“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”- Harry S. Truman

I don’t know about you, but I try to read as much as I can.  It is difficult with a family of 5 (3 kids under 5).  I find that when I spend time reading, it really refreshes my soul.  It helps me focus on what is truly important, and most often gives my brain sometime to relax.

I tend to go in cycles of reading.  I will read a ton of non-fiction books, and then to rest from all that heavy thinking I will read some fiction.  My favourite fiction author is Michael Crichton.  I find that his books are easy to read, and gives my mind a break.  For me it’s like watching a good TV show.  I just bought Jurassic Park to read before Jurassic world comes out.

I stumbled across some awesome books this week that are on sale and were on my list of books that I want to read by the end of the year.  I am always on the lookout for cheaper books.

Here are 4 books that are on sale this week that you need to buy:

1. Gospel Wakefulness  by Jared C.Wilson ($1.99).  We may know the gospel. We may believe it—even proclaim it. But we also may assume the gospel and become lethargic. In this book Jared Wilson seeks to answer the central question, how do we experience and present the gospel in a fresh, nonroutine way in order to prevent ourselves and others from becoming numb? His answer may be surprising: “by routinely presenting the unchanging gospel in a way that does justice to its earth-shaking announcement.” We don’t excite and awaken people to the glorious truths of the gospel by spicing up our worship services or through cutting-edge, dramatic rhetoric, but by passionately and faithfully proclaiming the same truths we have already been given in Scripture.

2.The Explicit Gospel (Re:Lit) by Matt Chandler ($3.99).

Even if you go to church, it doesn’t mean that you are being exposed (or exposing others) to the gospel explicitly. Sure, most people talk about Jesus, and about being good and avoiding bad, but the gospel message simply isn’t there—at least not in its specificity and its fullness.

Inspired by the needs of both the overchurched and the unchurched, and bolstered by the common neglect of the explicit gospel within Christianity, popular pastor Matt Chandler writes this punchy treatise to remind us what is of first and utmost importance—the gospel.

Here is a call to true Christianity, to know the gospel explicitly, and to unite the church on the amazing grounds of the good news of Jesus!

3.The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices (The Gospel Coalition) ($3.99).

The church is reeling because of the relativistic mindset of our world. Up until a generation ago, most adults had similar moral intuitions whether they were believers or not, and the core of protestant orthodoxy was still intact. Yet, in the wake of postmodernity and secularism, all that has changed.

Convinced that gospel-centered ministry is utterly imperative for such a time as this, contributors D. A. Carson, Tim Keller, Kevin DeYoung, Philip Ryken, Bryan Chapell, Thabiti Anyabwile, Richard Phillips, Sam Storms, and others defend the gospel and traditional doctrines.

4. The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ (9Marks: Building Healthy Churches) ($2.99). The gospel is the greatest message of all time addressing the greatest need of all people. However, the good news about Jesus does more than just promise eternal life to all who believe. In the latest addition to the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, pastor Ray Ortlund explains the gospel’s power to transform individuals from the inside out and create beautiful human relationships. This short book helps readers experience the power of God as they are encouraged to trust in Christ and allow him to transform their beliefs, perspectives, and practices. For everyone who wants to be true to the Bible and honest with themselves, this book offers a practical guide to the fundamental teachings of the gospel and how they affect our relationships with others.

Those are 4 books that I just bought and am going to try to read in the next month or two.  I hope that you are reading and developing as a leader.