M Taylor

“Authority” by Jonathan Leeman is a great and timely read on a very important and controversial topic, especially in the church with the recent news of abuses of authority in the Southern Baptist Convention that I am a member of. Indeed, with the now widely-publicized abuse of authority in religion, politics, business, and homes (many times, but…[Read more]

“Persuasive Apologetics” by Jeffrey Robinson is a great read for anyone wanting to improve their skills for Christian apologetics in today’s highly charged religious and political culture. Some of the many great points the author makes include:

– Reasons why Christians have a duty for presenting the Christian worldview to others.

– Doing…[Read more]

“Treasuring The Psalms” by Ian Vaillancourt is a great read for anyone wanting to better understand the biblical book and how the Psalms plays an important part in the individual believer in and follower of Jesus Christ and the Christian church.

Many things to like about this title:

– Guidelines for various ways to read the Psalms – seeing…[Read more]

“This Dream Is Not For You” by Wade Joye is a good read for anyone who needs to release their dreams to God and let Him have His way in the reader’s life. Instead of clinging to a dream, the author challenges the reader to release the dream to God for any number of reasons: the dream may not be of God, the timing isn’t right, we make an idol of…[Read more]

“Impossible Christianity” by Kevin Deyoung is a great read for anyone weary of the impossible and unrealistic expectations Christian believers face both in church and world – in other words, every believer in and follower of Jesus Christ who is alive and breathing! Around 130 pages, the book addresses many topics, including:

– There is a high…[Read more]

“The Minor Prophets” by Bartholomew and Thomas is a great read on the Bible’s minor prophets in the Old Testament (Amos, Obadiah, Micah, etc.). Around 370 pages, the text covers many areas of each book, including:

– Historical/Literary/etc. context of each book – helps the reader to better understand the book being covered.

– Brief outline of…[Read more]

“Working From The Inside Out” by Jeff Haanen is a great read for anyone needing encouragement for positive inner transformation for being effective in the workplace. Around 150 pages, some of the great points covered include:

– 3 common convictions for people of positive character.

– 5 guiding principles for living out our Christian faith in the…[Read more]

Great read by Bryan Loritts on cultural unity in the church and challenge to Christian believers to love and fellowship with believers of different cultural backgrounds while still maintaining their uniqueness in Jesus Christ.

Some of the many great points covered in the book include:

– While self-awareness can be good, it can also be…[Read more]

“A Year Of Slowing Down” by Alan Fadling is a great devotion for anyone wanting to push back against the world’s expectation of always being on the go. Unfortunately, living at that pace can leave us drained in so many ways and cause us to miss the wonder of life. While Fadling is not expecting us to always be in a slow down phase, he does…[Read more]

“Holy Unhappiness” by Amanda Opelt is a good read on the expectation that Christians have of being in a constant state of bliss that they feel God owes them. The author has correctly noted a shift in the prosperity theology from an emphasis on material blessing and prosperity to emphasizing the unrealistic expectation some have in the Christian…[Read more]

Like the title’s name, “How To Read And Understand The Psalms” by Waltke and Zaspel is a great read for anyone who wants to better understand the Book Of Psalms. After reading this title, there are many things I like about this book:

– Easy to read and understand.

– Like the description of the various type of Psalms (Messianic, Lament, Songs,…[Read more]

I have read several Eugene Peterson titles over the years and believe that “Traveling Light” is probably my personal favorite. Around 200 pages, the book covers many great points about the Christian life:

– In every generation there seems to be only a few people willing to live boldly and daring to be different from the crowd.

– 5 common…[Read more]

“What Jesus Intended” by Tood Hunter is a great read for anyone tired of the toxic environment seen in some parts of Christianity (church, politics, culture, etc.). Around 180 pages, some of the topics addressed include:

– The futility of emphasizing activism and nationalism while not keeping Christ central.

– Suggested questions to ask yourself…[Read more]

“The Complete Works Of John Owen – The Holy Spirit – The Comforter” is another great installment by Crossway Publishers on the works of John Owen, a pastor from the 1600s. After reading through the title, here’s what I like:

– Updated language that makes the book easier to read without losing the essence and meaning of the original edition.

-…[Read more]

“The Spiritual Art Of Business” by Barry Rowan is a great read on making God the center of your career and how you can best glorify Him in your current and future jobs. The book is a compilation of 40 short chapters on various topics, including:

– Surrendering our lives frees us to let God work in and through us for His glory.

– The importance…[Read more]

In a day and age when the Old Testament seems to be overlooked a lot in preaching, teaching, and study, “Wisdom For Faithful Reading” by John Walton is a great read for anyone wanting to learn more about the Old Testament. Around 225 pages, many relevant topics covered include:

– 4 fundamental concepts for interpreting scripture.

– 5 principles…[Read more]

“The Resilience Factor” by Hartwig & Crump & Bird is a great title to read on improving your team-building skills and helping your team become a more cohesive and strong unit. Around 150 pages, the book addresses many topics, including:

– 8 realities of team building in today’s world – I really liked the 7th reality that people are exhausted due…[Read more]

“Authentic Worship” is yet another great title by AW Tozer and this one addresses real worship of God as opposed of some of the “worship” that may be found in some churches where the focus is on the singer/worship leader instead of God.

Around 150 pages, the book addresses many topics on the subject, including:

– Being fully present and engaged…[Read more]

“Disruptive Thinking” by T.D. Jakes is a good read for changing the way you think instead of settling for the status quo. Around 250 pages, some of the topics covered include:

– Observing your surroundings and notice what is going on around you.

– We can serve anyone, regardless of what you may think of them or your differences.

– You cannot be…[Read more]

“All God’s Children” by Terence Lester is a good read and encouragement in improving race relations by acknowledging problems from the past. Just over 200 pages, the author addresses many topics on the issue, including:

– Racial reconciliation cannot be solved by conversations alone.

– The difference between justice (lasting change) and charity…[Read more]