{"id":594,"date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/pastor-read-good-books\/"},"modified":"2020-06-21T21:48:00","modified_gmt":"2020-06-22T01:48:00","slug":"pastor-read-good-books","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/pastor-read-good-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Pastor, read good books"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the primary ways a pastor (or anyone else, for that matter) can care for his soul is to read good books. Books can take us to a new world, and they can help us understand our own world better. They can reveal the beauty of Scripture to us, and they can remind us of the depth of sin and depravity that exist in our world.<\/p>\n

One of my mentors has often said to me, \u201cLeaders are readers. If you\u2019re not leading, you\u2019re not reading.\u201d As a replant pastor, you are a leader. That is not negotiable. Reading will help you to become a better and more effective leader. But I also would counsel you to read on a variety of subjects. Don\u2019t be afraid to step outside the evangelical bubble when it comes to reading.<\/p>\n

Here are four tips to help you in your reading journey this year:<\/p>\n

1. Read dead guys.<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m making it a point to read more and more books by those who lived the Christian life well in previous centuries. So far this year, I\u2019ve read books by Charles Sheldon, Charles Spurgeon, Brennan Manning, and G.K. Chesterton. C.S. Lewis is a staple of my book list each year. I hope to read some Puritans before the end of the year. As we read books from those who have come before us, we are reminded that Christianity is an ancient faith. It\u2019s a faith that has impacted lives for nearly 2,000 years. It\u2019s good that we should read the works of those who have lived lives of faith well before us. If you\u2019re just getting started reading dead guys, I highly recommend\u00a0Mere Christianity<\/em>by C.S. Lewis or\u00a0All of Grace\u00a0<\/em>by Charles Spurgeon as good starting points.<\/p>\n

2. Read biographies and autobiographies.<\/strong>\u00a0Whether it\u2019s Steve Jobs or Johnny Cash or Ted Williams, biographies provide keen insight into significant figures in our world. They can be a fascinating look at the Imago Dei — the image of God — that He has placed within each of us. Even among those who would never have claimed to be followers of Christ, we can still see the image of God at work among humanity. Biographies help us understand people, and understanding people will help you shepherd the flock of God among you (1 Pet. 5:2). Autobiographies often give us an intimate glimpse into the world from someone else\u2019s perspective. If you\u2019re looking for a good biography or autobiography, I recommend\u00a0Steve Jobs<\/em>\u00a0by Walter Isaacson or\u00a0The Man in Black<\/em>by Johnny Cash.<\/p>\n

3. Read fiction.<\/strong>\u00a0For me personally, fiction provides a break. I\u2019m often immersed in reading commentaries for sermon prep, ministry books for, well, ministry, and other non-fiction works on a daily basis as part of my work as pastor. So fiction provides an outlet. Good fiction also can help in your own storytelling. I\u2019ve been amazed at how often something I read in a fiction book will provide an apt illustration to a sermon I\u2019m preparing for the following Sunday. In good fiction, you will often see spiritual themes — light and darkness, sin and struggle, injustice, perseverance, etc. Whether it\u2019s John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Stephen King, or J.R.R. Tolkien, fiction will expand your imagination and give you a break from simply reading for sermon prep or ministry ministry development. If you\u2019re looking for a good fiction read, I recommend\u00a0The Rainmaker<\/em>\u00a0by John Grisham or\u00a0The Fellowship of the Ring<\/em>\u00a0by J.R.R. Tolkien<\/p>\n

4. Read your Bible.<\/strong>\u00a0Now, you may think, \u201cWell that goes without saying.\u201d However, I often look back and realize that I\u2019ve read far more\u00a0outside<\/em>\u00a0of the Bible than I read\u00a0inside<\/em>\u00a0the Bible. There\u2019s certainly nothing wrong with reading other stuff, but the Bible alone is God\u2019s Word to us. A daily reading plan is a good start. Personally, I highly recommend the\u00a0CSB Day by Day Chronological Bible<\/a>. Spurgeon encouraged us, \u201cVisit many good books, but live in the Bible.\u201d That\u2019s good advice, and it\u2019s a word I need to remember often.,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the primary ways a pastor (or anyone else, for that matter) can care for …<\/p>\n

Pastor, read good books<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":595,"template":"","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"channels":[],"topics":[53],"languages":[],"class_list":["post-594","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_type-article","topics-replanting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPastor, read good books - 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