Answers to Hard Questions & The Christian Life

Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis – Lewis argues for the existence of God, then compares the “rival conceptions of God,” and then spends that last two-thirds of the book talking about the Christian life. Winsome, witty, humorous (in a British sort of way), and challenging.

The Reason for God, Timothy Keller – responds to seven of the most difficult questions about Christianity in the first half of the book, and then seeks to present the essence of Christianity in the second half. Great for helping Christians, or anyone, wrestle with difficult questions about the Christian faith and understand what the Christian faith is all about.

The Christian Life

Life Together & The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer - both written out of Bonhoeffer’s intense wrestling with what it means to to live for Christ and live as the “body of Christ,” as a young pastor under the Nazi regime.

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, Francis Chan – calls us to grasp who God really is, how much He loves us, and the life God truly calls us to lead (i.e. not a life of mediocrity but passionate love for God and people).

Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, Andy Crouch – God has chosen to share his power with us, humans made in His image. This book helps us to see the ways that God has shared his power with us, the ways that we abuse this power and try to “play God” in the wrong way, and how we are called to use our power to magnify God’s glory.

The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis – a short, fictional account of a bus ride from hell to heaven. More than anything, this book examines our hearts. It’s incredibly eye-opening. It also paints a picture of what eternity may be like.

The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Tim Keller

The Prodigal God, Tim Keller – a short book that breaks down the parable that is often called “the prodigal son.”  Keller shows that this parable is more about God’s “prodigal” or extravagant love for us and helps us to discover if we are really living in his love.

Surprised By Hope, N.T. Wright – explores what Jesus’ resurrection means in terms of our hope for the future and how this hope dramatically impacts how we lives our lives today.

Outreach

The Heart of Evangelism, Jerram Barrs

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself, Brian Fikkert & Steve Corbett

Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper

Tactics, Greg Koukl

Understanding the Bible

God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible, Vaughan Roberts – a very helpful, short overview of the Bible so that you can understand how all of the parts fit into the bigger story God is telling in Scripture.

Fiction

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien

The Space Trilogy, C.S. Lewis (not a science fiction fan, but loved this trilogy)

The Chronicles of Narnia Series, C.S. Lewis

The Brothers Karamazov & Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky