Book Recommendations from my Best Reads in 2020

Here is a list of some of the best books I read this year. I will BOLD the ones I highly recommend and leave a few notes about them. So many of the non-bolded ones were fantastic too - so all of these books are recommended but I tried to highlight only 20. 

Take the Stairs – Rory Vaden : I loved this book. Simple advice on life success. 

Nine Lies about Work: Marcus Buckingham

Half Time - Bob Buford : I have read this book multiple times. It's a classic and a life changer. 

Confidence – Tomas Chomorro : Very intriguing book about how LOW confidence actually helps us. So counter-cultural! So fun!

Live Fearless – Sadie Robertson

What’s Next – Chris Hodges : I love everything this guy does. His sermons, his church (Church of the Highlands), his leadership material, his books - all so good! Fantastic material that every follower of Jesus should read. 

The Jesus creed – Scot Mcknight

Church Growth Flywheel – Rich Birch

The Jesus Experience – Bill Perkins

John Commentaries – x 5

The Jesus Life – Stephen W. Smith

Divine Direction – Craig Groeschel

Regrace – Frank Viola

The Primes

Teaming – Amy Edmundson

Who is this Man – John Ortberg

The Jesus I never knew – Philip Yancey

Jesus the King - Tim Keller : Fantastic book that will help you get to know Jesus better. 

The End of Religion – Bruxey Cavey : A great and edgy challenge. Be ready to be offended and transformed. 

Portraits of Christ – Laird (John)

Jesus is… Judah Smith : Judah Smith has a way of communicating that gets right to my heart. He shares about God's love and grace in a balanced and yet over the top powerful way. I highly recommend this book. 

State of the online church – Jay Kranda

Seeing and Savouring Christ – Piper : Everything by Piper is fantastic.

Jesus – Pure and Simple - Wayne Cordiero

Laugh Again - Charles Swindoll : Everyone should read at least a couple of Swindoll books at some point. This guy is one of my ministry heroes. Many of his sermons hit home for me like almost no one else's preaching. 

Better than Before – Gretchen Rubin

Leadership Strategy and Tactics – Jocko Willink : I was pleasantly surprised by how applicable this book is for everyone. Definitely a high recommend. 

Your New Money Mindset – Brad Hewitt and James Malone

Crushing - TD Jakes

SOAR – TD Jakes

Extreme Ownership  – Jocko Willink : I loved this book. I wish every leader could read it. I have bought 8 copies so far for others to read and handed them out. My son Joel and I had a blast reading and reflecting together on this book and the one above by Jocko. 

Success From the Inside Out – Nona Jones : This is another top book of the year for me. I literally wept and wept as I read it. The transforming power of Jesus is so evident here. I highly recommend this book for everyone. 

Phil – Commentary – Barclay

Phil – Commentary – Life Application

Phil – Commentary – Weisrbe

Phil – Commentary – Briscoe

 Real Life Discipleship Training Manuel – Jim Putman

Discipleshift – Jim Putmann

Joy – CS Lewis

The Dangerous Duty of Delight – John Piper

You’ll get through this – Max Lucado

Leadershift – John Maxwell

The Release of the Spirit – Watchman Nee

Talk like TED

Waking the Dead – John Eldredge

How to Get a Date Worth Keeping – Henry Cloud - Just to clarify. I am happily married. I read these books as I prepared for a series of sermons I was preaching on this topic. This one by Cloud really blew my mind, he had a fresh perspective that I think might be helpful for some Christians stuck in a "non-dating" mode. 

New Rules for Love, sex and dating – Andy Stanley : This is a classic that every single should read. 

Beginners Pluck - Liz Bohanon

Spiritual Leadership – J Oswald Sanders : One of the top 3 leadership books of all time. Every Christian leader must read this book. 

Apostolic Advancement – Various Victory Asia Authors

Leadership Can Be Taught – Sharon Parks

Irresistible – Andy Stanley

Happiness – Henry Cloud

Proverbs – Kroll

Get Wise – Bob Merritt : The best book on wisdom I have read. I have read this book several times and given it to many people. 

The Intangibles of Leadership – Richard Davis

Prayer: The Key to Revival – Cho : My favourite book on prayer of all time. 

Prayer is the Answer – Various (Bounds / Murray / Wesley)

30 Days of Prayer – Spurgeon

Walking in Wisdom – Dr. Raymond Barber

The Problem is You – John Burke

The Covid Advantage – 5 Trends That Will Drive Church Growth in the New Era

 The Covid Advantage – 5 Trends That Will Drive Church Growth in the New Era 

God turns all things (even evil things) for good when we co-operate with Him. 

