In an era dominated by superficial popular culture, there’s real value in expanding our thinking to God’s glory, and not just going broad but going deep. Deep is where the roots are, and they’re what keeps the tree or vine standing during storms that would otherwise erode and topple it.

A child who doesn’t learn to love to read will not love to read God's Word, and will be robbed of joy and perspective. So read to your kids and give them great books to read! Here are some great books to consider sharing with your children.

Philip Yancey, a writer I often appreciate, wrote an article about his own struggle to carve out focused attention for reading, and how his own personal experience reflects our culture at large. The decline in reading books is something I feel strongly about, as those who aren’t dedicated readers most likely won’t be dedicated readers of God’s Word.

Here's my suggestion for this year: tell yourself you will read a minimum of ten minutes before watching something or looking at a device. I guarantee you that if you do this every day, some days you will never turn on the TV.

In May 2017, Randy Alcorn was interviewed by Adam Miller about his book Grace: A Bigger View of God's Love. In this clip, he talks about how he encourages readers to read Grace. See their website for more information. 

Our worldviews permeate our writing, and if all we soak in is popular culture, a few hours a week at church won’t be sufficient to give us depth and durability. We need to read quality books by great Christian thinkers.

In April 2017, Randy Alcorn taught a course at Veritas Evangelical Seminary on the subject of sexual purity. In this clip, he answers a questions about non-Christian books.

In a culture dominated by television, movies, video games and social media, our attention spans are decreasing and we’re shrinking both intellectually and spiritually.

I don’t keep books on my nightstand, but I have two equivalents: a book table by the living room recliner, and another by my office chair. Here’s what’s on them, besides the Bible.