Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 2 Ken Raggio, Long Winding Road

This book comes in at the Number 2 spot of the books that I read in 2012.  I have known Ken Raggio for close to 20 years now.  My first interaction with him was when we were both on the working staff at the Alabama Crusader Camp many summers ago.  We would sit up long after all the kids had been secured for the night and talk about the Bible, preaching, and various other aspects of the ministry.  Some aspects of this book, I already knew because of our past conversations. 

I would also add that his wife, Dixie, who passed away in 2003 after a prolonged battle with cancer, was one of the noblest Christians that I have ever met.  I don’t know of any lady whose Bible was as well-used as hers was.  When I would go preach in Birmingham, the Saturday nights would often be spent at their kitchen table with Bibles open and discussion would be long into the night.  It was there that I was exposed to her Thompson Chain Reference that had multiple notes in the margins and so forth.    

Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 3 David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

This book was one that I read because of several favorable book reviews that were generated from several blogs that I read.  Although I actually read it a couple of years after its initial release (2010) and it is a book that stretches you out of your comfort zone.    

Author:  David Platt

Title:  Radical:  Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Publisher:  Harper One, 2011.

One of the reasons that this book resonated with me was because of another book that I ran across several years ago by Randy Alcorn (SafelyHome).  It was then that I first became acquainted with the house church movement that have become prevalent in countries where there is very limited if any freedom of religion.  They go to great measures often in fear of punishment and incarceration to get to church.  When they get there it is a very subdued and quiet environment because of the fear of discovery. 

Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 4 Eugene Peterson, The Pastor: A Memoir

I now come to the fourth best book that I read this past year, 2012.  I read more books this past year than I have ever read because of a reading contest I got into with my boys, Justin and Nathan (who aren’t boys anymore!).  By March, Nate had been left in the dust and Justin was reading text books at school.  This is the reason that I probably read books with a vengeance this year.  Some of them were mindless and nothing more than an outlet to escape but others of them were soul-impacting.  The book by Eugene Peterson fell into that category. 

Most people are familiar with Eugene Peterson because of his paraphrase of the Bible called The Message.  It is a very good devotional supplement to regular Bible reading because he has a way of using common language to come at Scripture from a little different angle. 

I must again put this disclaimer out about not just this book but all books:  Read with a discerning mind and heart and take the good and toss out the bad.  Brother Griffin used to tell us in our classes at TBC that he could learn something from every book he read and every preacher that he heard preach.  He could learn some things to do and some things not to do.  I believe that ! 

Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 5 William Greenhill, Stop Loving the World

Moving along to the fifth best book that I read in 2012 is one that is short (73 pgs.) but packs an incredible wallop.  I am certain that the title probably stimulates a strong response that is either positive or negative.  It also is curious to note that this is a single sermon that Greenhill preached to his church.  Speaking of long sermons, this is one.  I doubt Joel Osteen will be preaching anything remotely related to this theme in 2013.  However, we who serve as pastors owe it to ourselves and to those who hear us to preach this kind of content.  I am reminded of what Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Tim. 4:16) and it is sharpened by the Amplified Version:

Look well to yourself (to your own personality), and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things—hold to them; for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 

Author:  William Greenhill

Title:  Stop Loving theWorld

Publisher:  Reformation Heritage Books, 2011.

Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 6 Charles R. Swindoll, Saying It Well: Touching Others with Your Words

The next book that I found to be immensely helpful in 2012 was a book about preaching by Charles Swindoll.  I always enjoy reading books that are geared toward helping a man become a better preacher.  This is a book that helps prevent one from preaching “long-horn” sermons.  You may wonder what a “long-horn” sermon is and all who preach probably have to at least privately acknowledge they have been guilty of preaching a “long-horn” sermon a time or two.  A “long-horn” sermon is one that has two points and a lot of bull in between. 

Just as physicians and other ancillary medical staff members are required to have continuing education units, I believe that preachers should fall under that same mandate.  Many times preachers who have been in one place for a long time can get stale in their preaching and praying and it will affect the church they are serving.  I am certain that Saying It Well is a book that will have a measure of inspiration for those who fall into this category.  Furthermore, this book is one of those continuing education books for those who preach.   

Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 7 Joel C. Rosenberg, Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time?

As I have been trolling through and reviewing the books that I read in 2012, it has been a bit self-revelatory concerning the books that I am now gravitating to saying were the best of 2012.  I can remember hearing various leadership gurus quote the Charlie “Tremendous” Jones thought that we will be same person we are in five years except for the books we read and the people we meet.  All of these books that I am listing in this blog series have caused me to think deeply.  In fact, most of the books that I am placing on the Top Ten are very sobering in their content.  This book by Joel Rosenberg is no different. 

Top Ten Books of 2012. . . # 8 A. W. Tozer, The Dangers of a Shallow Faith

I am continuing along with the top ten books that I read in 2012.  I purchased this book and several others in this series because of my past familiarity with the writings of A. W. Tozer.  His books are geared toward personal consecration, worship, and with a deep opposition to lukewarmness.    

Author:  A. W. Tozer (Compiled by James L. Snyder).

Title:  The Dangers of aShallow Faith

Publisher:  Regal, 2012.

The book itself is the work of A. W. Tozer but James Snyder was instrumental in compiling some of Tozer’s work after his death.  This book comes from a series of messages that Tozer preached in response to critical developments that he saw within the church.  Perhaps the primary theme of this book is the idea that the world is too much with the church.  He noted that the church is so intertwined with the world that instead of appearing as two, they really are one.