As I mentioned last week, I attended a preaching seminar during the first two weeks of January, and on the last day the professor gave us a list of books that he recommends to preachers. Over the next few posts I’m going to share this list with you. We’ll begin today with books on hermeneutics, and other categories will include commentaries, biblical theology, New Testament theology, New Testament background, linguistic tools, and internet resources.

Books on hermeneutics:

Good stuff I’ve run across during the last few days:

Here’s How Your Desk Should be Organized by Kathryn Vasel (cnn.com).

Yes, of course. That’s exactly what my desk looks like at this very moment.

North Korea Gets Competition: The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Now Hardest To Be a Christian by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra (christianitytoday.com)

Most of the countries on this list won’t surprise you, but a few will. More importantly, it’s a good reminder that whatever “persecution” we get in the USA doesn’t really deserve to be called that.

What I’ve Learned About the Bible by Tim Keller (thegospelcoalition.org)

I try to read whatever Tim Keller writes, particularly when it’s something to do with the intersection of gospel and culture.

Romans 7 Does Not Describe Your Christian Experience by Thomas Schreiner (thegospelcoalition.org)

We’ve all wrestled with what exactly Paul was talking about in Romans 7:13-25—is he reflecting on his struggle with sin as a Christian? Schreiner says no in this article. Note: another installment is coming with a different view.

Why 734 Pastors Quit (and How Their Churches Could Have Kept Them) by Lisa Cannon Green (Lifeway Research via christianitytoday.com)

Because of the perspective of this article, not everything applies to our role as ministers, but I suspect most of us can relate to much that’s mentioned here. Personally, I’ve got quite a few friends who have either left full-time ministry or are strongly considering it.

Three simple ways to enjoy ministry more this year by Margaret Marcuson (margaretmarcuson.com)

In so many ways ministry is wonderful, but most of us probably get bogged down in some of the negative aspects and forget to enjoy what we’re doing. This is a good article to read at the beginning of another year.