuing us. I'm particularly fond of chapter 6. Read it the first time at 18, and I still credit it with being the most life altering book I've read apart from scripture.

2) Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee

This book spoke about identity in Christ with much more depth than I had ever heard, and as a result presented an even more intimate view of walking with the Lord than I had ever been exposed. But frankly, I didn't get the last half of the book the first time or even the second time I read this book. It wasn't until about the fifth time through that I began to grab hold of it. Read it the first time (of many times) at 20 years old, and one of many books/studies I've been through on Romans -- a book in scripture which should be studied by every Christian in my opinion.

3) Oneness with Christ by David Kuykendall

This book was written by a former pastor of mine. It is a study of Romans as Normal Christian Life is, and I sat through my pastor's year long study on the book of Romans while I was reading it. Probably read this just a few months after finishing Watchman Nee's book. It was a pivotal study at a very pivotal time in my life. I've thanked the Lord many times for providing it and my pastor.

3) Tortured for the Faith by Richard Wurmbrand

Just a good head spinning book about what it means to be sold out for the Lord. I've often thought about instances conveyed in the book, and for years now I have been involved with Voice of the Martyrs due to my respect for Wurmbrand.

4) Foxes Book of Martyrs

Ought to be read by every Christian. I don't remember exactly when I read it, but it was some time the last year or so of college. It is humbling and enlighteneing, and I've since read it several times and read it to my children as well.

6) Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

Hmm. What can I say about this book? It is another book that gets at our identity in Christ and our walk with Him. I think I like this book so much because he speaks of things I had been thinking for years. Read this one about 10 years ago .

I'll add one more that wasn't on my original list:

7) Revolution by Gene Edwards

This book is aptly named. I read it the last year of college, and it had a profound effect on me. It helped in part to explain my disillusionment with the traditional church of almost 30 years ago. But there were some things that set me on the wrong road. Whatever the case, this book is one of those writings thas has had a profound effect on a lot of people, but I daresay most of them haven't read it let alone heard of it. This book is in great part responsible for the house church movement that began in the late 70s/early 80s and is reaching the mainstream today. My husband and I had a house church in the mid-80s because we wanted to break free of the extraBiblical trappings of the church, and Revolution was part of what facilitated that. You see my husband also read this book when he was in college. We learned a lot from that experience, and it helps us understand what's going on in the Church today -- at least the Church in America.

BTW, I find it a little funny (odd) that 30+ years later Barna named his book about people exiting the traditional church for alternative church gatherings by the same name.



believinginmercy -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/23/2008 8:53:21 PM)

Go and Sin No More-Micheal Brown.
I read the same scripture in the morning and found it in a Salvation Army store that afternoon.It speaks for itself.



e.barrett -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/24/2008 2:48:40 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rarepair

3. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Helped me see that God is a person. It's not a religion, it's a relationship, one that transforms everything.

That's well said, and exactly the reaction I had when I read Blue Like Jazz.

For me, the most important book I read was Erwin McManus' The Barbarian Way. It showed me that being a Christian didn't mean being Ned Flanders. It showed me that there is something dangerous, and revolutionary about Jesus. That, in turn, really helped me to begin to understand the questions of pain and suffering. God's number one concern isn't my physical safety, but my relationship with him.

Once I realized that everything in my life changed.



Norny -> RE: BOOKS THAT SPOKE TO YOU & WHY... (6/25/2008 1:01:46 AM)

A Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens by Deepok Chopra.

i just finished this book 2 weeks ago and the reason it is important to me is because it got me to reevaluate my morals ethics and habits and help me change them and become better for it. It also inspired me to start to find god again.



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