What the Thunder Said...

Reading: G.I. Williamson's commentary of the WCF
Enjoying: Nothing but the worshipful company of my wife
Listening: The A/C unit

I think every pastor,and several other people as well, should have a list of books that they recommend for various situations. For instance, John Piper's Seeing and Savoring Jesus and Future Grace are two important works to have on hand for the normal Christian life. For believers struggling with sin, the abridged Sin and Temptation by John Owen (forward by J.I. Packer) is a must have resource for mortification. When people move into a new house, Doug Wilson's My Life For Yours is a great gift, as well as his books on marriage and husband/wife roles. New Christians should be handed The Gospel For Real Life by Jerry Bridges in a package with a new ESV Bible (preferably the Reformation Study Bible...). For engaged and newly weds, Gary Thomas' Sacred Marriage is the book to give.

I think you get the picture. Sometime I'll add to this list of all the ones I'd like to be able to give away. And on top of this, it would be ideal if, as a pastor, I had about ten copies of each title in boxes to just hand out to people who come in with questions, etc. Then you'd just have the best title on hand so that they could get going on it right away.

Recently, one title that has rocked my married life in an incredibly positive way is The Family Worship Book by Terry L. Johnson. It is a phenomenal book that is the definition of complete package, and the quintessential book to have on a list such as the one I'm producing. It provides a compelling philosophy and rationale for family worship, followed by practical and easily applied ideas for getting started. It has various lists and a sample guide to help the reader visualize family worship playing itself out in his family, and help him accomplish this. To aid a family even more, creeds, hymns, psalms, and prayers are included to give a family all they need to begin family worship. The Bible plus this book will immediately have a family worshipping in a distinctively biblical, Reformed, historically orthodox manner. This book gets five stars, and Terry Johnson is to be commended for the service he has done Christ's church and Her families.



Compliments of Brian's hp iPAQ 5550.