I've struggled to come up with a cohesive theme for the picks this month that bind them all together, in reality - these are just three really practical and useful books that I think anyone would benefit from engaging with. And perhaps that is a theme in itself, usefulness. As much as everyone likes a good intellectual exercise (well at least I do!), sometimes you just need to wrestle with some really practical helps to grow. This month I am suggesting to you three books that do just that.
The Whole Gospel for the Whole World - Franklin Pyles and Lee Beach
Former C&MA President Franklin Pyles, and Alliance worker Lee Beach take the readers back to the basics of the Fourfold Gospel with this easy to read volume of compiled sermons on the topics of Christ our Saviour, Christ our Sanctifier, Christ our Healer, and Christ our Coming King. These sermons are easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to learn from. They go even one step further and include after each message a section of correspondence with people asking questions and engaging with the topics as presented. It's like listening in on one of our table conversations on a Sunday morning. If you have children in our Family Ministries program this is where this short book becomes even more practical, because your kids are learning about these doctrines right now in Sunday school! You wouldn't want your kids to understand these core doctrines more than you do - would you?
The Tech-wise Family - Andy Crouch
Speaking of kids and families - have you noticed that technology is becoming an increasingly disruptive force, not just in society - but in the home? Do you have trouble separating your kids from their mobile devices, or perhaps do you have trouble separating yourself from your mobile devices to pay attention to your loved ones? How do you deal with the 24/7 connected world, and how can we chart a better, and healthier way forward in our current social and technological climate. Utilizing brand new research from the Barna Group and wise theological insight, Andy Crouch casts a vision for what a healthy relationship with technology in our families can look like. Definitely a practical read for anyone who lives with anyone else in the year 2018!
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - Peter Scazzero
Outside of the Bible itself, if there was one book that I've read in the past five years that I would want more people to wrestle with it would be hard not to give this book serious consideration for that position. We live in a time where emotional dysfunction is at epidemic levels. Generations of bad cultural practices and habits have left us stunted in emotional development and ignorant of the healing that we need to not only have healthy relationships with each other, but a healthy relationship with God. Unless we find a way to first recognize, and then deal with our emotional immaturity, we will be forever limited in our capacity for spiritual maturity as well. This helpful and practical read is an onramp toward exploring our emotional maturity and a great resource for anyone who is serious about wanting to grow. Check back next month for some fresh picks!