Here is an essential rule for traveling: When it comes to books, it is always better to overpack than underpack.

I went to South Africa a few weeks ago to visit one of our Restored churches and overpacked quite a bit. I knew I wouldn't read all 10 books (2 were for a friend in Durban), but on a 16-hour flight to Dubai, you never know what kind of mood you may find yourself in. The worst thing on a long flight (besides crashing) is wishing you had brought that novel or that specific leadership book. Movies are nice to pass the time, but books are better.

Yes, I have heard of Kindle, but I just can't do it. I have tried. I know it would have lightened my load by about 10 pounds, but I don't think I will ever be able to trade the joy of reading a physical book, the feel of paper, and my highlighting system, for a screen.

You may also notice there are quite a few books within two main themes for this month: The Sermon on the Mount and Women in Church Leadership.

Sermon on the Mount: I have spent the last year writing a book on the Sermon on the Mount, which means I read a lot on it. I divided the book into three sections for our church and it was an incredibly rewarding journey. I will eventually put all three parts together for a full book, which will total around 250 pages, but if you want to take a look at the three parts, here they are: The Kingdom Life Book​

Women in Church Leadership: Yes, I have continued reading everything I can get my hands on for this topic and am loving the process of learning and growing. I think I have finished 13 books on the topic and have another 7-10 I want to finish before the end of the year. My ratings of the books below may reveal where I am leaning...

Top Books from September 2023:

This short book was a joy to read. DeYoung helps the Christian understand that following Jesus shouldn't feel impossible. The following quote is a beautiful summary of the book: "Following Christ is never easy, but it does not have to be impenetrably mysterious, exceedingly complex, and relentlessly guilt-producing. Normal people can walk in God's will and live a holy life without being frantic all the time." If you are a Christian who feels exhausted and burnt out, you may need to read this and be reminded of the good news of following Jesus. You are loved, he is with you, and every demand he makes of you can be fulfilled.

The Brothers Hawthorne is book #4 in an ongoing series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. After reading her first in the series, The Inheritance Games, last year I was hooked. The series is built on the story of a billionaire who died and left his entire inheritance to a high school girl he never met. The story of who she is, why she received the money, and how the family reacts to the drama is thrilling. Each of the four books are filled with mysteries, games, and puzzles that are captivating and make it difficult to put down.

I started listening to Steven Bartlett's YouTube channel The Diary of a CEO a couple of months ago and have enjoyed what I have heard. Bartlett is a young, secular entrepreneur from Botswana, now living in the UK. His podcast recently surpassed Joe Rogan's in monthly downloads, which is remarkable. The Diary of a CEO is filled with 33 laws of wisdom on life and business. His first law, "Fill Your Five Buckets in the Right Order" was brilliant. They are: (1) Knowledge (2) Skills (3) Network (4) Resources (5) Reputation. There are about 10 other laws in this book that made it a 5-star read for me.

As mentioned above, here is one of the books I enjoyed most on the topic of women in church leadership. Philip Payne is a New Testament egalitarian scholar and does a tremendous job in the book tackling some of the most difficult passages on the topic. This book is a shortened version of his lengthy, Man and Woman, One in Christ. While I didn't agree with everything, there were many brilliant points that helped shape my mind. The most helpful takeaway from this book was his exposition of 1 Corinthians 7. Unfortunately, many complementarian books neglect this passage, which is shocking because it is the Apostle Paul's longest and clearest teaching on marriage and mutual authority.

After immersing myself in Jesus's most famous sermon, The Sermon on the Mount, for the past year, I have to give John Stott my vote for the best commentary on it. While Frederick Dale Bruner's commentary on Matthew was my favorite and most quoted resource, Stott's book was solely dedicated to Matthew 5-7. John Stott was a brilliant theologian. One of the greatest things about his books is the way he can simplify, condense, and articulate big truths for the average reader.

Top Quotes from Sept. 2023:

• "You can predict someone's success in any area of their life by observing how willing and capable they are at dealing with uncomfortable conversations. Your personal progression is trapped behind an uncomfortable conversation." -Steven Bartlett
• "How often do you lose?” “As often as it takes,” he told her, “to win the games that matter most.” -Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• "One of the great disservices we have done the church is to let people think that getting married, having children, staying married, taking those children to church, teaching those children about the faith, buying shoes, and training those children to be kind and courageous Christian adults is something other than radical discipleship." -Kevin DeYoung
• "The commonest formula with which the prophets introduced their oracles, namely 'Thus says the Lord', is one Jesus never used. Instead, he would begin 'Truly I tell you', thus daring to speak in his own name and with his own authority, which he knew to be identical with the Father's." -John Stott
• "Consider for a moment that every person you meet doesn't just have a food diet but also has an information diet. People will consume social media, podcasts, YouTube, radio, books, blogs, television, and movies. Whether we realize it or not, this volume of information is constantly forming and shaping our vision of what is true, good, and beautiful." -Jim Davis and Michael Graham

Other Books Read in Sept. 2023:

• The Great Dechurching by Jim Davis and Michael Graham - 4 stars
• Sermon on the Mount by Scot McKnight - 5 stars
• The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith - 4 stars
• Men and Women in the Church by Kevin DeYoung - 3 stars
• Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian by Michelle Lee-Barnwell - 4 stars
• Paul, Women and Wives by Craig Keener - 4 stars
• Embracing Complementrianism by Graham Beynon & Jane Tooher - 3 stars

Reading Goal for 2023:100 Books

Enjoyed what you read? Share with a friend here: https://brad-sarian.ck.page/f96740ec88​

Catch up on previous Monthly Book Lists here: Archives​

*Just because I recommend a book does not mean I endorse everything in it. Like the biblical narrative, there is always brokenness in the midst of beauty.

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