Transformation Tuesday: Two Books for Beginners

The BBC library is now open, and I’d like to highlight two books for beginners in discipleship and for older Christians who need some tools for discipling others. The first is a book I’ve read several times; in fact, my copy is all marked up, but there are at least four new copies in the library. The book is Changed Into His Image by Jim Berg. This book is unique because it focuses on an overlooked, but basic, Christian habit, which is denying yourself.

The Bible describes the natural man as a rebel toward God and a slave to his own passions. What are we taught today? Do it your way, assert yourself, love yourself, follow your heart, don’t trust authority. This book is a gut punch to that philosophy. Christ taught that a Christian dies with him before being raised with him. Our old self with its old desires is dead, and now we learn to walk in the newness of life. If you’ve never grappled with your own selfishness and stubbornness, then this book is for you. Before any kind of ministry can happen to others, we must first deal with ourselves.

The second book is appropriate since we are currently studying John Calvin in Sunday School. Most of us think only of his controversial writings, but Calvin wrote a lot of warm, devotional material. A Little Book on the Christian Life is a theologically rich and devotionally warm book for new believers. Grab one of these copies from the library and have it ready for the holidays.