Book Review - Live Second: 365 Ways to Make Jesus First

It is an interesting event when you are trying to review a daily devotional. Obviously devotionals are meant to be read over the course of a year. To review one requires that the reader read the book in large sections.

This was the case when I read Live Second: 365 Ways to Make Jesus First. This book is based on the popular video series called "I Am Second." These videos include a number of famous individuals who have made themselves second. Videos include Josh Hamilton, Lecrae, Tony Dungy, and Brian "Head" Welch.

The book is broken into a number of different topics, each one beginning with a link to a video. The daily reading contains a Scripture passage, a short reading commentary, a prayer for the day, and a few reflection questions. The daily passage also has its own Twitter hashtag for the reader to share his thoughts from the particular day.

This book is an excellent gift idea, particularly for someone who is a new Christian or someone who might be looking into Christianity. The videos are of well-known individuals, giving the book some credibility. The reading is short and easy to understand. The readings may be a bit shallow for the more mature Christian, but, as I said, it would be a great gift for the new believer.

Overall, Live Second: 365 Ways to Make Jesus First is a good read and worth sharing with others. Please note: I was provided with a free copy of the book to read and review. It was sent to me by Booksneeze.com. I was not required to give a positive review.

Two Books Every Youth Pastor MUST Buy and Read

My title may be a bit dramatic, but I really feel that these two books are absolute must-owns for any youth pastor. I'm not saying that because I have friendships with both authors. I'm saying that because they are truly great books and will change the way you do some parts of your ministry.

The first book is Flimsy Ministry by Brian Siedel. This book was written to challenge the way we look at the calling of youth pastor. Too often the youth pastor is seen as the black sheep of the church staff. Brian seeks to turn that idea on its head. I promise it will shake up the way you look at being a youth pastor. The book is available in both paperback and Kindle. I bought the Kindle version and read it in about two days. I promise you won't be disappointed. Here is a link to the review I wrote on the book shortly after I finished reading it.

The second book you must buy and read is Ministering to Gay Teenagers by Shawn Harrison. With homosexuality becoming more and more accepted in our world, it is not a matter of if a student will tell you he's gay, it is when. Shawn, writing from his own personal experience, has written an incredible book on how to deal with the situation. He does so with grace and offers very practical tips on how to guide the student, the parents, and the church through what can be a very difficult and tumultuous time. Shawn was kind enough to send me a copy of the book and I read it in one day. At about 50 pages, it is well worth the investment of time and money. This book is available on your Kindle and Kindle app for iPad and iPhone. Here is a link to my review.

Please note: I am not pumping these books because I want my friends to make money (I do, but that's not why I'm doing this). I am asking you to purchase and read these books because I truly believe in the message behind these books. I know there are a lot of hurting youth pastors in the world. Trust me, I'm one of them. We are hurting because of the paradigm that we are playing into. I also know there are a lot of hurting students and parents in the world dealing with the issue of homosexuality. If we are to be God's servants to young people, we need to be adequately equipped and prepared. These two books are excellent tools to help do that.

Book Review - Who Do You Think You Are by Mark Driscoll

In Mark Driscoll’s newest book, Who Do You Think You Are?, the reader is provided with 15 different identities that they are able to espouse if he is a believer in Christ. These identities are taken from passages of Scripture found in the book of Ephesians and Driscoll then proceeds to tell how each passage is applicable to the individual who has placed his faith in Jesus.

With so many Christians living defeated lives and believing the lies of Satan about their actions and their pasts, this is a much needed book. As stated, Driscoll takes a passage from Ephesians and shows how it identifies the reader. These include being a saint, being blessed, being appreciated, being saved, being reconciled, being heard, and being victorious, to name a few of them.

The text is very easy to read and Driscoll lays each identity out with a number of outlines to help the reader grasp the point he is trying to make. For example, in the chapter entitled “I Am Loved,” Driscoll defines five ways that Jesus loved the church. In the chapter “I Am Forgiven,” he gives the reader seven things that forgiveness is and seven things that forgiveness is not. These helpful lists can be found in numerous places throughout the text.

