Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Balance in the Christian Life


“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

We live in a day of specialization, when we ought to strive to be general practitioners. What I mean by that is that we should try to achieve balance rather than going overboard in any one area of life. There are people who cultivate their brain and not their body, and there are others who get plenty of exercise yet don’t feed their mind. Some people will excel in an area such as art or music but can’t hold down a job because they lack practical skills. Ideally, we should get some smarts, get exercise, be musical, and work hard. Investing some time into each of these areas can help us to accomplish more for the Lord.

The best way to develop the mind is to read. You may not think reading is your thing, but you need to make it your thing because God gave us his word in written form. Ask God for wisdom, and then do your part by including reading as an important part of your daily routine.

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:13

If you are physically weak and frail, then you need to get stronger. I don’t see any weaklings doing anything for the Lord in the Bible. If you are a person that is physically weak, then you need to work at becoming stronger.

"A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” Proverbs 24:5

“She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.” Proverbs 31:17

If music isn’t your thing, just show up to church and sing your heart out until it becomes your thing. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. The singing isn’t just a filler—it’s an important part of the church service since God commands us to sing.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Psalm 100:1-2

When it comes to the Christian life, there is something to be said for being a Jack of all trades. We need to not only read our Bibles and have our own personal walk with God, but we also need to show up for church and go out soul winning. The Bible is an infinite book, so reading it from cover to cover routinely will help us to approach life with a balanced perspective. Participating in church and soul winning will provide fellowship and exercise and will benefit you physically as well as spiritually.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

Here is a sermon to go with this article.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Some of My Favorite Books


Reading is a much more educational way to spend your time than watching TV or listening to talk radio. People often ask me what books I like to read other than the Bible. Here are a few of my favorite books in various categories.

Novels:

"Ninety-three" by Victor Hugo
"Toilers of the Sea" by Victor Hugo
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens
"Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott
"Eclipse of the Crescent Moon" by Géza Gárdonyi 

Non-fiction Books:

"Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser
"Blood Feud" a.k.a "Blood Medicine" by Kathleen Sharp
"How Music Works" by John Powell
"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg
"Fluent in 3 Months" by Benny Lewis
"The Power of Body Language" by Tonya Reiman 

Books about History:

"Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford
"Mao: The Unknown Story" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday
"The Bridge at Andau" by James Michener
"The Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
"The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War" by H. Crocker
"Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution" by A.J. Langguth

There are many more that I could list, but these are just a few of my top favorites. Obviously our primary reading material should be the Bible, but other reading outside of the Bible can be educational and broaden our understanding of a variety of topics relevant to our lives. Every time I read a new book, I get at least one sermon idea out of it because I read everything through the lens of God's word and my understanding as a Christian. Here are some sermons inspired by books I have read:

My sermons "Gambling" and "Habits," both preached on 4/7/13, were inspired by the book "The Power of Habit."

My sermon "The Whole World Lieth in Wickedness" preached on 6/30/13 was inspired by the book "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World."

My sermon "Learn by Doing" preached on 7/3/16 was inspired by the book "Fluent in 3 Months."

I am not a fan of "speed reading." I believe in carefully reading every word. I also read every good book at least twice. I always like to say, "Any book that is worth reading once is worth reading twice!"

I do like audio books in addition to reading physical books. They can be great for learning on the go and multi-tasking.

Let me know in the comments if you have read and enjoyed any of the books on my favorites list!