A Reading List for Pastors/Ministers for Personal Growth

Last Friday morning, July 7, 2006, I received a message on my answering system from Pastor Brooks Coburn who pastors in Louisiana. I have never met Pastor Coburn but my brother-in-law, Mike Patterson (FMD-Romania), has. He spent a Sunday with Pastor Coburn and his church and found an incredibly warm spiritual atmosphere in the church. Afterwards, the Coburn’s apparently overwhelmed them with some old-fashioned Southern hospitality. . . . I am unsure if fried chicken was involved. . . . but if it was as good as my brother-in-law said it was, I am strongly suspicious that fried chicken was involved.

I have never met Bro. Coburn but you can count on one thing, if I am ever in his “neck of the woods,” I am going to make it a point to stop and acquaint myself with him and his family. Bro. Griffin used to tell us that there were a whole lot of folks that we did not know who had not bowed a knee to Baal and that one of these days we would have the opportunity to meet them. I think that Bro. and Sis. Coburn and their church family probably fall into this category.

Anyway, Bro. Coburn mentioned that he had noticed the Power Supply Summer Reading List and thought that maybe a Summer/Fall reading list for Pastors/Ministers might be a good post. This little seed has been ruminating in my mind since Friday and I am going to start a small list of books that have helped me. Some of these books are like close friends because periodically I will pick them up and re-read the places that I dog-eared the page, wrote in the flaps or margins, or maybe something that I highlighted.

My first post will be directed toward personal growth in a minister’s life. I will not include specific books about prayer, revival, or other sorts of things because I want to save them for another segment on this blog.

Some of these books are out-of-print and you may have to look around on the internet to find these books. I will supply you with a few places to go to help you find used and out-of-print books. Here, here, and here are some good places to start. I have purchased material from here and did not have any difficulties with payment/shipping/etc.

The following books are books that have helped me grow. I add a disclaimer and want you to know that I cannot endorse all of the content of these authors. I always read with sifters and blinders and encourage you to do the same thing.

A Minister’s Opportunities – Ralph Turnbull – A treasure of motivation. Out of print. You will have to hunt for this one. Chapter Titles: The Certitude of Vocation, The Stewardship of Time, The Satisfaction of Study, The Tools of Learning, The Devotion of the Heart, The Beauty of Holiness, The Standard of Excellence, The Power of Ambition, The Sense of What Is Vital, and others.

A Minister’s Obstacles – Ralph Turnbull – A supreme treasury that promotes self evaluation and helps you see “blindspots.” Out of print, you will have to find this one. Chapter Titles: The Specter of Professionalism, The Vice of Sloth, The Dry-Rot of Covetousness, The Bane of Jealousy, The Paralysis of Pride, and others.

When Good Men Are Tempted – Bill Perkins – This was recommended to me by A. B. Keating who taught me in Bible College. It deals with personal integrity in your thought life and deals solidifying your marriage.

Practical Wisdom for Pastors – Curtis C. Thomas – This little book is divided up into several sections: Personal Life, Family Life, Study Habits, Messages, Church Life, and others.

O Shepherd Where Art Thou? – Calvin Miller – Very thought provoking book that goes in the opposite direction of the thoughts and ideas that characterize the “bigness” of the church growth movement. Is a crowd a church? Is someone who sits on a pew a real disciple of Christ?

And the Shofar Blew – Francine Rivers – This book is fiction but it helps one see what happens when one’s personal life gets out of control and ambition and pride become the main force of ministry. This is a very troubling and thought-provoking book. You probably ought to read this book every 2-3 years to help you keep your feet on the ground.

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals – John Piper – This is another book that will help you to grow in your spirit. Chapter Titles: Brothers, We are Not Professionals; Brothers, God Loves His Glory; Brothers, Fight For Your Life; Brothers, Beware of Sacred Substitutes; Brothers, Let Us Pray; Brothers, Let the River Run Deep; Brothers, Sever the Root of Racism; and others.

Don’t Waste Your Life – John Piper – This is a book that deals with the real priorities of life and it’s main question of life. The main question of life: What are you spending your time on? Whatever you are spending your time on that is what you are spending your life on. Chapter Titles: My Search For a Single Passion to Live By, Living to Prove He Is More Precious than Life; Risk is Right—Better to Lose Your Life Than to Waste It; Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5, and others.

The Wounded Minister – Guy Greefield – This book deals with “healing from and preventing personal attacks.” Chapter Titles: Clergy Killers on the Loose; Pathological Antagonists in the Church; When Evil Invades the Church; The Minister’s Greatest Enemy: Passive Lay Leaders; Collateral Damage to the Church; Ministers Who Invite Attack; Recovering From Shattered Dreams; and others.

Escape From Church, Inc. – Glenn Wagner – This book encourages the return of the Pastor-Shepherd. Chapter Titles: The Neglected Model; God’s Portrait of a Shepherd; The Call of God; The Glory of Shepherds; and others.

