Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to guard our hearts because it is the source of life (CSB). The ESV renders it this way: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Keeping or guarding our hearts is a duty of great significance for all of us.

So how do we keep our heart? What can we do to guard this source of life? I think there are many biblical ways to do this. The ordinary means of grace—prayer, Bible reading, preaching, etc.—are some of the obvious ways we can keep our heart. I believe growing in knowledge is one as well. One of the ways we can grow in our knowledge and understanding of God and his gospel is through reading theologically solid and Christ-focused books.

It is for this reason we are initiating CPR: Corporis Preparatory Reading. CPR is a tool we can all use to keep and guard our hearts in 2018. Corporis is the annual conference we run in partnership with Crossroads Alliance Church. In 2018 we will be holding Corporis Conference on May 18-19. Our speaker will be author Jared Wilson. So, we plan to prepare for Corporis, and at the same time keep our hearts, by reading some of Jared’s book. Thus, CPR is a reading plan for our hearts that will also help us get ready for Corporis Conference.

We have put together two reading plans; a regular plan for regular readers and a second plan for ambitious readers. The regular plan schedules the reading of one book: The Imperfect Disciple. The Imperfect Disciple was published in 2017 and has made its way onto many year-end best book lists including lists from Desiring God, Aaron Armstrong, and Tim Challies. The plan for more ambitious readers includes three books of Wilson’s that the author indicated were books that would be a great “Introduction to Jared Wilson": The Story of Everything, Gospel Wakefulness, and The Imperfect Disciple.

Would you consider reading with us this year? Would you participate in this two-pronged endeavour of keeping your heart and preparing for Corporis. Below you will find the two reading plans. And you can expect to see more blog posts in 2018 about the reading we will be doing. Join us if you can!