Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon

Usually, when something is a classic, there is a good reason for it. This book is no different. I got my first copy of this book when I was a freshman in Bible college and have read through many of its chapters over and over. When I got my iPad, this was one of the first books I looked for.

My favorite chapters in this lengthy book are “Attention” and “The Minister’s Fainting Fits.”

If you really like this book, a similar one by Spurgeon entitled “An All Around Ministry” is also worth reading. My favorite essay on preaching is a chapter in this book entitled “Light, Fire, Faith, Life, Love.”

Order in the Church, Paul Chapel

This is the only contemporary book that made the list. Paul Chapel is the pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster California and the founder and president of West Coast Baptist College. This book is a treasure trove of how to organize the church so that everything is done “decently and in order.” It is full of practical forms and detailed advice on almost every area of the ministry.

Preaching and Preachers, D. Martyn Lloyd Jones

One book that changed my life was D. Martyn Lloyd Jones book “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.” Lloyd Jones was pastor of Westminster Chapel in London for the better part of the twentieth century and at one point was one of the most respected preachers in the world. His style isn’t for everyone (He was a medical doctor before becoming a preacher and brought a doctor’s precision to everything he did,) but this book is full of practical advice for an expository preacher.

Ad Clerum, Advices to a Young Preacher, Joseph Parker

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t finished reading this one yet, but I am enjoying it. Joseph Parker was “the other pastor” in London during the ministry of Charles Spurgeon. His sermons are very easy to read, and he is known as one of the greatest preachers who ever lived.

This book is written partly in a satirical style, and pokes fun at preachers who are mechanical or who show off their knowledge and discipline for it’s own sake. I have greatly enjoyed reading it and can’t wait to finish it.

Expository Preaching Plans and Methods, F.B. Meyer

F.B. Meyer is one of my favorite authors, period. I have read and reread his biographical books and always found in them a wealth of insight into the lives of the saints. I have read Meyer’s other essays with great pleasure as well.

In this book, Meyer attempts to teach young preachers why they should preach through the Bible expositorily, and how to best do it. Far from cold or mechanical, the book, like Meyer’s preaching, has a devotional life to it, and offers a lot of wisdom.