In our ongoing series of leadership attributes, we now look at trust and leadership. In their excellent book Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley clearly show the connection between being a servant leader and trust. Here’s my review of that book.
Trust is an interesting attribute in that it can take a lifetime to build it, and yet it can be lost in an instant. Everyone approaches trust in a different manner. For example, I had a long-time, respected member of my team who had been hurt in the past. Her approach was that if someone lost her trust, they could never get it back. Continue reading
MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS
For Your Glory – Trip Lee and BRAG Worship
*** ½
The latest from Trip Lee (pastor, author, rapper) is For Your Glory, comes from his new collective BRAG Worship. I’ve long enjoyed Lee’s music, teaching and books. This worship project is different from anything you’ve heard from him, and it’s very good.
The eight song EP is comprised of easy-going R&B sounds, with memorable choruses and samples a few classic hymns. Lee co-wrote and co-produced each song.
Here are a few brief comments about each song:
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
- More of this review
- Music News
- Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Jesus Paid It All – Tommee Profitt and CeCe Winans
BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS
Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar by Alan Snipnuck. Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster. 320 pages. 2026
***
The author describes Rory McIlroy one of the dozen greatest golfers of all time. He tells us that the goal for the book is to provide an unvarnished answer to an old question as McIlroy enters the final act of a highly eventful career: What’s he really like?
McIlroy was barely a year old when his father gave him a set of toy golf clubs. His mother states that he was holding a golf club before he could walk. McIlroy’s parents sacrificed greatly – working multiple jobs, and sparing no expense – because their son was a prodigy.
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review and a review of What If I Don’t Like My Church’s Music? (Church Questions) by Matthew Boswell
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~What Is Wrong with the World? The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid by Tim Keller
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading
My Review of the movie Toy Story 5
Toy Story 5
*** ½
The latest film from Pixar features good storytelling, animation, and humor, in a film that the entire family will enjoy. The film is directed by two-time Oscar winner Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, Finding Nemo), who wrote the film with McKenna Harris .
The film revolves around eight-year-old Bonnie, voiced by Scarlett Spears. Bonnie wants to make friends, such as with the twins across the street, but she is extremely shy and sensitive. She still plays with her toys, unlike many in her age group who are always on their tablets.
To help Bonnie connect with others, her parents buy her a frog-shaped tablet called Lilypad “Lily”, voiced by Greta Lee. Bonnie loves the device and is constantly on it. Jessie, the cow girl, voiced by two-time Oscar nominee Joan Cusack (In & Out, Working Girl), who is still scarred from when Emily left her, tries to limit Lily’s control. She believes that Bonnie needs to meet friends by playing, not online. Continue reading
16 (+1) New and Upcoming Books You Might Be Interested In
I enjoy books in a variety of genres – theology, Christian living, biography, leadership, professional development, sports, etc. A few times each year I like to share a list of new and upcoming books that you might be interested in. Here are sixteen new and upcoming books, along with a bonus – Tammy and my new book, tentatively titled Use Us Up, Lord: Finishing Well for Our Good and His Glory.
The Spirit in You by Jordan Raynor, Illustrator Jonathan D. Voss
To be published June 16.
From the Amazon description:
From the author and illustrator team of The Creator in You, this simple yet profound picture book offers a kid-friendly introduction to what God saved us from and what God saved us for—the good works prepared in advance for us to do.
Jesus also loves you without your good deeds
But I hope that by now you are starting to see
That the Spirit is not just for your salvation
But to help you do good for all of creation. Continue reading
My Summer (and Beyond) Reading Plans
Summer is a wonderful time for reading, whether it is on the backyard patio, a family vacation, or listening to an audiobook while driving, walking or running. This summer, I plan to read books in a variety of genres – biography, leadership, theology, Christian living, etc. Here is what I have planned to read this summer:
Daily Devotional Reading
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- Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon
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- Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology
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- Tabletalk Magazine
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- Go Forward in Love: A Year of Daily Readings from Timothy Keller
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- The Sing! Hymnal
Books I’m reading or planning to read this summer and beyond:
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- My Story: A Spiritual & Intellectual Autobiography by John C. Lennox
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- The Redeemed Man, edited by Joel Beeke, Richard Phillips and Paul Smalley
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- Pastoring for Monday: Help Your Congregation Integrate Faith and Work by Matt Rusten
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- Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
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- Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels
What are you planning to read this summer?
