My favorite reads of 2014

I've got a good friend who does something pretty cool at the beginning of every year.  I'm not sure how long he's been doing it.  Each year he starts a Facebook message with lots of other Pastors and we share the top few books that we read during the previous year.  Each year I buy and read at least a couple of the books that I find on that list.  It also really encourages me to keep reading.

(If this resonates with you - please put your books in the comment section of this post.  I'd love to see what you've been reading.)

Here are my top 3 reads of 2014




1. Prayer: Conversing with God by Rosalind Rinker
This, incredibly short book, is the definitive work on prayer.  The author could not be any more practical or easy to read.  With each new book that I read I always have a highlighter tucked behind my ear.  I started using it on this book and then quickly realized that I'd have to highlight the whole thing.  She wastes no words and develops her ideas perfectly and precisely.  No matter where you are in life - this book will take you to an entirely different place in your prayers - both public and private. BTW - it's so cheap!  Buy it!



Stearns is the President of Worldvision.  His book is both an autobiography and practical study guide to living and practicing the gospel that Jesus preached.  He asks all the same questions that I've had about "living out your faith in practical ways."  Unlike me, his answers are phenomenal.  I thought I had a pretty good take on living my life in the light of Christ's teachings and I did.  Just like Rinker's book, this book challenged me with it's precise practicality.  If I were king of the world - every person would be required to read this.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the HUGE book I'm going to give when someone asks me what "being a Christian" is.



Like most of Willard's books this one is much deeper than #1 and #2.  It's a slow read and you need a highlighter.  I appreciate how he develops most of his ideas from their simplest form.  I assume that's why he was such a good Prof.  I think this is his greatest book.  That's saying a lot.  He's an amazing thinker.







Church Leadership Book of 2014

I read a lot of church leadership books, articles, and blogs.  I (almost) have a master's in church leadership.  I'm a fan of the genre.  This book should be added to the list of great and practical church leadership books.  It's not just for vocational pastors but also for elder's and anyone else interested in what their church is about.  The tag line is a great description "Maximize your Money, Space, Time and People to Multiply Ministry Impact."  The theme of the year for me was practicality.  This book is a must read for church leaders.  It's a quick read and isn't written all that great.  However, the info and advice in it is the best that I've read.  It's not in the theological or philosophical sphere's as much as it's all about practical wisdom from those that have been through it and thought all the way through it.  I got a copy for each one of our elder's here at Westside.  



Fiction of 2014



Ok.  I only read one fiction book this year.  I think that's more than last year though.  This book is incredible.  I read it for a sermon series I was doing and it fit perfectly.  This book, basically, proves that Huxley could read the current culture and see where humanity was going.





Ok, so I went.  What are your favorite books that you read in 2014?  I'm always looking for ideas.  Please share.

Tim Boyd
Lead Pastor
Westside Christian Church - Bradenton, FL

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