Resolve to Read
Once again we find ourselves embarking on a new year. As the calendar turns to 2026, many people have high hopes for the months to come as they plan to implement the new healthy habits they have been overlooking. I pray your commitment to a healthier lifestyle is a smashing success, but there is one area you have likely neglected to consider. Over the next twelve months, how many books do you plan to read? Like most people, I assume that you filled your mind with plenty of content this year with news programs, television shows, websites, blogs, podcasts, music, etc. While these forms of media can be helpful, none of them can match the power of reading good books.
How many nonfiction books did you read in 2025 for the purpose of maturing in your faith? I am a huge fan of fiction; believe me, I read many fiction books this year. But works of fiction are a relatively small portion of my reading diet. When I do read fictional works, I typically read one of the classics. For example, I reread three Jane Austen books this year.
In Ecclesiastes 12:12, Solomon warns, “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” It would certainly be ill-advised to conclude that Solomon is discouraging reading and studying. As a man greatly gifted by God in the area of wisdom, it would stand to reason that Solomon would be a major proponent of education for the purpose of gaining more godly wisdom. In Proverbs 18:15, Solomon writes, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Seeking and acquiring knowledge is a worthy pursuit. The knowledge that we pursue, however, must be for the purpose of building us up spiritually rather than for arrogantly drawing attention to our intellectual accomplishments.
In the context of Ecclesiastes, he seems to be drawing our attention to at least two important warnings: First, we must not forgo the primary study of what produces godly wisdom. Reading and studying God’s revealed Word is what believers need in order to mature in their faith. As he writes in verse 11, “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.” Goads are long sticks, possibly embedded with nails, which sting cattle to prod them along. The words of Scripture may sting us, but they prod us along down the path of wisdom. Choosing to forsake the reading of the Shepherd’s words would be foolish. For the Christian, Scripture is to be the primary reading source in our lives. In today’s digital world, an overwhelming amount of content vies for our attention. Some of it may be useful, but we cannot neglect the reading of Scripture for the sake of staying abreast of what is being written by our favorite authors.
A second warning that we can draw from Ecclesiastes 12:12 is falling prey to the overwhelming number of books published in a given year. According to the ISBN database, there are more than forty-three million unique ISBNs in the world (I own two of them).[1] That is a lot of books to read! Obviously, no one can read everything that has been written. As the author of two books, I will tell you that writing a book is easy. Getting people to notice your work in a world where millions of books are in circulation is the hard part. With more books in the world than anyone could ever read in a lifetime, it would be exhausting to even try. Believe me, I have sort of tried. Keeping up with every book written even in a year would discourage us to the point that we would likely stop reading altogether. Solomon is warning against the temptation to weary ourselves with such a futile effort. That would indeed be chasing the wind. We must read and study, but not weary ourselves in the process.
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Correctly handling Scripture does not happen by accident. Whether you are a church leader or not, you are expected to handle the Word of God with precision. Apart from hours of reading and studying, you will not be prepared to accurately handle Scripture.
Are you willing to commit to reading more books that will equip you to rightfully handle the Word of God? How many books would you like to read in 2026? If you are new to reading, try reading one book a month. If you already have a reading habit in place, try reading one more book per month than what you read in 2025.
As a pastor and author, I read a lot (fiction and nonfiction). Reading helps me grow in areas where I am weak, and helps hone my writing skills. For years, I have been hesitant to recommend books in an article like this because I am unable to provide any necessary cautions to the reader. But I am going to share with you ten books that I read or reread in 2025 for your consideration. (I deemed 2025 as a year to reread some books that had previously impacted me).
Before I present my list, two words of caution. First, I read very broadly. I read books written by authors I know will have radically different views than mine. I read these books so I hear their argument in their own words rather than from a secondary writer who is quoting their work. Included in my reading diet are those who are overtly not Christians (e.g., number 6 below). Obviously, these books require great diligence. But it is healthy to know what arguments are being posed against biblical Christianity. Second, and more importantly for the list below, it is rare that I agree with every word written by an author. I would probably change a thing or two in my own books. So please read the books listed with this in mind.
Without further ado, here are ten books, in no particular order, that greatly impacted my reading over the last twelve to eighteen months with a brief description of each:
1. From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks. I found this book extremely helpful because it deals with how we can impact the next generation as we age. It addresses the value of knowledge gained over a lifetime. Brooks claims to be a Christian, but there are some ideas found in this book that would suggest he is not an evangelical.
2. Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. Originally published in 1923, this book still captures the battle that continues to rage today between biblical Christianity and liberalism. This is a classic work that every biblically-minded evangelical should be exposed to.
