Summer is almost finished and that means that my reading schedule can get back on track. This is a picture of the stack of books sitting on my desk ready to be devoured.
What are you reading? What should I be reading?
Category Archives: Books
Currently Reading
I’ve got a ton of stuff that I’m currently reading. I have so many different books open right now that I need to buy some stock in a highlighter company. Check out a few of my favorite quotes from books I’ve been working through recently:
The Christian Atheist by Craig Groschel
A pastor once asked his church to pray that God would shut down a neighborhood bar. The whole church gathered for an evening prayer meeting, pleading with God to rid the neighborhood of the evils of this bar. A few weeks later, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. Having heard about the church’s prayer crusade, the bar owner promptly sued the church. When the court date finally arrived, the bar owner passionately argued that God struck his bar with lightning because of the church members’ prayers. The pastor backtracked, brushing off the accusations. He admitted the church prayed, but he also affirmed that no one in his congregation really expected anything to happen. The judge leaned back in his chair, a mix of amusement and perplexity on his face. Finally he spoke: “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Right in front of me is a bar owner who believes in the power of Prayer and a pastor who doesn’t.” The truth is some Christian Atheists believe in God, but they don’t believe in Prayer. They might claim to believe prayer works, but their actions say otherwise. Some rarely pray, and when they do, they don’t expect anything to change.
The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson
To follow Jesus implies that we enter into a way of life that is given character and shape and direction by the one who calls us. To follow Jesus means picking up rhythms and ways of doing things that are often unsaid but always derivative from Jesus, formed by the influence of Jesus. To follow Jesus means that we can’t separate what Jesus is saying from what Jesus is doing and the way that he is doing it. To follow Jesus is as much, or maybe even more, about feet as it is about ears and eyes.
Romans by RC Sproul
The church is the ekklesia, a Greek word that comes from the verb kaleo, meaning “to call,” and the prefix ek-, meaning “out of.” Every Christian is called out of the world, out of bondage, out of death, and out of sin, and into Christ and into his body. Paul is not the only one who has been called. All who are truly part of the church have been called out, separated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Church 3.0 by Neil Cole
Church is no longer a place to go to, but a people to belong to. Church is no longer an event to be at, but a family to be a part of. Church is not a program to reach out to the world, but a people that bring the kingdom of God with them into a lost world, with a contagious spirit.
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by NT Wright
As I have already hinted, people tend to go in one of two directions when they think of how to behave. You can live by rules, by a sense of duty, by an obligation imposed on you whether you feel like doing it or not. Or you can declare that you are free from all that sort of thing and able to be yourself, to discover your true identity, to go with your heart, to be authentic and spontaneous. Jenny and Philip were really having that debate, though they didn’t realize it. James was bumping into it, too, but he was framing it within a larger and more worrying challenge: What are we here for in the first place? The fundamental answer we shall explore in this book is that what we’re “here for” is to become genuine human beings, reflecting the God in whose image we’re made, and doing so in worship on the one hand and in mission, in its full and large sense, on the other; and that we do this not least by “following Jesus.” The way this works out is that it produces, through the work of the Holy Spirit, a transformation of character. This transformation will mean that we do indeed “keep the rules”—though not out of a sense of externally imposed “duty,” but out of the character that has been formed within us. And it will mean that we do indeed “follow our hearts” and live “authentically”—but only when, with that transformed character fully operative (like an airline pilot with a lifetime’s experience), the hard work up front bears fruit in spontaneous decisions and actions that reflect what has been formed deep within. And, in the wider world, the challenge we face is to grow and develop a fresh generation of leaders, in all walks of life, whose character has been formed in wisdom and public service, not in greed for money or power.
Book Review: Dug Down Deep
“The wise builder is the one who comes to Jesus, listens to his words, and then puts them into practice. This activity- this faith-filled approach to Jesus, the acceptance of his truth and then the application of the truth and then the application of the truth- is what Jesus said is like a man who dug down deep and built on a solid foundation. When problems and trials and the storms of life came, the “house” of his life kept standing.”
