Meet Bill Kittrell, 49.
Bill is the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (TN), a church he planted 25 years ago. He and his wife, Cheri, have been married for 29 years and have four children and one granddaughter.
Bill earned a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Tennessee. Yep, forestry. No comment.
Bill, thanks for taking a moment to answer my questions! Please describe your morning devotions. What time do you wake up in the morning? How much time do you spend reading, meditating, praying, etc.? What are you presently reading?
If I am sleeping well I usually wake up between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. I spend approx 2 hours in reading, prayer, etc. For my devotions I am currently reading the Gospel of Luke, the Psalms, and 2 Chronicles.
What book(s) are you currently reading in these three categories: (a) for your soul, (b) for pastoral ministry, or (c) for personal enjoyment?
For my soul:
The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel.
Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints by John Piper, Justin Taylor, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, Helen Roseveare, and John MacArthur.
The Sermon on the Mount by Sinclair Ferguson.
Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge.
For pastoral ministry:
John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, & Doxology edited by Burk Parsons.
Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace by Iain Murray.
The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Cason.
Various commentaries on 1 Corinthians.
For personal enjoyment:
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham.
The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006–2008 by Bob Woodward.
Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President by Brian Lamb and Susan Swain.
Mountain Men and Fur Traders of the Far West: Eighteen Biographical Sketches by LeRoy R. Hafen and Harvey L. Carter.
Apart from Scripture, what book do you most frequently re-read and why?
I would re-read these about the same amount:
Living the Cross Centered Life; Humility; Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God by C.J.
The Pleasures of God; Desiring God; Future Grace by John Piper.
Disciplines of Grace by Jerry Bridges.
Works of John Flavel.
When you finish a book, what system have you developed in order to remember and reference that book in the future?
In books that I do write in, I dog-ear the page and write a topic on the top of the page. My assistant copies the page and files it under that topic.
In books that I don’t write in, I dog-ear pages and my assistant copies the page and puts it in a notebook.
Join me next time for part two of my interview with my friend Wild Bill.