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The Best Books I Read in 2018
Second to last day in 2018. That means lists. I am going to do a two-parter here. Part 1: the best book I read in 2018. Part 2: a few books you should read in 2019. I love finding out what books people are reading. Novels, non-fiction, theology, cookbooks, books students read to get an…
Read MoreOvercoming the Monster: What Story Are You Telling?
In Christopher Booker’s book The Seven Basic Plots, he outlines the fact that every story we tell ourselves as human beings – since the beginning of time, whether around the campfire or in a big budget superhero movie – all fit into seven basic categories: 1 – Overcoming the Monster – The protagonist sets out to defeat an…
Read MoreWhy Church Leaders Need To Stop Hanging Out With Each Other
It is pure invention that popes, bishops, priests, and monks are to be called the ‘spiritual estate’; princes, lords, artisans and farmers the ‘temporal estate’. That is a fine bit of lying and hypocrisy. -Martin Luther (1483-1546) I love my friends who work in churches (pastors, directors, etc.,) but I have come to realize that…
Read MoreBe Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle.
I am reading a book right now by Brad Lomenick (a leadership consultant and founder of Catalyst) called H3 Leadership. The thesis is simple. Good leadership takes 3 ingredients: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. I shared these three concepts with our staff last week. If you are a leader, pastor, church planter, business leader,…
Read MoreInspired by Walt Disney himself – kind of.
I was sitting in a submarine – the Nautilus – submerged under water. Pitch black. Pale blue light. 20 people crammed in and staring out a small round window at sea life, underwater mines and Nemo. Wait. What? Sorry – I forgot. It was a Disneyland ride. The captain of the submarine came over the…
Read MoreWhat You Can Learn From ‘The Tipping Point’
I was talking with a friend this week about one of the most talked about water cooler books of the last many years, Malcolm Gladwell’s, The Tipping Point, and was reminded of how good it was and how it helped me when I was planting Village Church. It emphasizes an important basic biblical principle –…
Read MoreSuccessful People vs. Unsuccessful People
I saw a picture the other day on a wall that I found helpful. It had two columns comparing Successful people to Unsuccessful people. These are not gospel truths, but are true in many ways and apply to all of us whether in the church, the marketplace, or home-life as leaders who shape and influence…
Read More3 To Do’s when you’re confused
1999 was a confusing year for me. I started the calendar year thinking film school, started school in a Public Relations degree track at a local college, and by mid-September was studying theology at a school in the city. In college I went from a Youth Ministry major to a passion for scholarship so that…
Read MoreWhy Patience works
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience” -Galatians 5:22 One of the keys to being successful in life – in family, business, leadership, etc., is patience. It’s not often a characteristic that is highlighted about people but it is an essential part of being effective in life. Next week (Tuesday, Sept…
Read MoreMy Interview with Larry Osborne
Every leader needs mentors in their life. One of the men I have the privilege to have in my life is a great leader (and man) – Larry Osborne. Larry is the Lead Pastor of North Coast Church – an innovative and inspiring church of about 10,000 people located in San Diego, California. He and…
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