I know I’m really late to the party, but I finally got around to reading Freakonomics by Steven Levitt. All I can say is that it’s a really fun book to read. The chapter titles immediately drew me in (how can you not want to read a chapter called, “Why do drug dealers still live with their mothers?”) The book was a fun look at all the stats that people give and the societal rules they create. The book probably won’t give you much sermon material or leadership insight, but it’s a fun, quick read that will cause you to … Read More

As I looked at our church, I decided to re-read The E-Myth because I felt like our systems were weak. If this book emphasizes anything, it’s systems. If you don’t think that having churches should have systems, look at the human body. Your body has systems, and if there working well, that’s called health. The church is a body. So a healthy church has healthy systems. Anyway, I really liked this book (even though the story about Sarah’s Pie Shop got old). Gerber’s challenge is basically right out of Eph. 4:11-12. He would say, “Stop working in your ministry and … Read More

It’s not a big book, but 9 Things a Leader must do by Dr. Henry Cloud packs a punch! This book is his look at 9 qualities that all great leaders possess. It’s filled with stories and wisdom of how these qualities influence these leader’s decisions and relationships. I think books like this help a leader take an inventory of what’s happening within him/her. Some favorite quotes: “Leadership success is the process of digging up the treasures of the invisible soul in order to bring dreams, desires, and talents to the visible world.” Most leaders who “left it all” took … Read More

I don’t know if there’s a book that’s more needed for church leaders than a book like Cut to the Chase by Stuart Levine. The spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, and time demands on a church leader’s life is high, and we need to be able to manage these demands in a reasonable way. This book is like a practical version of Choosing to Cheat. Cut to the Chase gives 100 ways to get time back by organizing your work and making decisions that promote getting right to the point. Some highlight rules in the book (each rule is about a … Read More

Bring a book with you wherever you go. You never know when you’re going to get 15 minutes to just sit and read. Most of my reading happens in-between other things that are going on. Carry a book with you, and you won’t spend that time playing Tetris on your Treo…

I am a big fan of Marcus Buckingham’s books. So I picked up First, Break All the Rules and it didn’t disappoint. Through an insane amount of data gathering and research that the Gallup organization did, they put together a book that is really helpful for people who desire to manage better. Honestly, I’m not the best manager in the world. Mostly because I manage people they way I want to be managed (something Marcus talks about in the book), that is, I want to be told what my parameters are and left alone. Not everyone works best this way, … Read More

I thought it was going to take Amazon.com a little longer to get it, but my new book is out. It’s called Watermark and it’s an explanation of what baptism is. It started out as a pamphlet on baptism and turned into about 50 pages on the subject. It’s got an introduction, the chapter “Watermark” from my Elements book, and an FAQ on baptism. 50 pages sounds like a lot, but the design gives the books a lot of breathing room. We put Watermark together because we wanted everyone who gets baptized at our church to really understand what they’re … Read More

They Like Jesus but not the Church by Dan Kimball was a very good read. I think as Pastors we can get caught in the Christian “bubble” and lose contact with anyone who is far from God. Dan’s research about those who like Jesus but not the church boiled down to 6 common observations emerging generations have about the church: – The church is an organized religion with a political agenda – The church is judgmental and negative – The church is dominated by males and oppresses women – The church is homophobic – The church arrogantly claims all other … Read More

A friend of mine who has recommended several great books to me raved about “Your Church can Grow” by C. Peter Wagner, so I picked it up. I became familiar with Wagner while on staff at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale as they use his spiritual gifts test, which was pretty good. The book on the other hand, was not so good. My best way to explain these 207 pages of really dated material is that it reminded me of a 70’s leisure suit; there was a time when it was cool, but that time is long past. While I’m sure … Read More

Echoes of His Presence by Ray Vander Laan was a great read. Part fiction, part teaching, but all good! Ray creates some stories about first century people to illustrate the passages of Scripture that he wants to highlight. It’s a very effective way to give the reader an understanding about Jewish culture and customs in the first Century. He has great insights into the world of the Bible and gives new light into familiar passages. It’s a very easy read and one that you’ll walk away from having gained a lot of background into the Scriptures. You can also get … Read More