Friday, February 15, 2019

5 Foundational Books About Purpose




In the beginning, God created us to work. Specifically, He created us in His likeness and image so we could manage, steward, govern, rule, "have dominion over" this material world. We were created to be Earth-Tenders under God. 

 Hello-o-o-o-o-o! 

 This is what God had in mind for us from the start, and this is what human labor is supposed to be about. The First Commission [Gen. 1:26-28] gives purpose to education, and this is why I'm trying to restore the biblical meaning of work to Christian schools and churches. It is indeed, "The Lost Purpose for Learning." 

 Last week I recommended 5 bedrock books about biblical worldview. This week, it's 5 foundational books about purpose. 

 I was going to title this post, 5 Foundational Books About Work, but then realized if I did this, few would read the post! But these books are actually about purpose. 

Here you go: 

 1. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work To God's Work, by Tim Keller.      

Accessibly written, this book has 5 stars on Amazon.com, with over 400 reviews. No small accomplishment! For this book, click here.

2. God's Pleasure At Work: The Difference One Life Can Make, by Christian Overman.

This was the outcome of my D. Min. studies at Bakke Graduate University, when I took the "deep dive" into theology of work. I created this for groups to use in church, as well as school. It is a curriculum pack, with over 50 video clips and a Participant Guide. For the pack, click here.

3. LifeWork: A Biblical Theology for What You Do Every Day, by Darrow Miller.

This is a thorough theological treatise for everyday work. To get to know the author, watch this video interview I did with Darrow: An Interview with Darrow Miller. For the book, click here.

4. The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work and Ministry in Biblical Perspective, by R. Paul Stevens.

Serving as a professor at Regent College, as well as a professional carpenter prior to that, Stevens knows whereof he writes, both in theory as well as practice. A brilliant mind. For this book, click here.   

5. Your Work Matters To God, by Doug Sherman and William Hendricks.

This was the first book I read on the topic of work from a biblical perspective, and I can't think of a better place to start. It is a classic. To order a copy, click here.


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