Thomas Jefferson once said in a letter to John Adams: “… I cannot live without books.” I too must concur with that statement. I too cannot live without books. I love to read because I love to learn and to grow and books are the vehicles that make those two endeavors possible.
This page is for everyone out there wishing to learn and grow as I have. Below you will find several types of lists of books that I have read that have played a role in developing who I am and what I believe to be true. If you want to really know where I’m coming from, here’s a good place to start. All of these books make up my recommended reading, but I’ll try and break them down by subject for your convenience.
Matt’s Top Twelve Books of all time, because eleven is one better than ten, and twelve is better than eleven ( In order of importance). Please note this is not necessarily a static list as I am always reading something new.
1. The Holy Bible (KJV)
2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
3. Love Your God with All of Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland
4. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
5. Learning the Language of Babylon by Terry M. Crist
6. Making Sense out of Suffering by Peter Kreeft
7. The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus
8. Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar
9. Echoes of His Presence by Ray Vander Laan
10. Jesus in the Margins by Rick McKinley
11. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
12. Common Sense, The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
*13. not a fan by Kyle Idleman
*Like the 13th floor of some buildings. It exists but it’s not “officially” on the list of choices in the elevator. This book needs to be on my top 12 list.
Book recommendations by subject (In no particular order):
Worldview and Philosophy
Love Your God with All of Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland
The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire
Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics by Steve Wilkens
Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave by David Breese
Right from Wrong by Josh McDowell
Christianity and Apologetics
Letters from a Skeptic by Gregory A. Boyd
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Scaling the Secular City by J.P. Moreland
Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig
Spiritual Growth
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
Waking the Dead by John Eldredge
The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge
The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis
Jesus in the Margins by Rick McKinley
This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley
When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett
If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
Fearless Faith: Living Beyond the Walls of Safe Christianity by John Fischer
12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee (like me) by John Fischer
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
The Way of the Heart by Henri J. M. Nouwen
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus
An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind by Erwin Raphael McManus
Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
The Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Thomas B. White
It’s Not about Me by Max Lucado
God’s Little Devotional Book for Leaders by Honor Books