We see this in the story of Joseph: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 

Joseph tells his brothers, “Even though this was an evil and terrible thing you did, God has had an awesome purpose in it all! God’s good purpose has prevailed over your evil purposes.” 

We see it again in John 9: In John 9 the disciples see the suffering of a blind man and ask Jesus who sinned to cause this? Jesus answers, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines.” (John 9:3-4 - The Message) 

Jesus invites the disciples to stop asking why the suffering is happening and start finding God’s purpose in the suffering. In both Joseph’s story and in John 9, God’s servants have a responsibility to co-operate with His purposes to bring about the good in their negative circumstances. 

So how can we find the opportunity for God’s purposes in the midst of this pandemic? How can we, like Joseph, co-operate with God’s purposes in the midst of this trial? Here are five trends that are developing as we move through Covid-19 that at first seem negative but if we will co-operate with God’s purposes, they can be leveraged to advance the gospel and grow the church. 

Trend # 1: Declining commitment to attending church.
Opportunity: Engagement is the new connector. 

People used to attend church because they “should”. But increasingly, even those who regularly attend are attending far less often. They may continue to claim a church as their “home church” but rarely darken the door. Covid has accelerated this trend. 

So how can we adjust our thinking to encourage greater commitment to attendance? 

Old thinking: “People who keep attending will eventually get involved (engaged with small groups, serving, attend ministry events).” This is no longer true. 

New thinking: People who get involved (engaged – especially in serving) will eventually commit to attending. “Engagement drives attendance” not “attendance drives engagement.” 

Why does this work? People believe they have better things to do than to “attend church”. But if they are on a team - making a difference – attending church IS the better thing that they have to do. Why? Because it’s not just attending – it’s “being a part of something God is doing, making a difference and serving”. People want purpose. They want to be a part of something that is making a difference. They want to be on a team. 

We can’t wait for someone to commit to our church before they are invited to serve. That is backwards, they will only commit to attending church once they have begun to serve. Great Sunday services are not enough to keep them connected and coming back. People need purpose! 

Engagement is the new driver of attendance. 

Thoughts about how to take advantage of this opportunity? 

1. Don’t berate people for not attending church – instead boldly invite people to get in on the mission. 

2. Don’t apologize for there being a lot of work – instead give people meaningful jobs to do and thank them for making a difference. 

3. Make sure you tie every job to meaning – “what you did today made it so we could reach people together… thank you!” Don’t tell them just how it will benefit them – tell them how they are benefitting others – Ie, “By *attending today, you encouraged me and all these people here.” *or by smiling, being welcoming, worshipping passionately, showing up on time (or just showing up…lol), saying hi, overlooking someone’s faults, crossing a cultural barrier (age, race, economic etc.), commenting, sharing, “liking”, praying, inviting, 

4. Be clear on our mission – state it every single service and every single e-mail and every single chance you get. State it not as your own but as owned together. State it as an invitation to join. 

5. Think of other ways to “engage” people – home groups, men’s and women’s ministry, etc. – we used to think of these as steps “beyond” church attendance – now we need to think of them as steps “towards” church attendance. 

Trend #2: Chaos, instability, polarization and volatility.
Opportunity: Stability is the new attraction. 

Understanding this trend: We are swimming in change. Swimming in controversy. Swimming in opinions. People are more polarized over more issues than ever before. We are longing for something to steady us – not another opinion to sway us – not even another opinion to agree with us – but a non-anxious presence. A reassurance. A strength that goes way deeper and more foundational than the shouting of protests and preachers. A compass that shows true north. Whether people know it or not, they are looking for an anchor, something that is sure and steady in the storm. So how can we adjust our thinking to help people feel grounded in the storm? 

Old Thinking: Do something bold and controversial to get people’s attention.
New Thinking: Offer people a place to be free from the chaos and find rest, peace, hope, and confidence in Jesus.

What hasn’t changed:
1. The gospel is still the power of God for transforming lives
2. God is still building His church and it will prevail against the gates of hell
3. The church still needs humble, servant-hearted, passionate, persevering leadership
4. The mission is still the great commission
5. God is still on His throne – He is in charge and we must trust steadily in Him in the storms. 

