Best Books Part Five (and final) from Student Ministries

We hope these many best book titles piqued your interest enough to read some of them in 2015.

From College Pastor Jon Nielson

  • The Mission of God by Chris Wright. A well-written and substantive look at the whole sweep of the story of the Bible from the perspective of "God's mission"--his heart to save those from all nations by grace.
  • Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne. A book geared for church leaders, helping them think through how to lead well and serve together in the context of the local church.
  • Paradigms by Joel Barker. A classic from the business world, designed to help readers understand the importance of paradigms--shifts and patterns--that can help them look ahead and discern opportunities in the future.
  • Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung. A simple, yet profound, look at the centrality of God's Word in the lives of God's people.
  • Expositional Preaching by Dave Helm. A wonderful capturing of Helm's convictions about the importance and mechanics of expositional preaching.

From High School Pastor Ben Panner

  • Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman. A great reminder about the power and necessity of God's Word within the life of the church.
  • Marks of the Messenger by Mack Stiles. Very helpful insights about evangelism and witness. Practical yet theological and challenging.
  • The Story by Jon Nielson (yes, our college pastor). One of my most highly recommended books to parents for students. Clear resource that is faithful to God's Word and helps students get a great grasp of the story line of Scripture and how each passage relates to the gospel of Jesus.

From Junior High Pastor Tommy Johnston

  • From Heaven He came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological and Pastoral Perspective by David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson.

From Pastoral Resident Brett Eggerth

  • Evangelical Theology by Michael Bird. Even though he specializes in biblical studies, his systematic theology is refreshing for its clarity, insight and humor (yes, that's right, humor in a theology book.)