By: Rev. Mark A. Horne
Jonathan came home for Spring Break a few weeks ago and asked a very serious question, “Dad/Mom, what books would you recommend a 20-year-old to read”? I’m not sure if that was his exact question, but it is pretty close. This, of course, thrilled my heart. What a challenge!? What an opportunity. However, his request has weighed on my heart as to whether others might want my opinion.
Therefore, the following books are ones that I believe that every 20-year-old should read or have read. There were some easy choices for me to place on here such as Sproul’s The Holiness of God and Watson’s The Doctrine of Repentance. However, when I got towards the end I made some difficult choices. For example, I placed Newport and Saltz’s books on here in lieu of some Christian authors, which might make some Christian brothers and sisters wince with agonizing pain. Yet, I believe they offer some principled relational advice on how to live and organize life. And I know that some would put Maxwell and Ziglar’s books on here instead of Reeder’s for leadership principles. I wouldn’t dispute them other than to say that Reeder is more pastoral. Finally, I need to state that there were many books on topics such as dating, marriage, theology, philosophy, observing the Lord’s Day, fiction, etc., and by authors that I love such as Schaeffer, S. Ferguson, Beeke, Kelly, Tripp, Phillips, etc. that I didn’t include that I really wanted to include. However, I looked at the challenge from now being 45 years of age to what I would want to know at 20 years of age. Although I love Calvin’s Institutes of Religion and Luther’s The Bondage of the Will and all of the Puritans, they didn’t impact life in living for the Lord until later in life when I was more mature as a Christian and husband and father and pastor. Most of the books on this list did personally. Others are more recent publications that I would place in the hands of my young self. Oh, and no matter your age, if you haven’t read any of these, I suggest you should.
The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs
Knowing God, J.I. Packer
The Holiness of God, R.C.Sproul
The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
Desiring God, John Piper
Holiness, J.C. Ryle
Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper
The Doctrine of Repentance, Thomas Watson
All Things for Good, Thomas Watson
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer
A Method for Prayer, Matthew Henry
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
First things First, Stephen R. Covey
3D Leadership, Harry L. Reeder III
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport
The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius, Gail Saltz
Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan
The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis
Andrews PCA 