recommended book for new Christian

koro

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thanks for suggestions - I have ordered a copy of "Knowing God" (quite cheap at bookdepository) and will read it to check appropriateness.

I should add both these friends speak English as their second language (native Chinese and Portugese).
 
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koro

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So you have special powers to feel that their faith is lukewarm. Then you point them
to the books and sayings of creation.

how is that helpful?

My friends irregularly attend our church and bible study so I want to encourage them. That's all.
 
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elizabetta_bella

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That's awesome to hear you have help introduce two more people to Jesus! You are obviously a great friend to have.

However, I think as much as you want to give them a book or some media for edification...I think the best thing to do right now is just be there for them. Offer support, answer questions, keep communicating, and invite them to fellowship, but give them some freedom to grow. You want to make them on fire, just as you are, but sometimes it's important to remember a little air can turn a spark into a forest fire. Give them some space in their new found faith!
 
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Petra-fyd

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There is no better book to read than the bible. It's the original, and it's inspired by God. As Jesus said, "The words I have spoken unto you, they are spirit and they are life." Why waste time reading the uninspired works of men, as opposed to the oracles of the living God? Why remain a babe in Christ?
 
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koro

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There is no better book to read than the bible. It's the original, and it's inspired by God. As Jesus said, "The words I have spoken unto you, they are spirit and they are life." Why waste time reading the uninspired works of men, as opposed to the oracles of the living God? Why remain a babe in Christ?

so in your view do Christian books and commentaries etc have any value? Or did Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, Wesley, Spurgeon, Lewis, Piper, etc waste their time by writing?
 
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Petra-fyd

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To give you a little ammo, I'll quote George Muller, which may certainly be considered an uninspired work,
"I fell into the snare into which so many young believers fall, the reading of religious books is preferred to the Scriptures. Now the scriptural way of reasoning would have been: God Himself has condescended to become an author, and I am ignorant of that precious Book which His Holy Spirit has caused to be written; therefore I ought to read again this Book of books most earnestly, most prayerfully, and with much meditation. Instead of acting thus, and being led by my ignorance of the Word to study it more, my difficulty of understanding it made me careless of reading it, and then, like many believers, I practically preferred for the first four years of my Christian life, the works of uninspired men to the oracles of the Living God. The consequence was that I remained a babe, both in knowledge and grace. In knowledge, I say, for all true knowledge must be derived by the Spirit from the Word. This lack of knowledge most sadly kept me back from walking steadily in the ways of God. For it is the truth makes us free, by delivering us from the slavery of the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. The Word proves it, the experience of the saints proves it, and also my own experience most decidedly proves it. For when it pleased the Lord, in August 1829, to bring me really to the Scriptures, my life and walk became very different."
Do those works have any value? Yes they do, but it doesn't compare to the scriptures. I just don't think it's good advice to send a new believer to any book other than the bible, and certainly not to the heady works of Augustine, Aquina, Kant, etc. I own writings by most all those authors, but I feel they have very little value compared to the bible.
 
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JakeAM

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Well you mentioned Piper, and I think Desiring God is a great book for a new Christian to read. It was the first non-Bible book I read as a new Christian and it really opened up a new, yet eternal and fundamentally Biblical, way to approaching God that I hadn't previously known about.

A collection of Spurgeon's sermons would be great, they're very accessible, even if given over a hundred years ago. Found: God's Will by John MacArthur is a small booklet that I'm sure you can get for cheap and would be something that could be read over an afternoon.

I'll second the poster who said Knowing God by Packer, but I have to say that it can be a little dry and academic for someone who isn't a native English speaker, doesn't have much time to devote, or just doesn't have that kind of patience yet.

While all of these things certainly pale in comparison to scripture, I've found that outside work can serve as an inspiration to more dutiful Bible study and awaken someone when they're feeling disconnected. I'd agree that there are a lot of "Christian" self help books out there that aren't worth the paper they're written on, but if you have a discerning Christian friend who has already sorted through all the non-sense stuff, they can be a real asset in recommending good, Christ-centered, literature with a Biblical foundation.

Of course a good study Bible would probably help them more than anything. Although they tend to be expensive, I think that if you offered to help them buy one it could be the best decision there is. It can help them follow along and understand, because the Bible can be quite daunting at first for anyone. I know that when I became a Christian I was overwhelmed by the fact that there was so much information contained within scripture that I didn't know and that it sometimes was hard connecting everything to the bigger picture. Great commentaries, like the Complete MacArthur Bible Commentaries(which you can get for about 20 bucks), when used with the Bible, can really clarify that which might not be immediately visible to a new Christian.

You're a great friend by the way.
 
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koro

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hey Jake,

My church has a reading group that is working through Desiring God. I assumed it was quite heavy but will borrow a copy when they finish and see for myself.
My copy of Knowing God should arrive soon.

Found: God's Will looks promising - I will check it out.

Spurgeon wrote so many sermons - how to choose?

Thanks for your post!
 
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GaryP

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Plain and simple you have judged their faith as lukewarm. I would instead focus on your
self. The keyword is irregularly. If they were regular would that make their faith " hot ".
As with the sayings of creation ie books. I would let the Spirit of the Father in Heaven
guide them. How would you feel if you pointed them to the wrong book. I hope you do
not believe that the dark side does not write christian books.
 
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koro

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Plain and simple you have judged their faith as lukewarm. I would instead focus on your
self.

so if your friend regularly prioritized homework, TV, etc over taking part in the church community, you wouldn't be concerned? Instead you would be suspicious of anyone that was concerned? Really??
 
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clep

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hello,

2 of my friends recently became Christians - yay! However I feel their faith is lukewarm so I want to encourage them with a good book.

Am considering The Screwtape Letters - any recommendations?

I am also a new Christian.....yayyy. I will check out the books that you mentioned and the others on this thread.

I also wanted to take a minute to share the idea of attraction rather than promotion. My family is RELIGIOUS. I mean the kind that uses God to cosign abusive behavior towards others and even within our own family. That experience had me so far turned from God up until recently. I am 40.

I had the experience of accepting God into my life a short time ago via some people that were a wonderful living example of what a true follower of God really is. Your friends are truly blessed to have someone that is interested in aiding them in obtaining such a great gift. I wish I had had someone like that a long time ago in my life.

I am also lukewarm as I gather most new Christians are and these books I'm sure will help. I am reading the Shack right now to be able to better understand what is covered in the book. It has been helpful. All the best to you in aiding them to obtain all they can out of their new faith and walk in life.
 
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