| Author | Message | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 109 Registered: 7-2004 |
We are in the process of re-filling our bookshelves after clearing them of EGW and SDA legalism. I would love to have some input from folks on grace-oriented books that they would consider essential in a "formers" library. I know there are some older threads with books listed but what I would really like to see is a short description of "why" a particular book should be on the list. Thanks Rick | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1092 Registered: 12-2003 |
"Classic Christianity" by Bob George. I consider this book essential--it was the most significant single book I read that helped me understand my true identity in Christ. George explains how when we are in Christ, we have only one identity: child of God. We cannot be both "child of God" and "alcholic" or "anorexic" or "homosexual", etc. Our identity is in Christ. All our habitual weaknesses we now submit to Christ, and we deal with Him rather than fighting our sin. It is a wonderful book. I also recommend anything by John Piper (Desiring God, Don't Waste Your Life, etc.) Piper shows that our ultimate calling is to enjoy God and to be for the praise of His glory. He exalts Christ and calls us to joy by submitting to His sovereignty and glory. I also highly recommend the daily devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. More than any other single author, Chambers has explained to me the rest and freedom that comes from submission and the trust that comes from allowing God to have His way in my life and to accept His working in His time. Chambers is inspiring and challenging, and he does not gloss over the patience and surrender needed to grow in Christ. There are others, but these three come to my mind first. Colleen | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1093 Registered: 12-2003 |
"Classic Christianity" by Bob George. I consider this book essential--it was the most significant single book I read that helped me understand my true identity in Christ. George explains how when we are in Christ, we have only one identity: child of God. We cannot be both "child of God" and "alcholic" or "anorexic" or "homosexual", etc. Our identity is in Christ. All our habitual weaknesses we now submit to Christ, and we deal with Him rather than fighting our sin. It is a wonderful book. I also recommend anything by John Piper (Desiring God, Don't Waste Your Life, etc.) Piper shows that our ultimate calling is to enjoy God and to be for the praise of His glory. He exalts Christ and calls us to joy by submitting to His sovereignty and glory. I also highly recommend the daily devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. More than any other single author, Chambers has explained to me the rest and freedom that comes from submission and the trust that comes from allowing God to have His way in my life and to accept His working in His time. Chambers is inspiring and challenging, and he does not gloss over the patience and surrender needed to grow in Christ. There are others, but these three come to my mind first. Colleen | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 46 Registered: 7-2004 |
I really like "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. My friend is trying to get me to read the group of books by John Eldrige...something about anger. She says these books are life changing, and then I heard Dobson interviewing him last night. I also like the grace book by Philip Yancy. I forgot the name but I loved it! | ||
| Thomas1 Registered user Username: Thomas1 Post Number: 151 Registered: 4-2002 |
Excellent topic! We are what we read. Those of us who were raised SDA, and are now former can attest to that. I completely endorse those already mentioned. In addition, I would add some which have been very meaningful to me. First, the true classic, Pilgrims Progress. There are some excellent "modern translations" of that classic. When you read of the ordeal Bunyon was going through when he wrote this book, you will appreciate it's precious message. Born Free by Steve Brown. Brown has a daily radio program heard nation wide. It's called Key Life and was my first taste of the truth of grace. He calls his ministry one of "radical Grace". Grace is pretty radical all on it's own. All of his books are very grace centered. What's so amazing about grace, by Phillip Yancey. Excellent and very readable look at the concept of grace from several sides. The Grace Awakening, by Chuck Swindoll. This should go down as a modern classic on the topic. it's hated by legalists, so it has to be good. There are others, but this is my two cents worth It's all about GRACE! <>< Thomas | ||
| Thomas1 Registered user Username: Thomas1 Post Number: 152 Registered: 4-2002 |
PS I am in the process of reading Bob Geroge's book, "The Faith that pleases God". An excellent book, much like Classic Christianity, and really a companion piece to it. | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 48 Registered: 7-2004 |
I heard Dr. Tony Evans talking the other day, and he said (paraphrasing) "What is the one word to describe Christianity vs. any other religion?" and I thought it has to be "Jesus", but he said it was "grace". He said all other religions are man reaching up to find their way to God, and Grace was God reaching down to find us. I have heard things like that before but I loved the way he said it. | ||
| Goldenbear Registered user Username: Goldenbear Post Number: 13 Registered: 12-2004 |
I was really struck by several books: Your God is to Safe - Mark Blanchard The Holy Wild - Mark Blanchard Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire - Jim Cymbala (Pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle) Another amazing book is Practicing His Presence or Practicing the Presence of God - the story of Brother Lawrence and a missionary in SE Asia when the practiced the presence of God in their life. | ||
| Leigh Registered user Username: Leigh Post Number: 103 Registered: 2-2003 |
"The Cross Centered Life" Keeping the gospel the main thing - by C.J. Mahaney. "Christ Died for our sins.If there's anything in life that we should be passionate about, it's the gospel. and I don't mean passionate only about sharing it with others. I mean passionate in thinking about it, dwelling on it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world. Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the gospel ought to be."p. 20. This little book is only 85 pages, but it powerful. From the back cover,"...C.J. Mahaney shows you how to center everyday around the cross of Calvary and how to escape the pitfalls of legalism, condemnation, and feelings-driven faith." | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 254 Registered: 4-2000 |
