Alright the truth comes out: I’m somewhat of a book freak. I like getting new books. I like getting old books with new covers. I could spend hours browsing in bookstores. I recently attended the Together For The Gospel conference and received over 28 pounds of new books. And with all the new books that come out every day there’s a constant temptation to always be looking forward to new books.
However, at the Together for the Gospel conference C.J. Mahaney said something that challenged me when it comes to book reading. He encouraged pastors (and in turn all Christians) to create a short list of outstanding books related to the gospel and to master the contents of those books. Wow. Now that’s a challenge to my book-hoarding mentality.
So how do we master the contents of a book? Here’s just a few thoughts:
Interact With The Book
Don’t just read a book, attack a book. Highlight particularly striking passages. Write your thoughts and questions in the margins. Chew on particularly deep paragraphs and let the biblical truth sink into your heart. Reading a book shouldn’t be a one-sided affair, with the author doing all the talking. Think of reading a book as a conversation between yourself and the author. Master a book by interacting with a book.
Apply The Book
On the final day God isn’t going to be impressed with how many books you’ve read. It’s the application of God’s truth that matters. When you’re reading a book, make a conscious effort to apply the contents of the book to every day life. For example, I’m currently reading a book by Ed Welch that deals with overcoming fear. As I read that book I’m thinking about my particular temptations to fear and then applying specific truth to my specific fears. Don’t read books just to read them. Read to apply.
Talk About The Book
Nothing helps crystallize your thoughts on a subject more than talking to someone else about it. Jen and I have been reading Ed Welch’s book Running Scared at the same time, and we often find ourselves talking about the things we fear. I’ve been able to import much of Ed Welch’s wisdom directly into these conversations. Master a book with someone else.
Re-read a Book
Just because you’ve read a book once or twice doesn’t mean that you’ve mastered it. Charles Spurgeon read the book Pilgrim’s Progress over a hundred times in his life. Why bother with re-reading a book? Because each time you read a book you’ll read it with new eyes. Since the last time you read the book you’ve experienced new trials, new joys, and gained new insight into God. If you want to master a book, re-read it.
I want to learn how to master books. Do you have any other suggestions for me?
I agree with all the above. Reading a book with (one or more) other people has really helped me. I did this online with DA Carson’s book on the emerging church and had face to face discussions on a Brian McLaren book (gasp!) and John Piper’s “Don’t Waste your Life”. Currently I meet with a group that is discussing Tim Keller’s “Reason for God”.
I also find it helpful if I write a book report or review on what I’ve read, even if I’m the only person to see what I’ve written.
How about these two ideas: mark the book and screen out unworthy books?
-tim
Great insights. I’ve heard CJ mention this before and I was convicted about my tendency to love books and knowledge more than the ability they have to affect my soul. I need to be focused on apply learning and applying what I am reading.
I agree with Tim. It’s been very helpful for me to write about what I am reading. It helps me to understand something if I have to explain it in my own words. That’s one of the primary purposes of my blog.
Tim – Great thoughts. Question: How did you start meeting with people to discuss books? Is this something you’re doing as an official church function, or is it just with friends?
Steve – Are you writing about what you’re reading for yourself or for others? In others words, are you writing book reviews or just thoughts about various sections of the books you’re reading?
Stephen – The origin of my recent book readings have been varied. For the Carson book, my pastor said to me “Let’s read this together!” We did and discussed it on our church’s online forum.
With the McLaren book, 4 guys were given the book and told to read it to discuss at an overnight retreat. Only two of us read it; we ended getting together weekly for several months to discuss the book almost page-by-page.
For Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life”, I led a group of 7 people who met weekly in my home to do the book with the related DVD segments. You could call this one an “official church function”. This was a highly significant experience for me and influenced my decision to leave my position as a staff RN in a local hospital and join my church’s pastoral staff. It is causing me to consider a mission trip to Mozambique later this year.
Finally, the Keller book: a few friends from church said “We know you are reading this book and we’ve purchased copies and will read along with you”. So there are 5 of us reading and discussing.
I’m greatly blessed to be at a church where the senior pastor and many of those in leadership positions (as well as church members in general) read serious books.
Cheers, -tim : )
Very nice post.
I would add:
Pray each time before you read the book that God would speak to you through His Holy Spirit as you would when reading the Bible.
Incorporate what you learned into your prayer life. If there are prayers at the end of each chapter, like The Pursuit of God by Tozer for example, print them out (prayers are in italic at the end of each chapter in that link) and pray one of them every once and a while.
I think part of attacking the book as you mention is looking up all the Scripture references. And don’t be in a hurry to read through a lot of material. Attacking and hurrying don’t go together.
Jeff
Thanks for sharing those thoughts Tim. Very helpful.
Stephen – The primary goal is to write about books for the benefit of my own soul. I try and pull out some thoughts from what I am reading and to write about it. Explaining and writing about the material helps it to stick in my head more. Also, in some sense I feel it will be helpful to look back over these posts in time, much like a journal, and see evidence of growth and God’s grace in my life (also to easily review things I’ve read or to point me back to books where God has met me in the past).
On the other hand, I know that as a blog, it is also for public consumption. So, I try to write in a way that is readable and helpful to someone who might be following along. And I try to link to other blogs so that I can point others to resources that have served me. Also, I do try to write a wrap-up of a book I finish and to encourage others to read books if I have found them helpful.
Thanks for this post, Stephen! I’m a fellow book-lover (and notorious for underlining and scribbling in margins). After I read C. S. Lewis’s “Till We Have Faces” I started discussing it with a couple people from my church, and it’s amazing how much we’ve all gotten out of it. It also helps to read the book aloud, even if you’re the only one listening. It’s been scientifically proven that when reading the words aloud cements them in your mind and helps you think about what you’ve read.
Yeh, more great advice from you Stephen. Thanks for this, I’m constantly struggling with the notion of what book to get next. May be an idea to delve into some of the ‘gems’ I’ve already read and master them a bit better.
Megan – Thanks for sharing about reading out loud. I don’t typically think to do that when I read a book.
Boaly – Yeah, I’ve got a whole bookshelf stocked with gems that I’ve only read once. I need to do some re-reading.
I am a book hoard too S. I do believe there should be an essential collection of books that you read and re-read over and over again, in your library. Some books in Christian lit are clasic, not in the sense nostalgic classic, but timeless principles that dont go in and out with whatever the hot topic is, at the local Christian book store. there are a lot of trends, but that should not be said of the words of God. Some books just nail it, and they stand the test of time. i am not much of a fan of Joyce Myers, but her battlefield of the mind, sold over 200,000 copies two years ago (in one year), with no promotion, new edition or anything. just cold sales. It has stood the test of time. A personal fav of mine that chalanges me in different ways is; Seed Faith, by Oral Roberts, and that is just one.
Ben
Ben – Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yeah, I really want to build a library of books that I can read over and over, books that will challenge my soul. We’re so blessed to live in a country where these books are so readily available!