Besides Books…

One of the constant features of this blog is a regular book review. If you’re fairly new to our blog, you might not know that I try to read at least 40 books each year. (So far in 2009, I’ve finished 16.)

However, books are not all I read. Of course, I also read books to my children (which would be waaaay more than 40 each year!), but there are other materials I read. Following are four groups of things I read on a regular basis.

1. Blogs and Websites. On the right side of our blog is a list of the blogs that are in my feedreader (I use Google’s reader). There are also several other sites I RSS as well. I get headlines from ESPN and World Net Daily, and I follow other news sites of some interest. Using a reader makes this very easy, because I can read them at any time, either on my computer or on my phone. Also, by following a few more “famous” blogs (Get Rich Slowly, among others) that also do links roundups, I can find other good articles and posts.

2. Email Newsletters. We recently discussed this on iPreach with Steve Higginbotham. There are many of these out there from so many different sources. Personally, I subscribe to _:

• Daily Bread. This e-newsletter was begun several years ago by brother Neal Pollard. Neal now preaches with the Bear Valley church of Christ in Colorado. He, along with others, give brief articles, followed by notes of interest for the congregation. This great material comes to your inbox 5 times per week.
• MercEmail. Steve Higginbotham’s e-newsletter is now sent to about 1500 folks all over the world. Steve preaches for the South Green Street church of Christ in Glasgow, Kentucky, and has posted these for quite some time. Usually, MercEmail is published about once each week.
• KneEmail. Mike Benson has also had this service for some time. As with the others, Mike does a great job of presenting a brief devotional lesson that will encourage you in your faith. Published 5 times per week, KneEmail will lift you up daily.
• Leadership Wired. Delivered to the inbox every two weeks, John Maxwell’s newsletter is for those who enjoy his leadership material. As one who reads (and plans to read) several of his books, this is a treat.

3. Magazines. While I should read more magazines, I subscribe to two:

• Gospel Advocate. Probably the most widely-known periodical among churches of Christ, it has been a joy to get to know some of the men and women behind this magazine since moving to Davidson County. The articles are always Biblically-based and quite timely. GA is over 150 years old, but continues to present great material for all Christians. Many use this material as Bible class material, while others (like me) use it for personal growth.
• think. Focus Press may not be all that old, but their flagship publication, think, has made great headway and continues to quickly expand. The emphasis of think is modern problems and news stories presented from a Christian perspective. Articles about abortion, pornography, stem cell research, and other topics are regularly found. Additionally, the “look” of think is fantastic and makes it pleasing to the eye as well as to the mind.

4. Church Bulletins. There are some preachers who get dozens of bulletins, but I just don’t do that. It’s not anything against other congregations, but I really try to “read” the bulletins, and the more I get, the less I would read them carefully. Here are the ones we get, and the format in which we receive them:

• Central church of Christ, Paducah, Kentucky. (email)
• Pulaski Street church of Christ, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. (Mail)
• 9th Avenue church of Christ, Haleyville, Alabama. (Mail and email)
• Memorial Parkway church of Christ, Huntsville, Alabama. (Mail)
• West Irwin church of Christ, Tyler, Texas. (Mail)
• Jackson, Missouri, church of Christ. (email)
• Spring Meadows church of Christ (Constant Contact newsletter). (email)

What are some publications you read that help you?

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