Book Recommendations

These books are great tools for personal growth and development, and wonderful mentoring tools.  I generally try to recommend books I think everyone (or at least every Christian) should read at some point.  These three books fit that distinction.

Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster
This is the best book on prayer I’ve ever read.  I’ve been re-reading it recently and am reminded what a rich, heart-felt book it is.  As I practice each type of prayer Richard describes, I am drawn into deeper union with God, myself, and others.  Certain authors truly speak my language (Henri Nouwen, Ruth Haley Barton, David Benner – earlier works, Peter Scazzero, and a handful of others), Richard Foster is among them.  Who knew there were so many different ways to pray?  It’s so liberating.  Discovering ways to pray that fit my design, mood, and circumstances causes me to want to pray, rather than feel like I should.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown
“Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging…It’s the fear that we’re not good enough…We all have it.  We’re all afraid to talk about shame.  The less we talk about shame, the more control it has over our lives.” – Brene Brown, Daring Greatly.

Brene is a shame and vulnerability researcher with a fun wit and honest story telling.  I really appreciate her work.  This book and other books about shame have helped me better understand my inner struggle with feelings of inadequacy, which has then allowed me to bring my shame to God and His healing power.  Self-awareness is the starting point of transformation.  A book like this is a helpful tool in becoming more aware of the internal struggle we all deal with (shame) that needs God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and redemption.

The Lost Art of Disciple Making – Leroy Eims
I read this book in my mid-twenties.  Next to the Bible, it became my go to book as I began meeting with people one-on-one, not having a clue what I was doing.  It reminded me of the basic things a disciple needs to help them grow, and training objectives to help them mature.  It encouraged me along the way when I felt alone and unsure, like I was swimming upstream.  It reminded me of the way Jesus did ministry, and if I was going to follow Him, it would be essential that I follow His example on how He discipled people, which looks different from how we tend to do it in our program-driven church culture.  I slowly persisted and today I assist God in developing loving disciples full-time.  This book was part of my starter kit, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Past Book Recommendations:
For other past book recommendations, click on the word BLOG at the top of this page.  On the upper left side of the page, you’ll see the word CATEGORIES.  Click on Book Recommendations.  I hope you enjoy your new reads.

In His Love,
Randy