Character Forged From the Conflict – Gary D. Preston – This book is in a series of books entitled “The Pastor’s Soul Series.” Chapter Titles: Forced Out; Staying Close; Playing Hurt; Resisting the Urge to Strike Back; Staying Balanced; When to Back Off; and others.

Stories About My First Church – Elmer Towns – This little book is “mindless.” It tells some funny stories, some heartwarming stories, and some other stories. . . if you catch the drift. Still it is a good little book.

Pastors At Risk – H. B. London and Neil Wiseman – Another book that sets up the traps that derail those involved in ministry. Chapter Titles: Why Is Ministry So Tough Today?; What Sets The Agenda for Ministry?; Warning: Ministry May Be Hazardous To Your Marriage; Pursue Personal Holiness; and others.

Pastors At Greater Risk – H. B. London and Neil Wiseman – An updated issue of the previous book. More in-depth in dealing with more sinister difficulties. Chapter Titles: Ministry Keeps Getting Tougher; Who Decides What You Do?; Avoiding the Hazards of Ministry Marriage; God Made Your Wife Special; Help and Healing for Wounded Healers; and others.

They Call Me Pastor – H. B. London and Neil Wiseman – This book is a further relevant book about ministry. Chapter Titles: Offer a Holy Presence; Isn’t It Enough to Be Anointed?; Revival at the Grassroots; Treasures In Broken Vessels; Admit It—Change Is Scary; The Legacy You Leave; and others.

The Heart of a Great Pastor – H. B. London and Neil Wisman – Out of print. You can tell that I got on the London/Wiseman Express very early in my calling. This was actually the first L/W book that I purchased and read. Even after all these years, I still go back to it! All of the books that they have written have been useful tools for me. Chapter Titles: Every Assignment Is Holy Ground; Partnership with a Master Gardener; Bloom Where You are Planted; Energized By a Dream; Grow a Great Soul; and others.

The Making of a Man of God – Alan Redpath – If I had a dollar for every time an elder preacher recommended this book to me, I would have at least $50-75. This book is a storehouse of spiritual lessons. It basically traces through the life of David and his wanderings.

A Tale of Three Kings – Gene Edwards – This is another book that was highly recommended to me. We are all kings. We fall into one of three categories: Saul, David, or Absalom. The circumstances that we are faced with in life will develop the trail but we make the choice of what kind of “king” that we will become.

Restoring Your Spiritual Passion – Gordon MacDonald – This was the very first GM book that I read and it hooked me. . . way back in 1988. I have the majority of MacDonald’s books in my own personal library. This is a classic! Chapter Titles: It’s Got to Glow In You All the Time; Doing More and Enjoying It Less; Running on Empty; The Happy and the Hurting; Safe Places; The Still Times; and others.

Ordering Your Private World – Gordon MacDonald – This is one of the best books that helped me to grasp whether or not I was living for time or for eternity. It also opened me up to writing things in all of the “marble” notebooks that I have accumulated over the years. Chapter Titles: The Sinkhole Syndrome; The View from the Bridge; Has Anyone Seen My Time? I’ve Misplaced It; Recapturing my Time; The Sadness of a Book Never Read; Rest Beyond Leisure; and others.

The Life God Blesses – Gordon MacDonald – We have will have storms at some point in our lives, be prepared for them! Chapter Titles: Lost at Sea; Storms Happen; Quality of Soul; Questing for Spirituality; I Call It Soul Talk; and others.

The Bait of Satan – John Bevere – One of the best books that I have read in the last decade. How I respond to offenses in life will make me or break me. We all have to endure offenses for no one is immune from them. Chapter Titles: Me, Offended?; Massive Offense; How Spiritual Vagabonds Are Born; Hiding from Reality; Revenge: The Trap; and others.

Under Cover – John Bevere – This book deals with spiritual authority and how one responds to it. Whether we want to admit it or not, spiritual authority in our lives creates great accountability but it also creates great safety. Chapter Titles: It’s Hard to Kick Against the Goads; Sin Defined; The Consequences of Disobedience; What if Authority Tells Me. . . ; Odds and Ends; and others.

The Perils of Power – Richard Exely – This book is out of print. I personally think that this book should be required reading for every licensing candidate who is approaching a district board for accreditation. In fact, I believe that anyone who is in a position of leadership ought to be required to read this book. It opens up the avenues of deceit that Satan would love to destroy and disqualify a lot of ministers with. Exely was a member of the Assemblies of God when Jimmy Swaggart’s and Jim Bakker’s indiscretions and immorality were exposed. He wrote this timeless book as a response to their infidelity.

Living in Harmony – Richard Exley – This is an updated reprint of The Rhythm of Life. This is another classic Exley book. Chapter Titles: The Driven Person; The High Cost of Success; Work Isn’t the Enemy; A Brush with Burnout; Rest Isn’t a Four Letter Word; Old Friends and Good Books; A Gift and a Discipline; The Window of Eternity; Celebrate the Temporary; and others.