Ric, I highly recommend CHOSEN BY GOD by R. C. Sproul for your library. It is a must-read type of book. Dennis J. Fischer | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 110 Registered: 7-2004 |
Please, keep the suggestions coming. I have read part of "Classic Christianity" but I had a hard time really getting into his writing style. I read What's So Great About Grace a little over a month ago. I thought that it was a truly outstanding book. Easy to read, but filled with great thoughts. Raven and I both just finished R. C. Sproul's Faith Alone and thought it was a very good treatment of the subject. It makes it so clear how different the SDA views is from that of Protestantism. | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 260 Registered: 7-2004 |
Rick, it has already been suggested but I wanted to second it..."The Grace Awakening" by Charles Swindoll. It is so very easy to read and so very clear. Here are a couple of paragraphs from the jacket cover of my book: "'Grace killers' are everywhere! We find them where we work. In our neighborhoods. Maybe in our own homes. And sadly, even in our churches. We are surrounded by people who criticize, condemn and crush any hope of joyful living. And as Chuck Swindoll boldly points out, many of the very people who should be spreading the gospel of grace have instead become self-righteous busslies and self-appointed judges." "In what my be his most profound book yet, Churck Swindoll pulls no punches. 'The Grace Awakening' is daring, discerning. and very much on target. But above all, it is a book of hope, leading us beyond the frustration and guilt of trying to please others to the charming, liberating grace of God." | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 261 Registered: 7-2004 |
oops...make busslies - bullies  It's late and past the kids bedtime...sometimes it's hard to pull away...! | ||
| Windmotion Registered user Username: Windmotion Post Number: 82 Registered: 6-2001 |
My husband read the pages off of "In the Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado while he was leaving adventism. | ||
| Windmotion Registered user Username: Windmotion Post Number: 84 Registered: 6-2001 |
My husband read the cover off of "In The Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado when he was transitioning out of the Adventist church. It is a study of the book of Romans. --Hannah | ||
| Goldenbear Registered user Username: Goldenbear Post Number: 18 Registered: 12-2004 |
Probably the most amazing book I have read since deciding to leave has been the Bible! I mean that it is the bible without the screen that adventist place over its interpretation. I have been reading through the NT in our mens study group at work and I am amazed at how often I get new insights and truth. It is almost like in all those years in adventist schools, the New Testament wasn't taught or it was only Revelation, Exodus, Genesis, or fragments (proof texts). I believe that if adventists would go into the word and cast aside ellen's view of it and have a little intellectual honesty, there would be a revolution in the church. I am amazed that I used to feel that I had to have the index to egw to study. I think others did too but the church has made some important changes to the "serious" student in this area. When you wanted to study there were too many books and you had to have all of them and people were getting to lazy to dust them off, so took care of those problems for them. A "study bible" with all the right quotes in them to keep people in line or an intepretation that you tell folk that there is a "paraphrase" that can be used to help understand the bible. (I have always wondered why some adventists felt that they had to condemn the Living Bible because it was a paraphrase and then created their own. Or how about changing scripture to meet your ideas after for years accusing people of having changed the comma in Jesus' comments to the thief on the cross) Anyway, I realize the intent of this thread, but I am enjoying the word so much other books just fail for me...... | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 83 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dear Goldenbear, I give a big AMEN to that. I remember my first walk through scripture without EGW and how refreshing and promise-filled that adventure was. By the way, I did it while reading The Living Bible! Belva | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1109 Registered: 12-2003 |
Goldenbear, I've also had the same experience--and it continues. While God brings important books across my path (I didn't mention it previously, but "Knowing God" by J. Packer is also a really good book that made a huge impact on me), the Bible continues to open up truth, reality and life to me in ways I just cannot explain except with Paul's words: spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 836 Registered: 3-2004 |
Goldenbear, Colleen, Belva, I agree with all of you. I started reading the Bible as a challenge from the SDA minister at the last church I attended. He challenged the whole class to read the NT. I started reading the Bible and not long after that I found the website about EGW and her plagiarism, etc. My eyes were opened and I read things in there I had never seen before. God has shown me so much, on my own. I do not need any extrabiblical books to show me and I am learning the truth as the Bible teaches it. I am re reading Galatians and Ephesians and all the NT. It is fascinating. And as Colleen wrote above, spiritual things are spiritually discerned. God's Spirit is with me to teach me every day. | ||
| Thomas1 Registered user Username: Thomas1 Post Number: 192 Registered: 4-2002  |
Pardon me for bringing this one back, but I have just finished a book that is a very good read and something we should be dwelling a whole lot more than we do. It's called Living Grace, Letting Jesus be Jesus in you. Written by Wayne Barber, it is not large and very easy to read, but the message is one we must face and surrender to, every day. We spend so much time debating this doctrine or that. We seem to be endlessing working to prove this point or style or that as better than some other. It's as if we never tire of wanting to be "in the right" about things which are only God's business, yet we never give attention or conversation to the one thing that is the basis for everything, God's grace. One point Wayne makes several times in his book is that there are only two possible human responses to the Law. One is rebellion, and the second is religion. Both smell like so much rotten garbage in Goo's sight. The rest I will leave to you and this book. It's new, just released in 05, but I enjoyed it. By His Grace For His Glory <>< Thomas | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3707 Registered: 12-2003  |
Thomas, thank you for recommending this book. What an interesting observation about the two human responses to the law! Colleen |
