Fallen and Flawed

Here is my current reading list:

The Vision and the Vow – Peter Grieg (this short read was a few years before its time)

Death by Love – Mark Dricoll (reading with a family member who is a victim)

The ESV Study Bible – Oh yea, it was worth every penny

I have two Ravi books in the pipeline as well.

Oh, and I have a Hank Hanagraff (sp?) book on the way.

I’m currently working my way through:
Distinctives – Vaughan Roberts
Gospel and Personal Evangelism – Mark Dever
Christless Christianity – Michael Horton
Fruit that will Last – Tim Hawkins
Rock Solid (12 gospel truths to live by) – Tim Thornborough & Trevor Archer (Eds)

I LOVE the MacArthur plan. I’ve been doing it for a year and a half and I’ve done Ephesians, 1 John, Romans, Matthew, 1 Peter and I’m finishing up 1 Cor this month. I think I’m busting into John starting April 1. What works for me is to put my current passage in audio format on my iPod. I use the free audio Bible from Faithcomesbyhearing.com. For my commute, 20 minutes is about right which is usually 4-5 chapters. In a good month I’ll make it though my passage 15 times.

Current reading list

Personal reading
Simply Christian by NT Wright
The Unity of the Bible by Daniel Fuller

Reading for work
The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz
Agile Estimating and Planning by Mike Cohn

In my queue:
Spectacular Sins by John Piper
This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
50 reasons why Jesus came to Die by Piper (probably going to read this as a daily devotional).

Anyone who makes it through Charnock deserves several pats on the back. Me? I’m reading, In My Place Condemned He Stood.

I like the list of books. I am always open for new reading material and will probably check most of these out. Currently I am in Prayer & Spiritual Warfare by C. H. Spurgeon (love the dead guys stuff), 12 Ordinary Men by MacArthur (for a church Bible study), and ESV Bible. Past favorite reads from 09 are How Long Oh Lord by D. A. Carson, Future Grace by Piper, Love That Lasts by Gary and Betsy Ricucci, and Psychobabble by R. Ganz (for school but a good read).

Cool list! I am also reading The Gospel According to Jesus. I picked it up at a book outlet in Lancaster PA and have been reading through it ever since.

I am also reading:
The Vanishing Conscience – MacArthur
In Step With God – Charles Stanley
Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem

I will be checking out that Charnock book, since we are doing a series on the attributes of God at our church. Thanks for the post!

@Dan: Just finished Christless Christianity…you’ll enjoy it.
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@Chris: Ever since I heard Piper give his Echo and the Insufficiency of Hell lecture at DG, I’ve been hooked. Spectacular Sins doesn’t disappoint in the least bit. Btw: what do you do? You said for work you’re reading…
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@Steve: Hopefully I can report that I finish! It’s a beast.
@All: After I wear out my NASB, I’m going for an ESV. Thank you for all your replies!

I am reading How to Give Away Your Faith – by Paul E. Little. A classic, and one of the best books I have read in a while. It is already impacting the way I view and share the gospel

Here’s my list:
Cost of Discipleship – Bonhoeffer
Death by Love – Driscoll
Serve God, Save the Planet – Sleeth
Living Holiness – Roseveare
Freedom of the Will – Edwards
In the pipeline:
The Gulag Archipelago (Abridged) – Solzhenitsyn
1776 – McCullough
Additions: Banquet in the Grave – Welch

Last one should be “Addictions” not additions…although I do despise math.

@JC,
Bonhoffer…it took me two years to read that book. I could only read like a chapter at a time, then I had to re-read it.
My wife LOVED 1776. But she is a Lit. major.

Demian,
Like your list. And all these other lists are very intriguing to me as well. So many books, so little time.
I’ve actually been thinking a lot about issues of faith and the arts, and am considering starting a blog about the topic. It’s an area of interest for obvious reasons (as a painter) and something that has been on my heart for a couple of decades now, but has just recently come onto the front burner for me.
I recently connected with a dear friend, Colin Harbinson, an international leader, writer and speaker on the subject and a playwright as well. Last week he gave me the published Lausanne Occasional Paper that he was asked to write at the ‘04 conference in Switzerland, entitled, Redeeming the Arts.
This spurred a recent Amazon.com binge where I recently picked up and finished Art for God’s Sake by Philip Graham Ryken. I’m about to start Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H.R. Rookmaaker, Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle, Art & Soul by Hilary Brand & Adrienne Chaplin.
I was also already reading The Designful Company by Marty Neumeier for business.
And because my oldest daughter is pretty high up the food chain at Borders Books, I’ve got a stack of fiction that will easily take me to 2012.
So many book, so little time.

@Richard: I love the direction your going. Can’t wait. And if you need any help, email or call. Your daughter is high up the food chain at Border’s? *scratches his chin*
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@Don: I couldn’t put Bonhoeffer down. What was it? Btw: I’m a Lit Major, too. I don’t say that out loud very often.

Demian,

Currently, I’m reading three books. Seems like I just have a hard time finishing anything when something else comes along that catches my eye.

1) “Mutiny” by John Boyne. Not a Christian book, but another fictional take on the HMS Bounty mutiny of 1789.

2) “What in the World is Going On?” by David Jeremiah. A book on the end times. I’m almost half way through this one. Great book. I’ve learned much. Highly recommended.

