The 15 Most Impactful Books On My Life

It’s hard to quantify just how much of an impact a book has had on one’s life—especially when that book is judged against other books. But I got to thinking today about the books that have had the greatest impact on my life—outside the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy—and these ones came to my mind the quickest. It is these ones that I find myself going back to time and time again. They are the ones that have impacted my life more than any other—my theology, my worldview, my thinking, my living.

The keen observer will probably notice that most of them come from the same genre and the same theological slant. This is further insight into my worldview.

If you have not read any of the books listed, I would encourage you to run, not walk, to get them (links are provided for them for quick ordering access). And since it was so hard to narrow it down, I am providing my "Top 15" (it started with 10, then went to 11, then 14, and now, finally, 15). I am sure there are some that I have overlooked, and these may not be the exact order I would list them in a week or two. but it is what it is at this point.

Without further ado, here are the non-biblical, non-SOP, books that have had the biggest impact on my life. 

1. The Return of the Latter Rain, by Ron Duffield. This work is so exhaustive and so eye-opening when it comes to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It pulls the curtain back on where we are as a denomination.
2. See With New Eyes, by Ty Gibson. I read this my freshman or sophomore year in college and it was an incredible revelation. It gave me a totally new—and refreshing—picture of God. Perhaps the single most memorable thought of any book I have ever read comes from Ty: "There is nothing more healing to the sinful heart than to be fully known and yet fully loved. . . . [It] is the essence of redemption" (pp. 55, 56). Both this book and Duffield’s book are really 1 and 1a in many senses. (NOTE: for some reason I lost my original copy and just finally picked up a new copy last week, after not having it for nearly a decade.)
3. Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed, by Donald K. Short. In some ways, it has been easy for me to overlook this little book, but it cannot be understated how monumental it was in my realization of what Christ is trying to accomplish in the plan of salvation. It is small yet packs a powerful punch!
4. Lessons on Faith, by A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner. This is a must-read for those who want to understand how to live the life of faith. I finally read it about three years ago and it was revolutionary in my thinking.
5. The Good News Is Better Than You Think, by Robert Wieland. Though I have read numerous books of his, Elder Wieland’s preaching has really been more impactful on me, but this book probably stands out above the rest of his.
6. Agape and Eros, by Carsten Johnsen. This powerful book is in many senses a response to Anders Nygren’s seminal work by the same name. It is an awesome vignette into God’s heart and character. It is deep, deep, deep, though, and may be a little challenging to follow for some. The recipient of multiple PhDs, the late Carsten Johnsen was a theological giant (and one of my dad's biggest mentors).
7. Can Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi Zacharias is to me what C.S. Lewis has been for a lot of other Christians: a convincing apologist for the Christian faith. This little book has been the most helpful for me in helping me realize that Christianity is not a blind commitment to illogical ideas, but a very reasonable and convincing worldview that makes more sense than the alternatives. It has also helped me to see that atheism is, in fact, an absurd and self-contradicting philosophy.
8. Darwin’s God, by Cornelius G. Hunter. This book was eye-opening in helping me see that most Darwinists actually present theological and metaphysical arguments, rather than purely scientific ones.
9. The Glad Tidings, by E.J. Waggoner. Both Waggoner and A.T. Jones have written numerous books that are worth mentioning, but I think this one stands out above the rest (besides the Lessons on Faith compilation, which has selections from both of them).
10. Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is the most fascinating and exhaustive biography on Abraham Lincoln that I have come across. Goodwin is such a brilliant and fascinating writer and she provides amazing insight into Lincoln’s leadership skills and struggles. It is being turned into a movie and I am very eager to see it.
11. What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey. I read this my freshman year of college and the wonderfully gracious presentation of Christ that Yancey presents is very compelling.
12. Amazing Grace, by Eric Metaxas. This is a powerful, powerful biography of William Wilberforce. And Metaxas is one of the most brilliant writers I have come across (even though his biography on Deitrich Bonhoeffer has been somewhat of a letdown). As someone has said of Metaxas: he writes biographies like fiction (which, in this case, is a good thing).
13. Should We Ever Say “I Am Saved?” by Herbert Douglass. Both this book and A Fork in the Road by Douglass have been very helpful in my thinking.
14. The Cross of Christ, by John R.W. Stott. This is a monumental book when it comes to the atonement and the cross.
15. The Knocking at the Door, by Robert Wieland. This connects the message to the church of Laodicea with the Song of Solomon in a powerful way that appeals to God's lukewarm church to open the door to Him. It really was huge in starting my deep interest in the Song of Solomon.

What about you? What books have been the most influential and impactful on your life?

(UPDATE: Yup, I already realize that I missed a couple huge books that would probably make the top 5 or 6: Joshua Harris's two books, I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl. How could I have forgotten them??)