Reading books written by faithful saints within the Body of Christ can renew our minds. In this area of the IBC website we are therefore happy to recommend books that certain of our members have read, enjoyed and benefited from. Our librarian, has also indicated which of the books are stocked by the library – and gives the library reference number too. If you would like to offer your own list of recommended books, just drop us a line.
Brian’s Book List – Former Chairman of Elders, chooses 14 books that he has read in the last year which have influenced him.
1. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. David Platt. Multnomah Books, Colorado Springs, 2010. IBC002817CL – Christian Life
What is Jesus worth to you? It’s easy for Western Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily… But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple‐‐then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a “successful” suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.
2. What’s So Amazing about Grace? Phillip D. Yancey. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1997. IBC000632SO – Salvation (Soteriology)
In What’s So Amazing About Grace? Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God’s love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?
3. Praying God’s Word. Beth Moore. Broadman & Holdman Publishers, Nashville, 2000. IBC002371PR – Prayer
Beth Moore provides a practical tool to help us make use of the two most powerful tools we have to lead us to victorious living in Christ: God’s word and prayer. This book lays out key principles and prayers from Scripture that address a series of strongholds (arguments that set themselves against the knowledge of God) that may beset us and hold us back from experiencing the true love and grace of Christ. This is a practical tool for every believer and a great aid in counseling.
4. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Dover Publications, 2005
(originally published in 1852) Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or, Life among the Lowly is an 1852 anti‐slavery sentimental novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which she wrote as a response to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. This novel is sometimes considered a contributing factor to the start of the American Civil War, as it brought many unpleasant aspects of slave life and the slave trade into the public awareness.
One of Uncle Tom’s Cabin’s main themes is the triumph of Christian love over evil, and for overtness, power and sincerity, the novel’s Christian message can scarcely be topped. Eva is an obvious Christ figure, and Tom becomes one as well, but Tom is particularly noteworthy because he’s one of the most eternity‐minded characters in all of literature. He endures everything, as Saint Paul said, for the sake of the gospel (which he is always quick to share) ‐ his stated reason for remaining in cruel bondage when presented with a chance of escape is to minister to the other slaves. Because of his selfless love and inner strength, he is the book’s most admirable character.
5. Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters. Timothy Keller. Dutton, New York, 2009.
In this inspiring new book, Timothy Keller, one of America’s most popular spiritual guides, reveals the unvarnished truth about faith, our hearts’ desires, and the pursuit of happiness‐and where all of it can ultimately be found.
6. The Practice of Godliness. Jerry Bridges. NavPress, Colorado Springs, 1983.
In this book, Navigator author Jerry Bridges examines what it means to grow in Christian character. Learn more about the character of God as you grow a deeper relationship with Him. Establish the foundation upon which godly character is built and continue by developing maturity and pursuing holiness. This book was recently used for Adult Sunday school program at IBC Brussels.
7. The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows. James Bryan Smith. InterVarsity Press, 2009. IBC002311CL- Christian Life
We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true‐‐but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here. Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. Once you’ve discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind. At the end of each chapter you’ll find an opportunity for soul training, engaging in spiritual practices that reinforce the biblical messages on your mind and heart. This book is the first of a trilogy of books currently being used by the IBC Elders as a group devotional.
8. Living Proof: Sharing the Gospel Naturally. Jim Petersen. NavPress, 1989.
Jim Petersen shares what he’s learned from over 25 years of working with the unchurched. He shows that, although many people don’t want to hear about our faith, they will talk about their own felt needs‐ ‐needs that can only be met in Christ. Learn how to develop relationships with the unreached, model the Christian message, and eventually present the Bible’s claims in a non‐threatening manner.
9. Revolution in World Missions: One Man’s Journey to Change a Generation. K.P. Yohannan. GFA Books, 2009.
“Lord, I’ll give myself to speak for You.” Young Yohannan had no idea what those words of surrender would mean for his life and for millions of others in his generation. Once an insecure 16‐year‐old, he became a missionary statesman who has impacted the world of missions and whose unbending message has touched hungry hearts on every continent.
