Change - resources of change

I am not quite sure how to begin this post, except to say that I wanted to begin recommending some books that I have found to be quite useful in my own life. And since I am working on compiling some posts on the topic of change, I thought now would be a good time to recommend some books on that same topic.

I have also become a believer in saturating your mind with the right stuff. We waste so much of our time with television and movies, that we don't have time to fill it up with good practical teaching on the Word of God. I think that we should treasure the "pastors" of our day, even if they aren't at our church.

So, here is my first recommendation:

Godliness Through Discipline
by Jay E. Adams


Summary: With only 25 pages, this is a very short book. It is easy to read, but it is packed with some very practical and useful information. Here is the opening paragraph of the book, that will give you an idea of its purpose:

Do you remember the last time that you left a church service all fired up to change? You were determined to be different. "This time," you said, "I mean it; I am going to become the person that God wants me to be!" By Tuesday the fire had burned out. The last time that you read a booklet like this you may have decided: "From now on..." but here you are today, pretty much the same as always. You mean well, but nothing significant seems to happen; you have been trying, but not really making it. There has been some change, some growth, some blessing, but not the kind that you so earnestly would like to see.

The author then goes on to teach Biblical change, by breaking down several key passages on that subject. In this booklet he discusses how to change, and the Biblical perspective of things like habit. (which turns out to be a wonderful gift, if understood.)

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this booklet.

I once used this as a teaching guide in a Bible class that I taught. I ended up spending over a month just going through these few pages. It seemed that the students that I was teaching at the time, already knew areas of their life that needed to change, but were having difficulty bringing that change into their day-to-day life. It is so short, sweet and to the point, that it could be used in many different circles.

If you are interested in change, this is an excellent book to start off with.