My Top Ten Books of 2024

I took almost the entire year off from social media and did my best to replace the time normally wasted on scrolling with reading! If you're looking for some good reads for 2025 here are a few of my favorites from the past year:

10. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip & Dan Heath

Why I loved it:

Change has never been much of a problem for me personally. However, pastoring a Church that's been around for over 75 years, has caused me to think more deeply about how to approach change on a larger scale. Leading people into shifting seasons presents quite a few challenges and this book is perfect for addressing many, if not, most all of them. Written quite a few years ago (2010), Switch is still extremely relevant in today's leadership climate.

Who would benefit from it:

This book is pretty specific to those leading organizations; the size, purpose, or structure of which holds no bearing. Whether you lead a family of four, a staff of forty, or a Church of 4,000, the principles and practices in this book are just as applicable on all levels. If you lead and want to lead well, this is an important read.

Quote from the book:

“In situations where your herd has embraced the right behavior, publicize it. For instance, if 80 percent of your team submits time sheets on time, make sure the other 20 percent knows the group norm."

9. The Meaning of Marriage  by Timothy Keller

Why I loved it:

The global Church lost a general last year when Tim Keller passed away after his bout with pancreatic cancer. Anything Keller wrote, preached, or promoted, you can bet was extremely well-thought out and crafted by a man who deeply loved Jesus and who was blessed with theological brilliance. I've read quite a few books on marriage and will probably read quite a few more in the years to come, but this book accomplishes what none of the rest of them do. Instead of giving tips and guidance on how to have a healthy marriage, Keller delves into a deeper understanding what God intended marriage to be. We do people a disservice when we push a surface-level understanding of what God has deemed sacred. This book takes us into the root system of the covenantal union that is marriage.

Who would benefit from it:

Everyone who is married and especially those who are planning to get married. Though Keller is an intellectual, his ministry and reach has stretched far and wide because of his ability to bring the Word and its complexities to the level of the everyday person. Anyone who is mature enough to get married can and should read this book!

Quote from the book:

"Friendship is a deep oneness that develops when two people, speaking the truth in love to one another, journey together to the same horizon.”

8. Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by J O'Brien and E. Richards

Why I loved it:

It's no secret that the Bible was originally written in both the Hebrew (old testament) and Greek (new testament) languages with a flurry or Aramaic sprinkled in for fun. While we can easily translate words from language to language today, far more difficult is translating the customs and culture in which it took place. Everyone has a lens that is unique to their own experiences and upbringing. Our lens is how we interpret incoming information, including scripture. This book is a washing of our lens. It's a great take on how narrow-minded we can be when reading the Word and trying to force it into our own personal context, when its original context proves to be much more powerful in every way.

Who would benefit from it:

I'd recommend this book to all believers, whether you're brand-new to the faith or you've been walking with Jesus for decades. I especially recommend it for those who teach the Word; for all of my Pastor and ministry friends. We owe it to ourselves and to the people we lead to come to the Bible with a fresh lens.

Quote from the book:

“Leadership is a Western virtue; submission is a biblical virtue."

7. Love Does by Bob Goff

Why I loved it:

One of my top books last year was a Bob Goff book so it should be no surprise that when I got around to reading his first best-seller, it would not disappoint. Full of stories from a man who lives a life so ridiculously different from the rest of us, it's hard to put down and easy to consume fairly quickly. Thankfully he's begun to release books a lot more frequently over the past several years so there's plenty to enjoy!

Who would benefit from it:

This is a book for everyone. If you're looking to be challenged to love more intentionally and radically, the way Jesus has called us to, Love Does will motivate you in your discipleship journey.

Quote from the book:

"I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter."

6. Love Thy Body by Nancy R. Pearcey

Why I loved it:

I read this book several years ago and read it again at the beginning of this year in preparation for a sermon series we did entitled, "The Birds and the Bees and the Bible." Nancy Pearcey is one of the most well-articulated authors on the subject of sexuality, gender, and other topics currently dominating the cultural landscape. Love Thy Body is a theological take on the lies and deception at the root of what the Bible defines as sexual immorality. Tackling everything from same-sex attraction to abortion to gender-confusion, this book is even more relevant now than it was in 2018 when it was published.

Who would benefit from it:

Leaders, pastors, and especially parents and those working with teens. I would also highly recommend this for all those wrestling with same-sex attraction or gender confusion.

Quote from the book:

“Young people are trying to live out a worldview that does not match their true nature, and it is tearing them apart with its pain and heartache."

