Two Books Every Christian Person Should Read

The first is, of course, the Bible. Choose a translation you can understand, a language you love (or want to learn!), and a font size that leaves room for copious personal notes. Read it through, cover to cover and back again. This is the most important work anyone could ever read, for it is the very Word of God.

After you've read the Bible, or at least the Gospels, read In the Footsteps of Jesus by Bruce Marchiano. Mr. Marchiano is the actor who portrayed Jesus in the 1993, word-for-word film adaptation of the Gospel According to Matthew.

He shares delightful stories from behind the scenes, but the real value I found in this book are his insights into the character and personality of Jesus. For example, Mr. Marchiano struggled with reconciling God's unconditional love for humanity with the seemingly hateful words Jesus raged at those who plotted against Him. The answer? God loved the Pharisees and others with such parental passion that He didn't want them wandering down the path of self-righteousness and pride, much like a mother will yell violently at her children to keep them from running into traffic or sticking curious fingers into the whirling blades of a floor fan. There are many more such insights that Mr. Marchiano learned.

Secondly, the book is written honestly. The author admits to being an amateur writer, but his writing is actually quite good. It flows nicely from his heart to the page. Also, his style is very conversational, like he's sharing his story with you from across the living room. He even pauses to say a little prayer or express thanksgiving, and the pauses are written into the text. Not only did I get to know Jesus better; I also learned more about Bruce Marchiano, the man seeking to know his own Savior better. He's a very humble man.

I could ramble on and on, but in short, everyone should read these books. You will be blessed. The picture above contains a link to Amazon if you're interested in purchasing Mr. Marchiano's book. If they're out of stock or if the book ever goes out of print, ask me; you can borrow mine. Just be forewarned: you may have to take a number.