Pastors have many roles: preacher, teacher, visitor, worship leader, administrator. The Lord’s undershepherds are also constant learners and normally voracious readers. Yet, with so much on a pastor’s plate, how can he wade through the myriad of titles to make the most of his reading time? Below are eight recommended books to captivate, educate, and enhance your ministry. Happy reading!
1. Martin Luther on Mental Health: Practical Advice for Christians Today
Mental illness is a distressing and prevalent part of living in a sinful world. It was a problem in Martin Luther’s time and continues to be today. In this volume, Dr. Stephen M. Saunders offers a compelling presentation on mental illness and its treatment, the history of related pastoral care, and Luther’s counsel. You will learn about how Luther’s counsel predates standard theory and practice. Written to assist pastors as well as laymen in offering care to those affected by mental illness, Dr. Saunders’s book serves as an indispensable tool in parish pastoral care.
2. Lutheranism 101: Worship
Worship varies greatly among world religions. Even within Christianity, there are differences in the understanding, structure, meaning, and purpose of worship. So, what about Lutherans? Part of the Lutheranism 101 series, Thomas M. Winger’s book presents the roots and history of Lutheran worship. Using Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, Winger lays out the rationale and purpose of worship: God invites and serves us, and we respond with praise. This book serves both as a worship reference resource for pastors and laypeople and as a text for personal or group study.
3. Jesus Said What?
The Holy Bible, being the inspired, inerrant Word of God, teaches the Gospel truth of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. As we explore the teachings of Jesus specifically, we find that our Savior addresses a variety of topics and issues. Some of these teachings are difficult to accept or even to understand. Christopher M. Kennedy, drawing on his own Bible study teaching and expansive biblical research, has compiled a volume that addresses many of these teachings of Christ. Having selected a set of Jesus’ challenging teachings on relevant topics such as family, money, and the consequences of sin, Kennedy explains the meaning of each in a manner that is clear, accessible, and stresses the love and grace of God. An excellent resource for both individual exploration and pastoral reference, Kennedy’s work turns fear into calm and confusion into clarity.
4. Battle of the Soul: Luther Reforms Vice and Virtue
In the Small Catechism, Luther explains that Holy Baptism drowns the old Adam, our sinful nature. Yet we still sin daily. Through the study of God’s Word, the reformer also came to understand and teach that good works, while part of the Christian life, are not part of salvation. Understanding these biblical truths, how are we to embrace the virtuous Christian life to which we are called? Michael T. Fieberkorn addresses this challenging topic through diligent study with a pastor’s heart. He lucidly explains Luther’s reformation of vice and virtue and offers practical advice on struggling with sin. This volume will broaden the pastor’s understanding of vice and virtue and equip him with counsel to minister to his sheep.
5. Unforgivable? How God’s Forgiveness Transforms Our Lives
Often misunderstood, forgiveness is one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life. God forgives us for the sake of Jesus Christ. Our forgiveness for others is based on what God first did for us. Yet what if I struggle to accept God’s forgiveness? What if I can’t forgive a person who has sinned against me? Ted Kober and Mark Rockenbach compassionately tackle these and related questions based on God’s Word. Kober and Rockenbach seek to deepen the reader’s understanding of God’s forgiveness in Christ and to assist in giving and receiving forgiveness from others. This indispensable volume will help pastors work through forgiveness personally to equip parishioners to do the same.
6. (Dis)ordered: Lies about Human Nature and the Truth That Sets Us Free
What does it mean to be a human being? What is our purpose? Christopher S. Esget convincingly points out that humanity has lost its proper and godly understanding of its nature and purpose because of the fall into sin in the Garden of Eden. As a result, our society is tangled in a web of lies about the value of life, sense of self, and truth. Esget brings Holy Scripture to bear, highlighting the work of Jesus Christ in restoring our human nature. This essential book shines truth into a midnight of lies and is a must-read for troubled souls and pastors guiding parishioners through tough questions.
7. The Messianic Message: Predictions, Patterns, and the Presence for Jesus in the Old Testament
When does our Savior, Jesus Christ, take center stage in the Bible? Perhaps most people would answer the New Testament. This is understandable, as the Gospels recount the life and ministry of Jesus. Yet, as R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann so effectively demonstrate, Jesus is present and active throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. These authors reveal Jesus in each section of the Bible in predictions, patterns, and direct action, showing that our Lord is the central message and figure of the Bible. This eye-opening book will renew your interest in the Old and New Testaments and deepen your sense of Jesus’ saving work.
8. Gathered by Christ: The Overlooked Gift of Church
Christians, God’s children, step away from the local congregation for different reasons—hurt, disappointment, abuse, the allure of sin, and lies, among others. Christa Petzold reminds us of the importance and need to reach out to those who are absent, regardless of the reasons. She first shows how Jesus sees the church, defining the church and its history. She then inspires the reader with a moving description of the gifts Jesus brings to the church. Readable and convincing, Petzold’s work is a powerful tool for church workers and laypeople reaching out to the absent.
Explore a plentitude of captivating Christian books, including Lutheran books, Christian living, apologetics, biographies, cultural commentaries, and more.
