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Kalen Bruce

Jesus Follower · Husband · Father · Writer · Learner

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Reading Goals for 2019

I’ve set my reading and learning goals high. The Bible is a given, and is therefore not listed. I will read through it at least once. I’ve tried to diversify the books and videos on this list. It seems like this year I’ve taken a particular interest in the Holocaust, the Gnostic Gospels, and evidence for the existence of God.

I’ve listed 50 books, 50 documentaries, and just over 20 debates that I want to get through in 2019. On top of that, I’ve listed the Gnostic Gospels, a few other religious texts, and some reading like the Catholic Apocrypha, which includes several books on its own. I’ll cross off each item as I make it through.

There’s plenty more that I want to absorb, but I had to cut it off somewhere. I believe a plan for growth should be intentional, and that’s what led to this list. I’m never questioning what to read/watch next; I plan ahead.

Here’s to growth for 2019!

Books & Texts

Biographical

  1. Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas
  2. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

Business & Productivity

  1. The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone
  2. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
  3. 256 Blockhacks by Yegor Bugayenko
  4. Beyond Grit by Cindra Kamphoff
  5. Deep Work by Cal Newport (RB Digital)
  6. The Everything Store by Brad Stone
  7. Grit by Angela Duckworth (RB Digital)
  8. How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger
  9. Hot to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett
  10. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
  11. Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean
  12. Ultralearning by Scott Young
  13. Self Discipline by Ray Vaden
  14. Morning Magic by Armmon Abedikichi
  15. Indistractible by Nir Eyal
  16. Productivity Hacks by David Vellacott
  17. Own the Day by Aubrey Marcus

Fiction

  1. The Billion Dollar Sure Thing by Paul E. Erdman
  2. The Coffee Trader by David Liss
  3. The Greatest Story Ever Told by Fulton Oursler (Hoopla)
  4. The Last Christian by David Gregory
  5. Ordinary Grace by William Kruger

Finance

  1. Building Wealth One House at a Time by John Schaub
  2. But It, Rent It, Profit! by Bryan M. Chavis
  3. Economics by Aristotle/Theophrastus
  4. Essays of Warren Buffett by Lawrence Cunningham
  5. The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller
  6. Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel
  7. Reminiscences of a Stock Market Operator by Edwin Lefevre
  8. More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey
  9. Kiplinger’s Guide to Money-Smart Kids by Janet Bodnar
  10. The Minimalist Budget by Simeon Lindstrom
  11. How to Invest in Real Estate by Robert Waller
  12. Money God’s Way by Spencer Coffman

History

  1. The Christians and the Fall of Rome by Edward Gibbon
  2. The Communist Manifesto by Friedrich Engels & Karl Marx
  3. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
  4. The Lion’s Gate by Steven Pressfield
  5. The Orgins of Christianity by Thomas Whittaker
  6. Thirty Years a Slave by James K. White
  7. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

Marriage & Relationships

  1. A Celebration of Sex by Douglas Rosenau
  2. Every Man’s Marriage by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker (Hoopla)
  3. God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas J. Köstenberger
  4. Intended for Pleasure by Ed Wheat & Gaye Whea (Hoopla)
  5. Passion Pursuit by Linda Dillow & Dr. Juli Slattery
  6. People Skills by Robert Bolton
  7. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas (Hoopla)
  8. Love for a Lifetime by James Dobson
  9. Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

Parenting & Life

  1. The 5 Money Conversations to Have with Your Kids at Every Age and Stage by Bethany & Scott Palmer
  2. How to Raise Selfless Kids in a Self-Centered World by Dave Stone
  3. The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker
  4. Minimalist Parenting by Christine Koh
  5. Money Monster or Money Master? by Norma LaFonte & Lance Dinahan
  6. MoneyBags: A Guide to Teach Your Kids About Money by Wendy Gillespie
  7. Teach Your Child to Fish by Holly D. Reid
  8. The Joy of Minimalism by Zoey Poulsen
  9. Uncluttered by Courtney Ellis
  10. A Simplified Life by Emily Ley
  11. Rich Kids Made Simple by Joe Correa
  12. Minimalism for Families by Zoe Kim
  13. Money Smart Children by Anthony Ekanem
  14. Rich Kids Smart Kids by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
  15. How to Teach Your Child the Value of Money by Moe

Theology & Apologetics

  1. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis (Reread)
  2. Catholic Apocrypha
    1. Tobit
    2. Judith
    3. The Additions to Esther
    4. Wisdom of Solomon
    5. Sirach
    6. Baruch
    7. The Letter of Jeremiah
    8. Song of the Three Young Men
    9. Susanna
    10. Bel and the Dragon
    11. I Maccabees
    12. II Maccabees
    13. I Esdras
    14. II Esdras
    15. The Prayer of Manasseh
  3. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  4. Christianity 101 by Gilbert Bilezikian (Hoopla eBook)
  5. Cross Purposes by Anthony Bartlett
  6. God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens (Hoopla)
  7. God of the Possible by Gregory A. Boyd
  8. How to Read the Bible for All it’s Worth by Gorden D. Fee
  9. Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan
  10. Is God to Blame? by Gregory A. Boyd
  11. Jesus Among Secular Gods by Ravi Zacharias & Vince Vitale
  12. Lord or Legend by Paul Rhodes Eddy & Gregory A. Boyd
  13. Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola & George Barna (Hoopla)
  14. Prayer by Timothy Keller
  15. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (Reread)
  16. Speaking of Jesus by Carl Medearis
  17. Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig
  18. How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious by Fritz Ridenour
  19. What Christians Believe by C.S. Lewis
  20. The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey
  21. The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns
  22. The Sin of Certainty by Peter Enns
  23. Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns
  24. Fathered by God by John Eldredge
  25. Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
  26. Hearing God by Dallas Willard
  27. Learn to Preach the Bible by Jimmie “Tri” Evans
  28. The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
  29. Does God Control Everything? by R.C. Sproul

Gnostic Texts

Source: Gnosis Archives

Text Preserved Before 1945

  1. Works preserved by the Church:
    • Acts of Thomas
    • The Acts of John
  2. The Bruce Codex (purchased in 1769 by James Bruce):
    • The Gnosis of the Invisible God or The Books of Jeu
    • The Untitled Apocalypse or The Gnosis of the Light
  3. The Askew Codex (British Museum, bought in 1784):
    • Pistis Sophia: Books of the Savior
  4. The Berlin Codex or The Akhmim Codex (found in Akhmim, Egypt; bought in 1896 by Carl Reinhardt):
    • The Gospel of Mary
    • Apocryphon of John
    • an epitome of the Acts of Peter
    • The Wisdom of Jesus Christ
  5. Unknown origin:
    • The Secret Gospel of Mark
    • The Hermetica

Codices Found in Nag Hammadi

  1. Codex I (also known as The Jung Codex):
    • The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
    • The Apocryphon of James (also known as the Secret Book of James)
    • The Gospel of Truth
    • The Treatise on the Resurrection *
    • The Tripartite Tractate
  2. Codex II:
    • The Apocryphon of John
    • The Gospel of Thomas a sayings gospel
    • The Gospel of Philip
    • The Hypostasis of the Archons
    • On the Origin of the World
    • The Exegesis on the Soul
    • The Book of Thomas the Contender
  3. Codex III:
    • The Apocryphon of John
    • The Gospel of the Egyptians
    • Eugnostos the Blessed
    • The Sophia of Jesus Christ
    • The Dialogue of the Savior
  4. Codex IV:
    • The Apocryphon of John
    • The Gospel of the Egyptians
  5. Codex V:
    • Eugnostos the Blessed
    • The Apocalypse of Paul
    • The First Apocalypse of James
    • The Second Apocalypse of James
    • The Apocalypse of Adam
  6. Codex VI:
    • The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles (includes The Hymn of the Pearl)
    • The Thunder, Perfect Mind
    • Authoritative Teaching
    • The Concept of Our Great Power
    • Republic by Plato – The original is not gnostic, but the Nag Hammadi library version is heavily modified with then-current gnostic concepts.
    • The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth – a Hermetic treatise
    • The Prayer of Thanksgiving (with a hand-written note) – a Hermetic prayer
    • Asclepius 21-29 – another Hermetic treatise
  7. Codex VII:
    • The Paraphrase of Shem
    • The Second Treatise of the Great Seth
    • Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter
    • The Teachings of Silvanus
    • The Three Steles of Seth
  8. Codex VIII:
    • Zostrianos
    • The Letter of Peter to Philip
  9. Codex IX:
    • Melchizedek
    • The Thought of Norea
    • The Testimony of truth
  10. Codex X:
    • Marsanes
  11. Codex XI:
    • The Interpretation of Knowledge
    • A Valentinian Exposition, On the Anointing, On Baptism (A and B) and On the Eucharist (A and B)
    • Allogenes
    • Hypsiphrone
  12. Codex XII
    • The Sentences of Sextus
    • The Gospel of Truth
    • Fragments
  13. Codex XIII:
    • Trimorphic Protennoia
    • On the Origin of the World

