I started graduate school at Spring Arbor University in 2013. I was 29. My first child was to be born two months after I started. That was a special time for me. God gave me many fond memories, and lots of character shaping moments. Graduate school also rekindled my love for learning, and cemented in me the desire to be a so-called “Lifelong Learner.”
Appropriately, I read. All the time. My reading revolves around God’s word, theology and a few business-related books sprinkled in here and there.
The following are a few of the books that really helped me focus on Jesus through this whole guitar thing. Before all others, though, I read my Bible. On to the books…
1. Explicit Gospel – Matt Chandler
My passion for the gospel, and making it explicit in everything I do, came from reading this book. Hopefully you’ve noticed how intentional I am about making sure people know, more than just the title, GuitarforHISGLORY, that everything I do on the website, Youtube, etc., is all about Jesus and his gospel.
In this book, Matt Chandler confronts the reality that, in most churches, the gospel simply isn’t brought to the forefront and kept there…all the time. It’s sprinkled in here and there on high attendance days, outreach days, blah, blah, blah. I even noticed this in the church was I attending at the time.
This book helped me understand that the gospel isn’t a one-time thing we respond to; rather, it’s woven into everyday of our life in the form of confession, repentance and forgiveness.
This reality tremendously increased my love for Jesus, because I understood that the grace and mercy of the gospel are made new to me everyday. And boy do I need it. Also, how in the world will people be saved (and once saved, be certain of their salvation) if we don’t preach the gospel to them, and ourselves…ALL THE TIME.
2. Who Do You Think You Are – Mark Driscoll
Pastor Mark’s ministry has had a profound impact on my walk with Christ. Despite some controversy, God has used him mightily.
This book unpacks Ephesians in a special way. Through reading this, I gleaned that who I am defines what I do, not the other way around. Ephesians tells me I am “in Christ”, which means that I am not a guitar player that happens to play in church. I am first in Christ, and I simply play guitar as a way to serve and bring glory to him; it’s a privilege, not an identity. My identity is not “guitar player.” My identity is “in Christ.”
By reading this book and listening to the sermon series with the same title, I also learned to ask myself this question, which is the question that provides answers to all other questions as I walk through life: “What will glorify God the most?” The answer to that question shapes everything I do.
3. Delighting in the Trinity – Michael Reeves
Holy smokes. That’s all I can say about this book. The way Reeves untangles the mystery of the Trinity will increase your (balanced) love for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I promise. And when your affections are stirred in such a way for the triune God of the universe, it’s impossible not to turn your eyes to him in all you do.
4. Worship Matters – Bob Kauflin
This book was recommended to me by a gentlemen who follows the GfHG stuff. I was familiar with Kauflin’s songs and Sovereign Grace’s ministry, but this book never popped up on my radar. While this is definitely geared toward the worship leader, which I’m not (at least not in title—if you’re on the worship team, you’re leading. Don’t forget that), there was still some amazing thoughts in this book. And it emphasizes Jesus on nearly every page.
Kauflin’s writing confirmed for me that preparation, both mental and technical, is a critical piece of our worship of Jesus. If we aren’t willing to prepare our minds and hearts, as well as commit time to excellence, what does that say about our love and commitment to the Sovereign Lord?
One of the quotes I use often from this book is, “I don’t practice until I get it right. I practice until I can’t get it wrong.”
5. Doctrine – What Christians Should Believe
Bottom line: If we don’t understand the God we supposedly worship, we may be worshiping a false God. We have to know that what we are singing is Biblical and true. This is both important for us and our congregations. Putting false words on the lips of God’s people is dangerous business. You have no idea the eternal implications of this. The same holds true of the opposite: when you intentionally lead people with Biblical songs, they sing and feel truth, which leads to love, adoration, joy and salvation.
This book walks us through the non-negotiables of orthodox Christian faith, which is what the reformers fought so hard for (they failed miserably in areas, too, I know). It will increase your understanding of the God of the Bible, which will always increase your love for him.
Bonus Book: Extreme Ownership – Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Not theological by any means. But this book pounds home this idea, and I’ll contextualize it for our worship teams: It doesn’t matter what Johnny-the-drummer does or how prepared he is. You own your own preparation, your attitude and your part. You can’t control others, but you can definitely control what you bring to the table. Your level of commitment, your prayer life, your practice time and so on are all controlled by you and no one else. So be faithful. Set the standard. God will honor it. And sometimes, and I’ve experienced this personally (been on both sides of this one) you setting that high standard will inspire others to reach for the same. Nothing wrong with that.
In this blog I share things related to guitar, Christian-thought, book reviews, gear reviews, etc. The purpose is to point us to Jesus, so we can fall more in love with him, worship him more authentically, and ultimately glorify him above all else. If you purchase products using the provided affiliate links, I receive a small commission, which helps support this website, my family’s giving and our livelihood. Thank you, brothers and sisters.