# Most Influential Book(s) to Your Early Christian Life?



## asc (Nov 20, 2008)

Hi all,

sorry if there's an old thread like this but i couldn't find one.

i was trying to get some gift ideas for young non-Reformed Christians,
and thought this might be an interesting way.

so what is a book or books (outside of the Bible) that were the most
influential to you all as young Christians?

for me it was:
1. Christ's Call to Discipleship by James Boice
2. Chosen by God by RC Sproul

thanks for your input.

--alex


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## bookslover (Nov 20, 2008)

Francis Schaeffer's books, primarily...


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## Berit (Nov 20, 2008)

1. _Putting Amazing back into Grace_ by Michael Horton

2. _God of Promise_ by Michael Horton


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## Grymir (Nov 20, 2008)

Ayn Rand - The New Left: The Return of the Primative
Augustine - City of God
Francis Schaeffer's books

In that order.


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## Notthemama1984 (Nov 20, 2008)

Sovereignty of God-Pink

Gospel According to Jesus-MacArthur


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## kvanlaan (Nov 20, 2008)

I was a raised-in-the-church-but-reprobate ten year old when I read Pilgrim's Progress and it had quite an impact on me. It was truly a blessing. Things didn't take for about fifteen or twenty years after that, but it was engaging.


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## jogri17 (Nov 20, 2008)

The Gospel According to Jesus- MacArthur
Edwards's Sinners in the hands of an angry God
Edwards's Religous Affections 

ohh and the Bible


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## ChristianHedonist (Nov 20, 2008)

_Desiring God_ and _Don't Waste Your Life_, both by John Piper, were pretty influential on my life, and they would be good for young non-reformed Christians.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Nov 20, 2008)

Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin


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## Prufrock (Nov 20, 2008)

Luther's commentary on Galatians


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## Scott1 (Nov 20, 2008)

What a great collection of books, all!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 20, 2008)

My list can be found in this thread from three years ago (although I should add that C.S. Lewis' _Mere Christianity_ had an impact before I was introduced to the Reformed Faith):

What are some books besides the Bible that have had the most impact on you?


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## Honor (Nov 20, 2008)

I would say the Desiring God and Don't waste your Life by Piper have been life changing... but equally so have Mark Driscolls sermons.


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## Notthemama1984 (Nov 20, 2008)

Don't Waste Your Life is such a great book. At one time we actually gave them away to every Ranger student at graduation. It is life changing.


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## Ivan (Nov 20, 2008)

_King James Bible_
_Knowing God_ --- J.I. Packer
_Basic Christianity_ --- John R.W. Stott
_Spiritual Depression_ --- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
_Pilgrim's Progress_ --- John Bunyan
_Religious Affections_ --- Jonathan Edwards

Books of Francis Schaeffer


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## he beholds (Nov 20, 2008)

_Putting Amazing Back into Grace_ by Michael Horton


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## shackleton (Nov 20, 2008)

Chosen by God and Justified by Faith both by Sproul

Hodge's Sys Theo., Turretin and Calvin's Institutes later. The classes at Whitfield have helped tremendously with the theology from the 16-19 centuries.


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## Honor (Nov 20, 2008)

Boliver... I know right? My husband bought a stack of them and gave them out to anyone he thought would read it.. and we had a tremendous responce... plus the high school students at our church did the study on it and it was neat to watch them change over the course of the weeks that they did it... really awsome.


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## Marrow Man (Nov 20, 2008)

Back in 1988:

_The Gospel According to Jesus_ by John MacArthur
_The Screwtape Letters_ by C.S. Lewis


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## ReformedWretch (Nov 20, 2008)

Without a doubt the book that turned me around onto the right path was:

Hard to believe by John MacArthur


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## Jimmy the Greek (Nov 20, 2008)

32 years ago -- given to me by my uncle when he heard I had been saved: Pink's _Sovereignty of God_. Hardback unabridged


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## eqdj (Nov 20, 2008)

The most influential book I read as a non-reformed Christian was Gospel and Kingdom by Graeme Goldsworthy (now part of the Goldsworthy Trilogy).

It's a great easy-to-read layman's introduction to CT from the ground up using Van Til and Vos.


