Nate's favorite books read in 2008

	*1. God's Greeter Glory,* by Bruce Ware** A solid book on the big sovereign God of the Bible.
2. Pierced for Our Transgressions: Recovering the Glory of Penal Substitution, by Michael Ovey, Andrew Sach, & Steve Jeffery Several "Christian" writers claim that the idea that Jesus was punished for our sins is "divine child abuse" and should be rejected in favor of a more gentle and enlightened version of Christianity. This book shows that penalty substitution is at the core of what the Bible teaches about salvation. The fact that Jesus was willingly punished for our sins is good news and our only hope.
*3. The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism and Western Success,* by Rodney Stark** Many people would have you to believe that Christianity is to blame for many of the world's problems. This book is a good antidote to liberal revisionist history.
	*4. Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be, by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck* Even if you don't know what the Emerging Church is, you have already been affected by its influence. Emerging Church writers like Brain McLaren are influencing pastors and young Christians with a vision for a hip and trendy new version of Christianity that waters down--or flushes--many of the Bible's teachings. The authors of this well-written book make the case that we shouldn't repaint God's truth in an attempt to appeal to the values of the postmodern world. Required reading for college students!
	*5. The Reason for God,* by Timothy Keller** Thoughtful apologetics for the 21st century.
*6. Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave,* by Edward T. Welch** This is a deeply insightful book on Christian growth. Don't assume this book is only for "other people." This book and Why We're Not Emergent were my two favorite books I read this year.
*7. Justified in Christ: God's Plan for Us in Justification, edited by K. Scott Oliphant* Advanced.
	*8. Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists, by Collin Hansen* It has been stated that there are two movements that are pulling--in different directions--for the hearts and minds of the next generation of Christian leaders, especially those in their 30s and 20s. One stream is the post-modern Emerging Church. On the other hand, there has also been a resurgence of "new Calvinists" with a passionate desire to worship a big, holy, sovereign God who speaks solid truth in His Word and who saves by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ's work alone, for God's glory alone. Hansen credits people like Louie Giglio, John Piper, Jonathan Edwards, Al Mohler and Mark Driscoll for this resurgence of God-centered Christianity among young Christians. I felt like I was reading my own biography.
	*9. Christology of the Later Fathers, edited by Edward R. Hardy* Athanasius was the man.
*10. How People Change, by Timothy S. Lane & Paul David Tripp* Everything that the CCEF.org authors put out is definitely worth reading because of their biblical, God-centered approach to Christian growth. This book is no exception. (Edwards Welch, listed above, is another of their authors.)

Honorable Mentions - Other great books that somehow didn't make the highly subjective top ten:

Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood, edited by Wayne Grudem

Freedom and Boundaries: A Pastoral Primer on the Role of Women in the Church, by Kevin DeYoung

Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges

Escape from Reason, by Francis Schaeffer

The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness, by Jerry Bridges & Bob Bevington

No More Christian Nice Guy, by Paul Coughlin

Love Walked Among Us: Learning to Love Like Jesus, by Paul E. Miller

Vintage Jesus, by Mark Driscoll

A Short Life of Christ, by Everett F. Harrison

Growing Your Faith, by Jerry Bridges

The Justification Reader, by Thomas C. Oden

It's Not About Me, by Max Lucado

The Nature of True Virtue, by Jonathan Edwards

Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die , by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

**1. God's Greeter Glory, by Bruce Ware**

2. Pierced for Our Transgressions: Recovering the Glory of Penal Substitution, by Michael Ovey, Andrew Sach, & Steve Jeffery