10 Timely Christian Books to Give Dad for Father's Day 2020
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Are you looking for a thoughtful Father’s Day gift for the special dad in your life? Here are ten Christian books to encourage and edify him as he navigates through these unsettled times:
1. Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture by David Murray
This book is for Christian men who find themselves living an exhausting and unsustainable pace, yet trusting a sovereign and gracious God. The problem, as theologian and pastor David Murray explains it, is that there is often a disconnect between the theological concept of grace and a person's day-to-day life, which may lead to burnout, exhaustion, and other emotional and physical effects. The remedy? Dr. Murray first helps us better understand the power of grace—its motivating, moderating, multiplying, releasing, and receiving power. Then he takes the reader through ten biblically grounded instructions to help us better live a life filled with grace.
Anyone who is struggling with the fast pace of life and culture will find Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture to be a helpful means to be filled with the grace of God while navigating the demands we all face. Click here for Amazon link.
2. The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway)
Many churches today focus on healing from brokenness, how to have a better life, or engaging with the culture, while exhortations to grow in holiness are rarely heard. In The Hole in Our Holiness, pastor Kevin DeYoung challenges us to examine the place holiness occupies in our hearts: “There is a gap between our love for the gospel and our love for godliness. This must change. It’s not pietism, legalism, or fundamentalism to take holiness seriously. It’s the way of all those who have been called to a holy calling by a holy God” (p. 22).
DeYoung takes readers through relevant Bible passages about God’s purposes for our salvation, including the praise of God’s own name, our being blameless and holy in his sight, and the good works we will do. Join DeYoung as he explains why growing in holiness is not mere rule-keeping but rather God’s plan for us as his Spirit works to conform us to the image of the Son so that we would find the fullness of joy in our God. Click here for Amazon link.
3. The Christian’s True Identity: What It Means to Be in Christ by Jonathan Landry Cruse (Reformation Heritage Books)
Identity. It’s hard to think of another word that better summarizes the issues dominating discussions in politics, culture, and even churches in today’s world. Wanting to experience a sense of belonging and feel loved and valued are universal desires for all humans, but we seem more confused than ever regarding what identity means from both a theoretical and practical perspective. In The Christian’s True Identity, pastor Jonathan Landry Cruse clearly and succinctly explains why everything we need “for a lasting, fulfilling identity is found in Christ—and only in Christ” (p. 15).
Taking passages from Paul’s epistles containing the words “in Him,” Cruse helps readers to better comprehend how union with Christ encompasses being chosen, pardoned, righteous, adopted, one, new, secure, and alive in Christ. Instead of buying into the false identity gospel the world is preaching, Christians need to immerse themselves in Him, putting on Christ and living out the identity He has given them. If you want to have a deeper understanding of the glorious truth of what it means to have union with Christ, reading this gem of a book is a great place to start. Click here for Amazon link.
4. Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon (Crossway Books)
Has the special dad in your life been trying to get into the habit of spending time in God's word but struggling to maintain a consistent, organized system? Or maybe he’s so discouraged with life right now that he don’t even feel like reading his Bible. Let the renowned and passionate nineteenth-century English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon comfort, convict, and encourage him morning and evening all year long with this relatively new edition of his classic devotional Morning and Evening, revised and updated with modernized English by Alistair Begg.
The Morning and Evening devotional features two short but exceedingly rich readings for each day of the year based on a specific Bible passage. Spurgeon’s solid doctrine and application, combined with his boundless hope, joy, and confidence in the Lord, have helped Christians around the world refocus their gaze upon and rejoice in the glorious biblical truths God has given us in his word. Encourage Dad to keep Morning and Evening at his bedside and be blessed for years to come as he reads this Christ-centered devotional from one of the most beloved preachers the world has ever known. Click here for Amazon link.
5. The Christian and Technology by John Fesko (EP Books)
A person would have to be living completely off the grid not to notice how technological advances are changing the way we live and interact with each other—and at what seems like a breathtaking pace. Yet, the benefits of technology have also come with costs that are adversely affecting people’s emotional, physical, and spiritual health in numerous ways. As the head of the family, fathers especially need to be aware of the benefits and dangers of technology today.
