Christians throughout history have been avid readers and writers, and we should avail ourselves often of the best that God has on offer for us. This year I will be undertaking Tim Challies 2017 Reading Challenge.
What follows are the books I have completed in January 2017, and in parentheses, the reading challenge categories that they fulfill. They are listed in the order in which I have completed them. Below that is the complete list of categories I need to cover.
- Honor Amongst Thieves, by Jeffrey Archer (A book with at least 400 pages). Archer is one of my favorite fiction authors and I was able to pick this up for $3 at a market. Finished within two days, fast-paced thriller.
- Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry, by John Piper (A book about Christian living). Convicting and life-giving. Must read for every pastor, aspiring pastor or ministry leader.
- Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and What We’ve Made Up (A book about theology), by Francis Chan. Hell is one of those realities that most Christians acknowledge without ever cherishing. Chan both challenges and wrestles with us, as he builds a growing case for the biblical reality of hell and our inability to talk about it.
- Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets (A book by or about a missionary), by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor. One of the finds of summer. I consumed this in a matter of days and reveled in the dependency that Hudson Taylor had in the ‘fathomless wealth of Christ’ and the mission that he was able to accomplish in Inland China. Highly recommended.
- Discipleshift: Five Steps To Help Your Church Makes Disciples Who Make Disciples (A book about Christian living), by Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington. This was a book we undertook as a church leadership group. A helpful primer on discipleship. Neither convicting nor as practical as I thought it might be.
- Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves (a book of your choice), by Matt Reilly. I am a notorious re-reader of favorite books. This is one of them (alongside most that Matt Reilly writes). Gives you the same feeling you would get from being strapped into a rocket-powered car as it flys off a cliff as mobsters play Russian roulette in your backseat. Exhilarating.
- Old Paths, New Powers: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word (a book about prayer), by Daniel Henderson. Our staff are currently reading this. I started reading and couldn’t put it down. Challenging, informative and practical. Beautiful book that will become a staple on our shelf.
The Light Reader
_ 1. A biography
_ 2. A classic novel
_ 3. A book about history
_ 4. A book targeted at your gender
✔ 5. A book about theology – Erasing Hell
✔ 6. A book with at least 400 pages – Honour Amongst Thieves
_ 7. A book your pastor recommends
✔ 8. A book about Christian living – Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
_ 9. A book more than 100 years old
_ 10. A book published in 2017
_ 11. A book for children or teens
_ 12. A book of your choice
_ 13. A book about a current issue
The Avid Reader
_ 14. A book written by a Puritan
✔ 15. A book by or about a missionary – Hudson Taylors Spiritual Secret
✔ 16. A book about Christian living – Discipleshift
_ 17. A commentary on a book of the Bible
_ 18. A book about the Reformation
_ 19. A book about theology –
_ 20. A book recommended by a family member
_ 21. A book with a great cover
_ 22. A book on the current New York Times list of bestsellers
_ 23. A book about church history
_ 24. A book of 100 pages or less
✔ 25. A book of your choice – Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves
_ 26. A book that won a prize
The Committed Reader
_ 27. A book from a theological viewpoint you disagree with
_ 28. A book about Christian living
_ 29. A book about apologetics
_ 30. A book of your choice
_ 31. A humorous book
_ 32. A book based on a true story
✔ 33. A book about prayer – Old Paths, New Powers
_ 34. A book of poetry
_ 35. A book with a one-word title
_ 36. A book by Sinclair Ferguson
_ 37. A novel by an author you have never read before
_ 38. A book about Christian living
_ 39. A memoir or autobiography
_ 40. A play by William Shakespeare
_ 41. A book of your choice
_ 42. A book written by an author with initials in their name
_ 43. A book by a female author
_ 44. A book about theology
_ 45. A book published by Crossway
_ 46. A self-improvement book
_ 47. A graphic novel
_ 48. A book you own but have never read
_ 49. A book targeted at the other gender
_ 50. A book about Christian living
_ 51. A book of your choice
_ 52. A book about race or racial issues
The Obsessed Reader
_ 53. A book you have started but never finished
_ 54. A book about church history
_ 55. A book about holiness or sanctification
_ 56. A book about science
_ 57. A book used as a seminary textbook
_ 58. A book on the ECPA bestseller list
_ 59. A book about productivity or time management
_ 60. A book of your choice
_ 61. A book about spiritual disciplines
_ 62. A book about parenting
_ 63. A book about Christian living
_ 64. A book by Iain Murray
_ 65. A book about business
_ 66. A book about theology
_ 67. A book about marriage
_ 68. A photo essay book
_ 69. A book of comics
_ 70. A book about the Second World War
_ 71. A book by a Puritan
_ 72. A book about preaching or public speaking
_ 73. A book of your choice
_ 74. A book about suffering
_ 75. A book about evangelism
_ 76. A book by your favorite author
_ 77. A book you have read before
_ 78. A Christian novel
_ 79. A biography of a Christian
_ 80. A book about the natural world
_ 81. A novel for young adults
_ 82. A novel longer than 400 pages
_ 83. A book about history
_ 84. A book about the Bible
_ 85. A book recommended by a friend
_ 86. A book published by P&R Publications
_ 87. A book with an ugly cover
_ 88. A book by or about a martyr
_ 89. A book of your choice
_ 90. A book about Christian living
_ 91. A book about church history
_ 92. A book about money or finance
_ 93. A book about leadership
_ 94. A book by John Piper
_ 95. A book about theology
_ 96. A book for children or teens
_ 97. A book about sexuality
_ 98. A book about writing
_ 99. A book about current events
_ 100. A biography of a world leader
_ 101. A book about the church
_ 102. A book of your choice
_ 103. A book about a hobby
_ 104. A book written in the twentieth century