Reformation Triangle of Scripture, Meditation and Prayer, Part 3
Matthew Bingham’s book A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation was introduced to our church leadership team by our lead pastor at our annual leadership retreat last fall, who encouraged all of us to read it. It has since become a very influential book in our church, with many reading and discussing it, including our officer candidates. You can read my review of the book here, and I highly commend the book to you.
But what is spiritual formation? Like me, you may have heard the term, but aren’t’ sure exactly what it is. You may have heard about friends getting degrees in spiritual formation from a Bible college or seminary. Bingham helpfully tells us that the term spiritual formation has arisen to describe the biblical process of molding the mind, heart, and life of a Christian into conformity to Christ.
In his book, Bingham introduces what he refers to as the “Reformation Triangle” of scripture, meditation, and prayer which is at the heart of historic Protestant spiritual formation. Taken together, these three can be conceived as a conversation between the believer and God: we hear from God through his word, we reflect on what we’ve heard in meditation, and we then respond to God in prayer. Continue reading
Reformation Triangle of Scripture, Meditation and Prayer, Part 2
Matthew Bingham’s book A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation was introduced to our church leadership team by our lead pastor at our annual leadership retreat last fall, who encouraged all of us to read it. It has since become a very influential book in our church, with many reading and discussing it, including our officer candidates. You can read my review of the book here, and I highly commend the book to you.
But what is spiritual formation? Like me, you may have heard the term, but aren’t’ sure exactly what it is. You may have heard about friends getting degrees in spiritual formation from a Bible college or seminary. Bingham helpfully tells us that the term spiritual formation has arisen to describe the biblical process of molding the mind, heart, and life of a Christian into conformity to Christ.
In his book, Bingham introduces what he refers to as the “Reformation Triangle” of scripture, meditation, and prayer which is at the heart of historic Protestant spiritual formation. Taken together, these three can be conceived as a conversation between the believer and God: we hear from God through his word, we reflect on what we’ve heard in meditation, and we then respond to God in prayer. Continue reading
Reformation Triangle of Scripture, Meditation and Prayer, Part 1
Matthew Bingham’s book A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation was introduced to our church leadership team by our lead pastor at our annual leadership retreat last fall, who encouraged all of us to read it. It has since become a very influential book in our church, with many reading and discussing it, including our officer candidates. You can read my review of the book here, and I highly commend the book to you.
But what is spiritual formation? Like me, you may have heard the term, but aren’t’ sure exactly what it is. You may have heard about friends getting degrees in spiritual formation from a Bible college or seminary. Bingham helpfully tells us that the term spiritual formation has arisen to describe the biblical process of molding the mind, heart, and life of a Christian into conformity to Christ.
In his book, Bingham introduces what he refers to as the “Reformation Triangle” of scripture, meditation, and prayer which is at the heart of historic Protestant spiritual formation. Taken together, these three can be conceived as a conversation between the believer and God: we hear from God through his word, we reflect on what we’ve heard in meditation, and we then respond to God in prayer. Continue reading
A Prayer for Summer
Our Father in Heaven,
Although the calendar tells us that summer doesn’t begin until June 21, summer has always seemed to begin for me when school gets out and we celebrate the Memorial Day weekend. I’ve always thought of summer as the months of June, July and August. Memorial Day to Labor Day. Summer is by far my favorite season of the year.
Thank you, Father, for the season of summer. I love the warm temperatures, the green grass, trees blowing in the wind, and the fact that here in the Midwest it will stay light until nearly 9:00 pm.
Thank you for seeing us through a cold, sometimes bitterly cold winter. Also, thank you for protecting us from several severe storms early this spring. Continue reading