Recommended Reading

In this section you’ll find books that we recommend here at WOTG.

With so many books being published all of the time, there are a lot of choices out there. Too many choices. We don’t want to add to the noise by making it more difficult to discern what is good, bad, or just not worth reading. When we review books for the blog we have four categories: Must Reads, Recommendations, We Have Reservations, and The Burn Pile.

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Must Reads (Required reading for all believers)

This section represents the books that ought to be studied in depth by every believer. They are deep but not difficult to read. The truths they contain are vital for a well balanced Christian life in seeking God.

The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

Topic : Seeking God – 80% of my quotes come from this book. I read it once a month. While I may disagree on some points with Tozer, I cannot read this book without worshiping God. Though written over 60 years ago, this book deals with the most relevant issues of our day: holding orthodoxy over intimacy, teachers doing the work of the gospel for their pupils, and information, consumerism, and pride getting in the way of sanctification. The pursuit of God is written to entice the believer to seek hard after God. That theme is at the center of everything we write here at WOTG. This is an essential read for every believer.

You Lost Me By David Kinnaman

Topic: Generational Differences – The most pressing issue facing the church of our day is the absence of young adults in church. Kinnaman, the president of Barna, offers the most concise description of a the younger generations and explains why young Christians are leaving the church and rethinking their faith. While there are a lot of books about the generational differences, this is the number one authority on why they are the way they are and what we can do to start communicating with them. Kinnaman is very generous to include a wide breadth of Christians and Christian types as well as some very loose conceptions of faith, but this book is still the best one out there on the topic.

Six Political Illusions by James L. Payne

Topic: Politics – Though short, this book concisely catalogs the six major fallacies that many people hold to when thinking about government. Payne does not make any absolute statements on where one should fall on every issue. He simply defines the problems that many well meaning people have in their political views. I was definitely challenged to start rethinking my perceptions by critically evaluating my positions and their foundations in light of this challenging book. Everyone should wrestle with what they think they already know about politics and put their prejudices to the test.

Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung

Topic: God’s Will – This is the number one book for our generation on determining God’s will. There is a lot of confusion on how to determine what God has called us to do,  but there doesn’t need to be. DeYoung does an excellent job at pointing out the biblical truths on knowing God’s will while debunking the myths that won’t offer any definite answers. Many young Christians are waiting to make something of their life. The point of this book is to get people moving for God and to keep them on track with biblical principles. If you only read one book on determining God’s will, make it this one.

The Living Church by John Stott

Topic: The Church – This book is by far the most profound book I have ever read on the health and welfare of the church. It is without a doubt the purest form of expositional literature ever written – coming from and aged pastor with genuine wisdom and discernment. Each page of this book provides a spiritual stimulation that offers both hope and conviction. While everyone has a different opinion about these things, this book speaks with authority and conviction. Every Christian, as a member of the Body of Christ, out to read this book. 

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Good Books (Extra Credit Recommendations)

This section represents books that we have read and reviewed her on WOTG that we want to recommend to our readers. These books are good, but not profound enough or simply not essential to the life of a believer. Still, if you like to read and you’ve already read all of the books listed above on our ‘Must Read’ section, these books come highly recommended. 

A Passion For God by Lyle Dorsett

This is a biography about the life of A. W. Tozer – telling the story of his life, conversion, ministry, and family. It’s a great read for anyone who is interested in learning what made this great man of the faith so passionate for seeking after God. A theme that we herald here at WOTG.

Hell is Real by Brian Jones

A fire and brimstone sermon, this book is not. It doesn’t say much with very heavy authority, but it really doesn’t need to. The arguments are simple enough for anyone to comprehend and solid enough for anyone to build on top of.

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Recommended With Reservations (Good books with questionable content)

This section represents the list of books we have reviewed but we have some reservations about them. They either teach something that is up for debate, controversial, or incomplete. Before you read these books we would recommend you read our reviews of them. 

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

The main points of this book are spot on. They perfectly describe a generation that is drowning in consumerism. However, it doesn’t do much to speak against asceticism – which is a dangerous subject. Read our review to understand the warnings we have in recommending this book.

Radical by David Platt

The main points and outline of this book are almost identical to that of Crazy Love with the exception of a few things. Platt is far more critical and exegetical than Chan, but his emotional connection is not as strong. Still, this book does not address the problem of asceticism – which is why we recommend it with reservation. Read our review for more details.

Raised Right by Alisa Harris

The takeaway from this book is well worth the read. While we may draw different conclusions on specific issues, it is invaluable to have the sort of insight into the issues young adults are facing that this book provides. Though I would recommend it with reservations, I would still highly recommend it to anyone willing to listen and learn without prejudice.

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The Burn Pile (Warning: Stay away)

This section represents the list of books we want to warn our readers about. These books are awful – either full of heresy, foolishness, or unfounded conjecture. If you have already read these books and don’t know why they are included in this section, please click on the image are read our reviews. 

Heaven is for Real by Todd Surpo

The story about a little boys supposed journey to heaven and back, this book is an awful attempt that averts peoples attention away from the authoritative foundation of God’s word – replacing Scripture with unfounded experiences and silly fables. There are plenty of reasons why this book should not be trusted. They are included in our review.

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