Deliver Me – Richard Exley – It is obvious that once I get on an author’s trail, if he is good, I have a tendency to purchase everything he has written. This book is subtitled “Spiritual Resources for Avoiding Temptation and It’s Consequences.” Instead of offering chapter titles, I am going to offer the section titles: The Truth About Temptation; The Three Faces of Temptation; The Seven Stages of Temptation; and others.

Soul Survivor – Philip Yancey – No writer troubles me as much as does Yancey. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with his books. There are times that I think he is a cynical sorehead and other times I think that he is a brilliant strategist. This book gives quick snapshots of biography of people who have shaped Yancey’s thoughts and ideas.

What’s So Amazing About Grace – Philip Yancey – Don’t start this book late at night because if you do, it will keep you up for a long time. Chapter Titles: A World Without Grace; Lovesick Father; Grace-Healed Eyes; Grace Avoidance; Mixed Aroma; and others.

Spiritual Leadership – J. Oswald Sanders – “It is not worn by promotion, but by many prayers and tears. It is attained by confession of sin, and such heart searching, and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold uncomplaining embrace of the cross, and by an eternal, unfaltering looking unto Jesus crucified. It is not gained by seeking great things for ourselves, but like Paul, by counting those things that are gain to us as loss for Christ. This is a great price, but it must be paid by the leader who would not be merely a nominal but a real spiritual leader of men, a leader whose power is recognized and felt in heaven, on earth, and in hell.” This is an excerpt. It is a very motivating book. This book is great in that it helps you to find the balance between human ambition and the legitimate conquest of the soul and that is becoming what God desires for us to be.

Lord Foulgrin’s Letters – Randy Alcorn – This book is a takeoff of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. Instead of Screwtape writing to Wormwood, Lord Foulgrin is giving lessons to Squaltaint. It is modernized and to me a much more current reality of the subtle ways of the enemy of the soul. Letter 7 – Moral Relativism and Your Sludgebag is worth the price of the book. “You don’t have to lead Fletcher into spectacular new sins that look good on your resume. Every day he remains in his present condition brings him slowly, surely, dependably-even if non-sensationally-closer to Hell. He doesn’t have to spray his office with fifty rounds of ammo to go to hell–he’s already going. Don’t tinker with him too much. Time’s on our side. Fletcher’s life is ticking down. When it expires, only one thing will matter–that he hasn’t come to know the Enemy.” This book was very stimulating reading.

The Walk – Michael Card – This book is out-of-print. The author walks through the final days of the life of one of his seminary professors. The book is full of wisdom about life. It also creates a sense of responsibility for the legacy that a man is leaving behind him. “The first thing I noticed about Bill was his walk. Every day, at precisely the same time, he would walk past my Hebrew class. His gait wasn’t quite a march; it wasn’t a run, either, though one click more and it might have been rightly called that.” . . . . . . “After we began walking regularly, Bill would say, ‘I walk with purpose’–his way of saying that his ridiculous pace was difficult for anyone to keep up with. His walk was a parable of his life, and through him or because of him, it would become the parable of my life as well.” Are you influencing someone like this??????

This ought to be enough to get your summer and fall going. I will spend some other sections giving books about Prayer, Revival, Preaching, Biography, Great Fiction, and other avenues. You have Bro. Coburn to thank for the idea for this list.

Enjoy the journey. . . . . .

Encouragement = O2 for the Soul

A Reading List for Pastors/Ministers for Personal Growth

Last Friday morning, July 7, 2006, I received a message on my answering system from Pastor Brooks Coburn who pastors in Louisiana. I have never met Pastor Coburn but my brother-in-law, Mike Patterson (FMD-Romania), has. He spent a Sunday with Pastor Coburn and his church and found an incredibly warm spiritual atmosphere in the church. Afterwards, the Coburn’s apparently overwhelmed them with some old-fashioned Southern hospitality. . . . I am unsure if fried chicken was involved. . . . but if it was as good as my brother-in-law said it was, I am strongly suspicious that fried chicken was involved.

 

I have never met Bro. Coburn but you can count on one thing, if I am ever in his “neck of the woods,” I am going to make it a point to stop and acquaint myself with him and his family. Bro. Griffin used to tell us that there were a whole lot of folks that we did not know who had not bowed a knee to Baal and that one of these days we would have the opportunity to meet them. I think that Bro. and Sis. Coburn and their church family probably fall into this category.

 

Anyway, Bro. Coburn mentioned that he had noticed the Power Supply Summer Reading List and thought that maybe a Summer/Fall reading list for Pastors/Ministers might be a good post. This little seed has been ruminating in my mind since Friday and I am going to start a small list of books that have helped me. Some of these books are like close friends because periodically I will pick them up and re-read the places that I dog-eared the page, wrote in the flaps or margins, or maybe something that I highlighted.

 

My first post will be directed toward personal growth in a minister’s life. I will not include specific books about prayer, revival, or other sorts of things because I want to save them for another segment on this blog.

