Tag Archives: Spurgeon

Top Ten Books of 2025

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“From Christmas night to New Year’s Eve,
We bless the space that’s in between.”
~Sandra McCracken

These “in-between” days are my favorite days of the whole year. There are enough leftovers to last a week, we don’t have to go anywhere, and a pile of new books is calling.

Here are my top ten books from 2025.

10. Run With the Horses, Eugene Peterson
I picked up this book while reading through the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. Peterson has a way of helping everything make sense. His words guided me to a better understanding of God’s Words. I also read his book Practice Resurrection along with Ephesians and the lights went on. Over and over. I wish he had written a companion volume to every book of the Bible.

9. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
I read Tom Sawyer out loud to PB and we listened to the audio of Huck Finn on a long road trip. Some of it made us cringe. Some of it made us laugh out loud. Twain has a way of saying things that catches you by surprise. Classics, but definitely not P.C.

8. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Eric Metaxas
This was an in-depth look at Bonhoeffer’s life, from beginning to end. I listened to the audio version, which was almost 24 hours long. The German names were hard to keep track of—and the narrator pronounced Bonhoeffer as “Bon-hoof-er”—but there was no doubt about the man’s courage in the face of evil.

7. Confessions, St. Augustine
It’s hard to imagine what life was like between 354-430 A.D. Surprisingly, Augustine struggled in his lifetime with the same things we do in the 21st century. Thanks to 20 years of his mother’s prayers (he called himself “the son of my mother’s tears”) he became a follower of Christ and a leader in the early church. He had a lot to confess…

6. Lessons From the Apostle Paul’s Prayers, Charles H. Spurgeon
You might think reading a 19th century preacher’s sermons would be boring. Not if it’s C.H. Spurgeon. I have stars, arrows, and exclamations points in the margins. I have whole paragraphs underlined. I have returned to this book over and over since reading it in October and will keep it nearby so I can keep returning. I love Spurg.

5. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
This was a re-read for me. I rarely go back to a book and read it over again, but this was a delight—like a visit with old friends. Discussing it with my neighborhood book club made it even richer. Something about two old pastors sitting on the porch talking, well, it makes my heart ache a little bit. Robinson has a way of making the ache feel comforting.

4. Right Ho, Jeeves, P. G. Wodehouse
I’ve been hearing for years about Wodehouse and how funny his books are, but comedic novels aren’t really my jam. Last year, PB and I tried out a subscription to Audible, so I downloaded every free offering they had before my subscription ran out. (I’m a cheapskate.) Listening to Jeeves and Wooster was a rollickingly good time. I now have “The P. G. Wodehouse Collection” which is 16 more hours of fun for the coming year.

3. Rediscovering Christmas, A. J. Sherrill
It’s not easy to find a book on Christmas that feels fresh and makes me say, “Huh, I never thought of that.” Some chapters landed better than others for me, but I came away with some new insights and deeper appreciation for the Nativity story and the characters within it. It was a good way to enhance the season.

2. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Beth Brower
I can’t remember when I read a book that was more delightful! My daughter gave me Volume 1 in the series for my birthday. Then I bought Volume 2. Then I bought Volumes 3-8. Word has it that 25 volumes are being planned and I’m here for every one of them. The writing is so good—it draws you right into the world Bower has created. Reading for the fun of it! I’d almost forgotten what that’s like.

1. Paradise Lost, John Milton
On the opposite end of the reading spectrum from Emma M. Lion, is John Milton and Paradise Lost. This was the most impactful book I read this year. I thought I’d hate it. Written in blank verse, which means it doesn’t rhyme, every line has exactly ten syllables. And there are over 10,000 lines in this poem. I was sure it would take me all summer to slog through the renowned classic that had been dictated by a blind man in the 1600s. I gritted my teeth and was determined to get through this “masterpiece of English literature.” To my surprise, it took my breath away and I couldn’t put it down. Listening to a Hillsdale College lecture after each chapter helped a lot. But wow. It’s incredible.

”Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors,
and the most patient of teachers.”
~Charles W. Eliot

Two Ways to Give Thanks

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My inbox greeted me with two messages on this Thanksgiving morning.

