April 2024 Recommended Reads

Dear Saints, 
This is my monthly letter with books that I think will be a blessing to your soul.  Before I get to my recommendations of what to read, I want to share a few thoughts from Charles Spurgeon on how & why to read:

• Why all of us should be readers:  “Give yourself unto reading. The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. You need to read.”
• Reading as a way to redeem our time (Eph 5:15-16): “We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure time, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master’s service. Paul cries, “Bring the books” — join in the cry.”
• Contemplate the truths you read so that they may sink into your soul: “An ounce of heart knowledge is worth more than a ton of head learning.”
• Read with discernment: “Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.”
• Read good books, but let the Bible be your primary material: “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible…All human books grow stale after a time–but with the Word of God the desire to study it increases, while the more you know of it the less you think you know. The Book grows upon you: as you dive into its depths you have a fuller perception of the infinity which remains to be explored. You are still sighing to enjoy more of that which it is your bliss to taste.”

With that as my argument for why you should read, here are some recommendations of what to read.  Because I know we have people with various interests, I send many different categories of books.  Don’t be overwhelmed by the list- I’m giving you a broad selection in hopes that you’ll pick a book or two to read this month. 

My Main Read for March:  As I thought about the book that I will focus on this month as my main personal read, I came across It Will Cost You Everything by Steven Lawson.  I speak often of the benefits of following Christ, but we also must keep in mind the sacrifice of following Him.  In this book, Lawson pulls no punches in applying Scripture to call us to live the sacrificial Christian life- for there is no other kind of Christian life.

Devotional: If you have been around First Scots long, then you’ve undoubtedly heard me make reference to Charles H. Spurgeon a lot.  I’ve always wondered whether or not Mr. Spurgeon would be honored that I named my dog after him, but regardless it shows the high esteem in which I hold him!  Spurgeon has several great daily devotionals, but I think the best in Morning and Evening.  There are many different versions of it, including a beautiful pocket edition, but perhaps the most readable is this one.

Biography: While Spurgeon is fresh on my mind, I have really enjoyed Michael Reeves’ recent biography of Spurgeon entitled Spurgeon on the Christian Life: Alive in Christ.  Reeves is one of my favorite writers, and this book helps us get to know Spurgeon the person, to understand the influence of his ministry, and to learn lessons from his life that we can put into practice as well.  It’s also worth noting that for those who have access to Hoopla through the Beaufort Library, this book is available for free as an audiobook.  

Bible Study: People often ask me what is the best commentary for them to read, and there’s no easy answer to that.  As I have said previously, the best whole-Bible commentary is by Matthew Henry.  When it comes to a book-by-book selection of best commentaries, that list becomes much more complicated.  Rather than recommending to you a book, I want to recommend a resource from Ligonier that provides trustworthy recommendations for every book of the Bible. Check it out here: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/top-5-commentaries.

Christian Living: One of my all-time favorite authors is the Puritan John Owen.  He’s taught me more about the glory of Christ, the mortification of sin, and the value of sound theology than almost anyone.  My favorite of his books is on The Mortification of Sin from Volume 6 of his collected writings.  It’s gold!  Perhaps the most famous line of that book is “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”  

With that said, reading Owen isn’t easy. His writing style is complex and at times can take me several minutes just to digest one sentence.  Thankfully over the past few years, several modern rewrites of Owen have been released.  I think the most accessible and helpful is Kris Lundgaard’s The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin.  There are two emphases in this book: first, the sinfulness of sin. Second, the power to defeat sin by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  This book is a great encouragement!  

Church Issues: It’s no secret that one of the most controversial issues in churches today is the distinction of roles between men and women.  The controversy will not lighten up any time soon, so as believers we need to be well-versed in Scripture’s teachings on this topic.  I have read many books dealing with this, and I don’t think anyone addresses this better than Kevin DeYoung in his book Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction. 

Family/ Parenting: One of the sweetest things about First Scots are many healthy marriages that have stood the test of many years together.  However, no matter how healthy a marriage may seem, there is always room for growth.  I recommend The Gospel-Shaped Marriage by Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn as a wonderfully joyful work on cultivating a marriage that reflects the beauty of the Gospel.  

Christianity in Culture:  Last year, Geoff Back gave me a book entitled Pride: Identity and the Worship of Self by Matthew Roberts.  I had never heard of Roberts, but this book is excellent as it gives a very helpful analysis of the current “pride” movement and the theological issues at stake with it.  

As always, while I recommend these books, it doesn’t mean that I recommend everything in all of these books.  Always read with discernment, that your soul may be nurtured and grow in the Lord Jesus. 

With love in Christ, dear saints- 

Alex Mark