So many great books have spurred me on in my Christian walk and stirred me to change my attitudes and actions in 2025. It is my hope that these books can also be of encouragement to you too.
Wisdom Pyramid by Brett McCracken
I have access to the world in my pocket. But is this truly a good thing? In a time where doom-scrolling and information overload is common, Brett McCracken writes a book that highlights healthier sources of truth that can help Christians live wisely. Inspired by the food pyramid, The Wisdom Pyramid is a helpful guide for navigating this digital age. The book enabled me to be more reflective and mindful of what and where I get my information. Instead of getting wisdom from reels that are ephemeral and echo differing opinions, I was challenged to lean on the one real source of wisdom, God’s everlasting and unchanging word.
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Classics are classics for a reason and Knowing God is one such example. In this book, J.I. Packer faithfully engages with scripture to give readers a deeper and richer view of God’s character. While reading the book, there were many moments when I was in awe of God and many when I was rebuked. Through his writing, Packer can pierce the heart. The small and feeble views of God I carry were revealed. I was struck by his in-depth exploration of God being a jealous God, which is often downplayed or not spoken of in my experience. I think this stems from our use of a human view of jealousy in our understanding of God’s jealousy, a human view which is fed by pride and selfishness, to understand an attribute of a holy and righteous God. But just as a husband in a covenantal marriage would rightly be jealous of his wife’s lover, God’s jealousy is described in the same vane. It is zeal to protect a covenantal relationship with His people or to avenge it when broken. Thus a right response to this would be being zealous for God, which is both commanded and commended in the scriptures. This was a dense read but it will be one that I come back to time and time again.
Single Ever After by Dani Treweek
Dani Treweek is well qualified to write a book on singleness. She has completed a PhD on the topic and is also the founding director of the Single Minded Ministry. I have greatly benefitted from this ministry myself. Dani does a wonderful job of consolidating her wealth of knowledge on singleness into an accessible, practical and relatable book. I appreciated that at the end of each chapter, there was a short section unpacking how the theological truths can be lived out for both the married and single Christian. This is a book that I will continue to recommend to both my single and married friends as a way to understand and love one another well within the church community.
Viewfinder by Jon M. Chu
I remember watching Crazy Rich Asians and being astounded by seeing an all-Asian cast on the big screen, people who looked just like me. The film’s director, Jon M. Chu, has written a candid memoir that details his journey of getting to this point. It was intriguing getting a glimpse of how the film industry works and how cutthroat it can be too. I was also able to ponder the book using a gospel lens as he wrestles with the different themes of belonging, identity, and purpose. These themes were especially apparent as he documents how he became an overnight Hollywood success after being noticed by Steven Spielberg as a film school graduate. This opened opportunities for him to receive the rights to direct a blockbuster version of the musical Bye Bye Birdie. However, when grand ideas and ever-increasing budgets led to the production company pulling the plug on the project, Jon is left grieving and feeling purposeless. While reading this, I caught myself wondering how Jesus could’ve fulfilled his deep yearning for meaning that he had placed on his fleeting success. Overall, this is a book that every movie buff will enjoy and will find captivating from beginning to end.
No Greater Love by Rebecca McLaughlin
In a society that is obsessed with romantic love, it is no surprise that friendship is often relegated to an afterthought. Rebecca McLaughlin challenges this view by highlighting its significance through the thoughtful handling of scripture. She draws on both biblical examples and personal experiences to share wisdom on how to approach friendships. I found No Greater Love engaging and easy to read. I also enjoyed how Rebecca touches on a broad spectrum of topics such as navigating broken friendships and friendships with people of the opposite gender. Through reading this book, I have gained a greater admiration for Jesus and his ultimate display of friendship towards me. This has encouraged me to show that very same love to others, whether they’re church family, strangers or enquirers of the Christian faith.
Growing Together by Melissa Kruger
I know discipleship is beneficial to growing the body of Christ but sometimes I’m unsure of how or where to start. Growing Together by Melissa Kruger is a helpful and structured resource that makes it a bit more approachable. The first several chapters helped me think through the what, why, and how of discipleship. This provided a wonderful framework for the rest of the book, which was a study format that could be used to start 1-1 discipleship. Each chapter unpacked an important building block of the Christian life such a God’s word, prayer, and church. It also had thought-provoking discussion questions that cultivated meaningful conversations and fostered deeper mentoring relationships. I am prayerfully considering who I can read this book with for Christian growth.
