Bringing Scripture to Life

In his book, Principles in Maintaining a Godly Organization ,  Gospel for Asia founder K.P. Yohannan, shares his insights as to what it takes to maintain a godly organization. Looking back on over 3 decades of ministry, K.P. does a brilliant job in reminding all of us what the most important part of a godly organization is. Namely, that individuals would be willing to give all of themselves to the purposes of God for their ministries. 

BOOK SNAPSHOT:  "Unhealthy people pleasing is a common leadership problem among today's pastors, affecting more than 70 percent to some degree. Since it acts much like a virus, a strong leadership 'immune system' is needed to counter it. By incorporating insight from the Bible, family systems and neuroscience, a pastor can develop a healthy immune system. Because of the immature ways many of us handle ongoing negative emotions (chronic anxiety), people pleasing is mostly driven by the emotional parts of our brains rather than the thinking parts. When we grow in our emotional maturity (differentiation of self) in both our inner world (thinking and feeling) and our out world (individuality and connectedness), we are less apt to people please. We mature by developing others and ourselves into PRESENT leaders instead of pleaser leaders." (Charles Stone, People-Pleasing Pastors: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Approval Motivated Leadership, p.25). This book has become on...

Five Dysfunctions of a Team  was written by leadership expert, Patrick Lencioni of the Table Group. "Since its publication in 2002,  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team  has become the world's most definitive source of practical information for building teams. The universal model outlined in the book has been embraced by virtually all types of organizations from multinational corporations, to small businesses, to professional sports, to education, to churches, non-profits and more." The Five Dysfunctions of a Team  is brought to life through a leadership fable about a company called "Decision Tech", whose resources should make them the leader in their area of business; but instead, they are hindered by their team of all-star executives inability to function as a team.  In this fable, Decision Tech hires a new CEO, whose mission is to turn this highly unhealthy, and dysfunctional  team around before it is too late. When it seems as if there is no hope l...

Originally published in 1980, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of ExpositoryMessages , has been a treasured companion for seminaries and pastors throughout the world, in helping us better understand and practice the art of expository preaching. In this classic guide, Robinson takes his readers through a step-by-step process of developing and delivering an expository sermon, and gives ample evidence of why this process is important to the preacher and his audience. In defining the expositional sermon, Robinson says, “Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to the hearers” (p.21). I believe this book is an important read for every teaching pastor, seminary student, and would be Bible teachers, as...

Practicing Greatness is a book that should be read by every leader on the planet, as it is filled with incredible insight on how to most effectively understand and manage ourselves, so that we can begin operating in a more consistent manner as we lead others. Excerpt from the Inside Sleeve: Based on his extensive experience as coach and mentor to many thousands of Christian leaders across a broad spectrum of ministry settings, Reggie McNeal helps spiritual leaders understand that they will self-select into or out of greatness. In this important book, McNeal shows how great spiritual leaders are committed consciously and intentionally to seven spiritual disciplines, habits of heart and mind that shape both their character and competence: The discipline of self-awareness —the single most important body of information a leader possesses The discipline of self-management —handling difficult emotions, expectations, temptations, mental vibrancy, and physical well-...

Richard Baxter (1615-91) was a leading English Puritan pastor, theologian, and author, whose deep convictions for holiness in the pulpit fueled a fire deep within his being. The purpose of his book,  The Reformed Pastor   is to reform the lukewarm pastors of his day, and in their self-reformation, begin pouring themselves out for the Body of Christ, so that every member will be edified and encouraged to grow in their faith. While written with the 17th Century clergy in mind, this explosive work is very timely instruction for pastors in every generation. I have read this book twice now, and each time, I have been most encouraged by The Reformed Pastor. I am blessed and encouraged to continue to seek God, to strive for holiness, and to pour myself out for the body of Christ, so that they might be edified, encouraged, and draw closer to Jesus. Paul's words to the church in Colossae truly summarize the heart of Richard Baxter in  The Reformed Pasto...

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness  is a book that reveals the marks of a heart that is touched by God and transformed by the Gospel. In a booklet barely 40 pages long, the author exposes the nature of pride, ego, self-esteem, and judgment of others and of ourselves.  By dissecting 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7, Timothy Keller puts the spotlight upon these internal diseases of the heart, and does a superb job in pointing out the historical view points of self-esteem, both high and low, and the transformation of these conditions of the heart that the gospel offers to all of us.  Over the span of three easy to read chapters, the author covers 1) The Natural Condition of the Human Ego, 2) The Transformed View of Self, and 3) How to Get that Transformed View of Self. I believe the book will be life-changing for many who read it, embrace it, and apply it to their lives. I highly recommend it.

This book was taken right out of the playbook from Granger Community Church. Granger has become a model for many churches across the country of what a healthy, growing and innovating church can become.  In this book Simply Strategic Stuff: Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running a Church , we are given  "99 topics that church leaders need to know! Some say it's the little things that matter the most, but the little details are often what pastors dread the most. Easy-to-understand and humorous, Simply Strategic Stuff equips pastors to perform the administrative details of pastoring with ease, and enthusiasm. Pastors are encouraged to consider basic principles that will help them develop systems and structures for releasing growth, enabling churches to reach their communities and the world for Jesus Christ!" - Amazon Book Description Below I have listed 3 of the key concepts from the Book that were important take aways for me when I rea...

This book is a great resource that I read in one of my undergraduate classes on the book of Revelation. I would highly recommend this for anyone who would like to have a better understanding of why there are four mainstream eschatological camps that interpret the book of Revelation differently.  This book is a passage by passage commentary through the book of Revelation in which t he author  represents each of the following eschatological viewpoints (Preterist, Historicist, Futurist, Spiritualist), side by side.  It is fascinating to read as the author  uses the most respected Bible Scholars and Bible Commentators within each eschatological camp to help explain the different viewpoints. In his effort to give each viewpoint a fair representation, he avoids bringing his personal beliefs on the subject into the picture.  My one warning to you about this book would be if you don't want your current beliefs challenged, don't read it with an open mind.  To...

This book has been a little treasure for me since I came upon it several years ago.  Handbook to Prayer - Praying Scriptures Back to God  by Ken Boa will help any believer develop and grow a powerful prayer life.  This tool will help give you a structured form to follow, that allows for total freedom in how you spend your time in prayer.  Each day includes prayers of adoration, confession, renewal, petition, intercession, affirmation, thanksgiving, and closing prayers. Each section of every day uses Bible verses to assist you in praying scriptures back to God. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires a more effective prayer life with God, whether you are in Christian Leadership, or whether you are a new believer. This book will help you commune with God. The only thing you have to bring to the table is a sincere heart. RELATED ARTICLES How to Pray?

Leading with a Limp is a book that was recommended to me at a time when I was going through an incredibly difficult season of ministry, and has quickly become one of my top 5 reads on leadership of all time.  Leading with a Limp is the reality for all of us who desire to spend our lives in leadership roles. In the introduction, the author states "if you're a leader, you're in the battle of your life. Nothing comes easily, enemies outnumber allies, and the terrain keeps shifting under your feet. If you've already tried the 'easy' solutions, you have found that they come up empty. I know unvarnished truth like this is never easy to hear, but it's the only truth that will help you lead with inner confidence. And you need confidence because nothing is more difficult than leading." (p.1) In my opinion, this book should be turned into a required course for every Seminary on the planet. This book spotlights the one area of pastoral ministry that is for...

This is a book about an emerging generation of Christian leaders, called “The Younger Evangelicals,” who are ministering to the “New World” of post-modernity with great success, by reverting back to the practices of Christian community and service from the past (e.g. Wesleyan movement, 16 th century Reformers, and the ancient past of the first three centuries of the church). Webber implies that the “modern-church” of the 20 th Century has become irrelevant to the culture it now finds itself in, and more focused on gaining, “control, power, and certainty,” with how it has always done things, believed things, and taught things. Webber believes that rather than attempting to reach the culture they now find themselves in, by focusing on “love, stewardship, and faith” that glorifies God in this world, they have pulled the drawbridge up, and have refused to dialogue, unless the culture they are dialoguing with is in agreement with their particular dogmas.   Webber state...

The theme of this book is the “Dark Side” of leadership. It looks at the paradox between the traits we all have that drive us to succeed as leaders, and how these same traits that help us succeed, are also the traits that can potentially bring out the dark side of us, causing our downfall and possible ruin.  The issue is that every leader has a dark side within them that can ultimately destroy their life if they do not learn to recognize it and control it. This book will help its reader accomplish three things. First, it will help the reader gain an understanding of what the dark side is. Second, it will assist the reader on how to discern where the dark side is hidden within them. And third, it will give the reader some specific steps for overcoming the dark side that is lurking in their life before it blindsides them. The authors of this book present their ideas in an easy to follow format that make for an easy read. They do a superb job in reemphasizing their ma...

The book is designed to help identify the patterns, processes, and principles of a person’s life that God uses to develop a leader. The author does this by dividing the life of the leader up into six stages of leadership development. These six stages are surrounded by certain checks and balances to be used as markers for each leader’s life to help clarify where they are within the process. Many people do not understand how to decipher God’s purpose for their life, nor the means by which God has brought them to where they are currently at, or where He is preparing to take them. This book teaches the reader how to recognize the lessons of their lives, and the leadership stage that they are currently at in their lives. The author states, “God develops a leader over a lifetime” and that “All leaders can point to critical incidents in their lives where God taught them something very important” (p.25). By developing awareness of the six stages of leadership growth, the check...

This book is about the life of three kings whose story is told in such a way that leaves its reader constantly asking which king he best resembles. King Saul is a mad leader who attempts murder in order to keep his kingdom, while King Absalom is a young man who will deceive, and dishonor his father and king in order to rule the kingdom of his desire. King David, who is placed between both King Saul and his son Absalom, is a godly example of a man who must endure trials, suffering, and utter brokenness before God, in order to be a leader fit for God’s use and glory. The author is trying to show that there have been many people who have been hurt by Christian leaders who are of the order of King Saul – those who throw spears at anyone who gets in their way – rather than taking the godly road less traveled, which is the road of brokenness. The author contrasts these leaders with the life of King David in order to make a point that God is the one who is in control of who leads H...