2022 Reading List
Rated from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)
Here is my annual book list. So many great books this year, but I restrained myself and chose one recommendation for each of you. I hope this encourages you and gives you some good reading ideas. Also, you’ll notice lots of Tim Keller this year. For the past couple of years, Christina and I have picked an author and tried to go through their whole catalog. Last year was C.S. Lewis, this year was Keller.
01 Lead by Paul David Tripp (5): In these twelve gospel principles, Tripp builds a strong case for and casts a clear vision of a church-leadership community that is saturated with grace.
02 Gentle And Lowly by Dane Ortland (5): My second time going through this book, Ortland mines the Scriptures with the aid of Owens, Edwards, Bunyon, and other Puritans in an attempt to communicate God’s loving heart to us. Mission accomplished. I recommend it for any heart in need of shifting from law to grace, which means I recommend to everyone.
03 That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs (3): I’m obviously not her demographic, and she is absolutely entertaining, hilarious, and interesting, but this was not my cup of tea. Too much “this is just the way I am” and not enough “Jesus can grow me” for my taste.
04 Prodigal God by Tim Keller (5): I was struck, in the closing chapters, by how beautifully this book describes Jesus Famous. When I say Jesus Famous IN you, this book details what I mean.
05 Learning From The Book Of Nehemiah by D.A. Carson & Others (5): These are edited manuscripts from a 2014 Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference where they studied the entire book of Nehemiah. Insightful, these teachings helped me see an overview picture of Nehemiah and build off of J.I. Packer’s understanding of the book as a story of God working to build his church.
06 Why Bother With Church? by Sam Alberry (5): This short and accessible look at the importance of church engagement is perfect for a young believer who doesn’t understand why they should give themselves to a local church. Sam’s goal is to leave the reader asking, “Why would I ever try to live without the church?” Mission accomplished. I was refreshed in what we do.
07 Ten Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald Whitney (3): Not my favorite Donal Whitney piece. Too stiff and reformed for my taste.
08 A Reason For God by Tim Keller (5): A masterpiece examination of the claims of Christianity, Keller breaks the book into two parts. First, he addresses the doubts many have about Christianity, helping the reader doubt their doubts. Second, he gives reasons for faith by examining clues of God’s existence, the innate knowledge of God we all share, the problem of sin, religion contrasted with the gospel, the truth of the cross, and the reality of the resurrection. I recommend this book to anyone willing to wonder if Christianity is true (or wondering if what they believe is true). I also recommend it to every Christian, not only because it will bolster you (it will), but because it will make you a simultaneously more skilled and sympathetic witness.
09 Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin (5): An answer to the problems many today have with Christianity. I think this is my fifth time through this book–her perspective and logic are persuasive and helpful. I keep reading it because I want to gain fluency in this way of thinking about the Christian faith (and the modern objections people bring against it).
10 Burn Fat With The Blowtorch Diet by Jay Campbell (3): For a friend, obviously. This diet requires a large measure of faith.
11 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler (4): It reads like it was written by a powerlifter (it was). But good principles for long-term strength training. You will not grace the cover of Men’s Health or romance novels with this training system, but you will be stronger than the dudes who do.
12 On Writing Well by William Zinsser (5): Brief and to the point–and that is the point. Everyone writes so that everyone can be helped by Zinsser’s perspective.
13 Encounters With Jesus by Timothy Keller (4): A beautiful look at various episodes–many of them off the beaten path–from the life of Christ. I thoroughly enjoy seeing how Keller unfolds a gospel narrative passage.
14 How To Reach The West Again by Tim Keller (5): A brief handbook of distilled principles for reaching a post-Christian West. We must catechize the next generations by inoculating them against modern truth claims. We must embrace a strategy that expects people will not attend church gatherings. We must not be tied to any mainstream political view, but stand for justice, compassion, life, and a new sexual ethic. This book is intimidating but true.
15 The Pursuit Of God by AW Tozer (5): Better to read than listen to, this book will challenge any lukewarm heart to wake up and worship.
16 Suprised By Hope by NT Wright (3): I’m not entirely sure this is what the resurrection signifies, but mostly just not my style or speed.
17 Making Sense Of God by Tim Keller (5): Surprise, surprise, another masterpiece by Keller. A helpful read for those of us serving in highly secularized cultures where people think science is the only arbiter of what is real.
18 Digitial Minimalism by Cal Newport (5): How many times am I going to read this book? It is a treatise on controlling your tech rather than having your tech control you.
19 Essentialism by Greg McKeown (4): Do less, better—that’s the premise of this one. I have always been a proponent of focused work. And as a person who often sets unrealistic goals for himself, I need this book every so often.
20 Nehemiah by Donna & Thomas Petter (4): A commentary on Nehemiah.
21 Nehemiah by Derek Kidner (4): A commentary on Nehemiah.
22 Nehemiah by Mervin Breneman (4): A commentary on Nehemiah.
23 Learning From The Book Of Nehemiah by D.A. Carson & Others (5): A fantastic and practical commentary on Nehemiah. These were sermons from a Gospel Coalition conference.
24 Eat The Frog by Brian Tracy (4): A brief look at best practices for getting a lot done and advancing your mission. It’s a bit cheezy at times in that it can come off like a manual on how to get what you want out of life, but the principles here are tried and true. If you can get your definition of success from Jesus, then this book has great stuff to help you with Jesus’ mission for your life.
25 Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller (5): Third time through this masterpiece; I just love the work he has done on this subject and for his NYC community. I especially love the shift he encourages in the Epilogue from; 1. individual salvation to the gospel changes everything (hearts, community, and world); 2. from Being good to Being saved; 3. Cheap grace to Costly grace (awareness of our sin); 4. Heaven is “up there” to Christ will come again—to this earth; 5. God is value-add to us to In God’s providence, we could contribute to his work on earth; 6. Idols of this world to Living for God; 7. Disdain of this world to Engaged in this world; 8. “Bowling alone” to Accepting community; 9. People matter to Institutions matter; 10. Christian superiority to God can work through whomever he wants (common grace)
26 Listful Thinking by Paula Rizzo (3): A short book on how the author (and others) use a robust list system to organize, plan, and execute life.
27 Start With Why by Simon Sinek (3): Still not into this book. We get it, Simon, you like Apple.
28 An Effective Life by Steven Covey (3): A miniature book of his guiding principles. The principles themselves seem fine, but the format of this book was too short and choppy to be helpful to me.
29 The Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller (5): A deep dive into the book of Jonah, Keller starts with a quick overview and then doubles back for a series of insightful chapters that apply Jonah to our modern time.
30 Business For The Glory Of God by Wayne Grudem (5): A little gem that will challenge your preconceived ideas about money and the business world. Grudem spends each chapter explaining what the Bible says about an aspect of business (i.e. ownership, employment, lending, money). Then he shows how each can be used for God and good and how each provides a temptation to sin. Excellent work.
31 Romans 1-7 For You by Tim Keller (4): A solid look at the first seven chapters of Romans. Would’ve loved chapter 8. Not incredibly in-depth, but clear and insightful. Would be great for a group study with discussion.
32 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey (4): Gold-school.
33 How To Build A Healthy Church by Mark Dever & Paul Alexander (4): Mark Dever breaks down the way their church functions, which is meant to be a direct reflection of what the word teaches. Stuffy at times, many of his concepts provide a thought-provoking starting point or help clarify things like pastors/elders, staffing, ministry meetings, church membership, or church gatherings.
34 Wordsmithy by Douglas Wilson (4): Grammar!
35 The Fellowship Of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (5): When I want to be in awe of world-building and various ways to use the English language, I read Tolkien.
36 True Spirituality by Francis Schaeffer (4): A nice little book that was way ahead of its time.
37 Visioneering by Andy Stanley (4): I’ve read this one before and though Andy has veered off since he wrote it, I love the practical guidance for leaders. Lead from visions!
38 The Challenge Of Preaching by John Stott (5): A dense little distillation of a legend’s thoughts on preaching, Stott puts clearly what every pulpiteer should know in his bones. I absolutely loved this book, especially his concept of preaching as bridge-building and his exhortations about study and preparation.
39 Sexual Detox by Tim Challies (4): An excellent and to-the-point guidebook for men, especially young men, who would like to eradicate pornography from their system. There are questions at the end of each chapter for self or group study.
