Books that faithfully point to Jesus are eternally valuable and immensely powerful; do not underestimate the power they can have in your life or the life of your church. Use them shamelessly, advocating for your friends, family, neighbours, and coworkers, to use their time to grow through reading a good book.

How many times did you hear the gospel before coming to know Christ? For me, it was countless.

I grew up attending one evangelical church and then when my parents were divorced we attended a different evangelical church from another denomination and in a new city. I attended Christian schools from kindergarten to Grade 12, and it wasn’t until April of my last year that the power of the gospel was made personal in my life and the Spirit breathed life into my heart. At once, new desires took root, including the desire to read books that would help me in my newfound faith.

My First Taste

Looking to grow, I went to the small book shelf at my Dad’s house and glanced over the titles. Many seemed uninteresting, others irrelevant, and still others not manly enough for my 17-year-old self.

Finally I saw it: “What is the Gospel” by Greg Gilbert—short, black, and straight to the point, this one was for me. I look back at that moment, 14 years ago, with so much thankfulness and joy, knowing that God in his infinite wisdom used that book to place my feet on the rock-solid ground of the gospel.

That book set me on a trajectory that to this day has not changed. Gilbert directed me to other books throughout his short book and brought me into a world of Christian resources that still points me to Christ and how I ought to follow him faithfully.

A Deep Dive

Fast forward a number of years and God brought me to a faithful church on the east end of Toronto. While working in construction and being involved as a member, I was encouraged to consider a pastoral internship. Not thinking it was for me, but I went along with the application process anyway.

Much to my surprise, a number of months later I was a full-time pastoral intern. This was no ordinary internship and I haven’t heard of many like it since then. Within that year, I and my fellow interns read over 30 books; writing summaries, having discussions, and teaching in the church based on some of them.

That year forever changed my knowledge, my relationship with the Lord, and the direction of my life. I am immensely thankful for the pastors who led us through and brought us to those biblical resources!

Read More