1) Christ formed in you – March
Christ Formed in you: The Power of the Gospel for Personal Change is written by Brian G. Hedges a Pastor, blogger and author. This book seeks to be a comprehensive look at spiritual formation and accomplishes its goal. The book is biblical, theological and practical. This is a book that should be read slowly and carefully as it touches on every area of our life in Christ.
2) Growing true disciples by George Barna. I have read parts of this book before but was required to read all of it for one of my classes for seminary.
3) Leading, Teaching and Making Disciples Dr. Mitchell- This is another book I read for seminary. This is book is mostly theoretical but offers some good explanations on discipleship and ministry.
4) Team leadership in Christian Ministry- Another book I read for seminary. This book was enjoyable and helpful.
5) The Prodigal Son John MacArthur- This book is a very detailed explanation on the relationship between the Prodigal Son, the Elder Brother and Prodigal Father in Luke 15. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
6) The Prodigal God Tim Keller- This is another book that looks at the Prodigal Son, Elder Brother and the Elder brother. This book is more practically oriented than Dr. MacArthur’s, and I personally felt it was a better explanation of the story than Dr. MacArthur’s but I would recommend both of them.
7) Practicing Affirmation Sam Crabtree- This is a must read book for every Christian. Everyday we use words often times in negative ways. In this book, you will learn how to use your words well to the glory of God.
8) Poet and Peasant by Kenneth Bailey- This is a book on the parables in the Gospels written by a scholar in Middle Eastern customs. I highly recommend reading this book if your interested in the cultural background of the parables.
9) Dying to Preach Steven Smith-This is a challenging book for preachers on what it means to die in the pulpit. This should be recommended reading for anyone who teaches in a Church or ministry setting.
10) Relationships a mess worth making- This is one of the finest books I’ve ever read on relationships because it is faithful to the Bible and applies the Gospel to every area it addresses.
11) O Love that will not let me go- This is a collection of essays by scholars, bible teachers and pastors on the topic of death.
12) Tempted and Tried- This is a great book looking at why we as believers are tempted and how to combat temptation.
13) His needs her needs- This is a good book for married couples to read to learn how to meet your spouse’s needs.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
