8 Books Every Christian Should Read: A Pastor's Picks, Reviewed
After 20+ years of ministry, these are the books I keep coming back to — the ones that have discipled people in our church.
After 20+ years of ministry, these are the books I keep coming back to and recommending most — the ones that have shaped how I pray, lead, and walk with God. Every one of these has discipled someone in my church.
Whether you’re a new believer or you’ve been following Jesus for decades, start anywhere on this list — though if you’re brand new, start at number one.
Grab the whole list on Benable →1. Mere Christianity — C.S. Lewis
If you read one book on this list, start here. Lewis takes the biggest questions of the faith and makes them make sense for ordinary people. I’ve handed this to skeptics, new believers, and lifelong Christians alike — it meets all of them. The chapter on pride alone is worth the whole book.
2. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry — John Mark Comer
If you feel busy, tired, and spiritually dry, read this one first. Comer makes the case that hurry is the great enemy of our life with God — and gives practical ways to slow down and actually be with Jesus. I’ve taught whole series out of the ideas in this book.
3. Gentle and Lowly — Dane Ortlund
This is the book I give to anyone carrying shame or running on empty. Ortlund spends the whole book on one truth: when you come to Jesus weak, broken, and sinful, His first response isn’t disappointment — it’s tenderness. It changed how I see God, and how I pastor.
4. The Practice of the Presence of God — Brother Lawrence
A short, 300-year-old little book by a monk who washed dishes — and it will wreck you in the best way. The whole idea is simple: you can be with God in the middle of ordinary work, all day long. I reread it every year and it always recalibrates me.
5. The Pursuit of God — A.W. Tozer
Tozer writes like a man who actually knew God, not just facts about Him. This book lit a fire in me early in ministry to want God Himself more than His gifts. If your faith feels flat, this is the spark.
6. Knowing God — J.I. Packer
The book I’d hand a believer who’s ready to go deeper. Packer takes the great truths about who God is and makes them warm, personal, and worshipful instead of academic. It’s meatier — take it slow, a chapter at a time.
7. My Utmost for His Highest — Oswald Chambers
A daily devotional that has discipled more Christians than almost any book outside the Bible. One page a morning. It’s challenging — Chambers doesn’t let you off easy — but a year in this will deepen your walk more than you expect.
8. Crazy Love — Francis Chan
This is the book for anyone who’s settled into a comfortable, lukewarm faith and senses there’s more. Chan writes with urgency and love about what it actually looks like to be captured by God. A great one to read with a friend or small group.
Why these links support independent bookstores
Every book on my lists routes through Bookshop.org rather than a big-box retailer — your purchase supports independent bookstores, and a small commission supports this ministry at no extra cost to you. The full list, with my quick note on each book, lives on Benable.
Questions people ask me
What book should a new Christian read first?
Mere Christianity. Lewis answers the questions every new believer is actually asking, in plain language, without talking down to anyone. Pair it with a readable Bible and one page of My Utmost for His Highest each morning.
What should I read if my faith feels dry or flat?
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry if the problem is pace, The Pursuit of God if the problem is hunger, and Gentle and Lowly if the problem is shame. Dry seasons usually trace to one of those three.
What's the best daily devotional?
My Utmost for His Highest has discipled more Christians than almost any book outside the Bible — one page a morning, and it doesn’t let you off easy. If you want something gentler to start, I also publish a free daily devotional right here.