40 How To Win At College by Cal Newport (5): After interviewing and observing hundreds of college students, Computer Science Professor Cal Newport wrote this book of seventy-five best practices for succeeding in college. A fast-paced read, I recommend it for any college student, or any parent sending a child off to college.
41 Preaching by Tim Keller (5): Other books on preaching will get into the nuts and bolts of sermon preparation. Keller does include an appendix with this information, but the actual book gets to the philosophy of preaching, how to actually drive all types of people to Christ while challenging their assumptions and widespread beliefs. It is no surprise that Keller is able to explain preaching to reach the prodigal and the elder brother. Though his counsel focuses on the motivations and not techniques of preaching, this book is somehow intensely practical.
42 The Next Story by Tim Challies (3): Not my favorite Challies work—an outdated and shortsighted look at technology. Hasn’t aged well.
43 Preaching Christ In All Of Scripture by Edmund Clowney (3): I would have appreciated a longer section on the methodology behind finding Christ in all of Scripture so I can preach him from all of Scripture. Instead, the vast majority of this book is written sermons that seek to demonstrate how it’s done. Helpful, just not what I was looking for at the moment.
44 The Common Rule by Justin Earley (5): Life design! How do you want to live? Are you often distracted? Do you lack a purpose? This book will help you.
45 Biblical Sermons by Haddon Robinson (3): Each chapter follows the same format—one of Robinson’s past student’s sermons, a critique by Robinson, and a Q&A. The sermons are fine, but the true value of this book comes in Robinson’s comments and the answers each teacher gives to his questions.
46 Reading For Preaching by Cornelius Plantinga (5): The claim here is that preachers who read well will preach well. Plantinga takes the time to cast a vision for a good reading program for anyone who handles Scripture.
47 Introduction To Christianity And Science by Tremper Longman III and others (4): An accessible series of lectures about how science and Christianity are compatible with one another.
48 Dune: Dune by Frank Herbert (5): This is what the recent movie is about.
49 The Wisdom Pyramid by Brett McCracken (5): Experts have defined and refined a food pyramid for us so that we know what to consume. McCracken has distilled God’s wisdom pyramid for a generation who is learning more about how life works from Tik Tok than Proverbs.
50 Letters To A Young Pastor by Eugene Peterson (5): Oh. My. Goodness. These are letters Peterson wrote to his son about how to do ministry.
51 The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson (4): A stab at Peterson’s theology.
52 Dune: Muad’Dib by Frank Herbert (5): This is what the next movie will be about.
53 Soul Keeping by John Ortberg (5): Mentored by Dallas Willard, John Ortberg takes many of Dallas’s lessons on the soul and unpacks them. The soul is like a fountainhead of a stream that supplies a town. If untended, everything downstream is dirty and polluted. We must tend to our souls, and this book shows us how.
54 Center Church by Tim Keller Book (5): A massive textbook on doing gospel ministry in our modern context, especially within cities.
55 Dune: The Prophet by Frank Herbert (5): This is what the end of the movie series will be about.
56 Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity by Eugene Peterson (5): Some of the best counsel for pastors I have ever read is in this book. The concept? Take a triangle. It is comprised of three lines and three angles. If the angles don’t add up, no triangle. Peterson believes much modern ministry focuses on the lines of numerical growth, leadership, etc. Instead, we should focus on the angles of personal prayer, the power of the word, and giving spiritual direction.
57 Basic Christianity by John Stott (5): Stott’s definition of the fundamental claims of Christianity and what results from those claims.
58 The Devil’s Hand by Jack Carr (3): I was into this series for a minute. Not as much anymore.
59 Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out by Jim Burns (5): A helpful guide to letting your kids become adults. Challenging.
60 Manage Your Day-To-Day by 99U (5): Productivity for creative people.
61 Leading On Empty by Wayne Cordero (5): This pastor burnt himself out over and over again, which led to a major recalibration of his life and rhythms.
62 Maximize Your Potential: Grow Your Expertise, Take Bold Risks & Build an Incredible Career by 99U (4): Planned creativity for creative people.
63 Make Your Mark: The Creative’s Guide to Building a Business with Impact by 99U(4): Strategy for creative people.
64 Halftime by Bob Buford (3): A dated look at reassessing your life at the half time of your life.
65 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (5): A beautiful children’s tale.