 

Some of these books are out-of-print and you may have to look around on the internet to find these books. I will supply you with a few places to go to help you find used and out-of-print books. Here, here, and here are some good places to start. I have purchased material from here and did not have any difficulties with payment/shipping/etc.

 

The following books are books that have helped me grow. I add a disclaimer and want you to know that I cannot endorse all of the content of these authors. I always read with sifters and blinders and encourage you to do the same thing.

 

A Minister’s Opportunities – Ralph Turnbull – A treasure of motivation. Out of print. You will have to hunt for this one. Chapter Titles: The Certitude of Vocation, The Stewardship of Time, The Satisfaction of Study, The Tools of Learning, The Devotion of the Heart, The Beauty of Holiness, The Standard of Excellence, The Power of Ambition, The Sense of What Is Vital, and others.

 

A Minister’s Obstacles – Ralph Turnbull – A supreme treasury that promotes self evaluation and helps you see “blindspots.” Out of print, you will have to find this one. Chapter Titles: The Specter of Professionalism, The Vice of Sloth, The Dry-Rot of Covetousness, The Bane of Jealousy, The Paralysis of Pride, and others.

 

When Good Men Are Tempted – Bill Perkins – This was recommended to me by A. B. Keating who taught me in Bible College. It deals with personal integrity in your thought life and deals solidifying your marriage.

 

Practical Wisdom for Pastors – Curtis C. Thomas – This little book is divided up into several sections: Personal Life, Family Life, Study Habits, Messages, Church Life, and others.

 

O Shepherd Where Art Thou? – Calvin Miller – Very thought provoking book that goes in the opposite direction of the thoughts and ideas that characterize the “bigness” of the church growth movement. Is a crowd a church? Is someone who sits on a pew a real disciple of Christ?

 

And the Shofar Blew – Francine Rivers – This book is fiction but it helps one see what happens when one’s personal life gets out of control and ambition and pride become the main force of ministry. This is a very troubling and thought-provoking book. You probably ought to read this book every 2-3 years to help you keep your feet on the ground.

 

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals – John Piper – This is another book that will help you to grow in your spirit. Chapter Titles: Brothers, We are Not Professionals; Brothers, God Loves His Glory; Brothers, Fight For Your Life; Brothers, Beware of Sacred Substitutes; Brothers, Let Us Pray; Brothers, Let the River Run Deep; Brothers, Sever the Root of Racism; and others.

 

Don’t Waste Your Life – John Piper – This is a book that deals with the real priorities of life and it’s main question of life. The main question of life: What are you spending your time on? Whatever you are spending your time on that is what you are spending your life on. Chapter Titles: My Search For a Single Passion to Live By, Living to Prove He Is More Precious than Life; Risk is Right—Better to Lose Your Life Than to Waste It; Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5, and others.

 

The Wounded Minister – Guy Greefield – This book deals with “healing from and preventing personal attacks.” Chapter Titles: Clergy Killers on the Loose; Pathological Antagonists in the Church; When Evil Invades the Church; The Minister’s Greatest Enemy: Passive Lay Leaders; Collateral Damage to the Church; Ministers Who Invite Attack; Recovering From Shattered Dreams; and others.

 

Escape From Church, Inc. – Glenn Wagner – This book encourages the return of the Pastor-Shepherd. Chapter Titles: The Neglected Model; God’s Portrait of a Shepherd; The Call of God; The Glory of Shepherds; and others.

 

Character Forged From the Conflict – Gary D. Preston – This book is in a series of books entitled “The Pastor’s Soul Series.” Chapter Titles: Forced Out; Staying Close; Playing Hurt; Resisting the Urge to Strike Back; Staying Balanced; When to Back Off; and others.

 

Stories About My First Church – Elmer Towns – This little book is “mindless.” It tells some funny stories, some heartwarming stories, and some other stories. . . if you catch the drift. Still it is a good little book.

 

Pastors At Risk – H. B. London and Neil Wiseman – Another book that sets up the traps that derail those involved in ministry. Chapter Titles: Why Is Ministry So Tough Today?; What Sets The Agenda for Ministry?; Warning: Ministry May Be Hazardous To Your Marriage; Pursue Personal Holiness; and others.

 

Pastors At Greater Risk – H. B. London and Neil Wiseman – An updated issue of the previous book. More in-depth in dealing with more sinister difficulties. Chapter Titles: Ministry Keeps Getting Tougher; Who Decides What You Do?; Avoiding the Hazards of Ministry Marriage; God Made Your Wife Special; Help and Healing for Wounded Healers; and others.

 

They Call Me Pastor – H. B. London and Neil Wiseman – This book is a further relevant book about ministry. Chapter Titles: Offer a Holy Presence; Isn’t It Enough to Be Anointed?; Revival at the Grassroots; Treasures In Broken Vessels; Admit It—Change Is Scary; The Legacy You Leave; and others.

 

The Heart of a Great Pastor – H. B. London and Neil Wisman – Out of print. You can tell that I got on the London/Wiseman Express very early in my calling. This was actually the first L/W book that I purchased and read. Even after all these years, I still go back to it! All of the books that they have written have been useful tools for me. Chapter Titles: Every Assignment Is Holy Ground; Partnership with a Master Gardener; Bloom Where You are Planted; Energized By a Dream; Grow a Great Soul; and others.

 

The Making of a Man of God – Alan Redpath – If I had a dollar for every time an elder preacher recommended this book to me, I would have at least $50-75. This book is a storehouse of spiritual lessons. It basically traces through the life of David and his wanderings.

 

A Tale of Three Kings – Gene Edwards – This is another book that was highly recommended to me. We are all kings. We fall into one of three categories: Saul, David, or Absalom. The circumstances that we are faced with in life will develop the trail but we make the choice of what kind of “king” that we will become.

 

Restoring Your Spiritual Passion – Gordon MacDonald – This was the very first GM book that I read and it hooked me. . . way back in 1988. I have the majority of MacDonald’s books in my own personal library. This is a classic! Chapter Titles: It’s Got to Glow In You All the Time; Doing More and Enjoying It Less; Running on Empty; The Happy and the Hurting; Safe Places; The Still Times; and others.

 

Ordering Your Private World – Gordon MacDonald – This is one of the best books that helped me to grasp whether or not I was living for time or for eternity. It also opened me up to writing things in all of the “marble” notebooks that I have accumulated over the years. Chapter Titles: The Sinkhole Syndrome; The View from the Bridge; Has Anyone Seen My Time? I’ve Misplaced It; Recapturing my Time; The Sadness of a Book Never Read; Rest Beyond Leisure; and others.

 

The Life God Blesses – Gordon MacDonald – We have will have storms at some point in our lives, be prepared for them! Chapter Titles: Lost at Sea; Storms Happen; Quality of Soul; Questing for Spirituality; I Call It Soul Talk; and others.

 

The Bait of Satan – John Bevere – One of the best books that I have read in the last decade. How I respond to offenses in life will make me or break me. We all have to endure offenses for no one is immune from them. Chapter Titles: Me, Offended?; Massive Offense; How Spiritual Vagabonds Are Born; Hiding from Reality; Revenge: The Trap; and others.

 

Under Cover – John Bevere – This book deals with spiritual authority and how one responds to it. Whether we want to admit it or not, spiritual authority in our lives creates great accountability but it also creates great safety. Chapter Titles: It’s Hard to Kick Against the Goads; Sin Defined; The Consequences of Disobedience; What if Authority Tells Me. . . ; Odds and Ends; and others.

 

The Perils of Power – Richard Exely – This book is out of print. I personally think that this book should be required reading for every licensing candidate who is approaching a district board for accreditation. In fact, I believe that anyone who is in a position of leadership ought to be required to read this book. It opens up the avenues of deceit that Satan would love to destroy and disqualify a lot of ministers with. Exely was a member of the Assemblies of God when Jimmy Swaggart’s and Jim Bakker’s indiscretions and immorality were exposed. He wrote this timeless book as a response to their infidelity.

 

Living in Harmony – Richard Exley – This is an updated reprint of The Rhythm of Life. This is another classic Exley book. Chapter Titles: The Driven Person; The High Cost of Success; Work Isn’t the Enemy; A Brush with Burnout; Rest Isn’t a Four Letter Word; Old Friends and Good Books; A Gift and a Discipline; The Window of Eternity; Celebrate the Temporary; and others.

 

Deliver Me – Richard Exley – It is obvious that once I get on an author’s trail, if he is good, I have a tendency to purchase everything he has written. This book is subtitled “Spiritual Resources for Avoiding Temptation and It’s Consequences.” Instead of offering chapter titles, I am going to offer the section titles: The Truth About Temptation; The Three Faces of Temptation; The Seven Stages of Temptation; and others.

 

Soul Survivor – Philip Yancey – No writer troubles me as much as does Yancey. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with his books. There are times that I think he is a cynical sorehead and other times I think that he is a brilliant strategist. This book gives quick snapshots of biography of people who have shaped Yancey’s thoughts and ideas.

 

What’s So Amazing About Grace – Philip Yancey – Don’t start this book late at night because if you do, it will keep you up for a long time. Chapter Titles: A World Without Grace; Lovesick Father; Grace-Healed Eyes; Grace Avoidance; Mixed Aroma; and others.

 

Spiritual Leadership – J. Oswald Sanders – “It is not worn by promotion, but by many prayers and tears. It is attained by confession of sin, and such heart searching, and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold uncomplaining embrace of the cross, and by an eternal, unfaltering looking unto Jesus crucified. It is not gained by seeking great things for ourselves, but like Paul, by counting those things that are gain to us as loss for Christ. This is a great price, but it must be paid by the leader who would not be merely a nominal but a real spiritual leader of men, a leader whose power is recognized and felt in heaven, on earth, and in hell.” This is an excerpt. It is a very motivating book. This book is great in that it helps you to find the balance between human ambition and the legitimate conquest of the soul and that is becoming what God desires for us to be.

