My Top Books of 2015
I’ve read some great books this past year. Here are the top ten. Not all of them were published this past year, but they’re all ones I’ve read in 2015 and loved. Here they are, in order, beginning with my favorite.
The Imperfect Pastor by Zack Eswine — There are few books that I read repeatedly. This will be one of them. Eswine understands the temptations that pastors face, and he speaks to them with power and kindness. One of my friends says he’s like Eugene Peterson on steroids. I wish I could have read this book when I started my ministry. My Review | Amazon
A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller — Everyone I know struggles with his or her prayer life. Miller writes with penetrating honesty about his own struggles with prayer, and how he’s learned to pray in the craziness of life. I not only enjoyed this book, but it changed my prayer life. My Review | Amazon
Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope For Those Who Suffer From Depression by Zack Eswine — This is the second Eswine book to make the list, and it examines the famous preacher Charles Spurgeon and his struggles with depression. It’s helpful not only for those who struggle, but those who want to understand depression. So helpful. My Review | Amazon
Walking Home: The Life and Lessons of a City Builder by Ken Greenberg — Greenberg is an urban designer in Toronto. Walking Home is both the story of his life, and a treatise on what makes cities work. There are many books on cities, but Greenberg’s is the most entertaining and informative I’ve read so far. Amazon
Do More Better: A Personal Guide to Productivity by Tim Challies — Challies gets things done. Reading this short book is like spending an hour with him and learning his secrets. There’s nothing complicated in this book, but applying it will have a profound impact on your life. I love its simplicity and practicality. My Review | Amazon
Honest Evangelism: How to Talk About Jesus by Rico Tice — I struggle with evangelism. There’s a reason, according to Tice: it’s hard. Honest Evangelism helps us understand why it’s hard, and helps us understand how we can learn to evangelize using our personality and gifts. It’s a clear, practical, and helpful guide for anyone who wants to share the gospel. My Review | Amazon
Unburdened: The Christian Leader’s Path to Sexual Integrity by Michael Todd Wilson — Pastors face sexual temptation, just like everyone else. Many struggle in secret, and find their lives and ministries hindered. Wilson speaks honestly to this struggle and provides hope. This is an important read on a topic that’s critical for pastors. My Review | Amazon
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, and Ron McMillan — This book has been on my pile for ages, and I finally got around to reading it this year. It’s great for understanding how to talk about tough issues when our response would normally be either silence or violence. It’s clear and practical. My Review | Amazon
The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen — It’s easy to see fundraising as a task to be endured. Nouwen helps us see that it’s not a distraction from ministry; it is ministry. He corrects our wrong assumptions about fundraising, and helps us see it more accurately. If you are a missionary, church planter, or anyone else charged with raising funds for ministry, this book is important for you to read. My Review | Amazon
Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much by Tony Crabbe — I continue to try to get everything done. Crabbe shows us that this is an impossible aspiration. He guides us to stop trying to get it all done, focus on outputs rather than inputs, and approach our tasks with more creativity and playfulness. This book has helped me become more focused on initiating rather than responding in my work. My Review | Amazon