In The Christian and Technology, theologian John Fesko explores six different technological advances: screens, social media, the automobile, the book, virtual reality, and unfettered access to the world through the Internet. He considers not only how they have positively and negatively shaped our lives but also how they have benefited and hindered our growth in grace. Through a better understanding of technology, we can use it well and avoid the temptations that are a finger-click away at any given moment. Fesko’s The Christian and Technology brings much needed perspective and wisdom to a subject Christians cannot—and must not—ignore as they seek to glorify God in all their pursuits. Click here for Amazon link.
6. Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World by Michael S. Horton
Who wants to be ordinary when you can be radical, transformative, impactful? What does it mean to live a full Christian life? Is there a list of things we need to do? According to Dr. Michael Horton, “We’ve become accustomed to looking around restlessly for something new, the latest and greatest, that idea or product or person or experience that will solve our problems, give us som purpose, and change the world” (p. 11).
In Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World, Horton gives crucial insight about living a simple, joyous Christian life and not getting caught up in the busyness of trying to live a "spectacular" Christian life. God really does work in the ordinary details of life. Click here for Amazon link.
7. God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith Jr.
Fathers have numerous vocations in life. Do you ever feel like some Christians are following Christ better than you because they have a “ministry” of some kind and you don’t? The work Christians perform in their daily jobs often is not noticeably different from the work of unbelievers. It can be of similar quality, take just about the same time, and produce similar results. Is there anything unique about how Christians approach their jobs?
In God at Work, Gene Edward Veith Jr. helps us view the Christian's work from God's perspective, encouraging those who find themselves in the grind of their daily occupation and giving guidance regarding how to make wise decisions regarding the work we do in our various callings in life. Fathers (and everyone else!) will be relieved to know that believers can bring glory to God as they work in all God-honoring vocations in their family, employment, church, and community. Click here for Amazon link.
8. Searching Our Hearts in Difficult Times by John Owen
During these last few months we have searched the internet for information, answers, and hope in the midst of great suffering. Yet, the most critical search we need to do now, according to Puritan theologian John Owen (1616-1683), is right within our own hearts.
In Searching Our Hearts in Difficult Times, the publisher Banner of Truth has compiled a number of Owen’s lectures and sermons from 1672 to 1680. Widely considered the greatest of all British theologians, Owen lived in England during the time of the Great Plague of London (1665-1666) and the Great Fire (1666). People continued to die of the plague through the 1670s in London, and the devastation clearly weighed heavily on Owen’s heart as he preached and taught in those years. For dads who want to grow stronger in their faith for the perilous times at present and to come, Searching Our Hearts in Difficult Times is a wonderful opportunity to have John Owen minister to them personally. Click here for Amazon link.
9. What is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert
Anyone who is active on social media or follows the news on a regular basis is likely well aware of how much social issues are dominating not only secular culture but church culture as well. How do Christians understand their part in the world? Is the church supposed to be involved or separate from political and social matters?
Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert offer thoughtful answers to these questions and provide guidance in understanding how individual Christians and the church should interact with local and global issues. Click here for Amazon link.
10. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith by Douglas Groothuis (IVP Academic)
Fathers get asked lots of questions and it’s always good to have reliable answers, especially when it comes to the tough questions their children ask about the Christian faith. Theologian Douglas Groothuis’s purpose in writing Christian Apologetics was to help Christians be better aware of the most common objections and critiques of Christian theism and to better be able to defend the faith by providing biblical and rational answers for the hope we have.
The first part of the book addresses preliminary topics such as the biblical basis and method for apologetics, as well as why truth matters. The next sections extensively examine challenges and proofs for the existence of God and the incarnation of Christ Jesus. He concludes with objections to these truths such as those that come from Islam and the existence of evil. Dr. Groothuis equips his readers with knowledge of worldly objections to God and Christ, and he challenges us to respond and “take it to the streets.” Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith is a must-have book for believers who are seeking to be well prepared to defend their faith. Click here for Amazon link.