Why Should I Read Outside the Bible?
This week we’re trying something new. As usual, I’m going to answer a question but then I’m going to give some suggestions. First, the question: Why Should I Read Outside the Bible?
The Simple Answer
Friends, you and I know the Bible is THE source of truth. The Bible is also where we gain much wisdom from God. But let’s not ignore the obvious fact that the Bible isn’t the source of all knowledge.
If the Bible were the source of all knowledge, then why did your high school geometry teacher have to bust out a textbook (or website) to teach the details of the Pythagorean theorem? Or why did your mom use the classic Betty Crocker Cookbook for that scrumptious made from scratch pumpkin pie recipe?
As much as I love the word of God and I give it supremacy over every other source of reading, it is not, and was never intended to be, the source of all knowledge for life. So, we read other books to gain knowledge not found in the Bible.
Wisdom from Other (Filtered) Sources
As mentioned before, the Bible is where we gain much wisdom from God. But it’s not the only place we gain wisdom from God. Now, I’m guessing there are many Biblical purists in the world who would posit that everything we need to know about how to live a life for God is in the Bible. I certainly won’t argue against that point.
But I would ask this question. Have you ever gained insight about living well for God from any other written source? I’m guessing the answer is yes. Me too! For that reason, I am frequently in the middle of a book, outside the Bible, to make me a more loving and effective Jesus follower.
But here we must be careful. Recently I’ve started making a concerted effort to remove content from secular and “Christian” authors and speakers who stray from the truth of the Bible. So we “test the spirits” (as John told us in 1 John 4) to confirm they are from God.
I’ve written about this and many other thoughts for following Jesus in my daily posts on social media. Feel free to follow me there. I love having the blessing of engaging with many people!
Some Reading Suggestions
At this point I’m going to step away from our typical blog post method and give you examples of four books I have read recently that have profoundly impacted my walk with Jesus in some way. These are not affiliate links and if you like, feel free to purchase them from other sources.
Parable Church by Mike Burnette
Full disclosure, Mike and his wife Stephanie are the lead pastors at LifePoint Church, where we have been attending and serving for the last several months. They are amazing leaders and it’s a church the Lord is using in powerful ways to impact the world for His Kingdom.
But none of that is the reason I love this book. In Parable Church Mike uses three of the parables of Jesus to show church leaders, or anyone seeking to guide other Jesus followers, how to apply the parables in leadership. It’s so much more than that, but every leader in any capacity (pastor, small group leader, ministry coordinator, etc.) will gain incredibly practical insights from Parable Church!
Pray First by Chris Hodges
Chris is the senior pastor at Church of the Highlands, which has campuses all over Alabama with tens of thousands of people attending every week. In Pray First Chris will teach you ways to draw close to the heart of God through Biblical prayer models. He will teach you about prayer, different prayer models, prayer and fasting, and creating a prayer shield.
I first learned about this book as our church was going through our annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, following one of the models Chris laid out. It was INCREDIBLE! If you’ve ever struggled with repetitious prayer, felt no power in prayer, or are ready to try new ways to reinvigorate your prayer life, then Pray First is a must read!
With by Skye Jethani
Skye is the managing editor of Leadership Journal, a publication of Christianity Today International. That doesn’t sound like much of a biography compared to the others so far, but Skye is an incredibly insightful author with powerful depth of understanding in walking with the Lord.
The subtitle of With is Reimagining the Way You Relate to God. And WOW, does the author deliver! I’ll be perfectly frank, Skye Jethani blew me away with how he artfully and accurately describes all the ways we wrongly relate to God, and the way God intends for us to relate to Himself. Let me just say, this book totally rocked my theological foundations…in the best possible way. Of all the books I’m recommending you might want to start with this one. I can’t even begin to explain it but get this one. Get it NOW!
Putting Jesus on Display with Love and Power by Brian Blount
Brian and his wife Jeanine are the senior pastors of Crestwood Vineyard Church in Oklahoma City. To once again be perfectly honest, had I known the main topic of this book before I bought it, it would probably still be on the shelf.
In fact, I bought it at a discount store for $3.99 based solely on the description on the back of the book. But y’all, I’m so glad I did! If you’ve ever wondered whether or not the Holy Spirit still performs miraculous healings, I’m talking book of Acts type healings, then Brian’s experiences will put that question to rest. The stories in his book read like following the apostles around after the Day of Pentecost! It’s so awesome to see the Spirit reveal His power in people’s physical bodies. The stories are incredible, but Brian is so very humble, and always shares that it is Jesus who is the Source. This isn’t a faith healer book, it’s a book about the Great Physician revealing Himself to draw people unto Himself. Such a powerful read! Oh, and he teaches you a simple method to follow his lead in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Wrap Up
Let me just close with this. God speaks through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and other people in our lives. Don’t neglect the fact that there are topics in His Word that you and I may not be able to fully grasp, completely interpret, or successfully apply without hearing the wisdom of God filtered through other Jesus followers.
Make the Bible your foremost authority of everything you read, but after that, grab some wisdom from other Jesus followers to fill in your need to understand more deeply. I know I have to do so frequently!
Love you Jesus follower!
-Troy
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