highly recommended resources
The following are resources recommended by Pastor Peter Watson:
- Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby - developing an intimate close walk with God. This is the book I give for free to first-time visitors at our church.
- The BEMA Podcast (www.bemadiscipleship.com/) - a brillant (in-depth) podcast for understanding the bible story.
- Confronting Christianity and Confronting Jesus by Rebecca McLaughlin - excellent books looking at the evidence for the Christian faith.
- Searching Issues and other books by Nicky Gumble
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero - any books by this author can be helpful for developing healthy spiritual practices.
- The Listener's Bible Commentary (https://listenerscommentary.com/) - great podcast to helpful get an in-depth understanding of bible books.
- Asking Better Questions of the Bible and The Gospel of Being Human by Marty Solomon - helpful books for reading the bible better.
- From Genesis to Junia by Sprinkle - thorough and excellent for understanding the role of women in the bible.
- Biblical Critical Theory by Christopher Watkin - for those wanting a deeper dive into how to read the bible.
- The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer - any books by Tozer are worth reading.
- Sacred Pathways: Nine Ways to Connect with God by Gary Thomas - a very highly recommended book on understanding the different ways God connects with us.
- Bob Pierce: This One Thing I Do by Franklin Graham - a brilliant biography giving a bigger vision of what God can do through a committed life.
- Erasing Hell by Chan and Sprinkle - a helpful perspective on the topic of hell.
- Four Views on Hell by Counterpoints - another helpful perspective on the topic of hell.
- The Crucifixion by Fleming Rutledge - a comprehensive and complex book on the place of the crucifixion in the life of the believer.
- Exiles by Preston Sprinkle - an excellent perspective on how a Christian should relate to the world.
- Glittering Vices by Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung - helpful for understanding and dealing with areas of sin.
- Feeling Great by David Burns - great for mental health resources.
- Tame Your Thoughts by Max Lucado - fantastic for dealing with your unhelpful thoughts.
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - great to taking personal responsibility for your own behaviour and thinking.
- Live Life in Crescendo by Stephen Covey - a helpful book for those in the 2nd half of life.
- Talk by Alison Wood Brooks - a helpful book on having better conversations and asking better questions.
- Where the Conflict Really Lies by Alvin Plantinga - for those interested in the intersection between faith and science.
- Bearing God's Name and Being God's Image and Becoming God's Family by Carmen Joy Imes. Carmen also has an excellent YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/@CarmenJoyImesPhD) giving a deep dive into Old Testament books like Exodus, etc.
The following books deal with the bibles teaching on Sexuality
- Surrendered Sexuality by Dr Juli Slatter - helpful book on sexuality within a Christian context.
- The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Wray Gregoire - helpful book on sexuality within a Christian context.
- Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson - looks at the biblical teaching on sexuality.
- Does the bible affirm same-sex relationships? by Rebecca McLaughlin.
- Same sex relationships by John Stott.