3) “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss. Also not a Christian book, per se. But I’m determined to apply the techniques of “lifestyle design” he talks about.

I’ve recently finished “Believe That You Can” by Jentezen Franklin. I liked it a lot. Need to re-read it.

I recently started to read John Piper’s “Desiring God.” I got it as a recommendation from a Christian friend. It’s big. I only got through the intro when I started on #’s 1-3 above. So this one will be next in line after those.

D,
She’s the general manager at a NYC Borders. You can stop scratching now. And I will be calling for help as I move along. So many questions, so little time.

Current
Bruchko -Bruce Olson
The Mortification of Sin – John Owen
Ongoing Projects
The Valley of Vision – The Puritans
Ephesians – Paul the Apostle
The Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke John

Her’s my list:
Don’t Waste Your Life-John Piper
The Supremacy of Christ in a Post-Modern World-John Piper/Justin Taylor
The Prince of Frogtown-Rick Bragg

Good stuff, guys, especially you Stephen: That’s some heavy duty reading there. What’s the Bruce Olson book all about? What’s the title mean?

just finished
Death by Love by Driscoll and Brashears
Heaven by Alcorn
Night of Weeping and Morning of Joy by Bonar
The Tipping Point by Gladwell
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currently reading
Spiritual Depression by M.Lloyd Jones
Nicht alle waren Moerder by Degen
the Path of Loneliness by Elliot
Till We Have Faces by Lewis
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planning to read soon…
Money, Possessions and Eternity by Alcorn
Outliers by Gladwell
The Slumber of Christianity by Dekker

Reading is difficult for me–slightly dyslexic + very ADD = s l o w. So natch I’d like to read one at a time. Nonetheless, I’m going thorough “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross” (ed. Nancy Guthrie) with my wife, a chapter at a time as our schedules permit; Puritan John Flavel’s “The Mystery of Providence,” a chapter a month with a men’s discussion group; and “Genesis 3″ by Edward J Young, a verse-by-verse expository study.
I just finished “Why Johnny Can’t Preach” by T. David Gordon– an easy read I highly recommend (whether or not you’re familiar with “media ecology”); and less recently David Gregory’s “a Day with a Perfect Stranger”– intriguing fun fiction sequel to “Dinner with a Perfect Stranger.”
I’m also hooked on a number of blogs, magazines and newsletters that most people would breeze through in a fraction of the time they take me. But God graciously meets me in these endeavors, so I have no complaint.

I’m a science nut too:
The Mind of God, Paul Davies: Great book. Not expressly Christian; attempts to maintain neutrality. But some great logical and scientific investigations in there

Just finished The Mortification of Sin. Excellent!!

Finally Alive- Piper

MacArthur’s Millenial Manifesto- A Friendly Response- By Sam Wladron

A Primer on Worship and Reformation- Doug Wilson

Knowing God- Packer

Peter and Wendy- J.M. Barrie

Thinking of the Bible reading plan, I have a few suggestions that work well for me:

I work alone all day, so I put the whole Bible on mp3 on an ipod, and listened to it straight through. It took two weeks, and every believer should do this at least once in their lives. Talk about getting the Metanarrative…

Here is a link to the best Bible reading system I have ever seen.
http://www.bible-researcher.com/bible-study2.html

Again, with the availability of audio busting out these days, I would like to hear what folks are listening to as well?
To avoid long-windedness, I’ll give my list later if anyone else bites this hook…

@Demian Farnworth, It was Cost of Discipleship. I couldn’t put it down, but it was hard to digest. I mean, think about it, that book really makes you question your salvation as you really start to think of how you are a cheap-grace addict.

MacArthur seems to be a recurring theme. Can’t go wrong with him. Or Packer. . @Don, “cheap-grace addict.” I love it.
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@Emily: Is that book in German you’re reading? Hats off to you, girl.

@demian, yes. its a biography of a german soldier during WW2 who disagreed with the Nazi reign but was forced to serve in the army or be killed. is quite the read.

@Emily…especially if you couldn’t read German!

I’m about three-quarters of the way through Francine Rivers’ “A Voice in the Wind”, one of the first Christian fiction novels I’ve read since my conversion. It was recommended to me by a dear friend, after I told her how apprehensive I was at simply picking up something labeled “Christian fiction” without knowing whether it represented sound doctrine or not. (“The Shack”, anyone…?)
I’ve been totally blown away by it! I’m going to be pestering my friend for the next installment when I see her this Friday!

I’ve also been re-reading Martin’s “The Kingdom of the Cults” since I came to your site. It was the first book I read after leaving the JW’s. I feel strongly that God brought you and Maribel to me, and our discussion set me afire again. I haven’t felt this alive in the Word in a year!

I also highly recommend John Piper’s “Velvet Steel”, a collection of absolutely gorgeous poems he wrote to his wife. Eric gave it to me as a Christmas present and I keep it beside my bed.

–Denita

haha. thankfully i can.

@Denita, my wife is a huge Rivers fan. She could easily recommend a million Christian lit fiction books like Rivers. If you’re interested, email me via the contact form and I’ll hook you two up.
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Also, it is unbelievably cool for you to say that about this blog. Confirmation of what I intend here: “A quick and dirty guide to living a vivid, meaningful Christian life.” Thank you for sharing. It’s a privilege.