3. Tell Me the Stories of Jesus by R. Albert Mohler. I read this book in preparation for a recent series on Jesus’s parables. This book is down to earth and very practical. Anything written by Dr. Mohler is worth your time, but this one would serve as a great devotional.
4. Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell. I read this book in preparation for a workshop I was asked to present at a conference. While it is over twenty-five years old, it is still timely and practical. Maxwell is a great writer, and generally easy to read.
5. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This book, and the one to follow, is one of two books that I would highly recommend to parents of children younger than eighteen. Anxiety is becoming a crippling problem in today’s culture, and this book helps explain why.
6. Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier. This book boldly addresses the potential problems with the modern therapy culture, and offers parents some beneficial information that will benefit parents who believe their child needs counseling. Shrier is not a Christian, but her work is superb, and promotes many ideas that conservative Christians would agree with.
7. The Great Gain of Godliness by Thomas Watson. As part of my morning Bible study time I am always reading a book written by a Puritan. It is hard to find modern writers who write with the same level of thoughtfulness as the Puritans. My copy of this book is filled with underlines and notes. This is a classic that would be well worth your time.
8. The Fear of God by John Bunyan. This Puritan book develops the biblical concept of the fear of God in tremendous detail while also offering practical insights. Like Watson’s work listed above, this book would be a helpful read.
9. Recovering Our Sanity by Michael Horton. This book also deals with the concept of fearing God. Its basic premise is that the fear of God eliminates all other fears. If you struggle with the fear of circumstances or people, this book is for you.
10. Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield. Okay, I said this list is in no particular order, but if I could encourage you to read one book on this list it would be Butterfield’s work. Former college professor, lesbian, and now pastor’s wife, Rosaria Butterflied offers insights into the LGBTQ+ movement like no one else can. Excellent book. Highly recommended.
In closing, I would like to offer a bonus book for your consideration. If you are already an avid reader, I have a book for you. It is difficult for me to come up with a book other than the Bible that has impacted my life more than The Existence and Attributes of God written by Puritan writer Stephen Charnock. I read this book practically every morning for almost two years. It is admittedly long, but it will challenge you to the depths of your soul. Read it one chunk at a time. Believe me, you will be glad that you did.
I pray that 2026 is a productive year for you, and that you read thousands of pages that help you draw closer to the Lord. Rightly handling Scripture takes time and effort. Invest time this year increasing your biblical knowledge so you can more effectively handle the precious Word of God.
[1] Val Giordano, “How Many Books Are In The World?” accessed December 24, 2025, https://isbndb.com/blog/how-many-books-are-in-the-world/.
How many nonfiction books did you read in 2025 for the purpose of maturing in your faith? I am a huge fan of fiction; believe me, I read many fiction books this year. But works of fiction are a relatively small portion of my reading diet. When I do read fictional works, I typically read one of the classics. For example, I reread three Jane Austen books this year.
In Ecclesiastes 12:12, Solomon warns, “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” It would certainly be ill-advised to conclude that Solomon is discouraging reading and studying. As a man greatly gifted by God in the area of wisdom, it would stand to reason that Solomon would be a major proponent of education for the purpose of gaining more godly wisdom. In Proverbs 18:15, Solomon writes, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Seeking and acquiring knowledge is a worthy pursuit. The knowledge that we pursue, however, must be for the purpose of building us up spiritually rather than for arrogantly drawing attention to our intellectual accomplishments.
In the context of Ecclesiastes, he seems to be drawing our attention to at least two important warnings: First, we must not forgo the primary study of what produces godly wisdom. Reading and studying God’s revealed Word is what believers need in order to mature in their faith. As he writes in verse 11, “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.” Goads are long sticks, possibly embedded with nails, which sting cattle to prod them along. The words of Scripture may sting us, but they prod us along down the path of wisdom. Choosing to forsake the reading of the Shepherd’s words would be foolish. For the Christian, Scripture is to be the primary reading source in our lives. In today’s digital world, an overwhelming amount of content vies for our attention. Some of it may be useful, but we cannot neglect the reading of Scripture for the sake of staying abreast of what is being written by our favorite authors.
A second warning that we can draw from Ecclesiastes 12:12 is falling prey to the overwhelming number of books published in a given year. According to the ISBN database, there are more than forty-three million unique ISBNs in the world (I own two of them).[1] That is a lot of books to read! Obviously, no one can read everything that has been written. As the author of two books, I will tell you that writing a book is easy. Getting people to notice your work in a world where millions of books are in circulation is the hard part. With more books in the world than anyone could ever read in a lifetime, it would be exhausting to even try. Believe me, I have sort of tried. Keeping up with every book written even in a year would discourage us to the point that we would likely stop reading altogether. Solomon is warning against the temptation to weary ourselves with such a futile effort. That would indeed be chasing the wind. We must read and study, but not weary ourselves in the process.
