Book Recommendations for Christmas Gifts

Here is a list of books that would make great Christmas presents.  They are organized by category to help you sort through them based on who you are buying for.  See blog post "What You Didn't Ask For" for my reasons of why books make a great gift.  


You can click on all the book titles below (all are linked) to read more about the book on Amazon.com (free shipping if you spend $25.)  An "*" by the book puts it in a top tier category for me.  These are books I feel every house should have/read.  I have made comments on some, which will be in parentheses.     

For the Couple:

å    *What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage by Paul David Tripp

å    This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence by John Piper

å    Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

For the Parent:

å    *Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting by William P. Farley (gets to the heart of parenting.  This should be one of the first books parents read) 

å    *Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp (complements the book above really well.  This one is more on the practical side whereas the above book is more focused on the heart of parenting.)

å    Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God by Marty Machowski

å    Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Bruce A. Ware

å    Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper 

å    How Children Raise Parents: The Art of Listening to Your Family by Dan B. Allender 

For the Kids:

å    *The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago (incredible children's Bible!  Every story points to Jesus, showing kids what the Bible truly is about.  Every house with kids should have this in it)  

å    Big Thoughts For Little Thinkers by Joey Allen (There are 4 books in this series: The Trinity, The Gospel, The Scripture, The Mission.  They do an amazing job of explaining these essential Bible docrines in a way kids can understand.  Amazon.com is running a deal where you can buy all 4 for the price of 3!) 

å    Little Pilgrim's Progress: From John Bunyan's Classic by Helen Taylor 

å    The Big Picture Story Bible by David R. Helm (another great Bible, has great illustrations)

For Spiritual Growth:

å     *Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper

å     Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

å     Overcoming Sin and Temptation - by John Owen (edited by Kelly M. Kapic, Justin Taylor)

å     *The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

å     The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life by A. W. Tozer

å     Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts by Harold M. Best 

å     *The Grace Awakening: Believing in grace is one thing. Living it is another. by Charles R. Swindoll

å     The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out  by Mark Driscoll

å     Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment by Linda Dillow (for women) 

å     Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp

å     Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness by Dan B. Allender

å     *God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself by John Piper 

For the Story Lover: 

å     Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Chrisian Spirituality by Donald Miller (very casual approach.  Fun and easy read that will get those no interested in God to think)

å     *Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (for women) 

å     The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers (for women) 

For the thinker/theologian:

å     Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (rational basis for Christianity)  

å     *Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

å     The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation by Bruce Demarest

å     The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission  by Edmund P. Clowney 

å     In His Image by Philip Yancey and Paul Brand (A doctor examines the body, and relates how it was created in God's image.  Profound insights.) 

For the Biography lover: 

å     Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Herbert Bainton

å     Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography by Jonathan and Darlene Edwards 

å     William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell 

å     Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper

These next four books are each contain several short biographies in each book.  All written by John Piper. (great way to read about many different heroes of the faith in a reasonable amount of time) 

å     The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin

å     The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd 

å     The Roots of Endurance: Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce 

å     Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: The Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Nations in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton 

For the History Lover

å     *Pocket History of the Church by D. Jeffrey Bingham

å     The Story of Christianity: Volume 1, The: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation by Justo L. González

å     The Story of Christianity: Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day by Justo L. Gonzalez

å     Lost Letters of Pergamum, The: A Story from the New Testament World by Bruce W. Longenecker (this is also a great one for the story lover) 

å     Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times by Paul Barnett

For the Student of the Bible

å     Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks

å     *Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne A. Grudem

å     Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary by Charles W. Draper

å     The New Unger's Bible Handbook by Merrill F. Unger and Gary Larson

å     New Bible Commentary by Gordon J. Wenham, J. Alec Motyer, Donald A. Carson, and R. T. France (great 1 volume commentary)

What You Didn’t Ask For

What do you want for Christmas?  That is the question we are asking our parents, spouses, kids, and grandkids.  We want to make sure the gift we get them is something they want.  So much thought and money are put into these gifts that will, in a year, be obsolete and collecting dust.  What if it were different?  What if we thought like Peter?

Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray when they saw a crippled man being carried to the gate to beg for money.  Every day this man was carried there to beg, because it was money he needed to survive (being crippled he couldn't work).  Or so he thought.

As Peter and John passed the crippled man, he begged them for money.  Peter's response began how we normally respond, "Silver and gold I do not have."  Translation: I don't have any money.  But Peter continued with these words that should fill us with awe: "but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"  The man leaped to his feet and began praising God as he walked away.  He got something he didn't ask for…but something he needed! (Acts 3:1-10)

What we all need is God.  We were made for Him, so deep within us is a longing for Him.  Augustine puts it best in saying "Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee?"  He is what we all truly want.  He is what we all truly need. 

Therefore, we must ask ourselves how our gifts, conversations, traditions, and everything else this Christmas can point to Christ.  Peter's main purpose in healing the crippled man was not that he would walk, but that he and others would know Christ.  This act led to people wondering how this happened, giving Peter the opportunity to preach one of the greatest sermons ever preached in Acts 3:11-26           

Here are some ideas of gifts that can point to Christ: One of the best gifts for this is a book that challenges, encourages, and fuels your passion for Christ.  Check the blog this month – I will be posting recommendations of books to give as gifts for different types of people, i.e. kids, couples, parents, thinkers, etc.  For other gifts, think of things that stir their affections for Christ.  Is it listening to music? Buy a CD and put a note about how you hope the creativity and art of song would help them fall deeper in love with the wonder of God.  Is it creating music?  Buy an instrument, equipment, or lessons and tell them your hope that this ability would cause them to worship God much deeper.  Is it art?  Buy a canvas and tell them you hope that in painting that would see the beauty of God and His canvas.  Is it being around family? Gardening?  Photography?  Coffee? 

The key here is finding what makes them know and love Jesus more.  This gives purpose to giving.  It makes it not just about the receiver, but about the ultimate giver.  We live in a world now that has hijacked Christmas, and it will take everything in us to display the true meaning of Christmas to our family. 

Don't give the gift they ask for…give the gift they need.      


*adopted from December 2010 Newsletter

The Bible and the Boy

Yesterday I went to Starbucks to get inspiration.  For some reason when I am at Starbucks my mind kicks into gear and the Lord really speaks to me as I prepare sermons.  When I arrived I found a table and set my Bible and backpack on it before walking up to order a drink.

As I wait in line I keep looking over at my table, where an 8-year-old boy keeps hovering and staring at my Bible.  I smile at him while I wonder what he is doing by my stuff.  He then opens the Bible up, looks at me, then closes it...realizing he got caught.  But he stays close, touching it one more time before his mom comes by with is hot chocolate.

When the boy was hovering around my table, I was worried.  What is this boy going to do?  Where are his parents?  It is just a book...why is he so interested?

When I walked back to the table with my coffee I looked at the Bible on the table and it hit me.  This boy was not just getting into whatever he saw...he was curious to see something he had never seen.  Leather cover, gold edges, and a bookmark ribbon.  This wasn't a normal book!  Of course he was curious, because books don't usually shine gold.  My heart sank.

How young was I when I saw my first Bible?  I don't even remember...I grew up knowing what a Bible was and looked like.  This boy, on the other hand, probably had never even seen one.  It is not his fault that his parents don't believe and have a Bible...but it is his reality.

This Thanksgiving, really think about how blessed you are.  To be able to hold the word of God in your hands, to read it, to be changed by it, and to pass those wonderful truths on to your kids.  To know and love God is the greatest gift we have been given.

I am often overwhelmed with how good God is towards me, and I can't help but ask, why?  The list of my sins is great, but God's mercy and grace are far greater!  Celebrate that this Thanksgiving!

