BOOKS - SPIRITUAL FORMATION:
The Way of the Heart – (Or anything else you can read by Henri Nouwen)
Abba’s Child, The Signature of Jesus, The Way of Tenderness – (Or anything else you can read by Brennan Manning)
These books have been instrumental in helping me to live with greater union and wholeness. Nouwen and Manning both address a concept they call “the false compulsive self,” that part of us that is utterly sinful and despised yet remains hidden and allowed to play such a predominant role in our lives.
Roll Away Your Stone – Dutch Sheets
This book has helped me address the root issue of many unhealthy behavioral patterns – paradigms that have been built and fortified within my soul. We were created and designed to live from our spirits, but the majority of us live under the influence of our souls: our mind/intellect, will, emotions, and surrounding situations and circumstances.
Embracing the Love of God – James Bryan Smith
I am becoming more and more awakened to the reality of God’s love for me and consequently for us and am therefore convinced that this is the central message of the gospel and thus Christianity: God loves you. Unfortunately, the majority of us have settled for the predictability of programs and the reliability of religion as our substitutes for the only thing that can bring life to our hearts.
Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship – Jack Frost
Frost addresses the fact that many of us live our Christian lives as slaves or “orphans” and not true sons and daughters. This is because we do not live under the reality of the love of the Father for us personally. The result is strikingly profound and accurate.
BOOKS: CULTURAL REFORMATION
In, But Not Of – Hugh Hewitt
I’ve read this twice to date and it has inspired and challenged me in a profound way both times. I would say that it has truly been life-changing as I am implementing plans to adopt many of the principles and practices outlined in this book for greater cultural engagement and influence. Written specifically to young leaders who have an ambition to gain and leverage cultural influence for godly purposes, this book is an insightful handbook filled with principles and practices that promote healthy Christian ambition. Hugh Hewitt hosts a nationally syndicated radio talk show and was a professor of law at Chapman University School of Law.
The Reformation Manifesto – Cindy Jacobs
This book is a cornerstone in my study of cultural reformation. Cindy does a masterful job of accurately assessing the current situation that the church and culture are in, broadly informing on how they both have arrived at this place, and passionately inspiring the reader to make a difference. I walked away with a clearer understanding of what a Christian worldview looks like in most of the cultural-shaping arenas of society as well as a good grasp on the historical path that each of these arenas has taken away from God towards a more secular humanistic worldview.
Awake America – Robert White
This book has helped to lay a good foundation for understanding the spiritual and moral climate of where our nation is, the Christian influence from whence it came, and the critical decisions that were made that have changed its direction along the way. It is heavily loaded with bibliography from our founding fathers and clearly presents the original intent of many of our systems, structures, and laws and how they have been misinterpreted and perverted. White challenges the reader, the Christian, and the American to take action by staying informed, engaging the cultural dialogue, breaking the silence of intimidation by raising one’s voice, and praying for an Awakening of God that has the power to restore a nation that has gone so far off course.
