Recommended Systematic Theology Books

Okay, let me answer this question: What more popular systematic theology books have I found especially useful recently as a pastor/preacher for insights and for communication?

Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz, "Bruce & Stan’s Guide to God: A User-Friendly Approach" (Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 1997). High school level, but strong on communication.

Rick Cornish, "5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth in Minimum Time" (Colorado Springs, Co.: NavPress, 2004). Excellent definitions and summaries.

Bruce Demarest and Keith J. Matthews, eds., "Dictionary of Everyday Theology and Culture" (Colorado Springs, Co.: Navpress, 2010). Very good at answering "so what?"

Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears, "Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe" (Wheaton, Il.: Crossway, 2010). Good Reformed presentation; weak on the Holy Spirit and end times.

Don Thorsen, "An Exploration of Christian Theology" (Peabody, Ma.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008). Excellent non-Reformed presentation.

"31 Days of Drawing Near to God" by Ruth Meyers

Ruth and Warren Meyers have been especially known for their 31-day collections on praise, prayer, and encouragement. While not as strong as these other three, Ruth describes heartfelt devotional comments in 31 Days of Drawing Near to God, which climax with prayers at the end of every chapter and moves the heart nearer to God.

Her use of multiple Bible translations, memorable quotes, and meaningful personal stories make this book spiritually uplifting. For 31 days, I echoed her prayers that ascended like incense before God.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"Soar: Are You Ready to Accept God's Power?" by Kenny Luck

With personal stories and wit, Kenny Luck, president of Every Man Ministries and men's pastor at Saddleback Church, invites men into a powerful journey with the Holy Spirit. Where do you begin?

Using the acronym SOAR . . .

Say "yes" and always "yes" to the Holy Spirit.

Open doors inside to the Spirit's transformative work.

Actively pursue and partner with the Spirit in your everday life.

Release the power of the Spirit to make your maximum impact for God in this world.

Throughout his book, Kenny talks to men, their issues, their concerns, their struggles. In heartfelt language and motivating prayers, encountering the Holy Spirit becomes real, personal, and powerful.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Five Daily Prayers -- Prayer Number Five

Prayer Number 5. Use me for your glory.

I live for God’s pleasure, seeking to please God in all respects.

I was created for doing good works. I aim to be zealous in doing good for God and for others. Faith without action is dead. I want to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, and serving the Lord by serving others. My ultimate goal is doing everything for God, so God gets the attention and the credit. Whatever I do, I do as unto the Lord, using the gifts he has given, to extend his kingdom in large and mundane ways, in service for my King. I want God to use me.

These five prayers have shaped my prayer life. More accurately speaking, I might not pray these prayers seven days a week. But I do find my heart often returning to these familiar prayer thoughts and themes with such regularity that they often become daily.

Listen to your own heart. What prayer habits have you established? What anchors in prayer have you developed? What themes dominate your prayer life? Let us together be people of prayer.

Five Daily Prayers -- Prayer Number Four

Daily Prayer Number 4. Lead and guide me today.

As the new day stands before me, I need God’s guidance. I need direction in organizing my to-do list and in responding to needs that arise. People, projects, conversations, opportunities, assignments, communications, the planned, the unexpected. I seek God’s staff of leadership to direct me.

God guides me with his eye upon me. He guides me with his peace. God will work out his work through my work. My plans committed to God will be reached. When I get to the end of the day, I can be assured that I have accomplished everything God wanted me to accomplish. For regular days, I seek to follow God’s agenda for my life that day. For difficult days, I remind myself that God will bring nothing into my life except by his love and sovereignty. I seek God’s guidance.

Five Daily Prayers -- Prayer Number Three

Daily Prayer Number 3: Fill me with your Holy Spirit.

With sin and self out of the way, I need the fullness of Jesus to breathe new life into me. Daily cleansing, daily dying, daily infilling.

Apart from Jesus I can do no thing. I need to be continuously filled with God’s Holy Spirit. I take time to pray this, to linger in God’s presence, to receive fresh anointing. I ask to be filled. With confidence I know I am going to be filled. By faith receiving, I am now being filled. With gratefulness, I thank God for filling me. I receive God’s infilling for today.

Five Daily Prayers -- Prayer Number Two

Daily Prayer Number 2: I die to myself, Lord.

Not only do I need forgiveness, I need to take a fresh trip to the cross and die out to my self-centered nature – stubbornness, waywardness, selfishness. I want what I want, when I want it. It’s my way. My heart is deceitful, and I can deceive myself. The good I want to do, I don’t do. The bad I don’t want to do, I do. It’s something more than specific sins I struggle with. It’s me. It’s my sin nature. I need to bend my will to God’s will and yield to others.

Even Jesus prayed, “Not my will but yours be done in me.” I can ask God to search my heart, to deliver me from hurtful ways, to drain every wrongful attitude, desire, thought, or motivation from me. I die daily.