Our dates are defined by His existence, our currency states “In God We Trust,” our most treasured Holiday celebrates His birthday, and the wonder of humanity and creation all points to a single creator. This is heavy stuff, I know, and I’d be willing to bet you have one in your home, yet you’ve never read it. I get it, it can be intimidating, and the last time you tried to read it was likely confirmation class when you were 12. Start in the New Testament, perhaps in the book of John, and just start reading a chapter a day. Read about the life upon which everything else hinges upon. Read about the relevance. Read about the love, the selflessness, the leadership, and the ultimate sacrifice for you. 

This one hold sentimental value to me as it was a gift to me from one of my dearest friends. At the time, he was a man I respected and looked up to, but wasn’t a friend yet, so I kind of read it out of obligation. Up to this point, I wasn’t much of a reader, but this one hooked me for life. This is the ultimate first time reader book in my opinion. It’s a fantastic historical fiction book that has some profound personal development lessons woven into it. I’ll never forget feeling like my brain was literally being re-wired as I read it. 

I was inspired to read Erik Wahl’s book UNTHINK after hearing him paint and speak at a sales convention. His presentation had me awestruck, and the other 20,000 people in the room. This book really dives into unconventional thinking and really challenges your worldview and how to think for yourself instead of just following “the standard system,” which is pretty outdated for the times. Prepare to say “whoa!” a lot when you’re reading this one.

Call me a simple man, but this book is something that all ages need to read. I think we all enjoy reading a story rather than just a manual on leadership. This story relates the journey of a young man’s desire to become a samurai archer and the long quest and lessons he learns along the way. This book will get you dreaming again, but more importantly teaches the hard lessons about what it takes to chase and achieve your dream. 

I know there’s this prevailing perspective about being a Man of Faith, that it involves a life of timidness, following all the rules, no adventure, and completely unmanly. While I’ve known this to be entirely untrue since I gave my life to Christ, because it has been nothing but an adventure in becoming more manly, this book captures the manliness of a Godly man and why it’s worthwhile to pursue. There’s a female version called Captivating by John’s wife Staci. Whether man or woman, these two books could change your life.