Discipleship Cliff

What are you reading as a dad? Not for work, not for a hobby, but for who you’re becoming as a father.

I’ve read every book on this list, and each one has shaped who I am as a dad trying to follow Jesus. These aren’t the only books that have helped me along the way, but they’re five I keep coming back to as I learn what it looks like to put Jesus first in raising my family.

This list is a mix. Some of these are theology, meant to deepen what you believe. Some are more practical, meant to help you lead your family well. All five have shaped how I’m learning to follow Jesus as a dad and disciple my kids, not just raise them. I think they can do the same for you.

A quick note: the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.

1. Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem

This is not a book you read in a weekend. It’s a book you keep on a shelf and return to for years. I’ve worked through a number of systematic theologies over the years, through seminary and in ministry since. Grudem is the one I keep coming back to. He walks through what the Bible teaches on nearly every major doctrine, from the nature of God to the church to the end times. And he does it in a way that stays rooted in Scripture without losing sight of how it actually applies to your life. It’s rigorous enough to trust and clear enough to use.

If you want to lead your family with more theological precision and conviction, this is the kind of book that can lead you in that direction.

2. Desiring God by John Piper

This book has been important to me since college, and I’ve come back to it again and again over the years. Piper’s core idea is simple and it will stick with you: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. This book reframes the Christian life away from duty and obligation and toward joy.

For dads, this book asks a question worth sitting with: are you following Jesus because you’re supposed to, or because you actually desire him? Piper’s answer is that we’re meant to love God by enjoying him, not just obeying him out of duty. That shift changes everything about how you lead your family too.

3. Family Discipleship by Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin

This book helped me think more deeply about what family discipleship actually is and what it looks like in real life. The term gets used a lot, and it means something different to nearly everyone who says it. Chandler and Griffin do the work of defining it clearly, then walk through what it actually looks like to live it out with an actual family, while still leaving room for you to make it work in your own context.

Maybe you’ve felt unsure about what family discipleship should actually look like in your home. Or maybe you’ve wondered where something like family devotions fits within that bigger picture. Either way, this book gives you a framework you can use.

4. The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen

Most of us know Bible stories without seeing how they connect. This book walks through the entire Bible as one story in six acts: creation, sin, Israel, Christ, the church, and new creation.

This book has been one of the most helpful I’ve read for understanding the big picture of the Bible, and understanding that big picture has helped me make sense of the individual parts even more. It’s changed how I read the Bible with my own kids. Instead of teaching isolated stories, I started teaching one story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. I’ve recommended this book often over the years, and I think any dad who wants to know the Bible better would benefit from reading it.

5. Soundtracks by Jon Acuff

This one isn’t theology, but it’s earned its spot on this list. Acuff writes about the broken thought patterns we replay in our heads, and how to replace them with better ones.

I read this book right after a ministry transition. It was eye-opening for how I thought about myself and the soundtracks I’d been playing on repeat without realizing it. I think it’s especially helpful for dads carrying soundtracks that aren’t true. Soundtracks like: you’re not doing enough, you’re behind, you’re failing your kids. This book won’t fix your theology. But it can help you recognize those old tapes for what they are and start replacing them with something true.

Where to Start

You don’t have to read all five at once, and you don’t have to read them in order. Pick the one that matches where you’re at right now.

If your theology feels thin, start with Grudem or Piper. Maybe you know what you believe but aren’t sure how to lead your family in it day-to-day. If so, start with Chandler and Griffin. Want the whole Bible to finally click into place as one story instead of scattered pieces? Start with Bartholomew and Goheen. And if you’re stuck in your own head more than anything else, start with Acuff.

None of these books will make you a perfect dad, and that was never the point. None of us can be. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s aligning our lives with Jesus and following him, all while trusting that he fills in the places we fall short. It never depends on us and our effort alone. It depends on his work in us. So pick one of these books, start this week, and let it do its slow work on you. The dad you become over the next few years is being shaped right now, one small habit at a time. This can be one of them.

Keep Growing

Books are a great way to grow, but they’re not the only way. If you want something shorter to keep you anchored between chapters, The Trailhead is a short devotional for disciple-making parents delivered straight to your inbox. It’s a small, steady rhythm to help you keep following Jesus while you lead your family.