Lord Foulgrin’s Letters – Randy Alcorn – This book is a takeoff of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. Instead of Screwtape writing to Wormwood, Lord Foulgrin is giving lessons to Squaltaint. It is modernized and to me a much more current reality of the subtle ways of the enemy of the soul. Letter 7 – Moral Relativism and Your Sludgebag is worth the price of the book. “You don’t have to lead Fletcher into spectacular new sins that look good on your resume. Every day he remains in his present condition brings him slowly, surely, dependably-even if non-sensationally-closer to Hell. He doesn’t have to spray his office with fifty rounds of ammo to go to hell–he’s already going. Don’t tinker with him too much. Time’s on our side. Fletcher’s life is ticking down. When it expires, only one thing will matter–that he hasn’t come to know the Enemy.” This book was very stimulating reading.

 

The Walk – Michael Card – This book is out-of-print. The author walks through the final days of the life of one of his seminary professors. The book is full of wisdom about life. It also creates a sense of responsibility for the legacy that a man is leaving behind him. “The first thing I noticed about Bill was his walk. Every day, at precisely the same time, he would walk past my Hebrew class. His gait wasn’t quite a march; it wasn’t a run, either, though one click more and it might have been rightly called that.” . . . . . . “After we began walking regularly, Bill would say, ‘I walk with purpose’–his way of saying that his ridiculous pace was difficult for anyone to keep up with. His walk was a parable of his life, and through him or because of him, it would become the parable of my life as well.” Are you influencing someone like this??????

 

This ought to be enough to get your summer and fall going. I will spend some other sections giving books about Prayer, Revival, Preaching, Biography, Great Fiction, and other avenues. You have Bro. Coburn to thank for the idea for this list.

 

Enjoy the journey. . . . . .

Book Review — Preaching, The Art of Narrative Exposition — Calvin Miller

From the previous post, you are probably aware that I am encouraging some summer reading among our church youth group who call themselves “Power Supply.” My son, Justin, has already finished, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It was such a page turner that he could hardly put it down until he had finished it. I am in hopes that a lot of others are reading too!

I also am reading some good stuff too. I have recently finished Lance Armstrong’s Private War which traces his 2004 Tour de France victory and it was quite interesting. Some of the book spent time describing his teammates and what they specifically were responsible for when they were riding in the peleton with Lance.

The reason that I read about LA was it fit into the category of what I call “mindless” reading. The reason that I read “mindless” books is that they really help me to disconnect with a lot of the day to day pressures that we are faced with. When I say that a book is “mindless,” I do not mean that it does not have value, I mean that it is a book that does not require me to think and weigh out certain issues and nuances that the book may present. I do a whole lot of reading that requires much thought and consideration. These sorts of books are generally those that are ministry related and are pressing for either personal spiritual growth or spiritual growth within the Church.

A book that I am currently reading through and marking up with a red pen is entitled Preaching by Calvin Miller. I stumbled across Miller’s writings at Because of the Times ’95 with a book entitled The Table of Inwardness and deals with personal prayer and times alone with God. It is a very good book and I am almost certain that it is still in print.

Miller’s work on preaching was inspirational, insightful, and also very challenging. The value of this book is noted in how much writing that I accomplished in the margins and in the front flaps and will certainly end up writing in the back flaps also.

The following are some of my own personal thoughts that I wrote while reading this book. I will also give the page numbers that prompted my comments.

p. 13 – Passionate and real Biblical preaching will always be driven by a strong and unyielding devotional life. If the prayer life and the private devotional life of the preacher are taken care of then the preaching will take care of itself also. This is why that we need deep wells within our souls. These deep wells are dug out with prayer, fasting, time with the Word, and with soul-satisfying fellowship with other men of God. Nothing can substitute for time alone with God.

p. 16 – Preachers who have no God hunger may have some good things to say but they lack the passion and that is essential to create the Kingdom of God and transform the world. There has to be a visceral hunger in the life of the preacher that mere scholarship can never attain to.

p. 17 – On “Bible-Lite”, user friendly Christians. Have I lost my salt and has my light gone out? Weak living puts out the taste and the light. Never be afraid to call for commitment. When I am more concerned with “feelings” than with a loving confrontation with truth. . . I need to take down my shingle, back my bags, and go sell shoes.

p. 26 – We make a mistake in always trying to come up with some new nifty little thought. Pay attention to the great pursuit of virtue in your life.

p. 36 – bosko the Sheep!!!! They are dying for a Word. When my messages are more “story-time” than “transformation” time they fall way short. It doesn’t matter that “stories” may be more interesting this is nothing more than junk food. Give them the meat of the Word because long after you are dead, that Word is going to live on.

p. 202 – Every sermon is a trip—a movement from where we are to where we ought to be.

There are a lot of very good sections in between p. 36 and 202. Beyond this there is an excellent Bibliography at the end that any diligent student who wants to improve his preaching and the disciplines required to do so can run down. This bibliography by Miller is somewhat annotated and he gives some classic observations about these books.

I wish I fell into the category of a great preacher! I wish that I had the brilliance of mind of some preachers that I have met and heard (Treece, Pugh). I wish that I had the power of persuasion of some of the preachers that I have heard in the past (A. Mangun, Kilgore). I certainly wish that I ability to take something obscure in the Word and set it up in such a way that it gripped the very soul (Osborne, Gurley). I wish I had the oratorical ability of some men that I have heard in the past (Fuller). But I certainly feel very inadequate in trying to put the “volume of the Book” into the lives of those who hear me preach.

However, that prevailing sense of inadequacy drives me to such an extent that it robs me of sleep, it can even get me up early, it drives me to read about preaching, it creates much conversation with some of my closest friends about preaching, it causes me to listen to preaching, but what it most often does is drive me to the presence of God. I attend that to that presence sometimes with the frustrating question of “what shall I say?” I find myself in that presence wondering how in the world that a man can really speak the Words of God. That is the great challenge of preaching.

I hope that I never “learn” how to preach for on the day that I do. . . the presence of God will depart and I will be like Samson and will not even be aware that the presence and the anointing of God have left.

Encouragement = O2 for the Soul

Book Review — Preaching, The Art of Narrative Exposition — Calvin Miller

From the previous post, you are probably aware that I am encouraging some summer reading among our church youth group who call themselves “Power Supply.” My son, Justin, has already finished, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It was such a page turner that he could hardly put it down until he had finished it. I am in hopes that a lot of others are reading too!

I also am reading some good stuff too. I have recently finished Lance Armstrong’s Private War which traces his 2004 Tour de France victory and it was quite interesting. Some of the book spent time describing his teammates and what they specifically were responsible for when they were riding in the peleton with Lance.

The reason that I read about LA was it fit into the category of what I call “mindless” reading. The reason that I read “mindless” books is that they really help me to disconnect with a lot of the day to day pressures that we are faced with. When I say that a book is “mindless,” I do not mean that it does not have value, I mean that it is a book that does not require me to think and weigh out certain issues and nuances that the book may present. I do a whole lot of reading that requires much thought and consideration. These sorts of books are generally those that are ministry related and are pressing for either personal spiritual growth or spiritual growth within the Church.

A book that I am currently reading through and marking up with a red pen is entitled Preaching by Calvin Miller. I stumbled across Miller’s writings at Because of the Times ’95 with a book entitled The Table of Inwardness and deals with personal prayer and times alone with God. It is a very good book and I am almost certain that it is still in print.

Miller’s work on preaching was inspirational, insightful, and also very challenging. The value of this book is noted in how much writing that I accomplished in the margins and in the front flaps and will certainly end up writing in the back flaps also.

The following are some of my own personal thoughts that I wrote while reading this book. I will also give the page numbers that prompted my comments.

p. 13 – Passionate and real Biblical preaching will always be driven by a strong and unyielding devotional life. If the prayer life and the private devotional life of the preacher are taken care of then the preaching will take care of itself also. This is why that we need deep wells within our souls. These deep wells are dug out with prayer, fasting, time with the Word, and with soul-satisfying fellowship with other men of God. Nothing can substitute for time alone with God.

p. 16 – Preachers who have no God hunger may have some good things to say but they lack the passion and that is essential to create the Kingdom of God and transform the world. There has to be a visceral hunger in the life of the preacher that mere scholarship can never attain to.

p. 17 – On “Bible-Lite”, user friendly Christians. Have I lost my salt and has my light gone out? Weak living puts out the taste and the light. Never be afraid to call for commitment. When I am more concerned with “feelings” than with a loving confrontation with truth. . . I need to take down my shingle, back my bags, and go sell shoes.

p. 26 – We make a mistake in always trying to come up with some new nifty little thought. Pay attention to the great pursuit of virtue in your life.

p. 36 – bosko the Sheep!!!! They are dying for a Word. When my messages are more “story-time” than “transformation” time they fall way short. It doesn’t matter that “stories” may be more interesting this is nothing more than junk food. Give them the meat of the Word because long after you are dead, that Word is going to live on.

p. 202 – Every sermon is a trip—a movement from where we are to where we ought to be.

There are a lot of very good sections in between p. 36 and 202. Beyond this there is an excellent Bibliography at the end that any diligent student who wants to improve his preaching and the disciplines required to do so can run down. This bibliography by Miller is somewhat annotated and he gives some classic observations about these books.

I wish I fell into the category of a great preacher! I wish that I had the brilliance of mind of some preachers that I have met and heard (Treece, Pugh). I wish that I had the power of persuasion of some of the preachers that I have heard in the past (A. Mangun, Kilgore). I certainly wish that I ability to take something obscure in the Word and set it up in such a way that it gripped the very soul (Osborne, Gurley). I wish I had the oratorical ability of some men that I have heard in the past (Fuller). But I certainly feel very inadequate in trying to put the “volume of the Book” into the lives of those who hear me preach.

