recommended reading
Recommended books by Topic that align with the Essential Beliefs of our denomination and the global Christian Church.The Reading List
This basic list has been compiled by Pastor Troy Onsager and will be updated as time goes on. These recommendations are made as aid to better understand the Christian faith and life, and to encourage reading more deeply than short web articles and social media posts. Click on the picture of a book to be directed to Amazon to view the detailed information about each book.
Bibles
Youth Bibles
- ESV Student Study Bible [Crossway]
- NIV Adventure Bible [Lawrence O. Richards]
- The Jesus Storybook Bible [Sally Lloyd-Jones]
- The Biggest Story [Kevin D. Young]
Reading The Bible
- How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth [Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart]
- How to Read the Bible Book by Book [Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart]
- Life with God [Richard J. Foster]
- Scripture and the Authority of God [N. T. Wright]
Introduction to Christianity
- Mere Christianity [C. S. Lewis]
- Basic Christianity [John Stott]
- Simply Christian [N. T. Wright]
- The Reason for God [Tim Keller]
Defending and Sharing the Faith
- Why I Am a Christian [John Stott]
- Balanced Christianity [John Stott]
- The Radical Disciple [John Stott]
- The Incomparable Christ [John Stott]
Classics
- The Pilgrim’s Progress [John Bunyan]
- Confessions [Saint Augustine]
Discipleship
- The Divine Conspiracy [Dallas Willard]
- A Long Obedience [Eugene H. Peterson]
- Celebration of Discipline [Richard J. Foster]
- Discipleship [Dietrich Bonhoeffer]
Justice
- Generous Justice [Timothy Keller]
- The Dangerous Act of Worship [Mark Labberton]
- Good News About Injustice [Gary A. Haugen]
For Pastors
- The Art of Pastoring [David Hansen]
- Under the Unpredictable Plant [Eugene H. Peterson]
- The Pastor [Eugene H. Peterson]
- Preaching [Timothy Keller]
The Church
- The Living Church [John Stott]
- I Am a Church Member [Thom S. Rainer]
- The Just Church [Jim Martin]
- Being the Body [Charles Colson, Ellen Vaughn]
Suffering and Pain
- A Grace Disguised [Jerry Sittser]
- Where is God When It Hurts [Philip Yancey]
- The Problem of Pain [C.S. Lewis]
- Walking with God through Pain and Suffering [Timothy Keller]
Marriage, Singleness and Sex
- The Meaning of Marriage [Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller]
- Redeeming Singleness [Barry Danylak]
- Washed and Waiting [Wesley Hill]
- Is God anti-gay? [Sam Allberry]
Ethics
- Issues Facing Christians Today [John Stott]
- The Moral Vision of the New Testament [Richard B. Hays]
- Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be [Cornelias Plantinga]
Reference Works
- Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible [David Noel Freedman]
- New Bible Dictionary [I. Howard Marshall]
- New Bible Commentary [Gordon J. Wenham]
- Global Dictionary of Theology [William A. Dyrness]
Theology
- Theology the Basics [Alister E. McGrath]
- Christian Theology [Alister E. McGrath]
- Pilgrim Theology [Michael Horton]