Planned books:
- Purity of Heart (Harper Torchbooks) by Soren Kierkegaard
- Living Love: A Modern Edition of Treatise on the Love of God (Christian Classics (Brewster, Mass.).) by De Sales, Saint Francis
- True Spirituality by Francis A. Schaeffer
- Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith by Henri J. M. Nouwen
- The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living: Excerpts from the Works of Father Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O by Thomas Keating
Current books:
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Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty in Christian Discipleship by Lesslie Newbigin
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The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (Crossroad Spiritual Legacy Series) by Sister Joan Chittister OSB
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The Art of Christian Listening by Thomas N. Hart
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Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There by Leonard Sweet Ph.D
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Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
Recent books:
- Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- The Delicate Art of Dancing With Porcupines: Learning to Appreciate the Finer Points of Others by Bob Phillips
- The Art of Talking So That People Will Listen: Getting Through to Family, Friends by Paul W. Swets
- Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance (Invitation to Theolo by Donald Sunukjian
- On the Incarnation: De Incarnatione Verbi Dei (Popular Patristics Series) by St. Athanasius
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Personal Growth is Saying “Yes” to Jesus
September 8th, 2007 | 
Author: I read a recent interview with Mark Batterson of National Community Church on the churchrelevance.com website. While I enjoy reading Batterson’s blog and enjoy listening to the NCC podcast, I so enjoyed the final comment in the Ten Questions interview that I had to post it here. It went like this:
10Q : What is the best advice you have for church leaders?
“You have to be yourself. You have to keep learning. And you have to have fun.”
“And don’t worry about church growth. Focus on personal growth. If you keep growing personally, you won’t have to worry about church growth! “
“You don’t have to worry about church growth…Focus on personal growth” AMEN. I know some might say that comment needs further clarification, but I’ve listened to Mark B quite a bit and can testify that he means personal growth in Jesus and walking closely with the Father. This just continues to stir the fire that is ignited in me! If we focused more on what God wants in our own heart and obediently submitted to His desires, the natural overflow would be church growth (in the kingdom sense) and stronger, deep-root, fruit-bearing Christians. Sound like it’s “pie-in-the-sky?” I say let’s give a try…see what happens, I bet it’d be gooooooooooooood.
Yes and Amen!
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