However, that prevailing sense of inadequacy drives me to such an extent that it robs me of sleep, it can even get me up early, it drives me to read about preaching, it creates much conversation with some of my closest friends about preaching, it causes me to listen to preaching, but what it most often does is drive me to the presence of God. I attend that to that presence sometimes with the frustrating question of “what shall I say?” I find myself in that presence wondering how in the world that a man can really speak the Words of God. That is the great challenge of preaching.

I hope that I never “learn” how to preach for on the day that I do. . . the presence of God will depart and I will be like Samson and will not even be aware that the presence and the anointing of God have left.

Encouragement = O2 for the Soul

Book Review — Preaching, The Art of Narrative Exposition — Calvin Miller

 

From the previous post, you are probably aware that I am encouraging some summer reading among our church youth group who call themselves “Power Supply.” My son, Justin, has already finished, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It was such a page turner that he could hardly put it down until he had finished it. I am in hopes that a lot of others are reading too!

 

I also am reading some good stuff too. I have recently finished Lance Armstrong’s Private War which traces his 2004 Tour de France victory and it was quite interesting. Some of the book spent time describing his teammates and what they specifically were responsible for when they were riding in the peleton with Lance.

 

The reason that I read about LA was it fit into the category of what I call “mindless” reading. The reason that I read “mindless” books is that they really help me to disconnect with a lot of the day to day pressures that we are faced with. When I say that a book is “mindless,” I do not mean that it does not have value, I mean that it is a book that does not require me to think and weigh out certain issues and nuances that the book may present. I do a whole lot of reading that requires much thought and consideration. These sorts of books are generally those that are ministry related and are pressing for either personal spiritual growth or spiritual growth within the Church.

 

A book that I am currently reading through and marking up with a red pen is entitled Preaching by Calvin Miller. I stumbled across Miller’s writings at Because of the Times ’95 with a book entitled The Table of Inwardness and deals with personal prayer and times alone with God. It is a very good book and I am almost certain that it is still in print.

 

Miller’s work on preaching was inspirational, insightful, and also very challenging. The value of this book is noted in how much writing that I accomplished in the margins and in the front flaps and will certainly end up writing in the back flaps also.

 

The following are some of my own personal thoughts that I wrote while reading this book. I will also give the page numbers that prompted my comments.

 

p. 13 – Passionate and real Biblical preaching will always be driven by a strong and unyielding devotional life. If the prayer life and the private devotional life of the preacher are taken care of then the preaching will take care of itself also. This is why that we need deep wells within our souls. These deep wells are dug out with prayer, fasting, time with the Word, and with soul-satisfying fellowship with other men of God. Nothing can substitute for time alone with God.

 

p. 16 – Preachers who have no God hunger may have some good things to say but they lack the passion and that is essential to create the Kingdom of God and transform the world. There has to be a visceral hunger in the life of the preacher that mere scholarship can never attain to.

 

p. 17 – On “Bible-Lite”, user friendly Christians. Have I lost my salt and has my light gone out? Weak living puts out the taste and the light. Never be afraid to call for commitment. When I am more concerned with “feelings” than with a loving confrontation with truth. . . I need to take down my shingle, back my bags, and go sell shoes.

 

p. 26 – We make a mistake in always trying to come up with some new nifty little thought. Pay attention to the great pursuit of virtue in your life.

 

p. 36 – bosko the Sheep!!!! They are dying for a Word. When my messages are more “story-time” than “transformation” time they fall way short. It doesn’t matter that “stories” may be more interesting this is nothing more than junk food. Give them the meat of the Word because long after you are dead, that Word is going to live on.

 

p. 202 – Every sermon is a trip—a movement from where we are to where we ought to be.

 

There are a lot of very good sections in between p. 36 and 202. Beyond this there is an excellent Bibliography at the end that any diligent student who wants to improve his preaching and the disciplines required to do so can run down. This bibliography by Miller is somewhat annotated and he gives some classic observations about these books.

 

I wish I fell into the category of a great preacher! I wish that I had the brilliance of mind of some preachers that I have met and heard (Treece, Pugh). I wish that I had the power of persuasion of some of the preachers that I have heard in the past (A. Mangun, Kilgore). I certainly wish that I ability to take something obscure in the Word and set it up in such a way that it gripped the very soul (Osborne, Gurley). I wish I had the oratorical ability of some men that I have heard in the past (Fuller). But I certainly feel very inadequate in trying to put the “volume of the Book” into the lives of those who hear me preach.

 

However, that prevailing sense of inadequacy drives me to such an extent that it robs me of sleep, it can even get me up early, it drives me to read about preaching, it creates much conversation with some of my closest friends about preaching, it causes me to listen to preaching, but what it most often does is drive me to the presence of God. I attend that to that presence sometimes with the frustrating question of “what shall I say?” I find myself in that presence wondering how in the world that a man can really speak the Words of God. That is the great challenge of preaching.

 

I hope that I never “learn” how to preach for on the day that I do. . . the presence of God will depart and I will be like Samson and will not even be aware that the presence and the anointing of God have left.