I don't do a lot of commenting on youtube, but this is a great video. As a pastor I've often felt the pressure to consume a lot of books, and this is really freeing for a slower reader like me. Thanks Matt.
Recently I've found this 2-phase strategy to be fruitful: Read with both a book in hand and with the audio of that book playing at a good rate (I do well at around 1.5x or so), marking paragraphs that I don't quite understand with a sticky note as I go, or pausing the audio if it seems really important. Then, in few hours the book has gone through reading phase 1. For phase 2, reread the book, paying especial attention to things that were not understood on the first round, and make notes along the way of the argument presented (or narrative structure, if it's a story). I've found I can get through a lot more material more efficiently this way (and I must be efficient, as a seminary student with four kids!).
Thank you for this video. It has freed me from thinking that "I need to read more" of my Bible each day.. Everyone around me is reading the entire Bible through in one year or less. I was feeling the pressure to do that too. Now, I am concentrating on reading Scriptures and actually studying them in order to understand as much as I can before moving on. It's been amazing. I have also started reading some of Charles Spurgeon's sermons ( The Prince of Preachers). Thank you for making this video. It's been enlightening and freeing.
Thanks for this! I tend to read slowly - especially when I am reading for "digestion" and have almost felt guilty for not reading volume. I needed the reminder that its ok to read slowly and for comprehension.
As I read through John Calvin’s Institutes…I can’t help but notice how much I have been dumbed down with the advent of technology. I find it sad that with the more time I’ve been given, instead of using it wisely by immersing myself with the works of great theologians how easily I’m led astray by all the noise of today’s world. In any event, I resolve to be able on a daily basis to understand what I have read😊
Great books, YES! Here's one that's not from antiquity, but from 1984 by Francis Schaeffer. "THE GREAT EVANGELICAL DISASTER". What's interesting about this title is that although it was written 36 years ago, it could have been written yesterday. I am amazed at the parallels he's gathered together. Most mainline evangelical churches today continue to decline by accommodating and tolerating worldly, liberal ideologies. Highly recommended read if you're looking for sound, pastoral guidance during these reckless times. Thanks Pastor Matt for more level headed advice.
I didn't grow up in a family that emphasized reading. I don't hold it against them. But I still feel so guilty when I read anything, even Scripture. I cant recall if they actually said, "Get your head out of the clouds", but that was the attitude. My parents worked hard all the time, for us. Reading was seen as a waste of time. I still feel guilty, so I avoid it even though I desperately want to always be reading. I know. It makes no sense even to me.
Very helpful, thanks for the wise counsel. A few thoughts on biographies and note taking: 1. I’ve been recently enjoying biographies of some of the great Christians from history (Whitefield, Spurgeon, JC Ryle, and currently in Edwards). When reading biographies, or wanting to understand the writings of ____, pick a small bio and read it or listen to an audiobook of it, then pick another lengthier bio, then if you’re really benefitting from it, pick THE biography of that person that is most widely known to be the best. I’ve found I have really gained understanding of the person without the burnout of trudging through those massive bios without really understanding the person. What are your favorite biographies? 2. I’ve been keeping folders on my phone of the more notable quotations or info that I’m reading through (I wish I was around a computer but I’m not so this takes much longer than it should). This has been really helpful in the short terM in being able to recall and even almost quote verbatim someone else’s thoughts. It will also be helpful in the long term in compiling different influential people’s thoughts on, for example, the atonement, pastoral ministry, or anxiety/depression. Creating a system that works for you and one in which you can easily access that info is imperative. Anyway, thanks!
Thanks for making these videos. I'm two years old in the faith and I've been reading Charles Hodge the way of life. I like his letters his thoughts. knowing God BY J.I Packer great book, love that kick-flip that was dope 😎 in a video I saw a while back thanks paster Matt
Wow, your lifer books are 80% similar to mine! I read mere christianity and confessions multiple times in one year (slowly) and tribute it to my conversion. Thank you for sharing.
Excellent. The good books are the hard books. In our time of busyness, distractions, (especially screens), and short attention spans, reading a little each day is an effective strategy.
I find that reading a harder book with an easier book helps. So you still get the win of reading through an easier book quickly, but you are plugging through the more complicated book.
Your mind works differently from mine. I find I need to read a few pages just to get in the writer's "groove," and then my comprehension increases from there. At least to a point.
Great video as usual. Very enlightening. I’ve been fond of being more “active” within my own reading with the Miscellanies concept. Question, maybe you’ve addressed it before: how do you tackle this concept in the context of seminary students? I’ve been only taking a couple classes online and the reading has been a lot just in three months for each class. Trying to ingest as much as possible. Curious your thoughts or if you have other videos where you addressed it?
Do you keep Miscellany notes on books that arent the Bible? Do you have a separate notebook for when you want to jot down some thoughts while reading Moby Dick for example? Also, how do you determine your devotions? this is something I don't quite understand, is itself dictated or do you have a resource that you use? Are devotionals just what you have devoted yourself to reading daily or?
The ability to concentrate many believe, must be developed starting when we are young - unfortunately, our society fills children's minds with cartoons and other children's shows, that provide an ever changing stream of new and visually different scenes, which does the opposite. Hence, a generation of people that suffer from ADD/ADHD. I first read that in a Newsweek article while I was researching ADD while a Christian School Principal.
This is me. I was never taught an appreciation for reading when growing up, hence now later in life when I really want to read books, I find it much harder to keep my concentration.
Reading old books is my philosophy. Its amazing the more I learn about Scriptire, the more I notice the newer books contain alot of fluff. Could anyone point me to which version of Calvins Institites I should read. I think there is one that is edited by a liberal theologian. May the Lord continue to give grace and wisdom to His bride.
There are 4: Thomas Norton (1561) John Allen (1813) Henry Beveridge (1845) Ford Lewis Battles (1960) I'm currently reading through one by Beveridge because it is the one I own, but the translation by Battles is said to be quite a bit better.
Great video! I certainly needed to hear it because I think I have to read a lot in order to somehow please God. I do have a question. With so many commentaries out there, how do I know which one to choose on each book of the Bible?
amazing video, thank you, I plan on putting this into practice. Question for you, if I wanted to read an unbiased book on what the earliest church fathers believed, what book would you recommend?
Just read them directly. You'd be surprised at how easy they actually are to read. Start with Athanasius "On the Incarnation" or Irenaeus "On the Apostolic Preaching." They're available for free on CCEL.org, but I like the SVS Popular Patristics paperbacks.
Interesting video. How do you square this with your seminary-at-home video where you say you have to read through the Bible 2 to 5 times a year? I find that if I'm really trying to STUDY the Bible just one chapter per day feels like a lot.
Easiest - Pilgrim's Progress. But so so so worth it! One of the best ever! Also easier (but not easy) is Lewis. Most of the rest of these are harder works. But not impossible! Calvin is actually easier than people think, but not a breeze for sure.
I can read hard books slowly. I have tried Pilgrim's Progress and just can't wrap my brain around it. Plus my brain does not like a story that takes the bible and makes other characters. Rather read the scripture. Thoughts?
@@danbuter But he was not a christian (nor a hebrew) and most likely had not any knowledge of Scriptures or God of the Scriptures... Why would anyone want a person like that to teach how to think? Greek philosophy has too much influence on modern Christianity anyway.