I have only two complaints about the book. First, Driscoll and I differ when it comes to our belief on the gifts of the Spirit. He believes that gifts such as healing and speaking in tongues still exist and are to be used today. I do not. He has had some unflattering words to say about cessationists in the past, but that was not reason enough for me not to read the book. Second, all of the chapters open with an illustration to help set the context for what is to come. Many of these illustrations deal with individuals who have had sinful or abusive pasts and these are often described in a rather graphic nature. Words like incest, prostitute, and rape are used throughout. While this may not be an issue for some, it can be a turn-off for others. I know from listening to him preach in the past that this is a huge issue from many in his congregation, but, when writing for a larger audience, it is wise to turn down the tone a bit.

Overall, Who Do You Think You Are? is an excellent resource. It is easy enough to understand for a new believer, but I can also see many sermons and series being born after reading this text. This is the type of book that a pastor will want to order numerous copies of to give away at counseling sessions and to new believers. Well done, Pastor Mark. Another excellent book.

Please note: I received a free copy of Who Do You Think You Are? from BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, but I did because I liked the book.

Recommended Reading

The Four Types of Books a Youth Pastor Should Be Reading

We've all heard people use some sort of pithy quote about reading. "Readers are leaders and leaders are readers." I don't know how truth something like that is, but I do know that reading is important. Aside from the Bible, it is vital that a youth pastor be constantly reading in order to grow intellectually.

Here are the four types of books that I generally read to help me grow as a pastor and leader.

• Leadership Books - I will be honest, this is a new type of book for me. I never read much in the way of leadership before. However, as a youth pastor, you are a leader, a leader of students, parents, volunteers, and members of the church. Your effectiveness in ministry relies on your ability to lead. I am currently reading Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell. Other books you might want to check out are The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and How To Win Friends and Influence People.
• Youth Ministry Books - I want to constantly be growing as a youth pastor. To do this, I read a lot of youth ministry-related texts. Some I've read multiple times. I honestly can't tell you the number of times I've read Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry. I also highly recommend The Seven Checkpoints by Andy Stanley, Outbreak by Greg Stier, and Raising the Bar by Alvin Reid.
• General Christian Nonfiction - A lot of Christian leaders write books. Many of them are really good and are worth your time to check out. I read a lot of books in this category, mainly to learn and sometimes to get sermon ideas. Some of the books I've read in this category include The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler, Gospel by J.D. Greear, and Erasing Hell by Francis Chan. This is the category where I do most of my reading because I learn the most in this area.
• General Nonfiction - I don't read a lot out of this category because I tend to bounce from book to book way to easily. However, it is important to learn as much as you can to be an effective leader. Nonfiction is a great way to do that. Some of the most interesting books are nonfiction. Some of my favorites include Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach, and Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.

Of course, the above list is not comprehensive. There are many other types of books that you should be reading. Commentaries and books to help you understand the Scripture are necessary. I also highly recommend that you take the time to read some fiction, just to give your brain time to relax. I am a huge fan of Michael Connelly, John Grisham, and Vince Flynn.

Of course, being a reader won't make you an effective youth pastor or leader. That being said, it certainly can't hurt. Grab a book and get started.

All of the books referenced have been linked to Amazon.com to make it easier for you to find out more about them. If you have a Kindle or the Kindle app on your iPad, most of these books are available in that format as well.

For other posts on this topic, please visit my friends Josh Evans (here and here) and Austin McCann (here). They both have written on this topic recently.

What books do you enjoy reading? How are these books helping you become a more effective youth pastor or leader?

Chapter Notes - Who Do You Think You Are: Chapter 9

The ninth chapter of Who Do You Think You Are by Mark Driscoll is called "I am Heard." This chapter, using Ephesians 3:14-21 as its basis, deals with prayer.

Driscoll uses the acronym PRAYER to list out and detail six principles about prayer. While there is too much in the chapter to describe here, allow me to share the acronym with you.

• Prayer is Personal.
• Prayer is Relational.
• Prayer is Asking.
• Prayer is Yearning.
• Prayer is Expecting.
• Prayer is Revealing.

Prayer has become a huge part of my life as of late. I prayed a good deal when I was a youth pastor, especially for my youth group. I pray a lot now that I am no longer a youth pastor, while I am seeking the right church to minister in. Prayer is vital to the Christian's walk and it is incredibly comforting that, for those of us in Christ, we have a God who hears us.

To read more, grab a copy of Who Do You Think You Are from Amazon.com.

Recommended Reading

Buy a Copy of Who Do You Think You Are by Mark Driscoll and Get Some Awesome Stuff!

Right now, I am working my way through Who Do You Think You Are by Mark Driscoll. It is a great book that talks about our identities in Christ, using the text of Ephesians to make his points.

In order to get as many people to read the book as possible, the publisher is giving away some awesome stuff to anyone who purchases the book during the next week (January 21-27). Here is a list of all the great stuff you get:

• Three eBooks from Pastor Mark (Pastor Dad, Porn Again Christian, and Puff or Pass: Should Christians Smoke Pot?)
• A sampler of MP3’s from Mars Hill Music
• A collection of wallpapers and graphics
• A PDF copy of Pastor Mark and his wife Grace’s book, Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship, and Life Together

All of this can be yours, just for purchasing the book! You should read the book anyway and now you can get some other stuff as well.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Purchase your book or books from any retailer that sells it. Click on this link to get it from Amazon.com.
2. Scan your receipt and e-mail it to driscollpromotion@gmail.com.
3. Thomas Nelson will verify that your purchase is eligible and send you an email with instructions on how to download your freebies.

There are also some great freebies if you purchase five or more copies. So if you are thinking about doing this with a small group, it might be worth it. Visit The Resurgence for more information.

Enjoy!

Recommended Resources

Book Review - Flimsy Ministry by Brian Seidel

If someone was to ask you to describe a youth pastor, how would you do it? Would you describe him as the goofy guy who wears his hat backward and whose office is a disaster? Would you describe him as the staff member who is most likely to destroy the church van?

This is often the way that most youth pastors are described and thought of. In Flimsy Ministry, Brian Seidel describes the common view of the youth pastor as the "paradigm" and he seeks to overcome that view. Describing the common view of youth ministry as a house of cards, Brian describes each card in the house and offers a plan to help pull that card from the house.

Perhaps the strongest part of the book is the inclusion of many personal stories, both his own and those of others. Perhaps the most encouraging, and devastating, one was that of a youth pastor who was nearly destroyed by his job and was able to live to tell about it.

Seidel looks at many of the issues with youth ministry, examines the common thoughts about that particular issue, then offers ways to overcome that particular issue. The one that resonated the most with me was the idea of using youth ministry as a stepping stone to another ministry. I have been accused of this in the past and it was hurtful. I appreciated the mindset that he encourages of being a youth pastor until God takes me somewhere else. More youth pastors should have this thought.

My only complaint about the book was the formatting. I do not believe this to be the fault of Seidel, but it was not properly formatted in the Kindle format. This takes nothing away from the content, but does make it a bit difficult to read at times.

Flimsy Ministry is a much needed book. I would recommend that youth pastors read it and share it with their senior pastors. There is much to be discussed in the book.

Chapter Notes: Who Do You Think You Are? Chapter 1

In his new book, Who Do You Think You Are?, Pastor Mark Driscoll uses the book of Ephesians to identify the many different identities that we have as believers in Christ. Through fifteen different chapters, Pastor Mark shares how we should identify ourselves if we are found in Christ.

In the first chapter, called "I Am ___________?" we are shown that the major problem in the world is the fact that we have no sense of who we truly are. We have lost sight of the fact that we image bearers of God. Instead, the majority of us identify ourselves with other things. Using the acrostic IDOLS, Pastor Mark writes that we find our identity in other things, things outside of Jesus Christ. These things include:

• Items
• Duties
• Others
• Longings
• Sufferings

While I personally do not struggle with finding my identity in items, I do struggle with finding my identity in my duties. I struggle with not knowing who I am if I am not a youth pastor or involved with a church. That is where I often my worth. The reality is that my worth is not in youth ministry or a position at a church. My worth comes from Jesus Christ and I will be worthy even if I am never on staff at a church again.

