Valuable Reading Together

I have recently become a part of a group of men who are working on reading and thinking together. I have learned that, over the years, I do a much better job of reading valuable books if I read them with others. It is very good to not only read, but discuss and review books in order to gain the most from them.

Right now, I am at the beginning of two reading projects with groups of men. The first is a short-term project working through the classic book, Pilgrim’s Progress. We will be reading through the first half of the book, the story of Christian, from now through the final Saturday in March. We will then gather and talk about the book. Specifically, I am encouraging the men to read with a highlighter in hand, and to be ready to share the highlights (and perhaps some lowlights) from their time in the book.

The second project that I am beginning is a broader group of men reading through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. This is a massive (1,200 plus pages) work that deals with a mountain of issues and thoughts that growing Christians should consider. Beginning March 1, we will be reading one chapter per week, and then commenting and discussing it on Facebook. Grudem’s work is a widely-used textbook in Bible colleges and seminaries around the world. And, thankfully, it is written in a very accessible, easy-to-read style. Chapters not only have content, but also end with discussion questions, memory verses, and even suggestions for worship that deal with the particular doctrine at hand. Grudem clearly wants his readers to worship because of their theology, not to become dry, sterile, and bookish.

If you are reading this and are interested in joining in either of the projects, let me know. Pass me an email or go and join our Facebook group called Valuable Reading Together. I’ll happily help you to find a way to have some others with whom to read.

If you want in the Facebook group, just let me know by sending me a note on my Facebook page. The group is not publically displayed, as I want to avoid spam.