Week #32: The Spirit to Serve by J.W. Marriott & Kathi Ann Brown

Admittedly (intentionally) most of the books I read fall squarely into the realm of Christian thought. I am, after all, a pastor who is trying to better himself and deepen his craft.

However I see much value in learning from people who have been successful in the eyes of the world. I enjoy studying their journey and learning from their successes and failures. That's why I chose to read the Marriott biography. Though I would never build a ministry model from a corporate mentality, it does not prevent me from taking in the biblically compatible truths that they have (perhaps even accidentally) subscribed to.

Because this book was a somewhat more technical book than I am used to reading I will simply list the major takeaways:

1. take care of the people that work for you (with you in my case).
2. learners are listeners (and not just listening to words)
3. value the team more than the individual
   
4. risk is an inextricable part of success

As I build my team these are truths that I will keep trying to transfer into the way we do ministry.

Week #31: Future Grace by John Piper

This book challenged me at MANY levels. At the shallow end I was challenged to finish it - over 400 pages worth. The deeper stuff took me to places of connecting the reality of God's grace with the reality of my sin. I know that is the essence of the message of Jesus, but sometimes I admit falling into the trap of making the application of salvation the same as (or very similar to) the purchase of a gallon of milk at the local grocery.

I walk in... choose which type of salvation (milk) I want to drink of... pay the heavenly cashier (even though I believe that Jesus paid it all is not just a song)... and go on my merry way happier... indeed milkier.

That works for milk. But with salvation there is a transaction that I cannot even complete understand and certainly not pay for with my own NSF (non-sufficient funds). Even though there is part of us that wishes it were another way. That we could in fact be a more significant part of the transaction, there is the reality that of all the things we may or may not know about the finer points of salvation - the reality that we did not/could not earn it makes total sense to the honest heart/mind. That's why we call it GRACE!

OK enough of my soteriological tirade... this book is more than that. Piper challenged me to look afresh at how deeply I believe grace affects the way I live today. That is the brilliance of the title! He sucks the sci-fi fan in with talk of the future, but in actuality he is spurring us to consider how the grace of Christ is affecting the way we live our lives today.

A Little Behind... Again

OK I guess it's not a little behind. The only thing that remains on schedule is my reading. I have been HORRIBLE about blogging in the last few weeks. With several speaking engagements and a new school year starting, I have been unable to get to the "book reports". They will return soon... I promise.