12 for 19
A number of us read 12 books in the year 2018 and became wiser and better informed for doing so. Once again, I invite you to join us for 12 for 19, as we read one great book each month for the year 2019.
Unfortunately, in this age of shortened attention span, one might not even see the point of taking the time and putting in the effort to read anything longer than a tweet or a blog post. So, why do it?
There are many reasons why reading is critical. I will have to limit myself to just one reason here. Wether we recognize it or not, we are constanty being bombarded with things that are contrary to truth and beauty. Because of that, no one will ever passively drift into godliness or maturity. In order to be faithful believers, and if we wish to be of service to God’s kingdom and to our neighbors, we need to train ourselves to think more deeply, to be able to discern not only what is right from wrong, but also what is right from what is almost right. This can only happen through the discipline of reading.
But don’t let that word “discipline” scare you off! Reading is actually one of the few things that can be done without making huge changes in our lives. For example, consider this. If we set aside 15 minutes each day, 5 days a week, for one year, we will have spent 3,900 minutes reading, which comes out to be 65 hours! That is 65 hours of learning and growing, without making any real sacrifices. And, yes, we can all find 15 minutes each day. All it takes is a little less time spent on Facebook, a little less time wasted doing nothing. Is it a sacrifice? Sure, it is. But it’s not much of a sacrifice considering what can be gained from it!
So join us for 12 for 19. Let us read together, grow together, and serve our God and our neighbors together!
January
Dennis Johnson, “Journeys with Jesus: Every Path in the Bible Leads Us to Christ” Amazon WTSBooks
February
Paul Tripp, “Redeeming Money: How God Reveals and Reorients Our Hearts” Amazon WTSBooks
March
Rosaria Butterfield, “The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World” Amazon WTSBooks
April
Paul Tripp, “Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family” Amazon WTSBooks
May
Edward Welch, “Caring for One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships” Amazon WTSBooks
June
Rico Tice with Carl Laferton, “Honest Evangelism: How to Talk About Jesus Even When It’s Tough” Amazon WTSBooks
July
Philip Ryken, “When Trouble Comes” Amazon WTSBooks
August
Christina Fox, “Idols of a Mother’s Heart (Revised)” Amazon WTSBooks
September
Winston Smith, “Marriage Matters: Extraordinary Change Through Ordinary Moments” Amazon WTSBooks
October
Barbara Duguid, “Extravagant Grace: God’s Glory Displayed in Our Weakness” Amazon WTSBooks
November
Jonty Rhodes, “Covenants Made Simple: Understanding God’s Unfolding Promises to His People” Amazon WTSBooks