Ten Books To Read Over Christmas Break
By Preston Rhodes, Resonate Missoula
The following is a list of ten (plus one) books that I think you would greatly benefit from reading this Christmas break. These books are arranged in no particular order, and their recommendation is not necessarily an endorsement of everything in them. As with any book, it is your responsibility to eat the meat and spit out the bones.
1. SATURDAY NOTHING by Josh Martin
That’s right; THAT Josh Martin. A few years into planting Resonate Church, Josh wrote a short memoir about his learning to wait on Jesus. “Jesus the Christ died on Friday, rose on Sunday, and left the world to wonder on a Saturday filled with nothing.” In this book, Josh’s stories help us as Christians, caught between the “already” and the “not yet” of God’s Kingdom, to live in “Saturday Nothing” while hoping for “Sunday Everything.”
2. JUST DO SOMETHING by Kevin DeYoung
Are you wondering what God’s will for your life is? Pastor and theologian Kevin DeYoung can help you distinguish between God’s will of decree, will of desire, and will of direction. Short, practical, and brilliantly helpful for those of us wondering what God wants us to do next.
3. COMPASSION & CONVICTION by Chris Butler, Justin Giboney, & Michael Wear
Have you felt too progressive for conservatives but too conservative for progressives? Often, political issues are framed in impossible ways for the faithful Christian. In Compassion & Conviction, the authors (which represent The AND Campaign) help us see how to transcend the binary approach to political debates that leaves Christians homeless. If you are struggling to know how to engage an increasingly tense political environment, this book will help you learn how to represent Christ and His Kingdom here in America.
4. CHRISTIANS IN THE AGE OF OUTRAGE by Ed Stetzer
No one can deny that the most popular stance in 2020 is outrage. Across the political spectrum, we villainize those who aren’t like us and pretend we have the moral high-ground simply because we are offended. In this book, Ed Stetzer provides insightful analysis of our chaotic age, a commonsense understanding of the cultural currents, and a compelling challenge to Christians to craft a constructive way forward.
5. HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi
In this beautiful historical fiction, Yaa Gyasi tells the story of the descendants of two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, born into different villages in Ghana. The sisters’ lives follow different paths: Effia marries a wealthy Englishman and lives in Cape Coast Castle, while Esi is captured during a raid and sold into American slavery. Homegoing follows the parallel narrative lines of their descendants through eight generations, intimately portraying the African and African American experience in the aftermath of enslavement.
6. EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY SPIRITUALITY by Peter Scazzero
You cannot be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. If you struggle to engage conflict, run from or lash out in your emotions, or struggle to set boundaries with the people around you, this book is for you. Scazzero will help you diagnose areas of emotional immaturity and give practical actions for you to grow and mature.
7. KILLING JESUS by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
In this historical account of the death of Jesus, O’Reilly and Dugard excavate both biblical and non-biblical texts from Jesus’s day to tell us the historical truth about the political climate Jesus was born into, the realities that led to His crucifiction, and how He became the most popular man in the world. This book is a tremendously helpful reminder that our faith is not founded on a feeling or a checklist, but instead founded on the historical fact of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
8. THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
In this book, Lukianoff and Haidt brilliantly argue that our well-intentioned society is unwittingly harming young people by raising them in ways that convey fundamental untruths about the world we live in. They show how these untruths are leading to a mental-health crisis, extremely polarized political environments, and ultra-fragile adults. They also provide the practical steps we can take to reject these untruths and raise up competent and gritty young people. This is a must read for anyone in college ministry.
9. CREATIVITY INC. by Ed Catmull
Do you ever wonder how groups and companies always continue coming up with great ideas? Ed Catmull, 30-year president of Pixar, gives us a clear picture of how to continually innovate and improve any team or organization, as well as the barriers that are in the way of most innovations. This is a crucial read for any leader that wants to stay ahead of the times.
10. ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear
If you have a hard time building or breaking habits, then Atomic Habits by Clear is exactly what you should be reading. An atomic habit is a regular practice that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power. Clear describes his four step process for building habits, and teaches that the inverse can be used to break habits.
Bonus: CAN’T HURT ME by David Goggins
David Goggins shares how he overcame brutal abuse, racism, obesity, and depression to become, in his own words, “the toughest man that God ever created”. Goggins, former Navy Seal, Army Ranger, Air Force Tactical Air Controller, pull-up world record holder, triathlete, motivational speaker, and world-class ultramarathoner, certainly has the pedigree to back up his claim. This book is far rougher around the edges than any others on this list, but it is also the book on this list that has most changed my life. Goggins' “no excuses” approach to life will challenge you to build your discipline and mental toughness, helping you become all that you can be in every area of life.