5. God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis

Why I loved it:

Originally released in the late 60s, this book is a spiritual classic on the ancient discipline of fasting. Fasting is the secret weapon of the Church and the life of the believer. Jesus placed fasting in the same category as giving and praying in His sermon on the mount in Matthew 6. This is by far the best book I've read on fasting. It will greatly motivate you to begin implementing this practice into your life more regularly.

Who would benefit from it:

I'm aware fasting doesn't sound appealing to many people. For much of the Church, it's a practice we are content with participating in perhaps once a year. I would challenge believers to reassess the value of this discipline and reading books like this one help to do that. I recommend God's Chosen Fast for all believers who are ready to be more intentional in their own discipleship.

Quote from the book:

"When we fast, how long we fast, the nature of the fast and the spiritual objectives we have before us are all God’s choice, to which the obedient disciple gladly responds."

4. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer & The World Beneath Their Feet by Scott Ellsworth

Why I loved it:

I lumped these two books together because of their similarity and because, if I'm being honest, it's my cheap way of squeezing 11 books into my top 10. Both books center around (surprise, surprise) Mt. Everest. Into Thin Air is a first-hand account of the 1996 expedition that saw eight deaths and a total of 15 dead by the end of the summiting season due to freak, arctic storms on the mountain. The World Beneath Their Feet is a recounting of the global race for who could summit Everest first, over the course of 30 years. This book covers not only the failures and successes of Everest but many of the most deadly and majestic peaks of the world.

Who would benefit from it:

Hiking and mountaineering nerds. I love the mountains and I love the stories of people attempting to do the impossible. Both these books were gripping from start to finish.

Quote from the book:

“With enough determination, any bloody idiot can get up this hill,” Hall observed. “The trick is to get back down alive.” ― Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air

"We have become so accustomed to having everyday life made easy for us, that our energies are not absorbed in the art of living, but run riot in a craving for sensation.” ― Scott Ellsworth, The World Beneath Their Feet

3. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Why I loved it:

Let me just say with, complete honesty, that I'm not a huge fan of Patrick Lencioni books. Mostly writing leadership books for those in high-capacity positions (CEOs, business leaders, etc.) he has a unique writing style. Lencioni creates stories and characters to teach his leadership and teamwork principles. While this is much more entertaining and easier to digest, sometimes I feel the stories get in the way of the actual principles. That being said, this is the best one of his books I have read and the most applicable to my current circumstance of leading a small staff of pastors and leaders. I loved it so much that I led our team through these five dysfunctions at our end-of-the year planning retreat.

Who would benefit from it:

If you manage or employ a group of people, big or small, or even if you lead volunteers, you would benefit from having a thorough understanding of these five dysfunctions.

Quote from the book:

"Some people are hard to hold accountable because they are so helpful. Others because they get defensive. Others because they are intimidating. I don’t think it’s easy to hold anyone accountable, not even your own kids."

2. The Happiest People on Earth by John & Elizabeth Sherrill

Why I loved it:

John Sherrill has never written a bad book. He has a knack for storytelling and narrating the lives of spiritual giants. This book tells the personal story of Demos Shakarian, an immigrant and entrepreneur who founded the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International. This was a big movement in the 60s, 70s, and 80s that swept the country and saw many saved through networking Bible studies for business leaders. It's a beautiful story, filled with powerful testimonies that are bound to inspire you to believe God for big things!

Who would benefit from it:

Everyone, period.

Quote from the book:

"I believe God has a particular gift for each of His servants, some special ability we're to use for His Kingdom... The important thing is He tells each of us to go. Go with whatever gift He has given—knowing that when we find that gift and use it, no matter what the condition of the world around us, we will be the happiest people on earth."

1. The Charismatic Century by Jack Hayford

Why I loved it:

Jack Hayford was a spiritual giant not only in the charismatic/pentecostal arm of the Church but within the global Church as a whole. Recounting the complete history of the move of the Holy Spirit that began at Azusa Street in 1906 up to the current trajectory of the Church today, Hayford will make you proud to be alive during the most exciting era of the Church. This book ultimately convinced me that the pentecostal Church is quickly becoming a thing of the past... because the whole Church is becoming pentecostal with various expressions! This book is a perfect blend of recounting history and interweaving amazing testimonies.

Who would benefit from it:

Whether you consider yourself charismatic (believing in and practicing the gifts of the Spirit) or not, this book will increase your desire to know the Holy Spirit more and allow Him to move in your life. If you're a part of the Church, put this on your reading list for 2025.

Quote from Jack Hayford:

"Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, yet when the Spirit comes, He is loaded with packages! He desires to release much more in us and through us than we could ever imagine. These gifts are given for delivery, not for accumulation. We receive them to pass them on to others.”