My Top Books of 2023

There are great lists out there from much brighter minds than mine, for sure. But I do like to share books that have helped me. Since I am receiving input on a constant basis from media and God’s enemy, I need to counter that messaging. Also, reading is simply good for the mind rather than being passively entertained. 

So here goes!

These are in no particular order of importance but culled from the 30 or so I read this year. 

ON GETTING OUT OF BED BY ALAN NOBLE. Vulnerable and helpful. I recommend this for anyone who deals with mental illness and anxiety or loves those who do. Alan is a professor at OBU and he makes clear that he is not a mental health professional. However, he comes alongside as a helpful fellow-traveler. It’s also a short read at just over 100 pages which is a bonus!

WHY THE REFORMATION STILL MATTERS BY MICHAEL REEVES. I’ve read several by Reeves and no disappointments here for me. St Louis is often called the Rome of the West with its strong Catholic presence. Hence, I am frequently interested in understanding both the Catholic tradition and the Reformation for the purpose of dialogue with my Catholic friends. Even though evangelicals have much common ground with Catholics, Reeves shows why the Reformation was and is still a big deal. He writes convincingly, yet not arrogantly. I also love hearing his knowledge of church history. 

RUN WITH THE HORSES BY EUGENE PETERSON  I like to read a couple of commentaries on books of the Bible every year and I chose this one because a friend of mine said he “cried nearing the end because he hated to see it come to a close.” While I didn't share that strong emotion, I was frequently moved as Peterson walked through Jeremiah, showing him to be a real man who often felt inadequate for the mission. I felt like I met a new friend in this OT prophet and it was a big help in our series on Jeremiah in 2023.

HUDSON TAYLOR’S SPIRITUAL SECRET BY F. HOWARD TAYLOR.  I try to read at least one biography of a dead missionary every year and while I’ve read about Taylor before, this one was the best. If you want your faith to grow, check this out. The ways that Hudson trusted in God as a missionary and saw countless answers to prayer will inspire you.

STRANGE NEW WORLD BY CARL TRUEMAN. Trueman is one of the best at understanding this cultural moment as well as discovering ways of engaging it. His writing is a bit heady but this one is shorter and more accessible than some of his other works. 

ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OF DARKNESS BY ANDREW PETERSON. One of our pastors reads this series to his son, and I kept hearing about it from different men. It’s a juvenile work but I chose it to give my mind a break while reading Carl Trueman’s “Strange New World.” I wasn’t disappointed and loved the ending. I highly recommend this for reading with children above the age of 7 or so but even for you adults who like me just need an easy book to read that will raise your hope in dark times.

Honorable mention:

Gospel: Recovering the Power that made Christianity Revolutionary by JD Greear

Unmasking Male Depression by Archibald Hart

Identity Theft by Melissa Kruger and others

The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall

Pride: Identity and the Worship of Self by Matthew Roberts

To better reading in 2024!

~Shawn