I don’t know when exactly it happened but there came a time where I had no desire to read another pithy, saccharine-sweet devotional book. I craved the deep stuff. I wanted to know and understand beyond mere comfort and enjoyment. I wanted to dig deeper into the inner workings of my God and my faith. I wanted theology over warm fuzzies, truth over platitudes.
Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris is a great primer for those who want to go a bit deeper in their faith understanding. For those who would like a beginner’s tutorial in the realm of theology you probably couldn’t find a more accessible book. Harris tackles everything from the doctrine of God (theology proper) to the doctrine of Scripture to the doctrine of Sanctification.
Don’t let the word doctrine turn you off. Harris makes each of these deep truths understandable without watering them down or coming across as some stuffy, thick-glasses academic. Harris writes about understanding and experiencing these teachings within the context of daily living. He talks openly about his struggles, his missteps, and his inability to understand it all. He does this in a way that invites the reader into the difficult task of building faith not of the shifting sands of the culture but but firmly in God and in the truth revealed through Scripture.
As a minister, where the rubber meets the road for me is whether or not this book is a good resource for me and my ministry. Would I recommend Dug Down Deep to my teens or their families? Yes. Could I use this book to help me teach a class on theology to teenagers/college students/families? Absolutely.
Joshua Harris cost me a few dates back in college when his I Kissed Dating Goodbye was all the rage. The young guy who rashly encouraged all the pretty girls to turn me down for dates has matured into an honest, thoughtful, and engaging author and minister. With Dug Down Deep Harris has proven that theology and doctrine are necessary to deepen one’s faith and understanding. Even more than that theology and doctrine help solidify the relationship between the believer and the Creator.
Disclaimer: This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah. (However…I would have bought this book anyway.)
3 More: Books I’m Reading
Yesterday I posted about my desire to finish up before the end of the year the 10 or so open books that I have been reading. To continue with that post here are 3 more books that I’d like to finish before 2010.
ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch
Alan Hirsh wrote a great book called The Forgotten Ways a few years ago. That book was a call for Christians to bring the power and community found in the first century church to the here and now in order to make a great impact for the kingdom. ReJesus is about the source of that power and community: Jesus Christ. I have had this book waiting in the queue for most of the year and I am very much looking forward to getting into it.
So what’s this book all about? It’s all about Jesus, with direct implications for our discipleship, some radical challenges for our churches, and some suggested reformulations for our spirituality. In short, it’s about reJesusing the church. So this book is dedicated to the recovery of the absolute centrality of the person of Jesus in defining who we are as well as what we do. As hard as it is to truly follow him, we assert that we must constantly return to Jesus to authenticate as well as legitimize ourselves as his people. We have no other Archimedean point by which to set our coordinates or any other touchstone by which we can assess the abiding validity of our faith and to see if we are authentically Christian. The love of Jesus, and our commitment to live in conformity to him, is in effect an inbuilt spiritual mechanism at the heart of the church’s theology and experience that provides an instrument for our ongoing renewal. It seems to us that a constant, and continual, return to Jesus is absolutely essential for any movement that wishes to call itself by his name.
Fresh Start: God’s Invitation to a Great Life by Doug Fields
I’m not even going to deny it. I am a Doug Fields fan. I picked up Fresh Start in order to adapt it for my winter retreat but have found myself connecting with its message on every level. The message Doug wants to get across is that through Jesus, we have all been given a fresh start free from sin. Although we are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit many of us struggle every day to live free. Doug is a great, practical writer and Fresh Start is one of his best.
Here’s my confession: although I’ve been a follower of Christ for many years, there are still areas in my life that feel stuck. I’m talking about being spiritually stuck—bad habits that I can’t seem to get under control, nagging sins that never seem to go fully away, positive character traits I should have developed by now but that are still not apparent in my life. I desperately want to go forward and find greater maturity in my relationship with Christ, but it seems as though something is always holding me back from a fresh start. As a pastor, I always acknowledge I’m just one bad decision away from being a front-page scandal. (I’m sure you’ve read about some of my colleagues.) So for me, one example of me being stuck is connected more with my ugly thoughts (the ones I know I shouldn’t be thinking after thirty years of following Jesus), or the thoughtless, stupid words that occasionally fly out of my mouth (I should know better!). In short, the person I want to be (really want to be), well, I’m just not quite there yet. I feel bogged down in some areas of my life. Can you relate? I’m guessing you can.
