A New Book

I love getting gift cards for bookstores. A family in the church blessed me with a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble. I am heading out later this morning to pick up John Adams by David McCullough. I started reading this book a couple of years ago after seeing it at our local library. I renewed it 3-4 times, and I still didn't finish it back then! At least I'll own it now, so I don't feel guilty taking my time reading it.

I was never interested in history until post-college, and it has only been within the last few years that I have started reading historical biographies. McCullough is a favorite author of mine; he wrote 1776 which is a phenomenal book. I highly recommend it!

Any other historical biographies I should read?

Sex God

I read Rob Bell's latest work, Sex God, on the return flight from Vegas last night. I wanted to read it in preparation for our Sexual Revolutions teaching series coming up in February at Great Oaks.

Honestly, I've got to read it again. It never became what I thought it was going to become. Remember that if you read it. It was still good, though. I think there will be more take-aways after I read it the second time.

There are a couple of things in there that I wish he would have explained a little better. It leaves some room for people to come to conclusions that may not be the most accurate or healthy. His only defense would be the use of the word "maybe" in a couple of sentences. Be sure to read this book (and all others) with an eye to Scripture. I'll post some quotes from the book later; I've already loaned out my copy to somebody.

One more book down... 26 1/2 more to go for the year!

Just Walk Across the Room

I set aside some extended time today to read Hybel's latest work, Just Walk Across the Room. It is a must-read for all Christ-followers! This book focuses on the need and simplicity of practicing relational evangelism. I would share some more insights, but I am teaching on this topic in two weeks. I've got to save my thoughts until after that time!

Here are some notable quotes, though...

• "Life's great moments evolve from simple acts of cooperation with God's mysterious promptings."
• "The only thing you need in order to sustain...evangelism year after year is an ear fine-tuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit."
• "Being walk-across-the-room people means that we walk when the Spirit tells us to walk, and we don't walk when the Spirit says not to."
• "Jesus had an uncanny ability to look past the obvious flaws in people's lives and envision who they could become if the power of God were released in their lives."
• "I envy those of you who work in the marketplace day in and day out, almost entirely surrounded by people far from God."
• "As Christ's followers, we're accountable for regularly moving in circles with people far from God, uncovering their stories with compassion and grace, and then naturally and consistently making ourselves available when God opens a door of opportunity."
• "My daily goal as a follower of Christ - to be acutely aware of God's activity in this world and to be willing for him to use me in accomplishing some part of it, be it large or small."
• "The spread of the Gospel boils down to whether you and I will continue to seek creative ways to engage our friends, inviting them to explore the abundance of Christ-following life and helping them choose eternity with God."
  
• "If you ever hope to lead people to Christ, you have to be a person devoted to prayer.

On a side note, this is one more book down...only 27.5 more books to go to meet my goal of 30 books this year!

Made To Stick

I finished Made to Stick this afternoon. It was definitely worth the time as it is insanely practical and immediately applicable to my context as a leader and teacher. The core of the book is that to make an idea/message stick it needs to be...

• Simple
• Unexpected
• Concrete
• Credible
• Emotional
• (Involve) Stories
  

I am going to need some additional time to explore the deeper levels of application, though. It may have been better to read the book one chapter at a time with extended time for reflection and application rather than reading it straight through.

Overall, I would recommend this book for all leaders and communicators.

Currently Reading

Since I finished The Year of Biblically Living last night, I am moving on to my next read - Made to Stick. This is a highly recommended book for people who are trying to communicate new ideas, vital messages, and key strategies. I'll let you know my thoughts once I complete it.

So what are you reading right now? What books would you recommend I read in 2009? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. Thanks!

The Year of Living Biblically

Since finishing the Bible in a Year challenge, I have been in the mood to read. I just polished off A.J. Jacobs' latest book - The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. Jacobs is officially Jewish, but as he puts it, "Jewish in the same way Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant. Which is to say: not very." The description from the jacket cover is an apt one...

"Jacobs's extraordinary undertaking yields unexpected epiphanies and challenges. A book that will charm readers both secular and religious, The Year of Living Biblically is part CliffsNotes to the Bible, part memoir, and part look into worlds unimaginable. Thou shalt not be able to put it down."

As a pastor, I found the book to be one man's authentic pursuit of Biblical comprehension and application. It was an interesting - and much appreciated - view of the Bible and religion in general through his eyes. He has a keen awareness of his behavioral, emotional, and spiritual perceptions during the experiment. He is also well-aware of his own preconceived notions (this became painfully clear in the section on the New Testament).

I think the most unexpected aspect of this book was how much I laughed audibly while reading it - much to the amusement of my wife! Of course...many of these laughable sections involved his wife's sarcastic and not-so-amused responses to this undertaking. Reactions that Karen and I both agreed she would have if I were to pursue something similar.

My favorite episode was the time his wife sat in all the chairs in their apartment knowing that according to Leviticus 15:19-23 he would not be able sit in any of them. (Click on the link if you want to know the specifics...) In the same chapter, he shared some rabbinical teaching on this passage that I found extremely intriguing. I won't post that teaching here as I need to do some more research before stating my opinion on the teaching.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I am confident that I am going to read his previous book - The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. For that book, he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z - or more specifically, from a-ak (East Asian music) to Zywiec (a town in southern Poland known for its beer).

Going All the Way

As many of you know, I love to network with and track other Christian leaders from around the country. You also know that I love to read. So when I came across a recent post from Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Lifechurch.tv, offering a free copy of his recent book for people who blog about it, I couldn't resist!

The book is called Going All the Way: Preparing for a Marriage That Goes the Distance. I've read that some pastors are utilizing the book as their foundation for pre-marital counseling while others are using it for material during teaching series on marriage. I honestly don't know much more about the book than what I've read on other blogs, so I will let you know my thoughts after I receive my copy.

I have been learning from Craig for some time now, and I have been inspired and challenged by his teachings and writings. I've got two other books written by him, Chazown and Confessions of a Pastor. The first time I heard him speak was his presentation on the multi-site movement during the 2006 A2 Conference. I can honestly point to this talk as the turning point for me with regards to the multi-site movement. I also recently listened to his talks about "exponential innovation" and "practical atheism" from the 2007 Buzz Conference. Great talks that I highly recommend checking out.

Enough for now...I'll let you know if I get a free copy of the book...they only had 40 left...

Deadly Viper Character Assassins

Deadly Viper Character Assassins gives leaders a no-holds barred look at the topics of character and integrity. Jud Wilhite (Central Christian Church) and Mike Foster (co-founder of XXXchurch.com and the Creative Principal at PlainJoe Studios) unite to share their personal insights and experiences with some of the top character assassins that leaders will encounter...

• The Assassin of Character Creep
• The Assassin of Zi Qi Qi Ren (self-deception)
  
• The Assassin of Amped Emotions
• The Assassin of the Headless Sprinting Chicken (busy-ness)
  
• The Assassin of Boom Chicka Wa Wa (sexual temptation)
  
• The Bling Bling Assassin
• The High and Mighty Assassin (ego/pride)
  

I got this book in a gift bag given to all of the pastors who attended Central Uncensored. I had just recently heard about it through another blog, so I was jacked to see it in the bag. I ended up reading the whole book in a matter of hours during my time in Vegas. It is a must-read for all leaders as it makes you re-examine your life to discover if these character assassins are lurking in the shadows. I can't wait to get it in the hands of the staff at Great Oaks!

Find out more at deadlyviper.org...