Somewhere along the journey, I heard that C.S. Lewis avoids chronological snobery. Meaning, he isn't always enamoured by the newest books and ideas.... That concept got a hold of me. In fact, I remember walking into a Family Life book store in Florida and purchasing Autobiography of George Muller, Sermons of Jonathan Edwards published by Hendrickson, and Lectures To My Students by C.H. Spurgeon.
What I didn't know was how influential those books would be on me. Particularly LTMS by Spurgeon. No other book has had a greater influence over the way that I think about ministry than LTMS. I read it over the course of a year and have since returned to it over and over.
I am constantly stunned by how well Spurgeon can put plainly the things of God. I am often helped by his ability to colorfully describe things.
Recently I purchased a copy of All of Grace. I had never heard of it before, but it is a wonderful book. It is a tiny little book where Spurgeon explains salvation, atonement, faith, and more... Within reading the first few pages I had to stand up and fist pump... mainly because I am dork, but also because these things were explained in a way that made my heart race. I learn so much from Spurgeon because he understood that these truths should never simply be explained. As if we are teaching a textbook on literature or something... no, the truths of God need to be compelling put forth... And they demand a response. Spurgeon never writes or speaks without having in mind an appeal to the people hearing him. "Please, turn to Christ. Trust in Christ."
It may seem weird that I love an old dead guy... but because of his influence over me, I am indebted to him.
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