The Power of Persistence: Breakthroughs in Your Prayer Life by Michael Catt
If there were one spiritual discipline that I would want to stand in the power of every single day it would be prayer. The Power of Persistence is a great primer on how to pray according to the scriptures. This small book has been a great encouragement to me this season and I can see myself revisiting it over and over.
The ups and downs of church history can be written in the prayer life of God’s people. The strength of the church has never been in programs, numbers, or events, but in prayer and obedience. God is not interested in our innovative methods. He is not impressed with our twenty-first century technology. God is still moved by the prayers of simple saints who learn in the quiet place to lay hold of the throne of grace. Prayer is not incidental to the work of God—it is the work! When God’s people face godless times, that’s when they need to turn up the heat in prayer. Tough times are no time for God’s people to sit by, cold and indifferent. As you read 1 Kings, you will discover that before the showdown on Mount Carmel, God was preparing Elijah in prayer. Elijah was learning how to ask God for the impossible and believe God in desperate situations. Before he ever stood on Carmel and confronted the false prophets, Elijah was a man of prayer and faith in the promises of God. All of us must be tested as to whether we will take matters into our own hands or take them before the Lord.
My Friends, My Mentors
Mark Batterson over at Evotional had this to say about Virtual Mentors:
When I am in my office, I am surrounded by several thousand mentors that sit on my bookshelves. Authors are virtual mentors. Some of them died hundreds of years ago. Others would never have time to meet with me one-on-one. But their writing is a form of mentoring.
I’ve heard that the average author takes about two years to write a book. So that means when I read a book I gain two years of life experience. Read a hundred books this year and you’ll gain two hundred years of life experience.
I’m being mentored by George Müller, Eugene Peterson, Francis Chan, and Scot McKnight right now. That translates into a lot of life experience according to Mark. Makes me even more determined to read, learn, and lead.
Who is mentoring you today?
Friday Thoughts
This really has been a good week. Here are some of the highlights:
Schedule: As I stated last week, I’ve altered my schedule to make me a bit more productive and pro-active. Things went well. I found places to tweak and to change. Maybe my schedule can help you schedule. I’ll post on my schedule next week.
Reading: I finished 2 books this past week and started 3 more. I’m reading everything from theology to discipleship to Sesame Street. No fooling.
Practical Theology: I’ve been pondering this for a little over 2 weeks now- Read 1 Cor 9:19-23. Now, think of a specific issue in worship/ministry that causes arguments- you know, weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Next ask yourself, “Would Paul have encouraged _______________ if it would advance the gospel?” or “Would Paul have changed the tradition of ___________________ if it would have led someone to Jesus?” I believe that the answers to these questions has a profound impact on our practices. There’s you some light thinking for the weekend. You are welcome.
U2: Tons of new info out about the album. Rolling Stone & Q have song descriptions. Radio stations are saying that the new single will be out in the next two weeks. Bono is talking about “outdoor” shows and a tour beginning in June (He must have heard my request to avoid the due date of my forstborn. He such a stand up guy.). If only there were some album cover pics. Oh well. We can’t have everything we wish for. Check out all the new information at @U2 New Album Info page.
Technology: I’ve been asked to teach a Youth Ministry seminar in February. One of the sessions will be on “Using Technology in Ministry” I am looking forward to Bobby’s posts on Swerve on using mobile devices for ministry. Check out his quick Mobile Primer.
You: I hope you have a great weekend. See you on Monday.
Review: ESV Study Bible
Why The ESV?
I have used the English Standard Version in my private reading, teaching, and speaking since 2003. While my primary teaching Bible has been the TNIV I like getting away from the familiar phrases and wording and into something a bit different like the ESV.
