The Pastor's Library

Wild at Heart John Eldridge
Waking the Dead John Eldridge

Both of Eldridge's books are challenging. I find myself growing when I read them because I don't immediately agree with everything he says. I have to struggle with it. He thinks way outside the box, and we need that.

The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren
Our Jealous God Bill Gothard
When God Answers Prayer Bob Russell

Sex

Pure Desire Ted Roberts
Sheet Music Kevin Lehman

Sheet Music is a good book to read before marriage. I have not read a better book that explains to a couple planning marriage what they should expect sexually.

The Purity Principle Randy Alcorn

Marriage

His Needs / Her Needs Willard Harley
Love Must be Tough James Dobson
Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage Lee and Leslie Stroble

End Times

Worthy is the Lamb Ray Summers

This is by far my favorite book on the end times.

End Times Fiction Gary DeMar
The Last Days According to Jesus R.C. Sproull
Millennialism Feinberg
A Case for: A Millennialism Kim Riddlebarger

Classic's You Should Read

Your God is too Small J.B. Phillips
Jesus Man of Joy Shirwood E. Wirt
Paul Apostle of the Heart Set Free F.F. Bruce
Six Miracles if Calvary Nicholson

The Treasure Principle Randy Alcorn
The Law of Rewards Randy Alcorn
Money, Possessions and Eternity Randy Alcorn

Okay, basically anything by Alcorn, you should read!

On the Church

The Purpose Driven Church Rick Warren

This book changed my entire perspective on ministry. Based on the Church's five Biblical purposes, Rick teaches that all believers are ministers.

When God Builds a Church Bob Russell
Can We Do That? Stanly/Young
An Unstoppable ForceMcManus
Church for the UnchurchedHunter

Names of God

Names of God Nathan Stone

There are a lot of books on the names of God, most of them just borrow from Nathan Stone's work...so I figure just go right to the source. Stone's book is easy to read and one of the earliest works on the subject.

The Names of God Lester Summrall
My Fathers Names Elmer Towns
The Names of God Ken Hemphill
Lord, I Want to Know You Kay Arthur

Bible Study

F.F. Bruce
Herschel H. Hobbs

(Look for an Exposition of the Four Gospels)

Gorden Fee
Archibald Robertson

(Look for Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament)

Herbert Lockyer
William Barclay
T.W. Hunt
Warren W. Wiersbe

These are a few of my favorite authors when it comes to serious Bible Study. I buy anything I can by these guys.

A Skeptic's Search for God Ralph O. Muncaster

This a great book. Of course, Muncaster is so smart it's a little hard to keep up with him. I came away saying: Wow, if people that smart believe, it almost doesn't matter if I understand the argument they're making.

The Case for Christ Lee Stroble

Stroble builds a compelling case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Of course, all the claims of the Bible can be pinned to this one event. If Jesus rose from the grave, then everything else is proven true. Using techniques he learned as a journalist, Stroble interviews the best scholars, hitting them with hard hitting questions.

The Case for Faith Lee Stroble
The Case for a Creator Lee Stroble
The Signature of God Grant R. Jeffery
Evidence That Demands a Verdict Josh McDowell

Bible Translations I Like

NIV, KJV, NAS

NAS is the most literal translation I've found. Both NAS and KJV are word for word translations. NIV is called a "thought for thought" meaning it seeks to get at the main idea.

Phillips "The New Testament In Modern English"

This isn't even close to a translation, but it's one of the best paraphrases I've ever seen. Personally I think it's better than Message.

The Complete Jewish Bible

If you don't have this, get one. I can't explain exactly what it is, you just have to see it. It was translated without trying to westernize the text. Names are correctly translated, and the books are preserved in their original Hebrew order.

Just Interesting Stuff

Image of the Risen Christ Kenneth E. Stevenson

This book is about the shroud of Turin.

The Bible Jesus Read Yancy
In the Footsteps of Jesus Bruce Marchiano

This is the story of the making of the Visual Bible's "Matthew." And how playing Jesus changed Bruce's life.

Just as I Am Billy Graham
God's Outrageous Claims Lee Stroble
Resurrection Hank Hanegraaff
Life Sentence Chuck Colson
Christ in the Passover Rosen