The Top Ten Books for Growing Christians The Rob Skinner Podcast: Helping You Make This Life Count

With so many books out there, it’s easy to get paralyzed and confused as to what to read.  Today, I’m going to share the top ten books I would take with me if  congress declared a law that said people can only own ten books.  These are the books that have changed my life. 
The Top Ten Books for the growing Christian.  
Leaders are readers.  Everything you want to become or achieve by definition is something you will have to learn to do or imitate from someone else.  The quickest path to get there is to read and imitate those who have gone before you.  John Wooden, who coached his UCLA team to 10 NCAA basketball championships, was a reader.  On the day of his middle school graduation, his father gave him $2 and a card with the following advice:
1. Be true to yourself.
2. Help others.
3. Make each day your masterpiece.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.
This is a great list, but I want to concentrate on item four:  Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.  Here are a couple of things to note about this advice.  First, he mentions good books.  There are a ton of books that aren’t worth reading.  You know you are reading a good book if the following criteria are met:
·        You can read and reread it
·        It inspires you to action, change or imitation
·        It moves you
·        It typically focuses on principles that are useful in a variety of situations
·        It’s often been around a while and has a reputation for being good
Secondly, Joshua Wooden highlights the Bible as especially unique.  The Bible meets all of the above criteria while adding:
·        A clear path to eternal life
·        How to know who God is, what he is like and what he expects of us
·        Comfort, encouragement and guidance in life
Reading won’t necessarily make you a great coach, but it will increase your chances of making this life count. 
I’d like to give you my top ten list of good books.  These are books that I’ve read and reread many times.  I’ve read many books and these have impacted me greatly.  I will classify them by genre.
·        The Bible.  This goes without saying, but there is a reason we should be reading, rereading and memorizing this on a daily basis.  If we don’t read anything else, this is the one book that we need to know cover to cover.
1.       Spiritual Book:  “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas A’Kempis
a.      This is my most read book outside of the Bible.  “Spiritual Formation” is a buzzword in Christian circles today.  A’Kempis wrote the book on spiritual formation 500 years ago.  Written by a man living in a monastery, it is filled with scripture and insight into living a godly and holy life.  I can’t read it without getting completely convicted about the state of my interior life, motivations and sinful nature.  Two bits of advice when starting this book:
                                                 i.      Read it one chapter a day along with your Bible.  This is a book for meditation and consideration not rapid consumption
                                              ii.      Get past the age and religious bias against this book.  Yes, he was a Catholic monk.  Yes, it’s an old book.  However, human nature doesn’t change and the issues he deals with in this book are as relevant as the day it was originally printed.
2.      Time management and priorities, “The One Thing” by Gary Keller
a.      Keller is the founder of Keller Williams Real Estate Corporation.  He helps us get out of the weedy third soil by advisin