Recommended Books

"Discover how to fearlessly draw near to a holy God, pray without ceasing (and without posturing), and delight in the experience of being fully known and fully loved"--

Days before Chad Williams was to report to military duty in Great Lakes, Illinois, he turned on a television and was greeted with the horrifying images of his mentor, US Navy SEAL Scott Helvenston, being brutally murdered in a premeditated ambush on the roads of Fallujah, Iraq. Steeled in his resolve, Chad followed in Scott’s footsteps and completed the US military’s most difficult and grueling training to become a Navy SEAL. One of only 13 from a class of 173 to make it straight through to graduation, Chad served his country on SEAL Teams One and Seven for five years, completing tours of duty in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq.

Part memoir, part evangelism piece, SEAL of God follows Chad’s journey through the grueling Naval Ops training and onto the streets of Iraq, where he witnessed the horrors of war up close. Along the way, Chad shares his own radical conversion story and talks about how he draws on his own experiences as a SEAL to help others better understand the depths of Christ’s sacrifice and love.

In 7 Ways to Be Her Hero Fields gives, quite candidly, seven very doable actions to transform any marital relationship, guaranteed. It also includes a bonus chapter for guys to read with their wives. So if you want to understand some simple ways to invest in your marriage and be your wife's hero (again), this is the plan!

The Holy Spirit is often portrayed as something weird. But the Bible makes it clear that the Spirit is not something. He is someone--a Person who has promised to never leave your side. In this interactive book, John Bevere invites you into a personal discovery of the most ignored and misunderstood Person in the Church: the Holy Spirit. Interactive book includes: daily devotions, group discussion questions, and a bonus chapter with answers to some of the toughest questions about the Holy Spirit. Don't miss this amazing introduction.

Pastors are among the most educated people at work today, but their training is naturally more attuned to matters of the spirit than matters of business. The Minister’s MBA gives ministry leaders more confidence and ability to manage and grow their churches and organizations. The book will also make them more conversant with the businessmen and women who serve on their various boards and committees.

Pastors and church leaders want to see lives changed by the gospel. They work tirelessly to care for people, initiate new ministries, preach creatively, and keep up with trends. Sadly, much of this effort does not result in deeply changed disciples.

Traditional discipleship strategies fail because they do not:

• Slow down people's lives so they can cultivate a deep, personal relationship with Jesus.
• Challenge the values of Western culture that have compromised the radical call to follow the crucified Jesus.
• Integrate sadness, loss, and vulnerability, leaving people defensive and easily triggered.
• Measure our spiritual maturity by how we are growing in our ability to love others.

In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, bestselling author Pete Scazzero lays out how to create an emotionally healthy culture and multiply deeply-changed people in every aspect of church life—including leadership and team development, marriage and single ministry, small groups, preaching, worship, youth and children's ministry, administration, and outreach.

Complete with assessments and practical strategies, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you move people to the beneath-the-surface discipleship that actually has the power to change the world.

Fire Your Excuses will help you understand what excuses are holding you back and help you discover the behaviors that are keeping you from making the lifestyle changes you need to make, and set you on a path to make permanent lifestyle changes! There is no fluff here, just hard hitting, practical information that can benefit everyone who has ever made an excuse for not achieving what they want in life!

I read the original version in 2002, and loved it. The 2012 edition is updated and expanded with several new tools and resources. If you want to get a handle on what God's purpose for you is, this book is for you. It is an easy read of 42 chapters, one per day, that examines what are you here for, and your five purposes in life.

In this eye-opening, empowering, and liberating book, Rees shows you how to uncover God’s most powerful and effective means of advancing his kingdom on earth: your own irreplaceable, richly detailed personal design. Filled with Scripture and real-life stories, S.H.A.P.E. presents a series of challenges that will guide you through the process of discovering your personal blend of:

Spiritual Gifts: A set of special abilities that God has given you to share his love and serve others.
Heart: The special passions God has given you so that you can glorify him on earth.
Abilities: The set of talents God gave you when you were born, which he also wants you to use to make an impact for him.
Personality: The special way God wired you to navigate life and fulfill your unique Kingdom Purpose.

Experiences: Those parts of your past, both positive and painful, which God intends to use in great ways.

I love Bill Hybels' practical down-to-earth writing style. This volume is getting a little hard to find given it was originally published over 20 years ago, but Amazon still has several sources listed for new and used copies. Hybels challenges us as Christians to examine our lives and live according to God's principles.