not have a sacred / secular divide in his thinking . ‘ All truth is God ’ s truth ’: we need to find voices and writers whom we can trust , and learn from them .
Managing the money side
If finance is an issue , I recommend World of Books for second-hand copies of a huge range of titles . It isn ’ t run by Amazon : postage is free , and books arrive quickly .
Support your local bookshop as much as you can : the publishing and the book trade has suffered enormously over the past twenty years , and this has had a particularly difficult effect on Christian writers , particularly those trying to get established . Oxfam are also a wonderful source of cheap books , both in their shops and online , and libraries , of course , have been providing access to books for years .
PROTECT YOUR CONCENTRATION SPAN
Reading requires concentration – and the ability to concentrate also needs to be protected . I believe it
Going beyond the book
was Philip Yancey who commented that his willingness to concentrate on reading had been undermined by too much time online , by the constant click , click , click of new information . If you are finding the same thing , then go back to a book that you have read before , and reread it – always a good idea anyway , with a good book : and fight to retain or regain that commitment to concentrate . It can be restored : I have done so myself .
I am conscious , however , that preachers and leaders are , above all else , busy . So don ’ t think I am saying that you need to get all this by reading a book , words on a page . You can listen to books as well . You can also tap into the knowledge available through radio and podcasts . I think any preacher or leader needs to be open to increasing , widening and reconsidering their knowledge , rather than simply reading books . I tend to do this through the printed page , and I dislike Kindles , but whatever works for you is fine .
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