25 things I learned from 100 books last year

(part one)

In 2024 my goal was to read 100 books. Ambitious, I know. I probably won’t be reading that many books anytime soon, but it was so worth it. I learned countless lessons, and through the month of October, I’ll pass along 25 lessons from these books, five each week.

I hope that you’re inspired and will check out some of these books!

Let’s jump in with lessons one through five.

1. An Eastern way to read the Bible

Asking Better Questions of the Bible — Marty Solomon

I learned a new lens through which to read Scripture. Marty says, “If we ask the wrong questions of the Bible, we will always get the wrong answer.” I am learning how to read the Bible for what it is, not what I want it to be. Here are a few examples of the differences between Eastern and Western thought.

• Easterners see words as pictures, not data.

• Easterners see eternal life as a quality of life, accessible now, not a quantity of life.

• Easterners see numbers as symbols.

• Easterners view Scripture as primarily about how God relates to people, not what He is like. They are more concerned with how he relates than how to explain Him.

• Easterners see truth as unfolding, relational, and experiential rather than static, scientific, and rational in the Westerner’s mind.

Stop reading the Bible like just a systematic theology book or science textbook. Start reading it to meet with God!

2. Disciple is a noun, not a verb

Practicing the Way — John Mark Comer

A disciple is something we are, not something that is done to us.

“If disciple is something that is done to you (a verb) then that puts the onus of responsibility for your spiritual formation on someone else, like your pastor, church, or mentor. But if disciple is a noun- if it's something you are or are not - then no one can "disciple" you but Rabbi Jesus Himself.”

3. Ordinary is formative

Liturgy of the Ordinary — Tish Harrison Warren

I used to think that Bible study and prayer times were the things that God used most to form us into His image.

Yet, if you’re disciplined (which I encourage you be), that only represents about 4% of your life. The other 23 hours, or 96%, are spent living.

That’s why Tish says things like,

“The crucible of our formation is in the monotony of our daily routines.”

“The kind of spiritual life and disciplines needed to sustain the Christian life are quiet, repetitive, and ordinary.”

How you spend your time in the grocery line, in the school drop-off, at the dinner table, in the commute, or at the end of a long day is how you spend your life. It’s utterly ordinary.

But what we do with the ordinary moments will become who we are.

Ordinary is transformational, good or bad. Submit your ordinary to God.

4. Hindsight, we’ll see God in everything

The Horse and His Boy — C.S. Lewis

Aslan, the Christ-figure, manifested himself as a cat, leopard, and lion in this story. Each time, providing something different for the children: comfort, prodding, fulfillment.

In the end, he shows the children that each of these instances was him. Aslan drew near through a cat, a leopard, and a lion. Sometimes gentle, others frightening. But always for the children’s good.

When we look back at our lives, I’m convinced that God will show us where His hand was at and we’ll be blown away.

It was Him on the side of the road begging.

It was His gentle whisper as you got out of bed for the sixth time to comfort your crying baby.

It was Him who used the tragedy of loss to draw you closer to your family.

Hindsight is 20/20. And God is in everything, working it for His glory.

5. The valley is where the water is

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 — W. Phillip Keller

A beautiful little book. It’s only good news that I’m a sheep if I have a good shepherd.

In the valley of the shadow of death is where the impersonal ‘He’ of the LORD turns into the very personal ‘You’. The darkness, pain, and suffering are where God meets us the most.

Read Psalm 23, and notice how the language shifts after the valley of the shadow of death.

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me';
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Let the weight of your valley lead you to the refreshment of the Living Water.

I’ll see you next Friday with lessons 6-10.

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