The ESV is a word-for-word translation in the vein of the NRSV and NASB. It can be a bit stiff in some places but there is a lot of life in these pages.
Why The ESV Study Bible?
Study Bibles are designed to help the reader dig deeper into the history, meaning, and application of God’s Word. I will be forever grateful to my first NIVSB for helping me begin to understand Scripture. That Bible logged many hours and late nights with me through high school and college studying for pleasure and studying for school. Since then I have used Life Application Bibles, devotional Bibles, “master” study bibles, reference Bibles, and the TNIVSB. In most of these Bibles the notes and study helps tend to overshadow or crowd out the text. With the exception of the TNIV, I have been unable to find a study bible that drives me deeper into the word or causes me to become enveloped in the passage and the study helps.
It is in this that the ESVSB succeeds.
Why the ESVSB Succeeds
The stats for the ESVSB look like this:
2 million words— of Bible text and insightful teaching in 2,752 pages.
20,000 notes— focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.
Over 50 articles— including articles on the Bible’s authority and reliability; on biblical archaeology, theology, ethics, and personal application.
200-plus charts— offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
Over 200 full-color maps— created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color throughout the Bible.
80,000 cross-references— to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
40 all-new illustrations—including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more. (from the official ESVSB website)
I’m not going to lie to you. 2 million words, 2,752 pages, and 20,000 notes do not a light Bible make. This thing is huge! It has to be huge to fit all this stuff inside the TruTone cover. However, don’t let these stats scare you away.
The notes are solid but do not take anything away from the actual text. The biblical text is in a large font at the top of the page while the notes are in significantly smaller somewhat italicized font on the bottom of the page. This makes for a smooth reading experience. I am currently working through the entire Bible again. While the goal is to simply read through the text, I have purposely slowed my pace down to take advantage of the study helps. This has been a huge blessing to me and has really made some of the more difficult passages come alive.
Winning Features of the ESVSB
Color Pages, Illustrations, and Charts
Color pages are nothing new but here is the first time that color pages in a Bible have impacted my study of scripture. From the subtle hints of olive green highlights on each page to the glorious, highly detailed illustrations to the colorific maps the ESVSB truly uses color to its advantage.
Take the illustrations as an example. The picture on the left is of Solomon’s temple and can be found on pages 604-605. This two-paged, full-colored rendering is quite beautiful and far exceeds anything I’ve ever encountered in a Bible. The same goes for the charts and diagrams. While reading in Numbers I was able to visualize for the first time how the Israelites were commanded to march and encamp through their wanderings. The tabernacle was to remain in the center of the camp and the people wether at camp or on the move. God’s presence is to be at all time central in the life of the believer. While on one hand this is a great revelation to me I am also saddened that I’ve never fully grasped this small truth before. Thank you charts on pages 267 & 269!
Reference Materials
Not only are there highly academic intros to each biblical book and the usual concordance here but there are also a ton of scholarly articles and features covering everything from Biblical Ethics to Reliability of the Cannon to What Role the Bible Played into Evangelical Protestantism throughout history. There is a MA in Biblical Studies available at your fingerprints here.
Online Features
Everything on page between the TruTone covers is available online to everyone who purchases a physical copy. That includes the illustrations, notes, charts, text, and supplemental readings. The online area also allows you to upload your own notes as you study and since the feature is web based you can access your notes from any computer. Very forward thinking feature.
So that does it for this extended commercial. While the ESV isn’t my favorite translation this Study Bible has proved to be an invaluable part of my study. I would highly recommend this Bible for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into God’s Word.
Thank you Crossway for all your hard work. The effort has truly paid off!!!
Small Leadership Bites
Here are a few chunks of leadership goodness from Bill Hybels’ latest Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs for your Monday.
Vision: Paint the Picture Passionately
Vision and passion are inextricably bound together in the life of a leader. God made it so. When you have eyes to see the vision that God has given you, you’ll know it because your heart will feel it so deeply that, over time, any lingering uncertainty will vanish.
