Ignorance Is Not Bliss
I came across some startling statistics this week that made me reevaluate my life. I hope to inspire the same with you. Did you know the average American spends…
876 hours a year on social media? That’s nearly 37 days. More than 1 month of the year we spend scrolling with our thumbs!
1,846 hours a year watching TV? That’s nearly 77 days. Almost 3 months of the year we spend binge watching our favorite shows, movies, and sports.
We say we’re too busy but statistics show that many of us spend a third of our year scrolling or watching. Regardless if we claim to be under the average or not, we spend way too much time on things that don’t benefit our lives. And if we’re not disciplined and intentional, those numbers will increase during this coronavirus pandemic.
Can I challenge you to read more? Take some time to invest in yourself. Take some time to learn and develop new skills. Take some time to increase your knowledge and understanding. Ignorance is not bliss. In fact, ignorance causes people to live for and believe the wrong things. So, here are some lists of a couple of my favorite books by topic...
Leadership
Dare To Lead by Brené Brown
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg
H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick
The Question Behind The Question by John Miller
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Personal Development
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Everybody Always by Bob Goff
Switch on your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation by Miles McPherson
Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley
Finance
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
Health and Nutrition
Proteinaholic by Dr. Garth Davis
How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Greger
The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Thomas M. Campbell
Parenting
Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
Loving Your Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk
Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) training is a phenomenal parenting resource and something we were trained with in the foster system.
If you made it this far and you’re a Christian, here are lists of challenging Christian reads on learning what you actually believe about God and the book that talks about him. I believe the deepest study on the Christian life is love like Jesus (best exemplified in the book above by Bob Goff). But there are some topics many Christians really struggle with and want some answers. As you find some answers you may begin to question what to believe or who to believe since there are many differing opinions on the topics below. The best advice I’ve received when it comes to theology is believe the idea that looks the most like Jesus. Now, before you label me based on the authors mentioned below, I was raised in the Southern Baptist/Reformed theology camp my whole upbringing. I graduated from Liberty Theological Seminary. For the record, I have read every book listed below. I refuse to endorse books I haven’t read in their entirety. I also refuse to dismiss Christian authors just because popular Christianity does. If you form an opinion about someone you do not know or form an opinion about a topic/book you have not studied or read, then how can you expect your opinion to carry any credibility? Don’t just believe everything you’ve been taught because an idea seems different, new, or wrong. When I actually started to study and read topics way after I graduated from seminary, I learned that the early church believed many different things than the current popular Western Christian movement. What happened when I wasn’t forced to believe something because the power hungry, money driven, or fear based denominations of America believed it, I actually found Grace. I actually found righteousness, peace, and joy. You know…the Kingdom that Jesus established on Earth 2,000 years ago…Proceed with caution however, you could be dismissed as your beliefs begin to change; but you’ll find something…rather Someone who will radically change the way you live.
If you’re curious about how to read the Bible and how to make sense of Old Testament violence read… Irresistible by Andy Stanley
Understanding The Whole Bible by Jonathan Welton
What is the Bible? by Rob Bell
Disarming Scripture by Derek Flood
Cross Vision by Gregory Boyd
The Bible Made Impossible by Christian Smith
The Bible Tells Me So by Dr. Peter Enns
If you’re curious about understanding the Biblical view of Hell read…
Hell Yes/Hell No by Dr. John Noe
If you’re curious about many myths the Western Church believes read...
Myths and Mistranslations by Jamie Englehart
If you’re curious about understanding the end times or what the Bible even talks about when it references it read...
How the End Times Ended in AD 70 by Micah Stephens
Raptureless by Jonathan Welton
(Or you can watch the countless hours of Youtube videos produced by Dr. Lynn Hiles and Dr. John Noe)
If you really want to be challenged and surprised about the Jesus that is revealed through Scripture then read these 2 books by Keith Giles…
Jesus Unbound: Liberating the Word of God from the Bible
Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb