Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
So … have you made any New Year’s resolutions? I am grateful for the new beginnings in life. Most often beginnings come with endings. The endings, I don’t like. But the endings are inevitable. The year of 2008 is over. It is done. We cannot go back and undo or redo. We now look forward … Read more
One of the books on leadership I read during my D.Min. program was Summoned to Lead by Leonard Sweet, whom I’ve gotten to hear at a couple of conferences in the past. I enjoy everything Sweet writes, and I especially enjoyed this book which drew leadership lessons from the life and expedition of Sir Ernest … Read more
Few people have influenced and equipped me for leadership like John Maxwell — through his books, conferences, and monthly leadership audio lessons in the last 18 years. One of the last Maxwell books I’ve read (it’s been a while since I read it) is Thinking for a Change. In the book, Maxwell discusses 11 thinking … Read more
I just finished reading another book by Bill Hybels, Holy Discontent. Last week I finished When Leadership and Discipleship Collide, which I wrote about here. I wanted to include both books in my dissertation, at the last minute. As I said before, Hybels is one of my favorite writers/leaders. Not only is Holy Discontent an … Read more
One of my favorite writers/leaders is Bill Hybels, founding/senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL). Hybels has more than 30 years of leadership experience, and I am always inspired and challenged when I read his stuff. It’s no different after reading When Leadership and Discipleship Collide, a brief book with about 57 … Read more
I recently wrote about Andy Stanley’s book, Choosing to Cheat (see “Choosing to Cheat” 1.0) (this book was republished in 2011 as When Work and Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family). As I said, I want to share some personal reflections on how Joleen and I plan to cheat strategically so that … Read more
Awhile back, I read Choosing to Cheat: Who Wins When Family and Work Collide? by Andy Stanley (this book was republished in 2011 as When Work and Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family). The book is must-reading for anyone who is busy AND has a family! Incidentally, I try to read everything … Read more
The most impacting book I’ve ever read on preaching/communication is Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and Lanes Jones. The book is based on the preaching approach of Andy Stanley, lead pastor of North Point Community Church. I read this book in 2006 and immediately began putting the approach into practice, even before completing … Read more
It’s been a little over a year since I first read The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus, lead pastor of Mosaic. Erwin is one of my favorite writers and Christ-following leaders; I consider all of his stuff must reading (especially for leaders). Every Christ-follower who wants to live whole-heartedly and unabashedly for God should read, … Read more
The books we want to read have been piling up! If you’ve been following our doctor of ministry journey, you know that our personal growth time has been somewhat tied up. As a result, our reading time/schedule outside of the program is pretty limited. So, as you can imagine, the pile of books that we … Read more