My annual Christmas list always is filled with good reads for family and friends. Last year many received Nancy Guthrie’s anthology, Come Thou Long – Expected Jesus. I commend it again this year as a rich tool to help prepare your heart for the joyous celebration of the King of Kings.
For Christmas 2009 my youngest grand will receive:
Sammy and His Shepherd, Seeing Jesus in Psalm 23by Susan Hunt, a delightful choice. I look forward to reading this and showing him the beauty of our great shepherd.
For the older elementary grands, I have chosen The Prince’s Poison Cup by R. C. Sproul. This beautifully designed booktells the story of Jesus’ willingness to drink the cup of the Father’s wrath and helps children see the triumph of Christ that came from His obedience. This book is a helpful tool to parents and grandparents seeking to teach their children deep biblical truths.
The dear men in our family will be receiving three good reads:
My olderst grandson will be receiving the Ryken’s Bible Handbook. I give it with the prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide him in his understanding of the treasures and truths of God’s Word.
On Being Presbyterian is a wonderful gift to the PCA family and lends itself to multiple teaching opportunities within the local church. The author, Dr. Sean Lucas, is former dean of faculty and assistant professor of church history at Covenant Theological Seminary, and currently senior pastor at First Presbyterian, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
In 2009 Christendom celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. Through the reading of John Calvin’s Institutes we discover a preacher whose life and preaching evidenced a passion to show forth the glory of God. A Heart Promptly Offered: The Revolutionary Leadership of John Calvin by David Hall, shows “John Calvin was much more than a theologian, and his influence extended far beyond churches. He inspired the cultural changes that gave rise to the political philosophy of the American founders…”
And no list of mine will be complete without my perennial favorite The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions! It is always appreciated and becomes a treasured gift.
Finally, if you need a good gift book for newly weds,singles, or a seasoned marriage, choose John Piper’s This Momentary Marriage, A Parable of Permanence.
The style is biblically centered as the author holds up a picture of marriage displaying the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his church. “Our earthly marriage is really a momentary gift, a shadow that will give way to Reality….the foretaste will lead to the Banquet…and the purpose of marriage will be complete.”
I send this with a prayer that this Christmas will be a joyous celebration of worship for the Gift of Christ Jesus.