HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Glory of Christ by John Owen

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Holiness by J.C. Ryle

The Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford (compiled from his letters which are also excellent)

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

 Practical Religion by J.C. Ryle

A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin – excellent on self-denial and meditating on the hope of glory. Excerpted from Calvin’s Institutes.

Heaven Taken by Storm by Thomas Watson

Trusting God by Jerry Bridges 

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel 

Devoted to God by Sinclair Ferguson – fantastic on sanctification

OUR BLESSED HOPE

The Future of Everything: Essential Truths About the End Times by William Boekestein

The Last Days according to Jesus: When Did Jesus Say He Would Return? by R.C. Sproul

Triumph of the Lamb by Dennis Johnson – An excellent commentary on the book of Revelation by a respected scholar. Johnson has a brilliant ability to demystify one of the Bible’s most challenging books and show how the book equips us to serve the Lord today.

 

BIOGRAPHIES

George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century by Arnold Dallimore

Memoir & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne by Andrew Bonar

Cheer Up! The Life and Ministry of Jack Miller by Michael Graham

J.C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone by Iain H. Murray

Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Iain H. Murray

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis – spiritual autobiography

Amy Carmichael: Beauty For Ashes by Iain H. Murray

DEVOTIONALS

Saving Grace by C. John Miller – my favorite devotional discovery of 2021. Plan to read back through in 2022.

God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs by Tim Keller

The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms by Tim Keller

Voices from the Past, Vol. 1 by Richard Rushing (editor) – various puritan devotional readings. A great way to dive into the great puritan writers.

Voices from the Past, Vol. 2 by Richard Rushing (editor) – as good or better than volume one. Hoping volume three is in the works.

The Promises of God by Charles H. Spurgeon

Family Worship Bible Guide by Joel Beeke – a great resource for family devotions.

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas by various authors

Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter by various authors

 PRAYER

The Hidden Life of Prayer by David McIntyre

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller

A Call to Prayer by J.C. Ryle

Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans by Robert Elmer (editor)

A Way to Pray by Matthew Henry (edited by O. Palmer Robertson)

A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther

Praying with Paul by D.A. Carson

Letters to Malcom by C.S. Lewis

COMFORT DURING HARD TIMES

Christ and Calamity by Harold Senkbeil

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

The Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford (compiled from his letters which are also excellent)

Valley of Vision by various puritan writers

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller

THE REDWOODS

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs

The Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford (compiled from his letters which are also excellent)

The Glory of Christ by John Owen

Communion with God by John Owen

The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson

Spiritual Mindedness by John Owen

Heaven Is a World of Love by Jonathan Edwards

Valley of Vision by various puritan writers (compiled by Arthur Bennett)

Heaven Taken by Storm by Thomas Watson

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel 

Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks

All Loves Excelling by John Bunyan

The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie

All Things for Good by Thomas Watson

The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson

The Love of Christ by Richard Sibbes

 

LEADERSHIP

The Heart of a Servant Leader by C. John Miller – a wonderful compilation of that pastoral letters of Jack Miller.

The Servant by James Hunter

Lincoln on Leadership by Donald Phillips

Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler

THEOLOGY

The Wonderful Works of God by Herman Bavinck (condensed version of  Bavinck’s four-volume Reformed Dogmatics)

The Institutes of the Christian Religion (1541 edition) by John Calvin

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

The Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson

The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by Thomas Chalmers

The Pearl of Christian Comfort by Petrus Dathenus

MARRIAGE & PARENTING

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller

What Did You Expect? by Paul Tripp

When Sinners Say ‘I Do’ by Dave Harvey

God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation by Andreas J. Köstenberger

Parenting by Paul Tripp

Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp

FICTION

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky [audible] – One of the best novels ever written. The Russian names can make this a challenging read, listening to one of the excellent audio editions available on audible is a great option.

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

FAMILY READ ALOUD

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan  – The linked edition from Crossway is the best modern English translation for reading to children. Many beautiful color illustrations throughout the book.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and Prince Caspian are family favorites. Lewis is hard to beat for cultivating the imaginations of young and old.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

 

WRITING

On Writing Well by William Zinsser

The Elements of Style by Strunk and White – Its amazing how often I’ve turned to this little book over the years.

On Writing by Stephen King – Surprised me in a good way. Lot’s of practical wisdom on growing as a writer.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

POETRY

Poems by C.S. Lewis – excellent. Read Lewis’ “One Being Human” here.

The Soul in Paraphrase: A Treasury of Classic Devotional Poems by Leland Ryken 

100 Best-Loved Poems by Philip Smith – great collection

Favorite Poems by William Wordsworth

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