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## he beholds (Nov 20, 2008)

Grymir said:


> Ayn Rand - The New Left: The Return of the Primative
> Augustine - City of God
> Francis Schaeffer's books
> 
> In that order.



I enjoy reading Rand's books, but she is so godless--I am wondering in what ways this book has helped you? I have never read this one.


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## DMcFadden (Nov 20, 2008)

In the late 1960s (high school) it was . . .

Dispi phase . . .
Watchman Nee
R.B. Thieme
Charles Ryrie
L.S. Chafer (entire 2,700 pg. systematics read during a two month period in junior year of high school to the neglect of my actual studies)

THEN, a little bit of sanity during my senior year in high school . . . 
C.S. Lewis
Francis Schaeffer
G.E. Ladd (who was later to be one of my seminary NT profs)
Robert H. Gundry (who was later to one of my college NT and Greek profs)


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## FenderPriest (Nov 20, 2008)

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
Desiring God by John Piper


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## Notthemama1984 (Nov 20, 2008)

Honor said:


> Boliver... I know right? My husband bought a stack of them and gave them out to anyone he thought would read it.. and we had a tremendous responce... plus the high school students at our church did the study on it and it was neat to watch them change over the course of the weeks that they did it... really awsome.




I remember when we ordered the books. We called up and asked for 5,000. The lady on the other end was silent. It blew her mind that we bought that many. LOL.


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## reformedcop (Nov 20, 2008)

Chosen by God by Sproul
Desiring God by Piper
Institutes by Calvin (still do )


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## Hippo (Nov 20, 2008)

"Holiness: the False and the True" by H A Ironside


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## JDKetterman (Nov 20, 2008)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism
The Holiness of God by RC Sproul
Knowing God by JI Packer
and Chosen by God by RC Sproul


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## MW (Nov 20, 2008)

Gomarus said:


> 32 years ago -- given to me by my uncle when he heard I had been saved: Pink's _Sovereignty of God_. Hardback unabridged



Yes; a worldview changing book!


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## Grymir (Nov 21, 2008)

he beholds said:


> Grymir said:
> 
> 
> > Ayn Rand - The New Left: The Return of the Primative
> ...



Hi! This book was so helpfull because it undid all the damage that a public school education did to me. I read the Bible cover to cover. That's how I was converted. (for more, read my about me page). I used to be a long-haired hippie liberal. This book undid my shackles and got my thinking on the right track.

One thing about Ayn Rand, is that although she was an athiest, her attacks in her books are against the church and how they present God, and not God as we know Him. (Rome in particular) I happen to agree with her in her analysis. She teaches that the priests are like witch doctors. Asking their followers to believe with no proof what-so-ever. A 'leap of faith' belief. I agree with her that thinking like this is total rubbish.

Let me break down what she teaches to help clarify things and explain.

1. Metaphysics - Objective Reality. Reality exists as an objective absolute- facts are facts, independent of man's feelings, wishes, hopes, or fears.

2. Epistemology - Reason. Reason (the faculty which identifies and intergrates the material provided by man's senses) is man's only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.

3. Ethics - Self-interest. Man - every man - is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself.

4. Politics - Capitalism. The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, vountary exchange to mutual benefit. Man may not obtain values from others by the use of physical force. In a system of full capitalism, there should be a complete separation of state and economics.

Where her thinking breaks down is in her perception of reality. Reality is more than what we can see, taste, touch, or feel. She acknowledged there was more, but didn't extend it far enough to include God. God is an objective reality that you can prove. Ie, you can show that the Bible comes from beyond the space-time continuum that we live in. Evolution is also demolished using her criteria, but she didn't do so. I used her methods to demolish evolution, and to prove the Bible as God's word.

#3 listed above goes against Liberalism. Welfare and the whole government helping the poor is wrong and should be totaly done away. If I want to help the poor, I can give to whoever I want, but the govenment shouldn't be forcing me to 'help' them.

#4 goes against the whole modern political thought. And it's the only way to get our economy back. Get the government out of it. Make people responsible for their own purchasing decisions. Let the buyer beware was one of the foundations in thought that made our economy great. Let the people vote with their money.

Now the followers of Ayn Rand today are totally against God, and are adimante about this in ways she wasn't. So I don't read much of the stuff they put forth. 

