Recommendations for October

For October, we have.... The Church.

Most of us probably wouldn't spend a whole lot of time reading books about the church.  Yet it should be noted that our position as believers in Christ is defined by being a member of the body of Christ.  Understanding what the church really is and how we are to act as church members represents a significant part of our lives. 

The challenge for October is one general book on the church -  that is, a book not about a specific area of the church - and one specific book on the church - ie. preaching, music, baptism.  A specific area of the church.

Personally, I would recommend 1. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever for a basic, easy to read, but very informative work on understanding the church.  2. The Church in God's Program by Robert Saucy.  This is a bit more indepth on the church and is a bit slower, but interesting for those who really want to dig deeper.

For books on a specific area, I have not read a lot - to my memory - that would apply here.  A lot of things would apply, though.  One suggestion: Singing and Making Music by Paul Jones.  Anyone involved with music in the church...which is, y'know...like, everyone...would benefit from reading this. 

Books I'm planning to read include 12 Challenges Churches Face by Mark Dever - Dever goes through 1 Corinthians and relates problems from the Corinthian church to the modern day.  Also hoping to read The Church in God's Program by John MacArthur and The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter.

Note. I did previously read Confessions of a Reformisson Rev by Mark Driscoll, which would relate to the general book on the church, but my personal opinion is that there's a limited value to the book.  It's not that Driscoll is all that far off theologically, but I have concerns about the way he presents his message.  As a result, I think there is definitely value to it, and I did benefit from reading it, but I don't think it's necessarily the best book for everyone to read.