Forever by Paul Tripp

I've really been enjoying reading slowly through Paul Tripp's new book Forever. As with all of his books, this one is excellent. It is a fresh look at how our belief in eternity should impact our everyday lives.  It is a massive call for perspective in our lives. It is easy to lose perspective in our busy schedules. This book helps with setting our minds on things above. I strongly encourage those suffering to read this book. Tripp does a  fantastic job pointing us to the purpose and meaning of suffering and encouraging us to put our hope in the God of forever.  Put this book on your reading list.

Top 15 Books of 2010

Here is how I would rank the top 15 books published in 2010 (that I read). It was very difficult to put the top 3 in order. They are really 1A, 1B, and 1C. While I put For the Fame of God's Name first (because of the incredible wealth of helpful stuff in it), I would actually recommend that you read #2 and #3 first.

1. For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper by Storms and Taylor.

2. Dug Down Deep by Josh Harris

3. Radical by David Platt

4. Hebrews Pillar Commentary by PT O'Brien

5. Think by John Piper

6. Church Planting is for Wimps by Mike Mckinley

7. Rescuring Ambition by Dave Harvey

8. What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert

9. The Shepherd Leader by Timothy Witmer

10. Scandalous by DA Carson

11. It is Well by Dever and Lawrence

12. Marks of the Messenger by Mack Stiles

13. Church Planter by Darrin Patrick

14. Be Still, My Soul, edited by Guthrie

15. The Archer and the Arrow by Phillip Jensen

Top 15

In preparation for my top 15 books of 2010 (that I read), here are the previous few years:

Top 15 books of 2007

Top 15 books of 2008

Top 15 books of 2009

Top 15 Books of 2009

Here it is. The top 15 books published in 2009 (that I read). If you want, you can see my top 15 books of 2008 and my top 15 books of 2007.

1. Finally Alive by John Piper
2. The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges
3. A Praying Life by Paul Miller
4. Gospel-Powered Parenting by William Farley
5. Filing Up the Afflictions of Christ by John Piper
6. This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
7. Counsel from the Cross by Fitzpatrick and Johnson
8. A Shelter in a Time of Storm by Paul Tripp
9. Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
10. The Trellis and the Vine by Marshall and Payne
11. Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
12. Why We Love the Church by DeYoung and Kluck
13. Christ-Centered Worship by Bryan Chapell
14. Broken Down House by Paul Tripp
15. Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross edited by Nancy Guthrie (I put this one last only because it’s a compilation. If it was by a single author, it would be much higher on the list).

Books Make the Best Gifts

Here is a post I did a few years ago with some reasons and tips for giving good books as Christmas presents: 5 Reasons to Give Books for Christmas.

Here are a few posts where I recommend the best books:
Study the Gospel
Building a Library
Commentary Recommendations

Just 5 Books

I am delighted that Lisa, one of my church members is going to Russia for about 3 years. She will be extending the mission of Christ Baptist half way across the world. We can't wait to see all that God does.

Lisa is packing and preparing for this trip and send me an e-mail with this question: "I'm still wresting with book choices. If you only had five non-scholarly/non-commentary books with you during the next three years what would you choose?"

My mouth salivates at questions like this. This question is like lobbing a huge beach ball to Albert Pujols and saying, "Hit it."

At first, I thought about answering with a complicated formula with several, "It depends" scenarios. But, I finally decided to answer as straighforwardly as I could. I pressed myself with this more specific question: "Justin, if you were leaving for 3 years this afternoon, which 5 books would you actually take? Only 5!"

Here was my answer:

Assuming you can access the ESV Study Bible and all Piper books online:

Personally, I would take:
1. A Gospel Primer for Christians by Vincent
2. The Great Exchange by Bridges
3. Bible Doctrine by Grudem
4. John G Paton Autobiography
5. Communion with the Triune God by Owen

I couldn't just leave it at that, so I included a bit of an explanation:

1. A Gospel Primer for Christians by Vincent (as a means of preaching the gospel to myself daily)
Or, something a little deeper that could help me grow in my knowledge of the gospel:
The Apostle’s Doctrine of the Atonement by Smeaton
The Message of the Cross by Tidball
Redemption Accomplished and Applied by Murray

2. Something that God has used to stir my affections for Christ. Something that I could go to at any time and find refreshment.
One Thing by Sam Storms
Living the Cross-centered Life by Mahaney
Bookends of the Christian Life by Bridges
The Great Exchange by Bridges
Knowing God by Packer

3. Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem (as a resource for a variety of theological issues as well as devotional material).

4. John G Paton autobiography (in order to challenge my soul to take risks for Christ).

5. Communion with the Triune God by John Owen (I would make it a goal to master a classic like this over the next three years).

