Recommended Summer Reading

It has been a while since I posted anything here. For posts related to my sermon series, check out the official Village Seven Presbyterian Church blog. Also, because of a very busy schedule, I haven't read as much lately. Still, I want to pass on some recommendations.

Recommendations Related To Ephesians

If you attend Village Seven, we are studying Ephesians. Ephesians focuses on the church. Here are a few books I would recommend that would be good companion studies.

Why We Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. This book actually praises the institutional church. A good read both for those who are not sure about the institution of the church and those who love it.

Life Together by Deitrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer gives a realistic view of what it means to live in true Christian community.

Everybody's Normal ('Til You Get to Know Them) by John Ortberg. Ortberg covers a lot of the same themes as Bonhoeffer. He is a very good writer who knows how to make his teaching accessible to all. I love his humor.

Ephesians (Reformed Expository Commentary) by Bryan Chapell. While this is a commentary on Ephesians, it reads like a devotional. If you want to get to know Ephesians but are intimidated by scholarly commentaries, this is a great help. Even if you like scholarly commentaries, this is very helpful.

More Recommendations

Knowing God by J. I. Packer. This is a modern classic. Christians will be reading this book 100 years from now. It is that good.

The Prodigal God and Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. These are short reads, but give the foundations of the Christian life. Read these along with Jerry Bridges The Bookends of the Christian Life and you will get a good model of what it means to grow in Christ.

A Praying Life by Paul Miller. We recently read this together as a church staff. This book has made a real impact on how I pray. Another good book on prayer is Praying Backwards by Bryan Chapell.

The Holiness of God bv R. C. Sproul. I don't know how many books Dr. Sproul has written (it is a lot), but this is his best. Chosen by God is another good one, but make sure you read The Holiness of God.