Need a Good Book to Read? Here’s What We Recommend

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The old excuse of not having much time to read doesn’t hold much water in these days of social distancing. So I asked some Clear Creek staff to give us one book about faith they’d recommend and maybe a sentence or two as to why.

Here are their responses (in alphabetical order):

  • Free to Believe: The Battle Over Religious Liberty in America by Luke Goodrich

    Chris Alston, Pastor, West Campus

    Free to Believe is an interesting take on religious freedom, how we have dealt with social issues in America, and how we as Christians can respond with conviction and grace.

  • Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright

    Yancey Arrington, Teaching Pastor

    There are fewer Christian theologians and thinkers today as important as Tom Wright. I don’t agree with everything he says, but Simply Christian is absolutely pitch perfect for helping people see the big picture of the faith. If you are already one of the faithful in Christ, it will leave you encouraged and excited about being on mission for Jesus and his oh-so-good gospel!

  • Managing God’s Money by Randy Alcorn

    Mark Carden, Executive Pastor

    Especially in uncertain financial times, we need to remember what God says about the money he has entrusted to us.  That money is NOT ours, it is HIS!  Read, learn and obey.

  • The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller

    Kara Dawson, Students Assistant, Egret Bay Campus

    This book is a great reminder of who we were before our relationship with Christ, why we must constantly point ourselves back to the beauty of the cross, and why we need Christian community to really know Jesus and become more like him.

  • Good News for Weary Women by Elyse Fitzpatrick

    Rachel Fisher, Small Groups Assistant

    Gospel on EVERY page. Best Christian book I’ve ever read.

  • A Praying Life by Paul Miller

    Karl Garcia, Pastor, Clear Lake Campus

    This is a great book that has guided and challenged me to pray differently for all of those in my life. It’s helped me see situations and how I pray about them from a new perspective.

  • God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts

    Lance Lawson, Pastor, Church on Wednesday

    Reading this book made me love my Bible more.

  • The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

    Ryan Lehtinen, Pastor, Egret Bay Campus

    This small classic challenges you to follow that desire placed within every person by God – to know him and have a relationship with him. I read this book early in my faith and have continually come back to it over the years.

  • The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer

    Aaron Lutz, Pastor, East 96 Campus

    and Tara Warner, Counselor

    Aaron: John Mark Comer tackles the great enemy of the spiritual life: hurry. He argues it is the antithesis of love. In order to love God and love people, we must slow down. Love is, first, patient. In a world that runs a frenetic pace, and technology that only encourages it, Comer gives great wisdom and practical ways we can slow down, hear from God, and love our neighbors.  

    Tara: We can all relate. Comer writes, “There is more at stake [with technology] than our attention spans. Because what you give your attention to is the person you become. Put another way: the mind is the portal to the soul, and what you fill your mind with will shape the trajectory of your character. In the end, your life is no more than the sum of what you gave your attention to.”

  • Jesus the King by Timothy Keller

    Nicole Morris, Children’s Associate, West Campus

    This is a book our small group did a couple of years ago that really opened my eyes to the life of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and the power of it all. It’s such a sweet reminder that God is still in control and that he has a plan, in addition to the fact that Jesus is our ultimate King. 

  • Old Testament Theology by Bruce Waltke

    Greg Poore, Associate Pastor

    This book will teach you about how the Bible communicates God’s revelation of himself to us. It will help you understand how the writers of the New Testament interpreted who Jesus was through the Old Testament Scriptures. It will also teach you a lot about how to read and understand the Bible in general. One of the most helpful books I’ve ever read.

  • You Can Pray by Tim Chester

    Denise Ward, Office Manager

    A fresh, gracious, challenging theologically sound book. It can revitalize your desire to pray.

  • Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    Susan Wesley, Pastoral Care Associate

    This book formed my thoughts and beliefs about the church and how we live together more than anything I’ve ever read.

  • Broken Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp

    Kari Wilson, Go Global Associate

    I liked this book because it kept the gospel central and constantly reminded you of who God is, who we are in him, and how to rest in those truths no matter our circumstances.

Yancey Arrington
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1 reply
  1. Cindy Austin
    Cindy Austin says:

    My all-time favorite book is a little-known novel by C.S. Lewis, “Till We Have Faces.” It’s a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, recommended by a wise music theory professor after I devoured The Chronicles of Narnia in college.

    Although Lewis’ fiction contains many profound spiritual truths, this novel made an enormous impression on me coming from a family who didn’t comprehend my faith. My takeaway paralleled the story with a sad reality that those who don’t believe often make it their mission to pick apart the faith of others, assuming it’s for their loved one’s good.

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