Study the Gospel

Everyone is an expert in something. I challenge you to become a gospel expert. Wherever you are, whatever you know, why not pursue from this day forward to become an expert in the gospel?

Martin Luther said the gospel cannot be grasped well enough.

So, no matter how much gospel knowledge and affection you have, admit today that you have not arrived. You do not have a firm enough grasp on the gospel (and neither do I).

So, study the gospel, friends, study the gospel. Develop and enlarge your knowledge of and affection for the fact that Christ died for our sins.

One of the ways you can seek to strengthen your grip on the gospel is to read Bible-saturated books that seek to explain the gospel.

Here are some basic recommendations to get you started:

Beginners who are just beginning:

1. Living the Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney

2. A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent

3. Outrageous Mercy by William Farley

4. The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges

5. Fifity Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper

Beginners who have already begun:

1. The Cross of Christ by John Stott

2. Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray

3. God is the Gospel by John Piper

4. The Great Exchange by Jerry Bridges

5. In My Place Condemned He Stood by Packer and Dever

(This final book will then serve to point you to hundreds of other resources on the Gospel.)

Celebrating 1,000 posts

Blogger tells me that I am nearing 1,000 total posts here at the CROSS-eyed blog. This milestone is a cause for both celebration and evaluation.

I cannot tell you how much I have been helped by blogging these past 4 years. Blogging has helped me to process my thoughts. It has forced me to write (something that doesn't come naturally to me). It has given me an opportunity to meet new friends. It has opened doors for ministry. It was used of God to get me to NC! It allows me to serve others by recommending good books. And most importantly, it has helped me preach the gospel to myself.

So, help me out by answering these 2 questions:
1. Why do you read this blog? What is most helpful to you?
2. Please think of 5 particular posts that have been meaningful/helpful to your walk with Christ. What has been the best of the best?

In order to encourage participation (and as a way to thank you), I will give away a few books. If you will comment or e-mail me with your answers to these 2 questions by Tuesday, Feb. 3, I will put your name in a drawing. I'll give away a copy of Worldliness by CJ Mahaney and a copy of Chosen for Life by Sam Storms to two participants (since only 4 people read this blog, your chances are pretty good). If I draw your name and you already have these books, I will figure out another book to send you that you don't have.

Thanks for reading this blog. I hope you have been pointed to the Savior.

Top 15 Books of 2008

Last year, I listed my top 15 books of 2007. So, I thought I'd let you know how I'd rank the top 15 books published in 2008. Actually, this is simply the top 15 books of 2008 that I read (which is only a small portion of books actually published in 2008).

1. A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent

2. In My Place Condemned He Stood by JI Packer and Mark Dever

3. Spectacular Sins by John Piper

4. What is a Healthy Church Member by Thabiti Anyabwile

5. Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin

6. Whiter Than Snow by Paul Tripp

7. This Momentary Marriage by John Piper

8. Worldliness, edited by CJ Mahaney

9. Why We're Not Emerging by Two Guys Who Should Be by DeYoung and Kluck

10. Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by DA Carson

11. Death by Love by Mark Driscoll

12. The Courage to be Protestant by David Wells

13. Instructing a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

14. Game Day for the Glory of God by Stephen Altrogge

15. Culture Shift by Al Mohler

Death By Love by Mark Driscoll

I have never read a book by Mark Driscoll. None of his books have been attractive to me. That is, until I read the table of contents for his newest book, Death By Love. This book looks like it is going to be excellent. The attempt of the book is to apply the gospel to our messed up lives. The attempt is to see the glory of the Cross changing our perspective and freeing us from bondage.

So, I am now an eager owner of my first Mark Driscoll book. I'll let you know what I think when I start to read.

At the WTS site you can read the table of contents, read the introduction (on subsitutionary atonement), read a very helpful review, watch a video about the book, and read the endorsements.

Game Day for The Glory of God

Game Day for the Glory of God: A Guide for Athletes, Fans, and Wannabes is now available. This looks like a great book for all those interested in sports and all parents. I wish I had something like this 20 years ago.

You can see the endorsement by CJ Mahaney and read some sample pages at WTS.

A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry

I usually have a "light" book sitting beside the bed for those moments right before I go to sleep. For the past 5 months that book has been A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry by David Horner. It has been a refreshing and helpful read.

Here is the blurb:

If you have served on a church staff for any length of time, you've almost certainly dealt with unhealthy expectations. Too many pastors embrace a hard-driving ministry that borders on burn-out, convincing themselves they are being obedient to God's will. In reality, putting too much energy into one area of life or ministry causes you to neglect others.