That's it in a nutshell. It broke my liberal mindset shackles that the public education taught me. The 'anti-conceptual' mentality that she talks about in the book I mentioned. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask, although I think this is a great idea for another thread. Great question!


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## VictorBravo (Nov 21, 2008)

Grymir said:


> Hi! This book was so helpfull because it undid all the damage that a public school education did to me. I read the Bible cover to cover. That's how I was converted. (for more, read my about me page). I used to be a long-haired hippie liberal. This book undid my shackles and got my thinking on the right track.



It's funny, Timothy. I often tell people that Ayn Rand led me to Christ. 

I wish she had gotten to know Machen or Gordon Clark. It may have shaken her rigid world-view to find men who understood philosophy better than she did and yet came to the same conclusions she did regarding government and bad thinking.


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## Glosi (Nov 21, 2008)

Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney
I learnt from this book how to fight my pride. Excelent.


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## Notthemama1984 (Nov 21, 2008)

I gave you a thanks because of your sig. That quote is moving and pride shattering. Oh how I wish that was my prayer.


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## Kim G (Nov 21, 2008)

victorbravo said:


> Grymir said:
> 
> 
> > Hi! This book was so helpfull because it undid all the damage that a public school education did to me. I read the Bible cover to cover. That's how I was converted. (for more, read my about me page). I used to be a long-haired hippie liberal. This book undid my shackles and got my thinking on the right track.
> ...



Wow! Praise the Lord who is sovereign enough to use the wicked to furthur His kingdom. 

Sounds like I need to read her book.


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## Augusta (Nov 21, 2008)

Pilgrim's Progress-Bunyan in Junior High, and then The Holiness of God-RC Sproul in 1997.


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## VictorBravo (Nov 21, 2008)

Kim G said:


> victorbravo said:
> 
> 
> > Grymir said:
> ...




Nah, don't bother. Read Machen instead! 

Actually, I've read about everything she had published. After a while it gets kind of old: Man is the Measure of Everything. Morality is being true to your reasoned nature, etc. She, needless to say, held a dim view of original sin.

But her emphasis on A is A, while basic, is apparently radical for our time. Her appeal to reason as a standard against emotionalism and feelings parallel the observations of good Calvinistic political and ethical writers. Her main flaw was that she thought man's reason could be flawless.


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## bookslover (Nov 22, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> L.S. Chafer (entire 2,700 pg. systematics read during a two month period in junior year of high school to the neglect of my actual studies)



Poor guy. No wonder your hair's gray!


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## asc (Nov 22, 2008)

Thanks for your input everyone!


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## Pilgrim (Nov 22, 2008)

The books that I recall being most influential included 3 by MacArthur: 

_The Vanishing Conscience_
_Ashamed of the Gospel_ 
_Reckless Faith_

I became acquainted with D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as well as the Puritans through the ministries of MacArthur and Alistair Begg. The 2 volume authorised biography of Lloyd-Jones by Iain Murray was very influential.


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## Pergamum (Nov 22, 2008)

Frederick Nietszche heavily influenced me, by showing me the logical conclusions of atheism.


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## Iconoclast (Nov 22, 2008)

Redemption, Accomplished and Applied by John Murray
Sovereignty of God, Pink
Berkhof's Systematic Theology


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## Matthias (Nov 22, 2008)

The first Christian book I read cover to cover after the Bible was "The existence and attributes of God" By Stephen Charnock....lol I know... heavy stuff. I just couldnt put it down.

This was all right after my conversion. For the most part, I didn't understand much of what I was reading. One thing I was sure of, however, was that this was the God of the Bible, and that He was nothing like the "god" the world had taught me about. 

Talk about a moment in time when you realize that you are less than slime..... awesome!


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## vkochetta (Nov 23, 2008)

Chaplainintraining said:


> Don't Waste Your Life is such a great book. At one time we actually gave them away to every Ranger student at graduation. It is life changing.



With many recommendations on this book, I went out and bought 2 copies to work through with my 17 yr old daughter.

By the way, this book is available in pdf form at Desiring God :: God-centered resources from the ministry of John Piper along with a study guide. I am grateful for the wealth of information freely available on that website.

---Vinny Kochetta


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