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Pastoral Blog Posts

Summer Holiday Reading

holiday-reading

Our Favourite Things

A growing follower of Jesus is a thinking and discerning one. This comes through many ways but particularly an appetite for learning, and reading the things that are of God and the world He has made. The pastors and staff of Cornerstone have some top picks of books and resources they’d recommend for you. This would be helpful if you were thinking of how to best use your summer holidays. The books picked are [by no means exhaustive (or even the ‘best’) but they are staff favourites. We hope they are of benefit to your learning!

Mark’s Picks

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. A classic that deserves to be read by every Christian. Easy to read but DEEP in content. You will come away with a deeper awe and reverence for the God we worship.
READING LEVEL: MODERATE

Devil at my heels by Louis Zamperini. The amazing true story of an olympic champion and prisoner of war. Very easy to read but absolutely enthralling of a man who came to know God’s love and forgiveness and to in turn be able to forgive the terrible wrongs that had been done to him.
READING LEVEL: EASY

If I were God I’d end all the pain by John Dickson. An extremely easy read of a very important subject. If you struggle with the issue of suffering then this is the book for you!
READING LEVEL: EASY

Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung. Anything written by De Young is worth reading but this is one of his best. If you struggle with being too busy then this is the book you’ve been waiting for.
READING LEVEL: EASY

Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan. A brilliant book that deals with all of the tricky issues that people often come up against when reading the OT.
READING LEVEL: MODERATE

Dan’s Picks

Core Christianity by Michael Horton. A great contemporary introduction to the Christian faith, ideal as a refresher for mature Christians as well as for new believers seeking to be well grounded in their new faith. It has been called the Basic Christianity for this generation. Nothing more important than to return to the fundamentals.
READING LEVEL: EASY

Comforting Hearts Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. Okay I admit this wouldn’t just be for summer, but for the whole year. The Heidelberg Catechism is confessional document of Christian beliefs, in the format of questions and answers. This books is a series of family devotions based off that Catechsim(Primary school and up). Imagine having your children being able to articulate to things of God and guard them in their hearts.
READING LEVEL: EASY

What is the Mission of the Church? by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert. In the face of all the good churches can do in confronting injustice, advance common good and alleviate suffering, how should Christians build an understanding of these things from the Bible? This book will help lay some important biblical foundations and takeaways.
READING LEVEL: MODERATE

We cannot be silent by R. Albert Mohler Jr. Same-sex marriage didn’t come to our culture overnight. It came riding on the wave of a more substantial moral revolution which took place in only one generation. Al Mohler traces how this revolution occurred, and what a Biblical morality and worldview can positively look like in the midst of such a revolution.
READING LEVEL: MODERATE

The Age of Nothing by Peter Watson. This is a survey of the response of the modern intellectual West to the decline of religion. It’s a philosophical, historical and well-informed account of what happens when God is removed from society.
READING LEVEL: ADVANCED

David’s Picks

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield. As we live in a world that increasingly challenges the Christian perspective on many issues, this book looks at Rosaria’s conversion from one who challenged the Christian perspective and through the love and gentle Evangelism of a Christian couple became an unlikely convert.
READING LEVEL: EASY

Why we Love the Church and Why We’re Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. These two great books by a minister and a sports journalist remind us of the importance of church, why we should be part of the church and why we should remain firmly focussed on scripture as our guide for how we do church.
READING LEVEL: EASY

Just do Something by Kevin DeYoung. Kevin gets a good rap in these recommendations. A great book for the younger people amongst us, but relevant to all of us. We spend way too much time waiting for God’s leading before we make any decisions in life. He we are reminded that God’s will for us is clear, so just do something.
READING LEVEL: EASY

YouVersion Bible App (https://www.youversion.com/). Many of you already use this App as the Bible you bring to church each Sunday but have you considered the reading plans to help you in your daily devotions and regular bible reading.

CS’s Picks

Awe by Paul Tripp. Classic Tripp.

Why we Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung. A necessary corrective for tendency to knock the church by a young leader.

Holiness by R.C Sproul

Bible.is. Free bible app for listening to the whole bible during the holiday

The Atheist who didn't exist by Andy Bannister. The most fun book to read on Dawkin to acquaint yourself on the debate and a refresher course on formal logic, if you did philosophy at university. A page turner.