I signed up for the NYT emails so I can play Wordle.
I get SpurgeonBooks emails so I can pray the Word.

Feast your eyes on two ways to give thanks today.

“Everything will be OK. Try to enjoy the day. You can do it.”
vs.
“Always thankful to our merciful God”

Take your pick.

“Give thanks as you move through the day.
And hug your people tight.” (NYT)
vs.
“We all have some cause for thankfulness,
therefore will we praise the Lord from the rising of the sun
unto the going down of the same.” (Spurg)

It helps to know Who to thank.

Also, you didn’t think we would finish the year without a plan, did you?

The 2025 Bible Reading Plan was left wide open for December. But never fear, we will finish strong in 2025 with an Advent Reading Plan. Also, fear not—most days are only a few verses. Grab yourself a cup of coffee in the wee hours of dark December mornings, light a candle, and join me for a moment of stillness and study of His Word. The same Word that became Flesh.

Kansas City, Here I Come

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When PB asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I was ready with an answer.

“I want to go to Kansas City and visit the Charles Spurgeon Library on the campus of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.”

Not your typical birthday request, I know. Even PB raised his eyebrows at that one, but he’s always game for a road-trip-adventure. And I promised him some KC barbeque.

As we crossed the state line into Missouri, we played “Kansas City, Here I Come” by Wilbert Harrison, recorded in 1959, which seemed appropriate since it was my birthday trip and that’s my birth year.

See? I wasn’t making it up. Not every old dead guy gets his own library.

Spurgeon had a 12,000-volume personal library. After he died, half of his books were sold and ended up in America. They sat in boxes for 100 years in a basement. Then Midwestern Baptist rescued them and someone donated several million dollars to build a library to house and display them. Everything you ever wanted to know about Charles Spurgeon is there. We spent three hours soaking up every bit of it.

PB was a trooper.
Down deep, I think he loved seeing everything as much as I did.

This is the pew Charles was sitting on when he came to saving faith in Jesus.
He was 15 years old.
He started preaching at 17 and had his first church when he was 19.

Spurgeon’s desk—we were allowed to touch it.

So Many Books. The man read six books every week.
That’s 312 books per year.
But then, Spurg didn’t have TV or Internet or Automobiles.

The paintings all over the library were really beautiful.
Every little enclosed case had a story.

There were three cigars in his coat pocket when he died.
To the glory of God.

A good time was had by all.

My admiration for CHS grew exponentially.
I sure hope he teaches and preaches in the New Earth.
I’ll be in the front row, grinning from ear to ear.

We celebrated at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que with brisket and burnt ends.

Thanks, honey, for making my birthday dreams come true.
You’ll always be my #1 preacher.

He Knows Where to Find Me

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I went to a Christian writer’s conference last week. I didn’t post anything here because I was too busy learning how to be a Christian writer. I met a lot of very nice people and collected a stack of Christian writers’ business cards. I heard some very inspiring presentations and took notes in all the sessions. I pitched an idea for a book to three publishers and learned I need at least 10,000 followers before being considered as a prospective author.

Only 9,700 more to go.

Tim Challies (www.challies.com) was the keynote speaker. As my head was swimming with “10 Ways to Market Your Book” and “Why You Need to Grow Your Reach,” Tim spoke about things closer to my heart.

He encouraged us to resist the pull of popularity.
“The book business is a numbers-driven industry that is extremely competitive.
Be honored that anybody reads your words—that God gives you any readers.
Be content.”

He said success carries a heavy weight of responsibility.
“God expects more from those who have more gifts.
God’s giving of a little might be a gift saving you from yourself.”

He told us that developing character is more important than success.
“Don’t let your success rise above your sanctification.
Most of us don’t have the holiness to handle success.”

I am, indeed, very honored that you stop by here and read from time to time.
I don’t want the responsibility that comes with publishing success.
I’ve got my hands full working on growing godly character.
I am content.

Spurgeon said it best:
“When God wants you, He knows where to find you.
You need not go and push yourself to the front;
the Lord will bring you to the front when He wants you.
Oh, for grace to work on unobserved!”