Warren Wiersbe Books of Benefit
Over my years of ministry, I have purchased many books, read others in the library, and profited from them. Some of my books are deep, exegetical, and analytical. Most of my purchases have been useful. Some have turned out to be more style than substance.
As the years have worn on, and as my people have asked about books they can buy and use for their personal study and spiritual benefit, I keep coming back to the writings of Warren Wiersbe. So many times, as I read what he said about a text or a topic, I think, “I wish I had said that.” God has given him the gift of carefully choosing his words and putting them down in a way we can understand and apply. For instance, in his commentary on Genesis, as he discusses Cain and Abel, he wrote that “Cain was not rejected because of his offering. The offering was rejected because of Cain.” In a few words, he pointed out the heart of the issue.
As I think over some of my “favorites,” the list is becoming pretty long. He and his son wrote, “Making Sense Of The Ministry,” a practical tool to help us think about how we prepare men for ministry. “The Bumps Are What You Climb On” reminds us that God uses the tough times of life to teach us about Himself and to grow us. A year ago, I purchased the six volume compilation of his commentary on the whole Bible. I have found this set very helpful as I seek to understand a pastoral point of view on particular texts. When I am teaching a book of the Bible, I have found it beneficial to my soul to read through that section of the commentary.
Recently, I have used the commentary as a supplement to my morning Bible reading, to refresh and challenge my soul.
I would be curious to know how some of his writings have encouraged, blessed, and challenged others.
My goal is to start a conversation to let us share with one another tools the Lord has used to build us up.
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Brother Dayton,
I love Warren Wiersbe. His biography, Be Myself, is a good read. I particularly love his “Be” series of Bible commentaries, which are actually his expository sermons.
My homiletics prof at Moody, Dr. Lon Wilson, was trained by Charles Koller (Expository Preaching Without Notes), as was Wiersbe. I was, therefore, trained to preach with a proposition and a key word that describes each main point (e.g., ideas, principles, questions, affirmations, commads, etc.), a method Wiersbe always used and modelled. Although I often preach in other styles these days, Wiersbe’s example was meaningful for me, especially in my early years.
While a student at Moody, I attended the morning service at my home church, Cicero Bible Church. But it was too much of a hassle to return their Sunday night, so I used to walk to Moody Church and hear Wiersbe preach.
A generation has arisen that knows not Wiersbe, to their detriment. “When Pastors Wonder How” by Wiersbe and Sugden really helped me when starting in ministry.
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