Step into his story and experience the world through his eyes. You’ll walk right into the book of Acts. And through his telling, you’ll hear the very heart of God beating for His creation. K.P. Yohannan’s passion is contagious and spurs you on to be all for Jesus. He chose to take the road less travelled many years ago, and today Gospel for Asia, the mission he founded, is one of the most respected organizations in our time with thousands of national workers and vibrant congregations throughout the heart of the 10/40 Window.
Get ready—your life is about to change!
10. Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun. Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway. Monarch Books, 2002. IBC002303BI – Biography
This piercing and challenging autobiography of a modern day Apostle Paul in China is witness to the power of God to provide and sustain a man totally committed to responding to His call on a life. Brother Yun’s story will challenge you in seeing the relative comfort of your life in a different way and encourage you in being faithful in executing the true mission of the church.
11. The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ. Hull, Bill. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2006.
This is an indispensible guide for personal transformation and ministry. Capping a lifetime of pastoral and parachurch experience, Bill Hull presents a refreshingly holistic picture of biblical discipleship. Rejecting elitist and programmatic conceptions, Bill articulates discipleship in relationship to spiritual formation, mentoring, small groups, and church ministry. This is not a book that disciples, per se, but rather to better understand the importance of discipleship and how to go about becoming a disciple and making disciples.
12. Experiencing God. Blackaby, Henry & Richard, and King, Claude. Nashville: B&H, 2008. IBC001900GOD (1994 version) and IBC002718GOD (Revised and expanded) – God
When you open this book, you will find you are not just reading. No, you are being remade, reoriented, and restored from the frustration of what you may have known as stale religion. Be captured not by a concept, but by your Creator, reborn in relationship. This book was used years ago for Adult Sunday school program at IBC Brussels.
13. The Holy Spirit, Our Counsellor. Selwyn Hughes. Surrey: Crusade for World Revival, 2004.
Selwyn looks at the effect this ‘Counselor’ had on the disciples – Christ was with them, but then the Holy Spirit came to live in them, and we can see the dramatic change that took place. We are also able to experience the divine Counselor living in us; helping us to pray, lovingly confronting us in our sin, enabling us to examine ourselves spiritually, applying Jesus’ teaching to our lives and bringing comfort and support. From his years of counseling experience, Selwyn maintains that before we go to a human counselor we can always go to the Holy Spirit – the One with the power to transform. This book was used for Adult Sunday school program at IBC Brussels.
14. The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success. Hughes, Selwyn. Surrey: Crusade for World Revival, 2002.
Selwyn Hughes has spent a lifetime in Christian ministry where he has discovered that there are key elements in the Christian life that are more than mere principles; they are ways of living that deserve the classification of laws. There are certain, inevitable consequences that are as reliable as the law of gravity. Throughout the book the author draws parallels between the laws found in nature and those essential for a successful Christian life. Selwyn Hughes recognizes that the Bible is a multiplicity of such laws, and The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success is a refined presentation of his most potent observations.
- The primacy of worship
- Making gratitude a habit
- Never give up
- The art of forgiveness
- The law of love
- Daily repentance
- Growth and development.
This book was used for Adult Sunday school program at IBC Brussels.
Ce livre est le témoignage d’une chrétienne prise au coeur des attentats de Bruxelles de 2016. En toute transparence, l’auteure y raconte l’horreur et les difficultés qui s’en suivirent, et tisse dans son récit, l’impact remarquable que la Bible à eu sur elle en répondant aux grandes questions de la vie : qu’en est-il de la violence humaine et de la mort ? Quid du sens de l’Histoire et du sens de la vie ? Y a-t-il de l’espoir, vais-je m’en sortir? Concrètement, comment naviguer sa vie dans ce monde, quelles valeurs adopter?, etc. A lire et à donner, absolument!
Paris-Bruxelles, au coeur des attentats, Le Passeur Editeur (19,90 €), est disponible: – à la Fnac, les librairies Club et autres, aussi en ligne… – à IBC Brussels le dimanche matin en contactant directement l’auteure Janet Winston-Young (0485 89 28 27)
International Baptist Church (IBC) of Brussels 