Finding a Parking Spot

Dependence on God is hard in our American "yes you can," "pull yourself up by you bootstraps" culture.  We are all about independence, which is why stories that display true dependence on God can really help open our eyes to what true dependence looks like.  Here is one of those stories, as told by Paul Miller in "A Praying Life":

After raising 5 children on a meager pastor's salary, Rosa "went with her husband the share the gospel in the slums of Uganda and the streets of Dublin."  She is now 82 years old and a full time missionary in London.  Her son read a book on prayer that said that we shouldn't pray for things such as parking places because those requests are selfish.  After hearing this, Rosa "looked a little incredulous, coked her head, started laughing, and said 'how else would you find a parking place?' "    

The experiences this woman has had through raising 5 kids on a pastor's salary and doing missionary work in Uganda, Dublin, and London have made her completely reliant on God for everything, and she has stories to tell about God answering those prayers.

We don't pray for things that are normal to everyday life, such as finding a parking place.  Maybe becasue we lack dependence or maybe because we are cynical and assume we will get a spot anyway, so why pray.  But if we completely changed our view of the world we would realize, like Rosa has, that everything is dependent on God...otherwise...how else would we find a parking spot?

Where your Confidence Lies

"If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life.  You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy.  But if, like Jesus, you realize you can't do life on your own, then no matter how busy, no matter how tired you are, you will find the time to pray." -Paul Miller 


It is true.  We are far too confident in ourselves.  We don't realize how dependent we really are.  But in reality, there is not a muscle I can move or a thought I can think without God granting it to be so, for all things are held together by Christ (Col 1:17).  Our lack of praying reveals more than we want it to.  Our lack of praying says we don't need God, but God says we do.  


Martin Luther truly understood his dependence in God, as seen in quotes such as this: "Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."  May our hearts attitude towards prayer be like his!  That the more we have to do the more we depend on God and seek Him in prayer!  

Snippets of Prayer

"While being constant in prayer is an important way of praying, this is no substitute for focused times of prayer.  For example, a husband and wife who only talk in snippets to one another throughout the day would have a shallow relationship.  You'd be business partners, not lovers.  You can't build a relationship on sound bites." -Paul Miller

Life is busy and often times the only time we make for prayers are snippets throughout the day.  Thanking God for a safe trip to work, praying for you spouse when you think about them, praying a meeting goes well, etc.  While this is good to do, when do we spend time in concentrated prayer?  When was the last time you sat in prayer for an hour?  That sounds like a long time, but only because we put everything else ahead of our relationship with God.  We can spend hours watching the Rangers game, hours on a date, hours with our kids...but an hour in prayer is difficult!

I invite you to join me in this challenge: Purposefully plan out an hour this week that you will spend in prayer and follow through with it.  Set an alarm so you don't keep looking at your watch.  Pray, listen, and just enjoy your time with God.  It might be awkward, but that is okay...most first dates are awkward, but it will get better.  After your hour, look at your daily schedule and plan a time each day where you can spend time in concentrated prayer.  It doesn't have to be an hour...just needs to be concentrated time, like 15-20 minutes.

Happy Praying!            

The Criteria is Weariness

"When we slow down to pray, we are immediately confronted with how unspiritual we are, with how difficult it is to concentrate on God...Nothing exposes our selfishness and spiritual powerlessness like prayer."*  But this is okay.  We are called to come to God like little children, and little children never hesitate or try to hide their selfishness.  They come as they are.*

When I was learning to walk, my older brother would quickly notice I was getting the attention so found thought it would be a pertinent time to pracitce his football skills and throw me to the floor.  My parents didn't just roll their eyes because I couldn't handle his blow...no...they cheered when stood without the help of the table and would help remove the obstacle of my brother (after capturing it on film of course).  They were excited to see me take a step and fall, because that was who I was and that is what I could do.

God is the same way.  He gets exited when we come to him.  We may get thrown to the ground on the way or fall down after a few steps...but unsteady prayers is often what we have to offer, and that is okay.  Jesus doesn't say to come to him when we have prayer life figured out, he says "come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt 11:28).  "The Criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness.  Come overwhelmed with life.  Come with your wondering mind.  Come messy."*  But please...COME!  

*From "A Praying Life" by Paul E. Miller