FAVORITE NON-FICTION 2024

I believe the quote is from C.S. Lewis, though I could be wrong.

Yes, this is an annual tradition, but I save the non-fiction for last. I have yet to hear anyone saying I should have my favorite fiction or favorite songs being the one to save for last, but as I said before, I believe these may have more impact than the other lists. 

This is the list I most often would countdown to #1 (or count down from #1), but this year I'll go with my more normal approach by putting them in alphabetic order. 

One comment I'll make - more than other years, there are authors on this list that I either know personally or interact with on-line. That is more typical with the novelists and musicians that I follow, but not as much with non-fiction. So I'm very happy with this list. 

So are you ready? Like the fiction, I'll add a link on the title to my review of the book.

1. DANIEL: FAITHFUL IN THE FIRE, by former SBC President J. D. Greaer. This was the workbook for an eight part Sunday School class study. The focus is how Daniel remained faithful in the midst of an ungodly nation. Thus, more attention is given to the historic segments than the prophetic side.
2. FIVE TRAITS OF A DISCIPLE MAKER, released by Navigators, edited by Doug Neunke (U.S. President of the Navigators). This is an excellent devotional study, just taking a few minutes a day. Each of the five traits are divided into several devotionals.
3. GOING THERE: TALES FROM THE RIVIERA AND BEYOND, by Donna Fletcher Crow. Regular readers will recognize Crow's name, and may even realize that she wasn't mentioned on the fiction list this year (which is definitely not typical). This book is a blend of experiences and history of a trip Donna made during the height of COVID and some short stories featuring characters from her mystery series. This book was considered both as fiction and non-fiction, and I chose for the latter.
4. GOOD NEWS GOING BAD: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF A MODERN MISSIONS MELTDOWN, by Dr. Jim Baugh. I had the honor of having Jim Baugh as one of my classmates in college. This book deals with missionaries who are more concerned about not offending the lost than they are with being faithful to Scripture.
5. IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF PERSECUTION AND DISCIPLESHIP, by Glenn Penner. Penner used to be director of VOM-Canada and a professor at Oklahoma Wesleyan before he went home to be with the Lord. You may have seen me have other books from the New Studies in Biblical Theology series; this is not one of them but it could be. Definitely an eye-opening book.
6. NOW AND NOT YET: THEOLOGY AND MISSION IN EZRA-NEHEMIAH, by Dean Ulrich. Speaking of New Studies in Biblical Theology, here is a good book from that series.
7. RELIGHTING THE TORCH, by Andrew Horning. Another book by a personal friend. Probably the only political book in the group, but it includes annotated versions of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Amendments. 
8. STONES THAT CRY: GOD'S PRECIOUS METAL, by Glenn Remsen (art by Scott Remsen). Is all mainstream rock/metal music as evil as we think? Or is there some searching among the artists? I have a few controversial books in this list, and this probably would be at the top of the list, but it definitely made me think. By the way, I'm a Glenn Remsen fan, and love his podcast Lithoscry.
9. THE THRILL OF ORTHODOXY: REDISCOVERING THE ADVENTURE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH, by Trevin Wax, vice-president of research and resource development of the Southern Baptist Convention. I discovered Wax with his 22 part pod-cast "Reconstructing Faith," where he would mention this book each week. This definitely is a deep book, and probably one I'll reread. Its point is that the Christian life should be exciting.
10. 31 SPIRITUAL LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DOG, by Raylene King. I've had this book for years, maybe even decades, but I'm familiar with Dennis and Raylene King, and Cosmo, the Dachshund referred to in the title. It's an excellent month long devotional.

BOOK REVIEW - "DANIEL: FAITHFUL IN THE FIRE" (BIBLE STUDY) BY J.D. GREEAR

 

The Sunday after Easter, a newly formed men's Sunday School class at my church went through "Daniel: Faithful in the Fire" by former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear While Daniel is known for its spectacular rescues and for the prophetic element, Greear's focus is on the character of Daniel and his friends and how that is a model for our lives.

This book has eight lessons. Each starts with a group discussion. This is followed by a trio of personal studies. There also is an access code that you can use to view the videos.

If you're familiar with Daniel, you're probably aware that it consists of 12 chapters, with the first six looking more at the historical events in Daniel's life, and the latter focusing more on what many (including me) consider to be end times prophecy. You'll then ask what he does to trim 12 chapters to 8 lessons. Disappointingly but not surprisingly, that's because seven of the lessons deal with the first six chapters (two on chapter 1), and the only chapter in the latter six chapters deals not with prophecy but with (absolutely not surprisingly nor disappointingly) Daniel's intercessory prayer in chapter 9. 

I will admit - I do want to deal with the whole book. But again, the book's theme is on us being faithful in a culture that is opposed to everything we affirm and glorify what we consider wickedness. That's definitely a needed theme today.

I highly recomme1d this series for either personal study or for a group.

By the way, isn't the cover art wonderful?