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Correctly handling Scripture does not happen by accident. Whether you are a church leader or not, you are expected to handle the Word of God with precision. Apart from hours of reading and studying, you will not be prepared to accurately handle Scripture.
Are you willing to commit to reading more books that will equip you to rightfully handle the Word of God? How many books would you like to read in 2026? If you are new to reading, try reading one book a month. If you already have a reading habit in place, try reading one more book per month than what you read in 2025.
As a pastor and author, I read a lot (fiction and nonfiction). Reading helps me grow in areas where I am weak, and helps hone my writing skills. For years, I have been hesitant to recommend books in an article like this because I am unable to provide any necessary cautions to the reader. But I am going to share with you ten books that I read or reread in 2025 for your consideration. (I deemed 2025 as a year to reread some books that had previously impacted me).
Before I present my list, two words of caution. First, I read very broadly. I read books written by authors I know will have radically different views than mine. I read these books so I hear their argument in their own words rather than from a secondary writer who is quoting their work. Included in my reading diet are those who are overtly not Christians (e.g., number 6 below). Obviously, these books require great diligence. But it is healthy to know what arguments are being posed against biblical Christianity. Second, and more importantly for the list below, it is rare that I agree with every word written by an author. I would probably change a thing or two in my own books. So please read the books listed with this in mind.
Without further ado, here are ten books, in no particular order, that greatly impacted my reading over the last twelve to eighteen months with a brief description of each:
1. From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks. I found this book extremely helpful because it deals with how we can impact the next generation as we age. It addresses the value of knowledge gained over a lifetime. Brooks claims to be a Christian, but there are some ideas found in this book that would suggest he is not an evangelical.
2. Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. Originally published in 1923, this book still captures the battle that continues to rage today between biblical Christianity and liberalism. This is a classic work that every biblically-minded evangelical should be exposed to.
3. Tell Me the Stories of Jesus by R. Albert Mohler. I read this book in preparation for a recent series on Jesus’s parables. This book is down to earth and very practical. Anything written by Dr. Mohler is worth your time, but this one would serve as a great devotional.
4. Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell. I read this book in preparation for a workshop I was asked to present at a conference. While it is over twenty-five years old, it is still timely and practical. Maxwell is a great writer, and generally easy to read.
5. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This book, and the one to follow, is one of two books that I would highly recommend to parents of children younger than eighteen. Anxiety is becoming a crippling problem in today’s culture, and this book helps explain why.
6. Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier. This book boldly addresses the potential problems with the modern therapy culture, and offers parents some beneficial information that will benefit parents who believe their child needs counseling. Shrier is not a Christian, but her work is superb, and promotes many ideas that conservative Christians would agree with.
7. The Great Gain of Godliness by Thomas Watson. As part of my morning Bible study time I am always reading a book written by a Puritan. It is hard to find modern writers who write with the same level of thoughtfulness as the Puritans. My copy of this book is filled with underlines and notes. This is a classic that would be well worth your time.
8. The Fear of God by John Bunyan. This Puritan book develops the biblical concept of the fear of God in tremendous detail while also offering practical insights. Like Watson’s work listed above, this book would be a helpful read.
9. Recovering Our Sanity by Michael Horton. This book also deals with the concept of fearing God. Its basic premise is that the fear of God eliminates all other fears. If you struggle with the fear of circumstances or people, this book is for you.
10. Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield. Okay, I said this list is in no particular order, but if I could encourage you to read one book on this list it would be Butterfield’s work. Former college professor, lesbian, and now pastor’s wife, Rosaria Butterflied offers insights into the LGBTQ+ movement like no one else can. Excellent book. Highly recommended.
In closing, I would like to offer a bonus book for your consideration. If you are already an avid reader, I have a book for you. It is difficult for me to come up with a book other than the Bible that has impacted my life more than The Existence and Attributes of God written by Puritan writer Stephen Charnock. I read this book practically every morning for almost two years. It is admittedly long, but it will challenge you to the depths of your soul. Read it one chunk at a time. Believe me, you will be glad that you did.
I pray that 2026 is a productive year for you, and that you read thousands of pages that help you draw closer to the Lord. Rightly handling Scripture takes time and effort. Invest time this year increasing your biblical knowledge so you can more effectively handle the precious Word of God.
[1] Val Giordano, “How Many Books Are In The World?” accessed December 24, 2025, https://isbndb.com/blog/how-many-books-are-in-the-world/.
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