Book Recommendations

Book Recommendations

Encountering God in Loneliness (Jason Gaboury Book)

Jason Gaboury says he’s wrestled with loneliness his whole life. He felt this sense of disconnection in a particularly powerful way when he was in his mid-thirties, with two young kids at home, doing campus ministry. His home was in a “constant state of relational connection,” but he still felt lonely. “My assumption was that if I was lonely, there was something wrong with me,” he says. “A lot of people assume that. They assume that if I’m lonely, I’m…

Walking with Others Through the Valley (Kim Findlay Story)

Content Warning: This post contains a story of loss and tragedy that may bother some. Fifteen years ago, I sat on a waiting room couch, frozen in fear as the doctor delivered devastating news. “The little girl’s daddy, he’ll be okay. The recovery will be long, but he’ll survive.” Time held its breath as my reality began to shift. “But the little girl? She’s not going to survive.” A few hours earlier, firefighters battled a blaze that engulfed our home,…

Grief & Hope: Christian Books and Music for when a Loved One Dies

With the recent passing of my dad, I’ve been processing by reading books on death and listening to music that helps me grieve and worship. But even as I experience loss, those around me are losing their loved ones as well. This is why I am sharing some of the books and songs I’ve come across as a way to help (music playlist below). The books focus more on grieving the loss of brothers and sisters in Christ than those…

How to Abide in Christ / Ways to Commune with God (Book Recommendation)

As a follow-up to Sunday’s sermon the encouragement to abide in Christ, I’d like to share this book called “With: Reimaging the Way You Relate to God” by Skye Jethani. First, he talks about how we relate to god, typically one of four ways. Here’s an excerpt: Am I a sinner—a despicable being, living under the constant threat of God’s wrath and punishment, who must appease his will through strict obedience to moral and ritual commands (LIFE UNDER GOD)? Am…

12 Racial Justice Resources We Recommend

This past fall we worked through the Race, Class, and the Kingdom of God study series as a church. For those who aren’t familiar with it, we highly recommend it for your church. But now since that class is over, we want to keep on learning. Racial reconciliation is just too important to let slide. That’s why our Elders have come up with a list of 12 resources that are especially helpful. John, Mark, and Jonathan have each shared four…

The Book of Pastoral Rule by Gregory the Great Overview/Review

Pope Gregory the 1st (540-604 AD), also known as Gregory the Great, wrote a book on vocational ministry called The Book of Pastoral Rule. A fellow Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min) student and myself created the following overview as a handout for our class. We hope you will find it helpful as you study his guide for yourself. I personally read this Kindle edition for this assignment (see quotes below). I hear there are other versions with simpler English. I’ve attached…

The Gospel & Social Justice – Where to begin?

Dear Church Family,  Many of us are wrestling with how to respond to the tragedy of George Floyd’s death and our current cultural moment. We don’t know what to do about it, or even where to begin. Your elders, Mark, John, and I have all listened to a sermon called “The Gospel & Social Justice” by Pastor Tom Sparling of The Journey Community Church in Worcester. If you are able, would you listen to it? His sermon starts at about…

The Kingdom of God Explained

What is the kingdom of God? This is a theme that appears over and over again in the Bible, but what is it? If someone walked up to you right now and said, “I’ve been reading about the kingdom of God a lot in the Bible, but I’m not sure what it is. Can you explain it to me?” what would you say? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Here are three resources that can help you understand the kingdom…

Book Recommendation: Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman

At Cornerstone, we believe in local church membership (e.g., see our Church Covenant). The Board of Elders is reading through and discussing Church Membership: How The World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman. This book, from the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series, gives a clear explanation of what church membership is, where we see it in the Bible, and why it matters for us today. Please pick up and read a copy. Another helpful article is 6 Reasons Why…

Book Recommendation: Church Elders by Jeramie Rinne

We ask each one of our Elders to read Church Elders: How To Shepherd God’s People Like Jesus by Jeramie Rinne. This book, from the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series, gives a brief but thorough explanation of the role of Elder in the church, and what Elders are called to do. As an Elder-Led church, we believe we all need to understand who Elders are and what they do, so if you have any question about Elders, I encourage you to pick…

Book Recommendation: Know What You Believe by Paul Little

We’re kicking off a new sermon series at Cornerstone, What We Believe. As part of this series, I encourage you to read a copy of Know What You Believe by Paul E. Little. It comes to me as a highly recommended book that explains the basic beliefs of the Christian faith. This is especially important if you are a new or growing Christian, but it’s a beneficial review for more mature Christians as well. The book’s description says: What does…

Book Recommendation: The Peacemaker

This Easter we’re kicking off a new sermon series, Conflict & Peacemaking. As we go through this series, I encourage you to try reading a companion book. I recommend the following: The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande. I have personally read this book and can attest to its helpfulness. Resolving Everyday Conflict by Ken Sande & Kevin Johnson. This is a shorter more reader-friendly version of The Peacemaker. You can also listen to it…
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