Additional New Testament apocryphal texts: NT Apocrapha

Exhaustive list of extrabiblical texts on ToddTyszka.com

Additional Texts

  1. The Hymn of Jesus
  2. Acts of Peter and Paul (Video)
  3. Apocalypse of Adam (Video)
  4. Coptic Apocalypse of Peter (Video)
  5. Dialogue of the Saviour (Text)
  6. Odes of Solomon (Video)
  7. Gospel of Judas
  8. Gospel of the Saviour (Text)
  9. The Acts of Paul and Thecla
  10. The Book of Jasher

Debates & Documentaries

Debates

  • The Abortion Debate
  • Bill Nye Vs. Ken Ham
  • Does the Christian God Exist?
  • Frank Turek
    1. Alex O’Connor | The Moral Argument
    2. Christopher Hitchens | What Best Explains Reality
    3. David Silverman | Examine Reality
    4. Jeffery Jay Lowder | What Best Explains Reality
    5. Michael Shermer | What Best Explains Reality
  • John Lennox
    1. Christopher Hitchens | Is God Great?
    2. Michael Ruse | Science, Faith, and the Evidence for God
    3. Michael Shermer | Does God Exist?
    4. Peter Atkins | Dialogue on Science and God
    5. Peter Singer | Is There a God?
    6. Richard Dawkins | The God Delusion
    7. Richard Dawkins | Has Science Buried God?
  • N.T. Wright
    1. Gary Morson | What Gods Do We Believe in Now?
    2. Sean Kelly | The Bible
  • William Lane Craig
    1. Daniel Came | Does God Exist?
    2. Erik Wielenberg | God and Morality
    3. Lawrence Krauss | Has Science Buried God?
    4. Richard Dawkins
    5. Richard Dawkins | Is God a Delusion?
    6. Sam Harris | The God Debate II

Documentaries

Playing With FIRE

  • Netflix
    1. Best of Enemies
    2. Expedition Happiness
    3. Foo Fighters: Back and Forth
    4. Food, Inc.
    5. Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian
    6. Happy
    7. Holy Hell
    8. In Defense of Food
    9. Karl Marx City
    10. Minimalism
    11. My Scientology Movie
    12. Oklahoma City
    13. The Pixar Story
    14. Pumping Iron
    15. Small is Beautiful
    16. Steve Jobs
    17. Survivors Guide to Prison
    18. Thrive With Less
    19. The True Cost
    20. The Vietnam War
    21. What the Health
  • YouTube
    1. 3D Printed Guns
    2. 911 the War in Afghanistan
    3. 911 Documentary: The Truth
    4. A Night of Exploration: WW2 Documentary
    5. The American Civil War Full Documentary
    6. American Drug War 2
    7. America’s Forgotten Wars
    8. Armistice: The End Game of WWI
    9. Child of Rage
    10. Christ Revealed | Episode 1
    11. The Collapse of Mormonism
    12. Gods and Monsters: Great Military Blunders
    13. The Extraordinary Genius of Albert Einstein
    14. The Family That Walks on All Fours
    15. Findings Confirming the Bible
    16. Gnosis – Bible’s Buried Secrets
    17. Greed: Money, Happiness, and Eternal Life
    18. Herculaneum: The Other Pompeii
    19. The History of Christianity
    20. History of the Bible
    21. Inside North Korea
    22. Iraq War Documentary
    23. The Jesus Story: Timeline
    24. Kitty: Return to Auschwitz
    25. Life in a Day
    26. Life in a US Prison
    27. The Lost World of Pompeii
    28. The Men Who Killed Kennedy
    29. Philosophy – A Guide to Happiness
    30. Pompeii: New Secrets Revealed With Mary Beard
    31. The Power of a Revolution: First World War
    32. Quantum Theory
    33. A Simpler Way
    34. The Spanish American War
    35. The Strangest Secret
    36. Theologians Under Hitler
    37. Weed
    38. Who Killed Jesus?
    39. Why America Lost the Vietnam War
    40. The World in 2050
    41. WW2 Through Children’s Eyes
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