For the dozens who look forward to my annual book list, the wait is over. Here are some of my previous Top 10 Books lists: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
These are not necessarily the most enjoyable books I read in 2024, but the 10 books that had the greatest impact on me. Often books that impact me the most also make me miserable in the process, and thus are not always so enjoyable. Also, this is not a list of the best books I read in 2024. There are better books that did not make the cut because, while well written, for whatever reason, they did not have the impact of these 10.
Here they are, the 10 books that had the greatest impact on my life and ministry in 2024, in totally random order.
1. What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission
by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert
I love the local church, and I love the global mission. I doubly love a book that connects the two. This book articulated so much of what I have always believed and attempted to do—build a local church that accomplishes a global mission.
2. Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith
by Russ Ramsey
If you enjoyed Makoto Fujimura’s Art + Faith (see my 2021 list), you will love this book. And, If you have even the slightest interest in old or new masters like Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, or Van Gogh, this book was written for you. The subtitle says it all: “Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith.” (This book was impactful and enjoyable!)
3. Pleasing God: The Greatest Joy and Highest Honor
by R. T. Kendall
Pleasing God has been my lifelong passion. Sometimes, I succeed. Other times, not so much. Paul exhorted the Ephesian church to “Find out what pleases God.” As always with an R. T. Kendall book, this one is a masterful mix of robust theology, biblical depth, and personal application.
4. Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church
by Stephen Pardue
Raised in the Philippines as a missionary kid, educated in the US, and now back in the Philippines as a professor/scholar, Dr. Pardue is the right person to bring biblical balance, theological boundaries, and missional passion to the sometimes controversial ideas of “contextual theology.” This is an important book for all who are interested in cross-cultural global missions and historically sound theology.
5. Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up
by Abigail Shrier
Every pastor, campus missionary, school teacher, and parent (who is paying attention) knows that while Gen Z has had more mental health awareness and help than any previous generation, they also have the most fragile mental health in history. Shrier puts her investigative journalism skills to work to expose the problem and suggest an answer.
6. Monsignor Quixote
by Graham Greene
Brilliantly funny, deeply insightful, and theologically rich, Greene pays homage to Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes’s 17th-century classic. Whether or not you have read or enjoyed Cervantes, this book is worth the time. It caused me to ponder my life, calling, values, friendships, and purpose, all while laughing at the bumbling adventures of Green’s fictitious Catholic priest and communist mayor.
7. When Crickets Cry
by Charles Martin
I first read this novel almost 20 years ago. I read it again about 10 years ago. I read it for the third time this past summer. It has never failed to remind me to pursue my calling, no matter the disappointments along the way. It seems I am on a once-every-10-year roll, so it will probably be on my 2034 list.
8. Faith Challenge: Living out God’s Word Every Day
by Juray Mora
Many of us have been encouraging (and pleading with) Bishop Juray to write this book for several years. Buy it and read it and you will know why me and others knew this book needed to be published. It is without a doubt the most helpful and impactful devotional book I have ever used, and I have gone through a lot of devotional books over the decades. Thank you Juray for making this available.
9. Missionary Monks: An Introduction to the History and Theology of Missionary Monasticism
by Edward Smither
Highly recommended! I wish I could buy each and every one of you a copy of this book and force you to read it very slowly. Church heroes have evolved over the centuries from early church martyrs to post-Constantine monks to post-Reformation missionaries. (And now we have modern-day media celebrities as heroes. God help us.) May this book deliver us from our social media heroes as we gain a better appreciation of martyrs, monks, and missionaries.
10. Fatherless No More: Understanding Who We Are When We Know Who the Father Is
by Tim Johnson
This book captures the life story and life message of my friend and ministry colleague. Warning: When you read the first page, you will not be able to put this book down, so set aside a few hours before you even open this book. Well done, Pastor Tim!
SNUBS: Five books I read in 2024 that didn’t crack my top 10, but some of you might find interesting.