Be careful of squeaky wheels. There are a few crazy people in the world and the internet has given them a new boldness and a new megaphone – but they don’t deserve your attention. They don’t need a response. They don’t represent as large a group as it seems. If you oppose them or you join them - you will lose – they are little foxes with big barks. Focus on your calling, focus on our God. 

Trend #3: Increasing loneliness and relational voids.
Opportunity: Relational connection is our competitive advantage. 

If there is anything the church is supposed to be great at and known for, this is it. We won’t win when we compete with the world for entertainment or many other things but when it comes to loving relationships – that is our sweet spot! People are overwhelmed with crowds and even with small social interactions, but they are so thirsty for any connection at all. This was a trend before Covid and Covid has accelerated it. 

Due to Covid, services are smaller. That can be great! Due to Covid, people are stuck at home, that can be great! Due to Covid, people are online more. That can be great! It can be great IF we can find ways to take advantage of these things for relational connections. 

Here are a few ways we brainstormed in a leadership team at VCMJ: 

1. Small services: Increased opportunities for better connections and interactions. I have had conversations with people I would never have had conversations with before. There is a whole new arena of ministry opened up to us. 

2. Registration for services: We get an extra chance to greet each person who comes to our services. We get to learn and say their names. We can track attendance, newcomers, etc.. 

3. Care calling: People are more open to receiving a call and a prayer than previously. 

4. Online interactions: People are sending more e-mails, messages, texts, and online comments than before. We can use these for relationships. 

 Trend #4: Increasing challenges with emotional health.
Opportunity: Bring this conversation into the church. 

Interest in emotional health is at an all-time high. The people you think are “healthy and successful” are struggling with their own emotional and mental health. People are more willing than ever to admit their need. Therefore, speaking into the felt needs of fear, anxiety, stress, esteem, and depression with clear, compelling, compassionate GOSPEL answers is an amazing new opportunity. It is important to acknowledge that as pastors and leaders, we are grappling with the same challenges. We can offer the Answer not as ones who are superior and have it all figured out, but as fellow sojourners. 

People are hungry for good news. We can provide places where: 

- It is safe to be vulnerable, to wrestle with our challenges and not feel shamed or judged 

- We are lifted, strengthened, encouraged, built up, offered joy, etc. 

- There is hope and healing 

Trend # 5 Opportunity: Whenever you or your leaders find new things to complain about or be frustrated about, ask some questions to see if you can “flip the script”. 

This is not just an exercise in positive thinking, it is an invitation for God to take the difficult and evil things happening to us and turn them for good. 

What is frustrating me right now? (or what is making it “impossible” for us to do effective ministry?) Ask how this might be able to be used to serve God’s purposes? 

Summary: 5 opportunities from negative trends 

1. Trend: Declining attendance – Opportunity: Engagement drives attendance – Let’s get people engaged in the mission. 

2. Trend: Chaos and change – Opportunity: Stability is attractive – Let’s offer people a place to find peace in the storm. 

3. Trend: Loneliness and isolation – Opportunity: Make relational connections – Let’s make love our competitive advantage. 

4. Trend: Fear, stress, etc. on the rise – Opportunity: Bring emotional health in the church – Let’s engage the gospel to reach this felt need. 

5. Any problem you are facing – let’s invite God to turn it into an opportunity.

Powerful Reality Expressed in A Powerful Story

I read this story yesterday and it touched an emotional chord for me. No illustration can completely describe the wonder and power of the cross but stories and illustrations are important to help us grasp realities. I found this story helpful for me to appreciate again the love and goodness of my Saviour. I hope it does the same for you.

Written by Scott Wenig

 I used to have a good friend named Debbie Johnson. Debbie was beautiful and bright and gifted. She was a wonderful mom to a couple of young boys and the wife of a good friend of mine named Dave. Dave was a pastor here in town. In early 1994 Dave and Debbie Johnson got a call to leave their pastorate in Denver and go back to Minnesota and serve the Lord in a church there. About six months after they went to Minnesota, Debbie was diagnosed with cancer, and about eight months after that she died.

But she didn't have to die. They caught the cancer early on. All they had to do was give her radiation and chemotherapy, but she wouldn't take it. Two months before she was diagnosed with cancer, she found out she was pregnant with their third child, and the treatment for the cancer would have killed the baby, so she said no cancer treatment. She went full term, gave birth to that baby, and then she died. She died so that baby could live.

