Books













These might not be the best Christian books ever written. But they are the ones which had the biggest impact on my Christian life. I recommend them all.

 

No Compromise No Compromise
Melody Green
The biography of Keith Green, 100% sold out to Jesus.
The Master Plan of Evangelism The Master Plan of Evangelism
Robert Coleman
God's method of evangelism has always been discipleship and mentoring.
Wild at Heart Wild at Heart
John Eldredge
Calling Christian men to be true to their nature. Loving action and adventure, not the weak and subdued men that modern Christianity is pushing them to become.
The Five Love Languages The Five Love Languages
Gary Chapman
We each express and feel love in one of five styles (languages). We need to learn to show love in the OTHER person's language, not our own.
I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt
Vince Antonucci
A challenge for Christians and churches to beyond boring mediochre Christianity and to do something outstanding.
This Present Darkness This Present Darkness
Frank Peretti
Fiction, but a thought stimulating representation of the fact that there is a spritual realm, and we're living in it, whether we're aware of that or not.
Prophet Prophet
Frank Peretti
Fiction, but a probing insight into the motives of the media and the politics of the pro abortion movement.
Celebration of Discipline Celebration of Discipline
Richard Foster
Great practical lessons on fasting, prayer, meditation, solitude, simplicity...
L'Abri L'Abri
Edith Schaeffer
The biography of how the Schaeffer's decision to follow God's will no matter what, let them to move to Switzerland to start a discipleship centre. Without finances or income, but only faith that God would provide.
The Jesus I Never Knew The Jesus I Never Knew
Philip Yancey
An time and culture perspective on the Jesus of the gospels which illustrates his earthly life in ways you might not have thought about, as a means to showing who he was and why he came.
Living Faith Living Faith
Helen Roseveare
A biography of a missionary to Africa, and how she learned to have great faith in God.
Inside Out Inside Out
Larry Crabb
We all know we're pretty corrupt, broken and unsatisfied on the inside. So we do all we can to resist looking in there. But if we summon the courage to do that, we can change ourselves on the inside, and we will discover permanent change and lasting satisfaction.
The Torch of the Testimony The Torch of the Testimony
John Kennedy
Church history of the "other" church groups who faithfully carried the gospel truth forward while the main stream church was losing it's way.
The Pursuit of Holiness The Pursuit of Holiness
Jerry Bridges
Christians must live holy lives. But how. What part of that is God's work, and what part is ours?
Sit, Walk, Stand Sit, Walk, Stand
Watchman Nee
A very short book which could change your life. Learning first to sit and wait to let God do something instead of rushing in and doing it for him.
The Normal Christian Life The Normal Christian Life
Watchman Nee
This book reads more like, the outstanding, devoted, powerful Christian life. But that should be normal, right?
Love, Acceptance & Forgiveness Love, Acceptance & Forgiveness
Jerry Cook
The church is well known for being judgemental and rejecting. What if it was famous for being loving, accepting and forgiving, like God is?
Watchman Prayer Watchman Prayer
Dutch Sheets
Real intercessory prayer. Are you prepared to stand in the gap for someone else?
Decision Making and the Will of God Decision Making and the Will of God
Garry Friesen
So many Christians are anxious that they might have missed the will of God. What if it doesn't even work like that?
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The Early Life and Conversion of Pastor Hsi
Geraldine Taylor
Pastor Hsi became a Christian around the time of the Chinese revolution when all the missionaries were forced to leave. So all he could do was read the Bible and do what it said. So he did.
Starlight and Time Starlight and Time
Russell Humphreys
A mathematical treatise on light and time, with layman's explanations, showing how the Earth could age only 6,000 years while distant stars have aged billions of years.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen Covey
7 good habits to develop to help make your life more productive and satisfying.
The Purpose Driven Life The Purpose Driven Life
Rick Warren
40 days of short articles to help you find your place in the body of Christ. To find out why you specifically are here.
When Iron Gates Yield When Iron Gates Yield
Geoffrey Bull
The biography of a missionary caught up in the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the late 1940's.
Flirting with the World Flirting with the World
John White
A challenge to the Church about how much "worldliness" has crept in.
Galatians Galatians
The Navigators
One of a series of book studies teaching Christians how to study a Bible book, and in particular Galatians and the liberating teaching that Christians are not under the Old Testament Law, but under grace.
That None Should Perish That None Should Perish
Ed Silvoso
The biography of how the good news spread through the cities of Argentina, and the spiritual battles that led up to it.
Chasing the Dragon Chasing the Dragon
Jackie Pullinger
The biography of a young English school teacher missionary who surrendered to God's will and found herself living in the underworld of the triads and drug gangs of Hong Kong's lawless Walled City.
The Man in the Mirror The Man in the Mirror
Patrick Morley
A must read for Christian men. Who are you? Who do you want to be? How do you handle identity, relationship, finance, time, life?
Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ
Jeanne Guyon
The biography of a beautiful rich young French woman who gave it all up and lived, breathed, ate and slept... Jesus.
Vertical Church Vertical Church
James MacDonald
How they "do church" at Harvest? What if you did church and God actually showed up?
Improving Your Serve Improving Your Serve
Charles Swindoll
What would it take for you to become a "better" Christian? Are you willing to become a servant? Would it be worth it?
Life. God. Me. Life. God. Me.
Don Barns
What if everything that ever happened to you was God's plan to build your character? What if he's training you to work for him and to achieve his dream for all mankind?
Exiles Exiles
Mike Frost
How the story of Israel living in exile in Bablyon gives us great insight into how Christians should live missionally here in exile in our post-Christian western culture as we also await our return to our true home.
Center Church Center Church
Tim Keller
Deep thoughts and insight into how to be church in our post-Christian, citified culture. Real church needs to be gospel-centred, city-centred, movement-centred.
The Problem of Wine Skins The Problem of Wine Skins
Howard Snyder
Lots of insight into how the church has been shaped as an old wineskin by manmade structures and not as a new wineskin by the freedom of the gospel.
Heaven’s Answer to Earth’s Dilemma Heaven’s Answer to Earth’s Dilemma
Ben F. Gray
A really insightful book about how the church lost its way. And how to get us back on track.

 

 

And of course I think these are pretty good. I recommend them too.

 

Basic Christianity is a collection of basic teaching for new Christians which comes from some of the articles on this web site.

This basic level of teaching is what the apostle Paul refers to as spiritual milk. It’s a bit easier to “digest” than some of the meatier, more advanced teaching that you might be hearing in other places. But as a spiritual baby it’s good for you to just have some milk for a while until you get more used to it. Then you will have a good foundation for when you grow up and you are ready to study deeper things.

Free in various formats on Smashwords.
Or here as pdf or epub (no login required).

 

 

Some of the teaching in the Bible is pretty straightforward and there are often one or two verses which spell it out in black and white. Some other things though only take shape when you start to put the whole thing together. When you step back from a verse by verse theology and you look at the bigger picture.

The Bigger Picture examines some of those doctrines. Doctrines which are by their nature more fundamental in their impact on how we live out our Christianity. These are doctrines which will help you make sense of a lot of the smaller ideas, and which will give you a context in which to place other teachings.

Free in various formats on Smashwords.
Or here as pdf or epub (no login required).

 

While it is incredibly important for the church that we do build our doctrine correctly on good foundations, and that we “rightly divide” the message of the Bible, there is a teaching contained in that very message which tells us of something even more important than the message itself.

Love not Right is an attempt to start some discussions, to get Christians thinking, and to move us toward a reputation as a group of people who are known for their love of others. To put aside our preoccupation with who is right and to focus on doing what we were commanded - loving one another. To focus on Love, not Right.

Free in various formats on Smashwords.
Or here as pdf or epub (no login required).

 

Back in the ‘80s John White wrote a challenging little book called “Flirting with the World” in which he called out the church of the day for taking on some of the World’s ways and methods. The church is the bride of Christ. Effectively we’re his fiancé. So when the church does things the way the World does, instead of the way Yeshua does… we’re kind of flirting with someone while we’re engaged to someone else! It’s a bit slutty, and pretty disappointing for a girl of our standing. To be honest. These days I feel like the church has moved way beyond flirting, and she’s actually having an affair. Full on, sleeping with the World.

To Be, Not To Be examines many opposing characteristics of the modern church and asks should we be this or should we be that?
Should we be Missional, or Attractional? Should we be Giving, or Making? Should we be Connection, or Entertainment? Should we be God’s Way, or Our Way?

Free in various formats on Smashwords.
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I think Bibles should be free. And I don't think businesses should be making profits from selling them.

Little Watchman Translation is an attempt to make as literal a translation as possible while preserving the original intention and a consistent English reading. The overriding principle of translation was to try to avoid any preconception and to just let the original Greek say whatever it says.
And it's free.

Free. The kindle, mobi and pdf versions are available on the Bible page of this site. It is also available free in various formats on Smashwords..
Or here as pdf or epub (no login required).