“I’m Searching”

Below I offer recommendations that help if you are searching for God and interested in learning more about Christianity. Or, if you are already a Christian, these resources will help you talk to others most confidently about what you believe. Jesus taught that God delights in revealing himself to those with humble, receptive hearts (Matt. 11:25–26). So if you seek God earnestly, you will find him (Matt. 7:7; Acts 17:27).

Your Personal Bible Reading: The Bible is the most direct and accessible way that God communicates with us today. Therefore, one of the best ways to learn about the Christian faith is to read the Bible for yourself, as opposed to getting the information secondhand. Buy yourself a good study Bible (follow the link above), and begin by reading the Gospel of Matthew or the Gospel of Mark, at least one chapter a day. Pause to consider what the Bible teaches us about God himself, the ways we value people and things more than God (which is idolatry), why Jesus died and rose from the dead (to establish the path to God), and how we can get right with God (by turning from our sins and trusting in Jesus).

Attend a Bible-explaining, Christ-centered Local Church: Doing so will help you learn more about God from Christians who love God and want to obey his Word.

The Path to God: This is my brief summary of the way to know God through Jesus Christ.

Two Ways to Live: This is another summary of how we can know God personally through Jesus Christ.

More Than a Carpenter by Josh and Sean McDowell (1): God used an earlier edition of this book to change the direction of my life more than thirty years ago. Throughout my adolescence, I believed that Jesus was simultaneously a respectable religious figure and yet irrelevant to my life. He was someone to appreciate from a distance, but not someone to worship and follow for all of eternity. This book, however, nudged me to make a decision about who I believed Jesus to be. Either Jesus was and is the risen and reigning Lord over all creation, or Jesus was a lunatic, a liar, or perhaps (as some argue) a legend. After reading this book, I couldn’t sit on the fence any longer.

*Unparalled by Jared C. Wilson (1 or 2): I am a Christian because I believe Christianity presents the most reasonable explanations of reality, which Wilson outlines in highly-accessible language. He explores the Christian view of God, humanity’s great dignity and worth, the person of Jesus Christ, and more. Each chapter reinforced my belief in the truth of Christianity, but the holistic, interconnected picture deepened my faith all the more.

Why I Still Believe by Mary Jo Sharp (1 or 2): The author weaves together her personal story with warm, thoughtful explanations of the Christian faith.

Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin (2): This book asks and answers twelve challenging questions regarding the Christian faith. Well-researched and engaging throughout.

*Making Sense of God by Tim Keller (2 or 3): I don’t know any book that is more balanced and thoughtful in the way it explores life’s most important questions and the way it presents the claims of Christianity in response to these questions.

Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams (3): The Christian faith is built on historical realities, particularly the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. More specifically, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, and if he is not now alive in heaven, then the Christian faith is useless. But are the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) reliable guides? This book presents a clear, concise defense of the historical accuracy of the four Gospels.