We are two days into the New Year and I already feel behind and that’s primarily because I am behind. It’s been a number since I have posted on the blog and that’s because I have been busy with ministry and the start of a new podcast called The Confessional Taco. You should check it out as our first episode drops next week! I digress.

I think I have come to the conclusion that I write and post blogs seasonally and I’m beginning to be okay with that. I tend to place a lot of pressure on myself to write content—not because I have so many people visiting the site, but because I am a writer, therefore, I must write. And I do. I just don’t always write on here. And for the last week or so, I have been off from work which has been good for me, my soul, and my family. As the New Year kicks off, I thought I’d enter my season of writing with “easier” posts to gain some momentum so I decided to open up with the books that I read in 2019.

Do commentaries count?

Here you go, hope you enjoy:

BEST OF 2019

1. The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity In An Age of Counterfeits by Al Mohler Jr.
This was a great read because it was both historic and biblical so that combination was of great help to me especially as I preached a sermon series on The Apostles’ Creed in the summer of 2019 (as if it was so long ago). Creeds and confessions are making a wild comeback and I think it’s because they point us back to the pages of Scripture in a way that connects us to the historic church and forces to examine what we say we believe.

2. A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories That Stretch and Stir by Hansen Woodbridge
This is another book that I read before starting a sermon series and it was very appropriate. We were about to end our series in 1 Peter and after meeting with several members in our church, I could sense that there was almost a spiritual dryness in the lives of many. This book was a great exhortation to the work of the Spirit in the people of God in the midst of the ordinary. So, if you’re experiencing a spiritually dry season then consider reading this book.

3. The Mestizo Augustine: A Theology Between Two Cultures by Justo L. Gonzalez
As I see it, Justo Gonzalez has been a trailblazer as a Hispanic writing about cultural identity within the church. The Mestizo Augustine is a helpful look into the life of St. Augustine as he, too, was of two cultures and how that helped, effected, and impacted his life and ministry.

4. Wretched Saints: Transformed By The Relentless Grace of God by Joel Heikkinen
This was one of my favorite reads of last year. Joel writes beautifully on God’s lavishing his grace upon wretched saints continually and abundantly for the purpose of transforming into the image of Jesus. I wrote a review on his book at some point. You can check it out here.

5. Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson
I read this book a long time ago and revisited in the early parts of last year and it was a great reminder into the theology and practice of making and maturing disciples of Jesus. This book also helped us launch what we call, at Storehouse McAllen, Discipleship Groups which are smaller gatherings of groups of 2-3 people meet to study Scripture, pray for one another, and confess sin to one another. An excellent resource on discipleship.

6. Small Church Essentials by Karl Vaters
If you’re a pastor, leader, or church member at a small church then this is a wonderful resource filled with rich theological truths, practical approaches to ministry, and overall encouragement. I think many pastors who lead a smaller church, such as myself, often compare themselves to larger congregations or leaders who have tremendous influence and almost walk away discouraged because you’re “not there yet.” But the truth is, leading a smaller church is such a sobering and rewarding call from the Lord because there’s a lot that the smaller church can do that the larger churches can’t. Additionally, it often feels like when walking away from a conference or workshop, you simply lack the resources. Karl Vaters helps you to realize that you have more resources than you think.

7. Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope by Matthew McCullough
I can’t remember if I read this book in 2019 or before. Either way, you should read it. It was surprisingly eye-opening, particularly the first chapter. McCullough sets you up with loads of information that makes you think about how you and I and the culture around us view death. He makes the point that 200 years ago death was a common conversational piece at the dinner table and sex was taboo. Today, it’s the other way around. Nevertheless, how we view death impacts how we view the redemptive work and return of Christ. This was a great read and study as we prepared for our Ash Wednesday service.

8. The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men by Richard Phillips
This is a wonderful read. One of the reasons I greatly appreciated this book is because Phillips’ tone was pastoral. I felt shepherded throughout the reading of this book and that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t convicted of sin or challenged in my life—especially among the leadership of my family—but I wasn’t being yelled at to “man up!” It’s been one of the best books of manhood that I’ve read and I encourage any and every man to pick up a copy.

9. Sticky Teams by Larry Osbourne
I’ve read this book about four times and it’s always a classic. I have walked or taught part of this book with my staff and currently, have been walking through it with one of our interns at Storehouse McAllen. Osbourne is great at combining biblical knowledge with practical insight on what it looks like to develop healthy teams. There isn’t great stress on “how,” but that’s okay because he stresses the “why” so much that it helps you formulate what may work for you in your context.

10. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering The Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
As I think about it, this may have been my favorite book from 2019. Vroegop does a phenomenal job of unpacking a theology of lament and it’s practice. It’s was deeply convicting, sobering, and comforting. I wrote a review of his book here.

11. On The Block: Developing A Biblical Picture For Missional Engagement by Doug Logan
Often, I have said that I am not an evangelist but I am capable of evangelizing and while that still rings true, I have used it as a cover-up to slack in the ministry of evangelism and outreach in the neighborhood we’re in. Logan’s book is an excellent resource for the theology and practice of “sentness.” It definitely convicted me but also gave me great insight on how to create further intentionality on some of the things I’m already doing and in some of the places I’m already at within central McAllen.

12. The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption by Matt Chandler
We did an eight-week sermon series on The Song of Solomon this past fall and this was a great resource for continued bible study and discussion. I wanted to walk through The Song of Songs sound theology, but contextualize it in a way that could be clearly understood and within our groups, I wanted to challenge singles, couples, men, and women on what the Song of Songs was pressing within our culture. This book helped accomplish that.

13. Throw: A Novel by Ruben Degollado
Ruben has been a great friend to me for almost a decade and I have always loved his writing and I was so proud of him when his first book, Throw, was published and released! Throw takes place in the Rio Grande Valley back in the day so if you're from the Valley, you will catch all of the references to the smaller towns. If you’re not from the Valley, you’ll still enjoy this book because it’s a beautiful collection of Mexican American literature. Get your hands on this book here or visit Ruben’s page.

ONWARD

I think those are all of the books that I read in 2019. I’m excluding commentaries and systematic theologies because I don’t necessarily read those cover to cover, but if you’d like I can walk through some of my favorite systematic theologies. In fact, I think I should as I have received a couple of questions on which are my favorite (hint: it’s not Grudem’s systematic theology).

I would love to hear about what you have read this past year or what you’re planning on reading for 2020. And if I could offer you any piece of literary advice, it would be the wise words of St. Augustine: