Book Tag

Many of you have seen the popular "Book Tag" game that has been going around the Internet. Well, I have been tagged by Chris Anderson, so I will oblige with my answers to the One Book Tag. These answers may be subject to change as I think about them more, but here is at least my initial answers.

1. One book that changed your life.

While not stated, it is assumed that for all of the relevant questions, the Bible is excluded as the obvious choice for those questions. While that should be obvious, I just wanted to make sure I mentioned it up front lest someone get the wrong idea.

This first one, in particular, seems to be tough.

I know I have to narrow this down, but I am torn between two particular books for two vastly different reasons.

On the one hand, I could say, "Jack Hyles' Favorite Soul-Winning Experiences." Now, before you jump on me, let me explain. While I was never a big follower of Hyles, I had a man who had been very influential in my life when I was a new believer and he was a big advocate of the Bus Ministry and, by extension, Hyles. There was a church plant that I had helped with as a teenager and idea had been floated around that if I went to HAC, then when I graduated there would be a Youth Pastor position available for me at that church. For a 17 year-old teen who had only been saved a few years, this was an exciting possibility. Reading this book opened my eyes to the error of the "A-B-C Pray After Me" approach to "Soul Winning."

On the positive side of things, I would say that a little biography called Bill Borden: The Finished Course - the Unfinished Task about Missionary Bill Borden was a life changing book for me. This little book was a powerful challenge and example to me of giving my all to Christ.

2. One book that you've read more than once.

I was going to say, The Disciplined Life by Richard Taylor. I first read it as required reading for a Youth Work class with Dr. Walter Freemont at BJU and have subsequently come back to it a number of times, but I see that Andy Efting has already chosen that one.

Another book that I have read repeatedly and found profitable and challenging is Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. This is one of those books I have on my short list of books to try to read at least every other year. Godliness thru Discipline by Jay Adams is another book that falls into this category.

3. One book you'd want on a deserted island

US Army Survival Manual: FM 21-76

I recognize that the spirit of that question is not on survival, so in that light, I would take my set of Spurgeon's Sermons that used to be my wife's Grandfather Marken - a godly saint who planted churches and started Sunday Schools in Ohio during the middle of the last century. It is a gift that I hold dear and it would be a great companion on a deserted island.

If I am not allowed to take a set of books, I think I would take a copy of Living Hymns or some other hymnbook.

4. One book that made you laugh

Reader's Digest Treasury of Great Humor


5. One book that made you cry.

In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham - the story of some New Tribes Missionaries taken captive by terrorists in 2001. I admit that I cried as I thought about the ordeal that they experienced and the effect it would have on my family.

6. One book that you wish had been written.

Biblically Based Discipleship - A Theological and Practical Guide towards Assisting Others Towards Christlikeness - by Pastor Frank Sansone (maybe some day)

God Sent Revival - How God Changed Christians and the World during the 20th & 21st Centuries

7. One book that you wish had never been written.

I would say probably the Koran or The Book of Mormon because of the number of people that have been led astray by these books.

On a more recent level, Dr. Spock's Book on Child Care

8. One book that you are currently reading

I tend to have a number of books going on at one time. Since I am coaching my son's U-10 soccer team, I am currently reading about six books on soccer and coaching soccer that I checked out from the library. I am also reading The Wit and Widsom of Abraham Lincoln edited by Jack Lang and The Parson of the Islands by Adam Wallace about a man who ministered on the Eastern Shore during the 1800s.

9. One book that you've been meaning to read

Well, I have been meaning to finish Changed Into His Image by Jim Berg, but since I have at least started that one and am listening to his presentations on it, I guess I would say one of the other books I have been meaning to read is the two-volume biography of Hudson Taylor by Howard Taylor

10. Tag five people

I'll tag the following bloggers.

Andy Rupert of Isle Kerguelen
Jay Camp of The Preacher's Thoughts
Mark Griffin of The View from Windham Hill
Jason down at The Fundamentalist Resource Center
Scott Aniol at Religious Affections