#ShelfMe November: Five Books You Need To Read

When you look back on your life at who or what has influenced you, what usually comes to mind? Chances are you will answer one of two things–people or books. Books have a major impact on who we are and will become. Think about it. How did you receive much of your education?  Through books. What influences our belief systems? Books.

So here we highlight to you some of the major books released in the month of November we are content will impact your faith positively.

Does God Like That Tweet – Christopher Musodza

‘Does God Like that Tweet?’ is a question that each of us must answer. Is God happy with what we post–with the WhatsApps we read. Every Christian must Discern, Decide, Do and Deal with Social Media. Sometimes social media is nothing more than random babblings, falsehoods, and personal monologues; it can become self-centered, unrestrained and narcissistic. When this technology begins to consume our lives, it can be addictive, time-wasting and controlling. We have to be very vigilant, aware that social media is replete with potential pitfalls and temptations.So what are Christians supposed to think? How are we to behave in a world consumed by social media? All night prayer meetings have become a thing of the past. Instead we send short tweet-like prayers. Loving our neighbor now seems a very foreign concept indeed. We congregate on Facebook pages more than we gather at funerals, celebrate birthdays together in a single place, or spend actual time with family, or in social gatherings.

Higher Is Waiting – Tyler Perry

Higher Is Waiting is a spiritual guidebook, a collection of teachings culled from the experiences of a lifetime, meant to inspire readers to climb higher in their own lives and pull themselves up to a better, more fulfilling place. In this intimate book, Tyler Perry writes of how his faith has sustained him in hard times, centered him in good times, and enriched his life.

He recalls the moments of grace and beauty in a childhood marked by brutality, deprivation, and fear. With tenderness he sketches portraits of the people who sustained him and taught him indelible lessons about integrity, trust in God, and the power of forgiveness. He writes of how he nurtured his dreams and discovered solace in nature, and of his resolute determination to reach ever higher.

He vividly and movingly describes his growing awareness of God’s presence in his life, how he learned to tune in to His voice, to persevere through hard times, and to choose faith over fear. Here he is: the devoted son, the loving father, the steadfast friend, the naturalist, the philanthropist, the creative spirit—a man whose life lessons and insights into scripture are a gift offered with generosity, humility, and love.

A Simplified Life – Emily Ley

Do you long to simplify the demands on your time, energy, and resources? Have complicated responsibilities, overwhelming to-do lists, and endless clutter left you feeling overwhelmed?

Busy wife, mom, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Emily Ley knows how you feel. With a growing family, increased work demands, and more, she understands the struggle it is to keep the plates spinning.

In A Simplified Life, you’ll find Emily’s strategies, systems, and methods for permanently clearing the clutter, organizing your priorities, and living intentionally in 10 key areas—from your home and meal planning, to style and finances, parenting, faith life, and more. Emily will show you how to truly make the most of your days with realistic, achievable, and tactical tools.

Walk alongside Emily through each page of the book, working through her simple strategies toward your own goals as you simplify and make space for what matters most.

Knowing and Growing in Assurance of Faith – Joel Beeke

There is scarcely a more important question a Christian could ask, and there is scarcely a Christian who has never asked it: How can I know that I’m indeed safe in Christ? The doctrine of assurance (and its application to the believer) has been an area of interest to Joel Beeke for a long time, and in his newest work we have the fruit of his years of thoughtful consideration. Richly informed—both biblically and theologically in the Reformed and Puritan tradition—and warmly applied, this is perhaps the best first book for Christians seeking answers. His treatment of the subject is wise, avoiding simplistic answers and errors on all sides, and is both theologically concise and also pastorally sensitive. A welcome contribution to the literature on this vital doctrine.