One of the greatest gifts that my Mom ever gave me and my siblings was to cultivate and nurture a love of reading. She made sure we always had books. As a single mom of three kids, she likely relished the time that we were all quietly reading! David Steele, in his work, A Christian Reading Manifesto, helps the reader see the urgency of being readers…and readers of the right things. One of the most helpful things that we can ask one another as Christ-followers is “what are you reading these days?”. I’m so thankful for the people who regularly ask me that probing question…what I read influences how I think and how I think influences what I do.
I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- J. P. Moreland argues, “If we are going to be wise, spiritual people prepared to meet the crises of our age, we must be a studying, learning community that values the life of the mind.” p. 28
- “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). p. 30
- We must implement key habits in our pursuit of godliness. A line from the United States Armed Forces is instructive: “Training is the Army’s top priority; it prepares us to fight. As leaders, our sacred responsibility is to ensure that no soldier ever dies in combat because that soldier was not properly trained.” Like a soldier in need of training on the battlefield, every Christian needs to develop habits that help cultivate a godly life. p. 49
- We must reorient our minds around things that truly matter. p. 77
- As a word-centered people we must learn to prize language in a visually-dominated world. If our hearts prioritize images over language, our hunger for books will erode. TONY REINKE p. 92