Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (Baker Academic, 2011)

I was so ‘over the top’ excited when I came across this volume. Scholars who believe in miracles and the moving of the Holy Spirit are rare birds indeed. Craig Keener is an academic and professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. Keener has done meticulous research into the subject of the veracity of miracles. His scholarly conclusion? The age of miracles has not passed as so many in academia have tried to tell us. This is a voluminous ‘wordy’ account but well worth having in your library.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition (University of Chicago Press, 2001)

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, is also known as BDAG from the authors initials. This is the top of the line Greek lexicon in existence today and my go to study tool for word definitions. The lexicon gives you an extensive list of how New Testament words are used not only in the New Testament, but in the Greek literature of biblical times. Semantically, words can change meaning depending on time and usage. One of the particular strengths of BDAG is that it gives variations of definitions as a word is used in different verses, so what you end up with is the correct contextual definition. Sell all that you have and buy this gold mine of a resource!

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (Crown Business, 2014)

This book was the ‘read of the year’ for me for 2014. The book addresses the over-committed lifestyle. If you have trouble saying ‘no’ to people and obligations, this book is for you. If you are trying to ‘do it all’ instead of concentrating and focusing on the vital few things you are equipped to do, then this book is for you. It will help you pare down your life to pursue what is absolutely essential to fulfill your purpose on planet earth.