Good news: book nerd is in. And these days, that doesn’t just mean you have your nose stuck in a book all the time. No, you’ve really got your nerd on – you’ve got a reading goal for the year.
Whether it’s merely a certain number of books you want to read, total, or you’ve got it broken down into goals for various genres of literature, feeding your mind by reading is a worthy pursuit, especially if you’re feeding it good theology. (You might even want to join other Christians in a reading challenge such as this one from G3 or this one from Tim Challies.)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
But, as always, you’ve got to be discerning about the books you choose. In years past, I’ve seen some of my friends posting about book reading goals for the new year and asking for suggestions of Christian books. And I’ve seen some of the suggestions that have been made. Yikes. Some of those “Christian” books your friends are suggesting are written by false teachers.
Yikes. Some of those “Christian” books your friends are suggesting for your reading goals are written by false teachers. Here are 5 ways to exercise discernment about the books you choose.
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May I offer some help for being discerning about the books you choose?
1.
Stay immersed in your Bible. That way, if you come across false doctrine in a book you’re reading, you’ll know it conflicts with Scripture. Need help? Check out my Bible reading plans and Bible studies.
2.
If you’re not already a faithful member of a doctrinally sound local church, find one, join it, and sit under good preaching and teaching every chance you get. This will also help you detect false doctrine when you’re reading. (Use my Searching for a new church? resource if you need help locating a good church in your area.)
3.
Vet the author of every book you read prior to reading it. Here are some quick and easy resources that can help:
- Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends
- Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own
- Recommended Bible Teachers
4.
Don’t fall for the “chew up the meat, spit out the bones” fallacy or the “But this author has helped me so much!” argument. See #3 & 8: Answering the Opposition- Responses to the Most Frequently Raised Discernment Objections.
5.
Try a book by one of these doctrinally sound authors: Recommended Bible Teachers.
Happy (and holy!) reading!
Most of these linked resources can be found in the blue menu bar at the top of the blog.
Additional Resources:
Do You MIND? : Five Reasons for Pastors to Mind What Their Brides Are Reading
You Don’t Need A Book, You Need THE Book
Do you have a reading goal or plan for the year?
Which book(s) are you looking forward to reading this year?
Michelle Lesley 
I decided to take the #G3Reads Challenge this year, and selected a few of their recommended books. Some of my picks that weren’t on their reco lists include “Ever-Loving Truth” by V. Baucham, “Heralds of the Reformation” by Hannula, “Psalms for Trials” by Tollefson, and “Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit”.
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Thanks so much for your question. I’ve answered it here.
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Oh dear, is it possible to delete the comment from LAVERNECERT? That was sent from a public account in error. Thank you!
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Done. :0)
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