Showing posts with label What I Am Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What I Am Reading. Show all posts

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Discouragement is REAL...

Let's be honest.  Discouragement is real.  Whether you are in full-time ministry, in the business world, or unemployed discouragement is a reality.  I am currently reading a book entitled Children's Ministry Leadership.  Author Jim Wideman does a whole chapter on dealing with this issue.  I want to share with you today 10 ways to move past discouragement in your life. 

1.   Do what you do for the right reasons.
2.   Stay motivated.
3.   Stay in the Word of God.
4.   Pray continually.
5.   Choose to stay happy.
6.   Keep doing what God's called you to do.
7.   Lead people who'll follow.
8.   Mentor someone else.
9.    Be a self-starter.
10.  Refuse to quit.

The following was taken from Children's Ministry Leadership by Jim Wideman, pages 109-113. 
Group Publishing

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Books I Am Reading...

I do this from time to time.  I like to tell everyone what I am reading, as if they are sitting on the edges of their seats wondering.  Anyway, here is the lengthy list.

I am currently using this resource in my time with the Lord each day.  It is an extremely helpful resource that has really (over the last week) energized my study.  When I purchased this resource it came with an access code that enables me to use this tool online. 
I have also started a journal.  I look up the text that I am studying for that day, read over it several times, and then break it down verse by verse reading the study notes that go with each verse. 
This is a very useful resource.  I would recommend this resource to any person who is serious about study God's Word. 

Children's Ministry Leadership by Jim Wideman is a used book that I recently purchased on Amazon.  One of my main responsibilities at Ada First is children's ministry.  Ironically, this is something that I feel that I am not equipped to do so I decided to get equipped.  This resource is surprising me, however.  I was expecting many practical tips and resources that could be used to lead children's ministry.  I was pleasantly shocked to realize that it has more to do with the leadership potential and structure of the person leading the children's ministry.  I am still in the infant stages of reading this book, but I am really getting a lot out of it.  This book is yet another resource that I have come into contact with lately that has led me to think about risks/faith.  I am looking forward to getting to some of the nuts and bolts of children's ministry in the later chapters.  Great book thus far!

The Millennials by Thom and Jess Rainer is a book about me.  No, its not my biography.  That will come much later in my life.  This is a book about my generation.  I downloaded this book for free several months ago to my iBooks app on my iPhone.  My budding Curt Holland, Pastor of Adults at the Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, really put me on to this book.  I am amazed to read about me.  I don't always enjoy reading books on statistics from surveys taken, but this one is good.  It is interesting to read things about my generation.  What we believe in, what we expect of previous generations, what we want in the workplace and what we want in a host of other things.  This is an real eye-opening book.  It would do the Baby Boomer Generation to read this book.  It would give them great insight.  Just ask Curt Holland, http://www.donelson.org/staff

One final book that I am reading is entitled Fit to Serve Him Longer...and Better.  I recently had a Skype conversation with my friend James Evans.  I was telling him how the Lord had (and has) been speaking to me about my physical health.  I believe God wants me to be not only spiritually and emotionally healthy, but physically healthy.  James sent me this book.  I am only in chapter 2, but it is challenging.  I look forward to my next Skype conversation with James when we will unpack this book some more. 

There you have it.  Now your mind can rest easy because you know what I am reading.  How about you?  What are you reading?

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

I Hate It When God Kicks My Butt!!!

I am finally reading a book that has been on my shelf forever.  Well, not really forever, but you know what I mean.  If you are like me, I have several books on my shelf that I purchased or that I was given that I just never got around to reading.  Maybe I am the only one who does this.  Anyway, I stumbled upon a book that my pastor gave me when I was in upper high school or early college.  It is the classic book by Jerry Bridges entitled The Pursuit of Holiness.

While reading the introduction to this book, I discovered something.  I discovered that there is a companion study guide with the book.  It is not one of those study guides that is in the back of the book.  No, it is a study guide that is separate.  It is a study guide on THE JUICE!!!  I did what any person would do at this point.  I jumped up and down like it was Christmas.  Are you kidding?  I don't jump doing anything.  It requires to much energy.  I sat down at my desk in my padded chair and found the study guide on amazon and bought it.

Last week I began this study.  I timed it out so that when I finished my one year Bible reading, which I finished, I could began this study.  I went into this study with the same mindset that you would have.  Here we go.  Just another Bible study, but God said no.  He has proceeded to show me several things in my life that need fixing.  He has showed me that holiness is not an option.  He showed me that I have a huge part to play in the process of holiness.  He showed me that even though I have "died to sin" that it is still there using a guerrilla type warfare to come at me.  He has shown me all this and it is only day number 5 of 12.  I guess you could say that God is kicking my butt!  I don't always like.  In fact, I hate it.  However, its needed.