One of my hopes, for our church, in 2009 is that we will become more avid readers of Christian books. We are blessed to live in a time period, and speak a language, in which solid, Christ-centered books (new and old) are available to us like never before! What a privilege! And what a missed opportunity if we don’t take advantage. So, to urge some of you to begin reading … and others to read even more, I came up with 10 reasons to read good Christian books (and I do stress the word good, for there is a lot of junk out there!) …
1. Good Christian books can supplement your Bible reading. Nothing replaces Bible reading. And if you only have time for one or the other, read your Bible. But many of us – especially on Sundays – will have time for more (especially if we turn off the TV!). And good Christian books can be a wonderful aid in pointing you to Jesus, in giving you new insights, and in helping you understand what you’re reading in the other, more important Book.
2. Good Christian books reinforce what you hear on Sunday. Numerous times, people have come to me and said: ‘You preached on such-and-such on Sunday, and then, this week, I was reading and came across the very same ideas. It was so good to hear it again; to have it reinforced. Having heard it from two different voices, I feel like I really get it now!’ So why not give yourself the opportunity, through Christian books, of being thus helped and encouraged!
3. Good Christian books can be a great basis for fellowship. What if you and a friend, or you and your spouse, committed to each read the same book, one chapter a week … and then come together weekly to pray together and talk about what you read? It might just spark those spiritual conversations that you have been hoping would be more present in the relationship.
4. Good Christian books can give you insights you never thought of. If you only ever read the Bible through your own eyes, and those of your pastor, you may miss some things. For we all have blind spots here and there. But what if you were reading something written a hundred years ago by someone living on a whole different continent? They might notice some things that we would normally miss!
5. Good Christian books remind us of the unity of Christ’s church. Sometimes I find myself reading something written three, four, five hundred years ago. Sometimes, in fact, it may have been translated from French, or German. And yet the author is reading the same Scripture and expressing the same thoughts as me. He is wrestling with the same temptations and making many of the same applications that we would make today. And I am reminded that we aren’t so different after all; that there is a wonderful oneness in Christ’s church!
Next week, 5 more reasons. But why wait? Get some today!
1. Good Christian books can supplement your Bible reading. Nothing replaces Bible reading. And if you only have time for one or the other, read your Bible. But many of us – especially on Sundays – will have time for more (especially if we turn off the TV!). And good Christian books can be a wonderful aid in pointing you to Jesus, in giving you new insights, and in helping you understand what you’re reading in the other, more important Book.
2. Good Christian books reinforce what you hear on Sunday. Numerous times, people have come to me and said: ‘You preached on such-and-such on Sunday, and then, this week, I was reading and came across the very same ideas. It was so good to hear it again; to have it reinforced. Having heard it from two different voices, I feel like I really get it now!’ So why not give yourself the opportunity, through Christian books, of being thus helped and encouraged!
3. Good Christian books can be a great basis for fellowship. What if you and a friend, or you and your spouse, committed to each read the same book, one chapter a week … and then come together weekly to pray together and talk about what you read? It might just spark those spiritual conversations that you have been hoping would be more present in the relationship.
4. Good Christian books can give you insights you never thought of. If you only ever read the Bible through your own eyes, and those of your pastor, you may miss some things. For we all have blind spots here and there. But what if you were reading something written a hundred years ago by someone living on a whole different continent? They might notice some things that we would normally miss!
5. Good Christian books remind us of the unity of Christ’s church. Sometimes I find myself reading something written three, four, five hundred years ago. Sometimes, in fact, it may have been translated from French, or German. And yet the author is reading the same Scripture and expressing the same thoughts as me. He is wrestling with the same temptations and making many of the same applications that we would make today. And I am reminded that we aren’t so different after all; that there is a wonderful oneness in Christ’s church!
Next week, 5 more reasons. But why wait? Get some today!
No comments:
Post a Comment