10 Great Reads of 2019
Whenever someone asks me what I do for fun… I awkwardly reply, “I like to read.” Growing up, I hated reading – so much so that I didn’t actually read an entire book until I was in college. While there are a lot of boring and unhelpful books out there, a good and compelling read leaves you better than it found you. Though this top 10 list is completely my own, I hope 1 or 2 of these books will find their way onto your bookshelf and help to encourage, challenge and grow you, as they have me.
My top 10 books of 2019:
1. Playing God - Andy Crouch
This is the first book I read in 2019 and it has stayed at the top of my list for the entire year. Crouch is one of my favorite authors, and I loved how he brilliantly unpacked the concept of power from a theological perspective. Many of us think power is intrinsically bad, but Crouch shows us God’s desire is to give humans power to create flourishing for all.
2. Love Walked Among Us - Paul Miller
As I read Love Walked Among Us, I constantly found myself thinking, “If this is what love really is, then I am an infant in my understanding and practice of it.” Whether you struggle to love people or think you’re awesome at it, this one will be a convicting and life-giving read.
3. Seek First - Jeremy Treat
Jeremy Treat did a phenomenal job in this practical and readable work on what it means to be a Christian. Treat shows how God’s Kingdom is not some abstract idea, but a life changing invitation for Jesus-followers to enjoy daily.
4. Paul and Gender - Cynthia Long Westfall
Paul and Gender is an academic book arguing from the Pauline Epistles for the complete and beautiful equality of men and women. Unfortunately, some in the church have historically used the Bible to teach that women are inferior to men, but Westfall does an incredible job defending equality within Paul’s letters.
5. The Second Mountain - David Brooks
David Brooks is my favorite New York Times writer, and this book was a true joy! Brooks unpacks two different ways of living life – one based on external success and the other rooted in deep connections to people, faith and vocation. While it isn’t a “Christian book,” Brooks documents his own journey of faith toward Jesus and displays how a sacrificial life is the most satisfying. I believe that anyone wrestling through life would find this extremely beneficial.
6. Woke Church - Eric Mason
The tagline for Woke Church is, “An urgent call for Christians in America to confront racism and injustice.” Mason does a beautiful job helping white Christians better understand racism within the church and world, while pointing us back to Jesus as our greatest hope. Convicting and practical, I continue to pray to better understand cultural, racial and socioeconomic realities that shape our world and get in the way of Jesus being glorified.
7. The Moment of Lift - Melinda Gates
I have enjoyed learning more about the Gates family this year from Melinda’s recent book and the Netflix special, “Inside Bill’s Brain.” In The Moment of Lift, Melinda compellingly explains that if we want to change the world and bring wholeness to all, we need to start with women. Filled with heartbreaking stories from all over the world, Gates offers statistics and data on how lack of education, difficulty in paid labor and child marriages are preventing women from truly flourishing.
8. The Common Rule - Justin Earley
There have only been a couple of books I have read that felt beneficial enough to lead our entire church into reading, and this is one of them. Earley shares how chaotic his life was before he began putting into practice consistent disciplines to keep his heart centered on Jesus and his grace. He challenges us to do the same through curating media, kneeling prayer, Scripture before phone and a few other really helpful disciplines.se
9. The Kingdom New Testament - Translated byN.T Wright
As many of you know, several of our churches spent the last three months of this year reading through the entire Bible! It was something I enjoyed doing last year at this time, so I challenged our church to join me again. When I got to the New testament, I switched from John Goldingay’s new translation of the O.T. and jumped into N.T. Wrights New Contemporary Translation. It has been such a breath of fresh air! Reading through different Bible translations always helps me see things from fresh perspectives and this one did just that.
10. Free to Believe - Luke Goodrich
After seeing this book on quite a few Top 10 lists, I decided to check it out. Goodrich is a religious freedom attorney and has won 5 out of 5 cases in the supreme court on religious freedom. In the beginning of the book, he mentions two Christan extremes he encounters: “The Pilgrim” and “The Martyr.” He explains how “The Pilgrim” desires America to get back to the “Christian nation” it once was, while “The Martyr” thinks persecution is inherently good and cares little for religious freedom. He does an outstanding job rebuking both “Pilgrims” and “Martyrs” (guilty), demonstrating how important religious freedom is, while having our hope found in Jesus alone.
And for those who want a few extras, below are the books that would make my top 20:
A Glimpse of Jesus - Brennan Manning
Designed to Lead - Geiger and Peck
Is God a Moral Monster? - Paul Copan
Seculosity - David Zahl
The Coddling of the American Mind - Jonathan Haidt
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer
A Doubter’s Guide to the Bible - John Dickson
The Gospel-Driven Church - Jared Wilson
Under the Unpredictable Plant - Eugene Peterson
Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport
Happy reading!