Read Christian Books

Weekly Update – February 12th, 2026 

It should be no surprise that reading is on the decline here in the United States. While over 40% of Americans still read at least one book a month, the average time spent per day on reading has dropped by 7 minutes, from 23 minutes to 16 minutes per day. Now, among the 40%, 56% of Christians who read state that they attend a Bible study and/or are involved in some sort of discipling relationship. The bottom line is, that for Christians, part of our growth and defense of the faith, in addition to reading the Bible, comes through taking in knowledge from good, solid Christian books.  Let me give you three reasons why that is the case.

First, reading good Christian books allows you to learn from others. Part of being an active member in a local church is learning from other believers. We join in corporate worship to glorify God as a collective group in singing, praying, listening, observing baptism and through taking the Lord’s Supper. But we also gather to see the example of other believers, to hear from those to whom God has placed over us as teachers and pastors, and to gain insight from others who are also studying the word of God. Through reading Christian books, we have a unique opportunity to learn from others who might not be in our locality. There are others outside of our sphere who are also seeking to know and serve the Lord rightly and the Lord has gifted them to write about what they have learned. Through reading, we learn from the insight of believers both past and present who might be near or far from us. 

Second, reading good Christian books allows you to influence others. Albert Mohler in his book titled The Conviction to Lead said, “When you find a leader, you have found a reader. The reason for this is simple—there is no substitute for effective reading when it comes to developing and maintaining the intelligence necessary to lead.” In other words, reading forms your convictions and convictions will determine how you influence and lead others. Every single one of us leads in some area or another.  It may in obvious ministries such as Equipping Hour/Sunday School or some sort of small group Bible study, but it may also be a husband trying to lead his wife, or a mother trying to lead her children. You may be in a workplace trying to influence co-workers for Christ or in a civic organization with other neighbors from your area. Either way, we are all in positions to influence someone. Read so that you might influence them well. 

Third, reading helps to grow you in your faith. All of us have blind spots in our lives. There are areas that we think we have sufficient knowledge, to only find out that we were perhaps really lacking in what we knew. On the other hand, we all have strengths as well. Areas in which our experiences have shaped us and previous reading has informed us. Either way, good Christian books can strengthen our weaknesses and make us even stronger in our strengths. None of us have arrived at the pinnacle of our faith. We all need to grow and continue to strive for growth in our Christian walk and reading is a key way in which we can do that.

There are many good books in the world that range in all sorts of genres. Read them too. But if you struggle to read or lack time to read a lot, then choose a good Christian book and dive into it. Read some theology, read a biography or something that will challenge you. I once heard it said that you can tell if a person is growing in their Christian faith by what they are reading. Keep the Bible first in your priority of books, but then add to it the insights of other good authors as you seek to learn, lead and grow in your Christian life. 

Serving Him with You,

Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?"
- Psalm 56:3-4

Announcements:

New – Game Night: Our monthly game night is Friday, February 20th from 7:00-9:00pm. invite a friend to come with you and bring your favorite game and/or snack.

New – Clothing Giveaway: On February 28th, from 8:00-11:00am, we will open up our basement to the community to giveaway tables of clothes. We always need lots of help for this event. Consider joining us on this day.

Sunday Evening Service: Our next Sunday evening service will be on Sunday, February 22nd at 6:00pm. On this evening we will pray together and hear from Kamto Eze as he preaches from 1 John 5:1-5

Family Discipleship Guides: These guides are designed to help equip parents further engage with what our children and youth are learning. You can find a guide for AWANA, HERE and for our Youth, HERE.

Women’s Bible Study: This will be a 10-week study of Joshua by Jen Wilkin. Morning and evening sessions will be held on Tuesdays, beginning on February 17th. Details are on the bulletin board.

Building Remodel: We have officially kicked off our fundraiser! There are commitment cards available in the sanctuary as well as in the welcome center. Feel free to pick up one and return it to one an available basket. If you would like to give a one time or a reoccurring gift, you can do so HERE and select “building remodel.” You can also give through one of the offering boxes at church. Be sure to mark your envelop, “building remodel.” Check out a video highlighting the work done so far.

Men’s Study: On the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, from 8:00-9:15pm, the church hosts a men’s study through the book, The Measure of a Man. See Clint Blankenship for more information.

Food Pantry: The food pantry is currently in need of some food items. For a complete list of food pantry needs, click HERE.

Awana Bible Club

Awana Clubs are held on Wednesdays throughout the school year. Dinner is at 6:00pm with Awana Clubs starting at 6:30pm. Children can be registered HERE.

Equipping Hour

We have three classes held at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. “Habits of the Household” meets in the Sanctuary, a study in Hebrews in the Fellowship Hall, and a Ladies’ class studying the Old Testament meets in the classroom next to the nursery. You can find more information HERE.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Home Groups

Home Groups typically meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. Please contact Pastor Michael if you would like to join a Home Group. You can find more information HERE.

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE.

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE.