The Best 5 Books I Read This Year

As we wind down 2020, maybe you’re like me and look forward to reading some good books over the holidays. I wanted to share with you the top 5 books I enjoyed this year in no particular order.

1. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (available for $4.99 on Kindle) is a great book that confronts one of the most serious enemies we face in American culture: hurry. It’s an ongoing battle that rages within us, and Comer explains how the Way of Jesus provides the medicine our souls need.

2. Rethink Your Self by Trevin Wax (available on Kindle for $9.99 and yes that’s my older brother) is really an excellent book that challenges our unconscious assumptions about how we define ourselves, our desires, and goals in life. Wax helps us understand how our desires often lead us astray or let us down even if we fulfill them. Instead of looking in (like most people tend to do), Wax reveals the game-changing approach God wants us to take is start by looking up to Him for help, guidance, and wisdom.

3. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day by Peter Scazzero (available on Kindle for $9.99) serves as an excellent devotional and guide for learning spiritual disciplines (silence and stillness before God, Scripture reading, prayer, introspective questions, silence and stillness to conclude). It is a great book that will find rest for your soul in God.

4. Who is Jesus? by Greg Gilbert (available for $9.99 on Kindle) packs a powerful punch in dissolving misconceptions about who Jesus really is. Gilbert provides a well-reasoned approach to assessing Jesus on his own merits and what He said about Himself. It’s a short but fantastic read that helps readers grasp why Jesus is viewed rightly as the Son of God by millions of followers for thousands of years.

5. Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry recounts her story of discovering her true identity as a daughter of God. Perry offers a painful autobiography involving abuse and an unloving earthly father, but she also shares how love flowed into her life from surprising corners. It’s a great book that will help readers understand same-sex attraction (SSA) and how to help people move past SSA by devoting themselves to following Jesus.

Bonus: Grant by Ron Chernow (available for $16.03 on Amazon) is a fascinating look at one of the most remarkable heroes of the 19th century. Chernow presents an extraordinary tale of how an unlikely hero led Union forces to decisive victories during the Civil War and then led the nation as the country’s President.