reading

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NEW: Book of the Month Recommendation

When Paul was sitting in a Roman prison, facing death, he was still growing. In his final letter to Timothy he requested a number of things, and notable in the...
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5 Ways to Get More Out of Your Bible Reading

Would you like to get more out of your daily Bible reading? We all find ourselves at times going through the motions but missing the meaning. Routines very easily become...
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Reading the Christmas Story

Dad and mom made it a practice to read the Christmas story with our family each Christmas morning. As a little boy this was a serious delay in the opening...
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Recent Reads & Recommendations

A few nights ago I had the privilege after a meeting to spend some time with a group of young preachers. We had a wonderful conversation on a range of...
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5 Final Thoughts on Books

It has been a joy over recent months to share with you some of my favorite books on a variety of subjects. The weekly "short list" is really just a...
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5 Books To Read On Music

Let me begin by saying that I am not a musician! The books that I am recommending are not related to the technical aspects of music, but rather to the...
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5 Books To Read As Commentaries

Frequently I am asked what Bible commentaries I would recommend. This is a broad question without an easy answer. Some commentators are better on some books than others. For example,...
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5 Books To Read To Help Young People

Much of my ministry has been connected to young people. It was my privilege to serve for many years as a church youth director. I enjoyed teaching youth ministry at...
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5 Books To Read On Church Ministry

In a previous post I shared some recommended reading on preaching, but all of us who have been in the Lord's work for any period of time know that there...
5 Books To Read For Answers

5 Books To Read For Answers

Ours is an age of questions, skeptics, and debate. Paul described the last days well when he wrote, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the...
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5 Books To Read When You Are Having A Hard Time

Someone once said that everybody is having a hard time with something. The longer I live the more I think they were right. We are sinners living with other sinners...
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5 Books to Read on Finances

This week we sat around the dinner table with our children and had a most interesting conversation about finances. The discussion was not just about our finances but about theirs....
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5 Books To Read On Witnessing

Every believer is to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8). In fact, every Christian is a witness - we may be a good one...
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5 Books To Read On Living A Victorious Christian Life

The goal of reading and studying should not be knowing, it is should be living. Many people have a head full of facts but a life empty of truth. In...
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5 Books To Help With Your Personal Devotions

There is a delicate balance in the daily devotional life: we want to keep both discipline and freshness in our time with God. Very easily routines turn into ruts and...
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5 Books To Read On Great Christians

Every Christian should read biography. Through the years God has used the story of believers in history to both instruct and inspire me. First, let me say that not every...
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5 Books To Read About The Holy Spirit

How well do you know the Spirit of God? Though we live in the age of the Spirit, there is so much confusion about Him. Some fall short of really...
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5 Books To Read For Bible Study

The wisest man who ever lived said, "There is no new thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). That is because truth is never new - it is eternal. One of...
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5 Books on Revival

Many of God's people believe that we are on the verge of a revival in our day. There is a disruption of norms, a hunger for God, a deep sense...
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New Blog Series: “Another Week In The Books”

What are you currently reading? Do you have any books to recommend? Who are some authors you enjoy? These are questions that I frequently get from friends, but in the...
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My 90 Day Adventure

Bible reading schedules have not been a great help to me. While I can appreciate the discipline they develop, for me they often became a distraction, a duty, a drudgery....
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24 Reading Recommendations For The New Year

In Thomas Jefferson's Library at the Library of Congress This week a dear pastor friend and I corresponded about helpful books to share with others. As...
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Why I Was Wrong About Reading Fiction

For many years I almost prided myself in not reading fiction. "I read real stories." Some time ago I was given a work of Christian fiction to read. As I...
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A Scripture for 2018

Many of us have made definite commitments to give renewed attention to God's Word in the new year. For me, that means something different every year. I try not to...
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Walking with Jesus – 30 Days Through the Gospel Records

Are you spiritually fit? Spiritual health does not come on accident - it is a product of purposeful disciplines. In recent days the Lord has taken me again to the...
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Seven Tips for Bible Reading

I often hear wonderful messages on the subject of reading the Word of God. The Scriptures are so wonderful! We may grow stale, but the Lord is perennially fresh! We...
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12 Minutes A Day

A Christian's relationship with the Word of God does not end with Bible reading, but it does start there. The simple discipline of reading the Scriptures is a powerful resource...
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7 Things to Read Regularly

My daughter Lauren has recently developed a new fascination with reading. Over the last few days she has devoured several books, putting us all to shame. I grew up with...
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Why I Thank God for My 6th Grade Teacher

Teachers are powerful people.  This month thousands of teachers will be recognized.  Few will be appreciated as they deserve. As I think over my elementary, junior high, high school, college,...
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5 Must-Read Biographies

W. Robertson Nicoll, a famous author in his own right, once said, "I have for years read every biography I could lay my hands on, and not one has failed...
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10 Books to Read This Year

One of the men who works in our ministry came to me a few days ago.  He has determined to do more reading this year.  Personally I believe this is...
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A Daily Habit Everyone Should Form

All of my books have my name in them.  They are like members of the family (just ask my wife!).  In part, I put my name in the flyleaf of...
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An Encouraging Word for Preachers: Preaching out of the Overflow

A fine young man was driving me to the airport in another state recently.  We had a pleasant conversation about many things.  He is soon to be married and has...
The Greatest Method of Bible Study

The Greatest Method of Bible Study

The Greatest Method of Bible Study "I have been reading the Bible but I don't know how to study it. Can you help?" We have all been there at some...
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Thank God for Teachers

Today I had the opportunity to be with a group of the elementary children in our Academy.  What formative years!  As I watched the wonderful teachers that God has given...
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A Few Thoughts on Books

As a boy my parents encouraged me to read.  Without such encouragement, television, video games, and other distractions are apt to keep a young person away from the riches found...