I will continue to share my thoughts and key ideas as I work my way through the book. If you have not picked up a copy for yourself, I would highly suggest that you do so. I would also love for you to share your thoughts with me on each chapter as well.

Recommended Reading

Book Review: Love Does by Bob Goff

I recently finished reading Love Does by Bob Goff. My wife and I first heard of Bob Goff while listening to a Catalyst podcast on the drive home from graduation at Liberty University. He and his friend, Donald Miller, were talking about writing the book and the adventure that went into it.

Love Does is not so much a story as it is a collection of stories. Bob has had quite the life and he recounts many of his adventures in the book. My favorite stories include how he got into law school, the young man who wanted to use his house and boat to propose to his girlfriend, and the giant Valentine he made for the girl he was pursuing.

The part of the book that was a bit off for me was Bob's attempt to tie all of his adventures to some sort of Jesus moment. This was done as a means of application, but, at least in my opinion, not all of them fit. I did think it was great that Bob was attempting to see God's hand in all that he did.

If you are a fan of Donald Miller's writing style, you will see much of that in Bob's book. I recommend that you get a copy of it. It is not overly spiritual and will probably not change how you look at God, but the stories are pretty awesome. They might just cause you to do something incredible.

Here is a video of Kid President interviewing Bob Goff. It's pretty awesome!

Recommended Reading

Goals for 2013 - Reading a Minimum of 25 Books

In continuing to discuss my goals of 2013, I have decided to read a minimum of 25 books, both fiction and non-fiction.

In previous years, I have attempted to read 50 books or more. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. The first year that I read 50 books, I was reading for volume, not understanding. I can barely remember any of the books I read that year. I read a lot, but retained little.

This year, my goal for reading is lower. Not because of a busier schedule or anything. I simply want to be able to understand and apply what I am reading. The main focus of my reading is ministry, but I do enjoy other books as well. I particularly enjoy crime novels, especially those by Robert Crais and Michael Connelly.

As I read, I will be posting several reviews. I hope that you will be able to find something that will be of benefit to you this year.

What books are you reading this year?

Book Review - 1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ by Jonathan Falwell

I chose to read 1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ by Jonathan Falwell mainly because he is the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church. As a graduate of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, I had the opportunity to hear Falwell preach and I was impressed by his style of communication.

The book 1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ is about exactly what it seems to be. Through fifteen short chapters, Falwell highlights a number of events from the three year ministry of Jesus. The events include the announcement of His ministry in the temple, the choosing of His disciples, the parable He told the lawyer about the Good Samaritan, and the messages Jesus gave while He was on the cross. Each chapter contains an explanation of several Greek phrases that can be found in the Scripture, chosen to help the reader understand the intensity of the vocabulary, something not easily conveyed in English.

The book is written in an easy-flowing manner, as if Falwell were talking directly to you. I would not be surprised (although I have not looked it up) to discover that this book was based on a series of sermons that Falwell preached at his church. Each chapter begins with an illustration, an examination of the Scripture passage, and an application for the reader. It should be viewed as a plus that Falwell writes the same way that he preaches. His writing style makes it much more accessible to a broader audience than most books that are written about Jesus.

This book would be a great resource for pastor and teachers who want to communicate the truth about Jesus. Much like a book by Craig Groeschel, this book can easily be used by a pastor to produce an excellent series of sermons. I would suggest that additional research go into the preparation, but Falwell has done an excellent job with the material he presented in this book.

I was provided a free copy of 1000 Days: The Ministry of Christ from BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review of the text.

Recently Read Books

I like to read. I haven't been able to do it as much as I would like as of late, but I'm starting to get back in the habit. As time permits, I will post reviews of some of the books that I have read, but for now, here is a list of some of the books that I have read recently, in case you want to check them out.

• The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler.
• Gospel by J.D. Greear
• The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel
• Greater by Steven Furtick

There are a number of other books that I have read, but that is a pretty good list to start with. I will highly recommend all of these titles as excellent resources for ministry. In fact, I believe that Gospel would be an excellent book to use with a student leadership group or with a group of adult leaders.

Don't forget that we are in the gift-giving time of year.

What books have you recently read that you would recommend to other ministry leaders?