66 The Seven Minute Productivity Solution by John Brandon (4): I don’t subscribe to the system this guy promotes, but there is lots to learn here about how to work.
67 Free To Focus by Michael Hyatt (5): One of Hyatt’s best and most practical—this is how to get work done in the modern age.
68 Where Is God In All The Suffering? By Amy Orr-Ewing (5): Personal, reflective, and accessible, Orr-Ewing opens up and shares about pain and tragedy through the lens of Christian theology.
69 The God I Won’t Believe In: Facing Nine Common Barriers To Embracing Christianity by Nick Cady (4): Similar to Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin, Pastor Nick preached this as a series to his church and it rocked their community. I am so glad he put this into words.
70 Jayber Crow by Wendell Barry (5): Probably my favorite fiction of the year.
71 The Farm by Wendell Barry (5): A collection of poems about farming.
72 These Eyes Seen Plenty by Aaron Campbell (5): Pastor Aaron’s journey from the hood to the Ivy League—and both at the same time!—is captivating and helpful. A great look at race in America.
73 Love Kindness by Barry H. Corey (5): The president of Biola presents his manifesto on how Christians should look in our modern age—and it is eerily similar to the version Jesus presented! Firm center: strong biblical convictions. Soft edges: approachable and loving.
74 No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (5): Brutal and relentless, I loved keeping up with another Cormac ride.
75 The Measure Of A Man by Gene Getz (4): I used this for a one-on-one discipleship opportunity and it wasn’t as great as I remember it, but still high quality. He takes the description of a pastor in 1 Timothy 3 and breaks it out as a description of the godly man.
76 The Prodigal Prophet by Tim Keller (5): Yes, I read it again when I taught Jonah.
77 Salvation Through Judgment and Mercy by Bryan D. Estelle (5): A thorough commentary on Jonah.
78 Divorce & Remarriage by Wayne Grudem (4): I’m still thinking through some of the positions in this short paper/pamphlet/book, but Grudem is always very convincing.
79 Prayer by Tim Keller (4): Sometimes explanations of prayer dissect prayer to death. Not so with this piece by Keller. He does wax philosophical at times, but this is a practical and helpful guide. Here’s a sample: “Prayer is the only entryway into genuine self-knowledge. It is also the main way we experience deep change—the reordering of our loves. Prayer is how God gives us so many of the unimaginable things he has for us. Indeed, prayer makes it safe for God to give us many of the things we most desire. It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God as God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life.”
80 Who I Am by Richard Cimino (4): Pastor Richard breaks down the book of Ephesians, and it really took me back to the positional Christianity my father was so articulate about.
81 Experiencing Miracles by J.P. Moreland (5): One of my favorite books of the year, a surprising recounting of over fifty miracles from one of the leading apologists and philosophers of our time. Includes practical sections such as How to pray for the sick or Why doesn’t God do more miracles?
82 Multi-Directional Leader by Trevin Wax (5): This little book is an expert look at what is wrong with so many pastors in our day. They see danger on only one horizon and spend all their time warning about that singular danger. Racism! Liberalism! Egalitarianism! Good leaders see how dangers come from both sides of every issue.
83 Skeletons In God’s Closet by Joshua Ryan Butler (3): I didn’t enjoy.
84 Around The Wicket Gate by Charles Spurgeon (4): A short devotional from Spurgeon on the gospel, written in his highly illustrative style. Keeping Jesus front and center!
85 Indistractable by Nir Eyal (3): A theory on how to become totally focused on the right things by using the same tricks social media companies have used to lure us into an addiction to their services.
86 Searching for Enough by Tyler Staton (4): A poetic and philosophical look at the longings of the human heart—especially helpful for deconstructionists.
87 Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender (5): A more accurate look at who the man truly was.
88 Vision by Michael Hyatt (4): How to lead.
89 Luke by Darrell L. Bock (4): A fast-paced jaunt through every section of Luke’s gospel. A great way to remember Jesus!
90 The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs (4): A look at Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna of Luke 1-2, this book blessed me because it gave me a woman’s perspective on these biblical women—at Christmastime!