Bold Moves
As the years went by, my teammates and I began to notice that the primary reason we were making significant progress as a church was that we had enough people making “bold moves.” They were thinking fresh thoughts, pioneering cool new programs, and trusting God to accomplish significant kingdom-building activity in their midst.
Only God
It’s more than an axiom. It is a theology… We watch for our heavenly Father to move and stir and act. and call. And when he does, we humbly thank him with the only two words that could even begin to give credit to the one to whom alone credit is due:”Only God.”
The List: 10 Books On Leadership
1) Good to Great by Jim Collins
2) Leadership from the Inside Out by Kevin Harney
3) 360 Degree Leader by John C. Maxwell
4) Put Your Heart Into It by Howard Shultz
5) The God-Bearing Life by Kendra Creasy Dean and Ron Foster
6) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
7) Leading From the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson
8) 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley
9) Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley
10) Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels
Bonus: Bono by Michka Assayas. Kidding. Sort of. Dwight would read it.
Hallelujah Time
Whew! I am so tired. We had an incredible adventure to Kentucky for our annual mission trip. We spent 8 days serving people of Leslie and Clay counties and then 8 (long) nights sleeping on the hard floors of an elementary school nestled in the hollar of the Kentucky mountains. It was an awesome trip. My teens experienced people, ideas, and situations that they would have never seen here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. I have received a ton of positive feedback from parents and teens. It was a great trip.
Since I’ve returned I have been unable to shake this feeling of exhaustion though. If I could just take a month off and just sleep maybe I could get over this feeling. That ain’t gonna happen though. I’ll just have to make the most of my nights and and relish in my down time. My wife had to force me to take a day off this week and she chided me for wanting to read some books about small group ministry on my said day off. I relented and picked up a book that I have wanted to read for the last few years.
I started reading Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White. What a fascinating book. It begins with the history of the Rastafarian religion and lifestyle which is supremely bizarre and eye opening. I am more interested in Bob but this backstory of the worldview in which he lived, breathed, and, in some way, helped craft has added a new layer of dimension to this enigmatic purveyor of sweet soul music.
Like most Americans who say that they are fans of Bob Marley I’ve really only listened to Legend, the 1984 compilation released posthumously to capitalize on Marley’s, well, legend. I have another set that is a primer on Bob and his career but like everyone else, Legend is just about it for me.
To supplement my reading I purchased Burnin’, the last Wailers album. The book has already alluded to the cultural and philosophical significance of songs like Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror, and Burnin and Lootin.
After listening to the album this morning I have some new Bob Marley favorites to add to the mix. I am totally grooving to One Foundation, Rasta Man Chant, Reincarnated Souls, and Hallelujah Time.
The lyrics to Hallelujah Time really struck me this morning. I am so tired and stretched thin yet I can’t help but praise my Father. We are all living and breathing because of His grace and by his power. How can we not sing praises to Him?
For those of us who believe in and have been changed by Almighty God and his one and only Son, anytime is Hallelujah time.
Hear the children cryin’,
but I know they cry not in vain.
Now the times are changin’;
love has come to bloom again.Smelling the air when spring comes by raindrops
reminds us of youthful days.
But now it’s not rain that water the cane crops,
but the sweat from man’s brow;
the substance from our spine.
We gotta keep on living, living on borrowed time:
Hallelujah time!Yes, you can hear the children singing: Hallelujah time!
As they go singing by and by: Hallelujah time!
Oh, “hallelujah” singing in the morning.
Hallelujah time! Let them sing; don’t let them cry.Over rocks and mountains
the sheep are scattered all around.
Over hills and valleys,
they are everywhere to be found.
But though we bear our burdens now,
All afflictions got to end somehow:
From swinging the hammer, pulling the plough.Why won’t you let us be, to live in harmony?
We like to be free like birds in a tree.Hallelujah time! Yes, you can hear the children singing.
Hallelujah time! Yes, as they go singing by and by.
Hallelujah time! Oh “hallelujah” singing in the morning.
Let them sing; never let them cry.
Hallelujah time! “Hallelujah” singin’ in the morning.