With thirty years of pastoral experience behind him, David Horner knows the many challenges pastors face. In A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry, Horner shows how to

-balance the demands of your calling
-sharpen your vision
-grow a team
-cultivate humility
-learn through failure
-embrace change
-fight spiritual dryness

Developing a well-balanced approach to responsibilities and passions will equip you to thrive in the face of the many challenges of ministry. This book can show you the way.

50% off Summer Sale

Speaking of money, WTS books has a 50% summer sale going on this week (4 pages worth!).

Here are some noteworthy selections:
1. 4 different Personal Reference Bibles (Black TrueTone ($14.99); Chesnut TrueTone; Coolmint TrueTone; and Genuine).
2. DA Carson's Christ and Culture Revisited
3. Goldsworthy's Gospel-Centered Hermenutics
4. Waltke's Genesis Commentary
5. Dever's 12 Challenges Churches Face
6. Piper's What Jesus Demands From The World
7. Packer's 18 Words
8. R. Kent Hughes' Disciplines of a Godly Man (!!!!!)
9. Schriener's New Testament Theology

New Books

I've been blessed to add a few new books to my library:

1. Whiter than Snow by Tripp - I plan to read one of these short meditations each morning in order to preach the gospel to myself.

2. Is it Nothing to You? by Leahy - After reading The Cross He Bore ($3.45!!!), I just had to get this.

3. The Goldsworthy Trilogy by Goldsworthy - You almost feel guilty getting 3 books for less than the price of 1.

4. The Lightlings by Sproul - My 3 year old daughter is like her daddy, she loves books. I look forward to reading this over and over and over and over again. She will have it memorized by the second time we read it.

5. Because He Loves Me by Fitzpatrick - I got this one for Jeanna. This looks like it is going to be a must read.

Whiter Than Snow

Paul Tripp has a new book out about sin called Whiter than Snow. It contains 52 meditations on Psalm 51. Since I sin often and need a lot of mercy, I'm getting this book. I'm praying this will be a mighty tool to use in my battle to treasure Christ.

You Know You Are A "Book-a-holic" When...

1. You recognize all but one of Challies' covers.

2. You own a LibraryThing lifetime membership.

3. You organize your book shimpments around your vacations.

4. You have a book fund in your monthly budget.

5. Your favorite Christmas gift is a book stamp.

6. Your idea of a good date is to puruse through a bookstore.

7. You build a library on George W's tab.

8. You visit the conference bookstore between each session.

9. You give books for birthday and Christmas presents.

10. You measure the value of purchaces by how many books you could buy with the same amount of money ("That pair of shoes will cost me about what the new Schreiner volume would").

Why I'm Not Emergent Either

Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) is a good book.

When I first saw the title of this book, I thought: "Clever title. Very emergent." I had no desire to read it. Then, they gave us a copy at T4G. I put it on the shelf and didn't even include it in the list of books I was going to read.

I had never read a book on the Emergent church. I never thought I would. I think the Emergent church is a flash in the pan. It will die soon. You can't neglect truth and be around very long (just do a little church history reading).

Then, I began to hear all of these glowing reviews of this book. So, I decided to pick it up and read through it. I am glad I did.

What makes this book good is that it does far more than just deal with the problems of the emergent church. It helps us to think Biblically.

Resources for Changing Lives

CCEF (Christian Counseling & Education Foundation) is a gift to the church. The materials they produce are extremely helpful and Christ-centered.
One of my favorite resources they produce are the little RCL booklets. These booklets are intended to offer help to those counseling people who are hurting. They have addressed many tough issues and subjects.

Soon, another batch of RCL booklets will be available to serve us as we minister God's grace to people God brings into our lives. Here are some of the upcoming booklets:

1. Should We Get Married?
2. Who Does the Dishes? Decision Making in Marriage
3. Helping Your Adopted Child
4. Living With An Angry Spouse
5. Help for Stepfamilies
6. Angry Children
7. Healing After Abortion
8. Facing Death with Hope
9. How to Love Difficult People
10. Eating Disorders

Tools for Surveying The Wondrous Cross

After perusing Lig Duncan's appendices (spelling?) at the back of In My Place Condemned He Stood (an excellent book), I purchased these books on the cross:

1. The Cross He Bore by Frederick Leahy
2. Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray
3. The Savior of the World by BB Warfield
4. Christ for Us: Sermons of Hugh Martin
5. The Cross and Salvation by Bruce Demarest
6. Cross Words by Paul Wells

100 Pages of Pure Gold

I would pay $4.03 for each one of these 100 pages. I feel guilty for getting all 100 of them for only $4.03. A steal like this should be against the law.

For the joy of your soul, get The Cross He Bore, spend some time with it, and pass out copies to others.