Jarvis James

Lover of God, family, friends and music!

[Brad Whitt @DrBradWhitt]

Five Kinds Of Books Pastors Should Read

1. The Bible. Most church members assume that their pastor regularly reads the Bible. Many church members would be wrong. Sadly, many pastors don't read their Bible except when preparing sermons. A study by the Fuller Institute found that 72% of the pastors surveyed stated that they only studied the Bible when preparing for sermons or lessons. So, my first recommended book for pastors to read is the Bible. As Charles Spurgeon said, "Visit many good books but live in the Bible."
2. History. A.T. Pierson said, "History is His story." In college, I majored in history and religion, so I admittedly love history. However, a knowledge of history, how and why things happened in the past, and how the past connects to our modern world provides the preacher with illustrations and gives depth to your preaching that will be noticeable.
3. Biographies. I love presidential biographies in particular and biographies of great leaders in general. I also enjoy reading about the lives of notable Christians. Reading the biographies of these men and women, learning from their challenges and successes, and how God used them in His plan has blessed me tremendously. A good biography is a poignant form of history and guards against what C.S. Lewis called "Chronological snobbery." It's also a theology of the most potent kind because it's the telling of God's working in people like us.
4. Fiction. As a preacher, you likely think you should spend less time and attention on fiction books because there's only so much time in a day, and you should invest that time reading about what's true and real. Here's the thing. The best preachers are good storytellers. That's why you should read after the best storytellers and the stories they've written. Learning what makes a good story, how details bring the story to life in your mind, how to use language well, etc., will help you do the same in your sermons, making your sermons more personal, memorable, and effective.
5. Sermons. Reading collections of sermons like Spurgeon's Metropolitan Pulpit, Parker's Preaching Through the Bible, or Wiersbe's Classic Sermons series will significantly benefit you. I have preacher friends who have made it a practice to read a sermon every day by notable preachers from the past. I have made it a regular habit to read and study sermons by my pastor, Adrian Rogers, and sermons by Lehman Strauss, G. Campbell Morgan, and George Duncan. Reading sermons by preachers God used in significant ways can enrich your personal life and impact your preaching in powerful and practical ways.

BONUS: You might wonder where commentaries would be in a pastor's reading stack. There's certainly a place for commentaries in a pastor's library, and there's no doubt benefit in reading and studying commentaries. Still, the five kinds of books listed above will have a more significant and profound impact on the preacher's life and preaching than the same amount of time given to reading commentaries. I view commentaries like the owner's manual for my Ford Expedition. When I encounter a problem or issue I don't know the answer to from driving and using my vehicle daily, I open the glove box and turn to the page for the issue I'm seeking an answer. That's how I use commentaries.

#preaching #pastor #expositorypreaching #textdrivenpreaching #pastoralministry #pastoralleadership #churchleadership #books #reading

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

@RealCandaceO You are truly a jewel! May Christ richly bless you and your family. #Isaiah534:17

[T.E. Jentzen @Faithful2Pray]

@RickWarren You’ve been on the wrong side of the Gospel for decades Warren.
From your schlocky Purpose Driven drivel & the next book that we had to GIVE AWAY at Family Christian Stores bc no one would buy it.
Return to the true Gospel.
It’s based on Jesus. Not your feelings.

[Andrew King @drandrewmking]

🚨Book Giveaway🚨

I’m giving away another *pre-release* copy of the newest CSC volume! RT and follow to enter. Tag a friend for an extra entry.

Winner announced 6/12

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

@deejannaee 🤦🏾‍♂️

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

“Without the Spirit’s empowerment, our pursuit of holiness and excellence through growth in godly virtues will devolve into mere human self-effort that invariably results in pride and failure.” - Andreas J. Köstenberger

[SpurgeonBooks @SpurgeonBooks]

"Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of hell."

— Charles Spurgeon

[Puritan Gold @PuritanGold]

Satan gives Adam an apple, and takes away paradise. Therefore in all temptations let us consider not what he offers, but what we shall lose.

—Richard Sibbes, A Puritan Golden Treasury, Pg. 293

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones Gold @DMLJGOLD]

We cannot help it if the truth offends people, but we must always make sure that it is the truth that is offending them and not us.

12:482

[Dr. Michael J. Svigel @Svigel]

Theology 101:
There’s 1 God (Dt 6:4).
The Father is God (Jn 6:27).
The Son is God (Jn 1:1).
The Spirit is God (Ac 5:3-4).
The Father is not the Son (Jn 20:17).
The Son is not the Spirit (Jn 14:16).
The Spirit is not the Father (Jn 14:26).
There’s 1 God, not 3 gods (Js 2:19).

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

“Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” - Zig Ziglar

[J.C. Ryle @JCRyle]

Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer. -@JCRyle

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

“To introduce unconverted persons to the church, is to weaken and degrade it; and therefore an apparent gain may be a real loss.” - C. H. Spurgeon

[Reformed Seminary @ReformTheoSem]

“To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here.”

— Jonathan Edwards

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones Gold @DMLJGOLD]

We are responsible for our rejection of the gospel, but we are not responsible for our acceptance of it.

That is the result of the electing grace of God.

9.285

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

“What should shock us is that we have brought such contempt upon the worth of God that the very death of his Son is required to vindicate that worth.” - @JohnPiper

[Jarvis James @3J2J1J]

@_TyonnaKeyz_ AMEN!