That's exactly what Jesus did for all of us. He made that huge journey from heaven to find us but also to forgive us of our sin. There is no one in this auditorium who does not need to be found and to be forgiven of sin. You know this as well as I do. Sin grabs us and holds us. It binds us and tangles us up, and then it pulls us down.

Today is a holy day!

Today is Haloween. You might think it's a day when evil reigns and bad things happen...but that's wrong. Today is God's day! He made it. He reigns today. Tons of great things are happening and happened today. No, today is not an evil day, it's a holy day, let's celebrate and be glad in the day our God has made. 

It is indeed true today and every day that it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

Starbucks

I just read a couple of great leadership books by the executives at Starbucks recently. I am an easy guy to win over since I am addicted to the stuff but they really do know how to passionately engage their customers and do coffee with excellence. Their books have great advice on how to lead and influence others. If they can do it for coffee, how much more should we be giving ourselves to leading with excellence and maximum impact for Jesus!

If it's really real...

(Wrote this blog on Sunday in the van on the way home...no, I was not driving while I was writing)

Just on my way home from a wonderful weekend with 50+ men who were seeking God's word and will together (and kicking some serious butt at table tennis etc.) and then from sharing in a church. Aside from more bills than I care to look at, I am feeling very full and rich (I haven't paid the bills yet) indeed.

This morning I preached on the importance of building a "rooted" relationship with Jesus. A relationship that is based in truth yet kept very personal and heartfelt. A relationship that is built intentionally and nourished by reflecting on and experiencing the overwhelming love of God.

One of the truths that struck me freshly this weekend was the thought that struck me when I first truly gave my heart fully to Christ. Either what the Bible says is actually true or it is not. But it is easy for me to live as if it is "sort of" true. You see, if it is actually true it has radical implications for me and my life that I am not always ready and willing to implement. If it is actually true that ....
1. God created me for a relationship with Him
2. That without engaging fully in and participating personally and experientially in that relationship I will be void of true meaning and joy (many other things can provide temporary or false experiences of meaning and joy)
3. That when I am engaged in a personal and powerful relationship with God my sense of satisfaction and joy overflow and I am able to give and bless those around me because "my cup is full". I can approach the people in my life (and my God) with a desire to love and bless and serve and without any selfish ambition because I am already as rich and blessed as imaginable.
4. That when I neglect my relationship with Jesus and lose my "first love" I begin to look in the wrong places for my satisfaction and joy. This causes me to use people and abuse God's good gifts that I was meant to enjoy freely instead of being in bondage to them.

If this is really true then I must engage intentionally and pursue wholeheartedly this relationship above all else. If it is not, then efforts about and with God are a waste of time. Too often I feel that  people live somewhere between it being really true and not.

A Friend

A friend of mine recently sent this to me. True friends lead each other towards Christ.

"Have you ever played that game where one person has to close her eyes, fold her arms over her chest, and fall backward into the arms of friends or co-workers? It's called the "Trust Fall." If you're the person falling backward, you have to trust that the folks behind you are going to catch you so you don't hit the ground. I thought of that game when reading this passage from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6):
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.... So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
I suspect the reason we tend to worry is that we're just not sure God is going to be there to catch us. We know God is big and strong, but somehow we're just not convinced that He knows our particular address. We think if something happens to us, God may be otherwise occupied with important cosmic events and not notice us.
But Jesus is saying here, "Think of who you're talking about: your heavenly Father. He's not just powerful, He has a father's heart — in the very best sense of the term. He not only has the power (beyond measure) but the love, the care, and the concern to take care of what you need."
Do we believe that?
Jesus also says that when we don't trust God, we act like the pagans — nonbelievers. To them, the idea that God might act on their behalf simply isn't part of the equation. But to us who follow Christ, Jesus says, "Your heavenly Father knows what you need. Trust Him."
Our task is to "seek first" (to focus, to live for) God's "kingdom and his righteousness." We're to make the Kingdom our top priority. We do that by investing ourselves in the Kingdom. We decide, by faith, that the Kingdom is where we're going to invest our time, our talent, our treasure.
It all belongs to God anyway.
Guess what? God already knows whether or not you and I trust Him. But how do we know it? It's easy for us to fool ourselves. We can say we trust God, but too often, we're don't trust Him enough to fold our arms, close our eyes, and fall backward, trusting that He's going to catch us.
"But God, I need all of this money. If I give some away, I won't have enough!"
Jesus says, "O ye of little faith. You have a heavenly Father who knows what you need. Trust Him."
Investing in the Kingdom doesn't tell God where our hearts are. It tells us where our hearts are. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
"In God we trust." We do — don't we?"

He Came To Die

Christmas celebrates the coming of Christ. When someone goes somewhere, it is worth asking why they went there. If we are to rightly celebrate the coming of Christ we must celebrate the reason He came. Here are some thoughts on why He came.

1. To be with us.
2. Because we couldn't get to Him.
3. To die for you. In His own words, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt 20:28

Now that's something to celebrate and ponder. Here is a great piece of literature to put the life of Christ into perspective.

One Solitary Life…

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had got married or had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

Travel Agents

“A church (or Christian) that doesn’t passionately love Jesus is like decaf coffee; it smells like coffee, it tastes like coffee, it even looks like coffee but it ain’t got no punch....If we don’t know God intimately and passionately we will become like travel agents passing out brochures to places we’ve never visited.” - Mike Breaux

Let's not be travel agent Christians. Let's be tour guides. First meet Jesus and be enter into the greatest journey of all time; a relationship with the Living God! Then, invite people into your own journey and enter into theirs.

Significant Experiences of My Life Pt. 2

Here I was: an empty, angry, suicidal teenager heading on a missions trip. Strange I know, but I actually did "believe in God" and I figured travelling would be cool, so off I went. The first thing to do was take a school bus full of smelly teenagers down to Florida to Boot Camp. Boot Camp was a training camp where 2000 teenagers convened in over 50 teams to head all over the world on missions. By the time I got to Boot Camp I couldn’t wait to get off that bus. But after about 30 seconds in the jungle of Merritt Island, Florida, I wanted to get right back on that bus! Boot Camp was a hot, muggy, jungle, filled with strict discipline and missions training and no way out. After a few days into my two weeks of Boot Camp I was as angry, empty and messed up as I had ever been in my life. One night I lay in my tent, unable to sleep, and finally broke down and prayed. My prayer went something like this, "God, if you're real I need to know it. I will give you my whole life but I need to know." I don't know exactly what I prayed but I know it included the desire to know if the God I believed in was real and the willingness to surrender my whole life to Him. I fell asleep exhausted. The next morning I woke up with a distinct sense something had changed. I remembered my prayer from the night before and decided this might be a significant thing in my life. That morning I opened my Bible and read a verse that changed my life forever,


Matt 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”


This verse meant everything to me. It was as if it was describing exactly what I needed and what I was now experiencing. In that moment the ache in my soul found fullness and peace. My beliefs about God became my experiential reality. This was the most important moment of my life. To this day I can't get over that morning. The rest of Boot Camp and the rest of the mission trip were a joyful, adventurous blur. I returned home a radically different person.


Since that day my life has been perfect and I have lived happily ever after....okay...not really. But I have lived with one purpose: to enjoy the fullness of heart that I have in Christ and to share with everyone I can that their empty souls were made to be filled with a real person named "Jesus".


The Message version of Matthew 11:28-30 says it so well: "Jesus said, 'Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.' "

One Of The Most Powerful Days of My Life

I was sitting in a church I didn't normally attend along with a couple hundred young people listening to the youth pastor describe the cross of Christ. I had heard this story thousands of times before but this time it hit home like never before.

Maybe because of the graphic description of Christ's suffering. Maybe because I personalized it for the first time ("Jesus, you did that for me."). Maybe because I sensed the Presence of the One who died for me with me as it was being described. Maybe because God chose that night to make that truth a revelation to my heart.

Whatever the reason, Christ’s cross became real to me and I have never been the same. My life forever changed. I hope never to get over the cross of my Lover and Lord.

Gal. 6:14-16 "For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!"

My Best Blog

By far the most responses I have had to a blog was to this one...please give it a read.

The difference between true Christianity and every religion in the world is how it's spelled.

Religion is spelled, "D-O". Do. If I do enough good, then God will be pleased with me. He will accept me. I will get into heaven (or nirvana or whatever version of heaven that religion has). Most people in the world and many who claim to be Christians abide by this philosophy of life.

True Christianity is spelled, "D-O-N-E". Done. It has already been done on your behalf. There is nothing you or I can do to make up for the sin we have committed. Even the best person in the world could not do enough. But Christ has already done it; He died on the cross for you to pay the price for your sins that you could never pay. Our role is not to do enough good deeds, but to accept what has already been done for us. We gain access to God and we please God by receiving Jesus Christ, not by being good.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says it like this, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

Maybe you have been leaning on your own good deeds, hoping that they would be your ticket to being right with God and going to heaven. Trade your good deeds in today for Christ's work on the cross. Leave religion behind and enter into a relationship with God through Christ. You can do this by changing trusts. Exchange your trust in your own good works for a new trust in Jesus Christ's finished work.

Do vs. Done
Works vs. Grace

Growing Spiritually

What is good for your soul? You are not just a physical being. I knew this as a child looking in a mirror at my physical body. I knew there was more to me inside that what I saw on the outside. In fact, you are more soul (or spirit) than you are a body at all. You live in a body but you are far more than your body.

How is the state of your spiritual life? What is the state of your heart? If we could do a spiritual heart exam, I wonder what it would reveal?

Things left to themselves tend to become chaotic and die. Our souls can fill up on junkfood and fill up with weeds; we need to tend to them or they will get sick.

What does the soul need to be healthy? I could tell you to read great books, or even the Bible. I could tell you to spend time in solitude, prayer or with great friends. I could tell you to go to church or to listen to great music and worship or to spend time in nature. But as true as all of those things are, they are skirting the real issue. They are all means to an end. What does my soul really need?

The Living Bread, the Living Water. In a word, JESUS. I know it sounds simplistic. But it's true. Not the idea of Jesus, not belief in Jesus, not the inclusion of Jesus into our already overcrowded lives...but Jesus the person. Jesus known and loved. Jesus encountered personally. Do you know Him? When was the last time you feasted your soul on Him?

Religious Pluralism, Dr. John Stott, Coffee Cream, and Jesus

Dr. John Stott is one of my heroes. He has lived a full life as a preacher of the gospel. His writing and preaching are second to none I have read or heard. His clarity and ability to choose the right words amaze me. I poured cream in his coffee one time (my claim to fame). I recently read this quote from him in regards to pluralism (many religions are all basically the same) and thought it might be worth sharing here:

"The reason we must reject this increasingly popular position, of Pluralism, is that we are committed to the uniqueness of Jesus (he has no competitors) and his finality (he has no successors). It is not the uniqueness of "Christianity" as a system that we defend, but the uniqueness of Christ. Jesus is unique in His incarnation: in His atonement (dying once for all for our sins); in his resurrection (breaking the power of death); and in his gift of the Spirit (to indwell and transform us).

So, because in no other person but Jesus of Nazareth did God first become human (in his birth), then bear our sins (in his death), then conquer death (in his resurrection) and then enter his people (by his Spirit), he is uniquely able to save sinners. Nobody else has his qualifications."

If you find that a little too complicated, here is another way of saying it:
“Dear JESUS, I have a problem...It’s me”
“Dear child, I have the answer.....It’s ME”

The Difference Between Christianity And Every Religion In The World

The difference between true Christianity and every religion in the world is how it's spelled.

Religion is spelled, "D-O." Do. If I do enough good, then God will be pleased with me. He will accept me. I will get into heaven (or nirvana or whatever version of heaven that religion has). Most people in the world and many who claim to be Christians abide by this philosophy of life.

True Christianity is spelled, "D-O-N-E." Done. It has already been done on your behalf. There is nothing you or I can do to make up for the sin we have committed. Even the best person in the world could not do enough. But Christ has already done it; He died on the cross for you to pay the price for your sins that you could never pay. Our role is not to do enough good deeds, but to accept what has already been done for us. We gain access to God and we please God by receiving Jesus Christ, not by being good.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says it like this, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

Maybe you have been leaning on your own good deeds, hoping that they would be your ticket to being right with God and going to heaven. Trade your good deeds in today for Christ's work on the cross. Leave religion behind and enter into a relationship with God through Christ. You can do this by changing trusts. Exchange your trust in your own good works for a new trust in Jesus Christ's finished work.

Do vs. Done
Works vs. Grace

Still Had Time to Hold Children On His Lap

“No one in history accomplished more, yet He did so without aquiring an ulcer. And several times the Bible tells us He took a break. He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, but slept soundly in the bottom of a storm-tossed boat. After all, He changed the course of history and still had time to hold children on His lap.”

What am I here for?

I believe that one of the most fundamental paradigms at the root of our lives is this. Do we live to give or to get? My life mission statement in three words is, “Live to give”. In five words, “Invest my life in people.” 


“Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.” C. S. Lewis

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45