I love to read, and there are several new and upcoming books by some of my favorite authors that I’m excited about, and that you might be interested in as well. Here are a few brief comments about each of them.
The Enneagram Collection by Beth McCord
Beth McCord follows up her best-selling book Becoming Us: Using the Enneagram to Create a Thriving Gospel-Centered Marriage (written with husband Jeff), with The Enneagram Collection, individual books for each of the Enneagram types.
From the Amazon description:
“Each book teaches about the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for that personality type in order to lead to a more meaningful life, lasting relationships, and a deeper understanding of God and yourself.”
To Seek and to Save: Daily Reflections on the Road to the Cross by Sinclair Ferguson
Respected theologian Sinclair Ferguson follows up his Christmas devotional Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent, with a devotional for Lent. From the Amazon description:
“Each day you’ll be invited to:
• Read a passage of Luke’s Gospel and a short meditation by Sinclair Ferguson
• Reflect on a thought-provoking question
• Respond in prayer and praise as you journal”
Click on ‘Continue Reading’ to read about these upcoming books:
- The Seamless Life: A Tapestry of Love and Learning, Worship and Work by Steven Garber
- Growing in Holiness: Understanding God’s Role and Yours by R.C. Sproul
- The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders by John Maxwell
- The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities by Patrick Lencioni
- Win Every Day: Proven Practices for Extraordinary Results by Mark Miller
- Stand Firm: Living in a Post-Christian Culture by John MacArthur
- Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference by Tim Keller and John D. Inazu
- Just Jones: Sometimes a Thing Is Impossible . . . Until It Is Actually Done (A Noticer Trilogy Book) by Andy Andrews
The Seamless Life: A Tapestry of Love and Learning, Worship and Work by Steven Garber
Steven Garber spoke at my Covenant Seminary graduation in 2014. My wife Tammy and I read and discussed his excellent book Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good.
From the Amazon description:
“Steven Garber challenges us to move beyond our fragmented sense of reality and began to see all we are and all we do―our work, our play, our relationships, our worship, our loves―as significant to God and to what God is doing in the world. Once we discover that there is no chasm between heaven and earth, and begin to see the truest truths of the universe woven into the very meaning of life, labor, learning and liturgy, we are able to understand the coherence of the work of God and of our lives in the world.”
Growing in Holiness: Understanding God’s Role and Yours by R.C. Sproul
The Lord has used the ministry R.C. Sproul in a significant way in my life. Though he went to Heaven on December 14, 2017, his books and recorded teaching materials continue to be used for God’s glory.
From the Amazon description:
“Drawn from the lectures of beloved theologian R. C. Sproul, Growing in Holiness explores the doctrine of sanctification, offering insightful commentary on themes such as developing perseverance, overcoming barriers to growth, dealing with feelings of inadequacy, cultivating love for God and others, exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit, and much more. Whether you’re a new believer who wants to understand what the Christian life is all about or you’ve been a Christian for some time but are frustrated by a lack of progress, this book is your guide to pursuing a holy life.”
The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders by John Maxwell
John Maxwell served as a pastor for 25 years before moving full-time into a calling to help leaders grow. I’ve read most of his books, and am looking forward to his newest, which will be published January 28.
From the Amazon description:
“In The Leader’s Greatest Return, Maxwell shares the most important lessons he’s learned about the leadership development process over the last quarter century. He instructs readers in how to:
- Recognize potential leaders
- Attract leaders by creating a leadership “table”
- Work themselves out of a job by equipping and empowering leaders
- Position leaders to build a winning team
- Coach leaders to higher levels and make them leadership developers themselves”
The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities by Patrick Lencioni
Patrick Lencioni has written two of my favorite business/leadership books – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable and The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business. His new book will be published February 26.
From the Amazon description:
“In what may be his edgiest page-turner to date, Lencioni thrusts his readers into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. Shay Davis is the CEO of Golden Gate Alarm, who, after just a year in his role, is beginning to worry about his job and is desperate to figure out how to turn things around. With nowhere else to turn, Shay receives some hard-to-swallow advice from the most unlikely and unwanted source―Liam Alcott, CEO of a more successful security company and his most hated opponent.
Lencioni uses unexpected plot twists and crisp dialogue to take us on a journey that culminates in a resolution that is as unexpected as it is enlightening. As he does in his other books, he then provides a straightforward summary of the lessons from the fable, combining a clear explanation of his theory with practical advice to help executives examine their true motivation for leading. In addition to provoking readers to honestly assess themselves, Lencioni presents action steps for changing their approach in five key areas. In doing so, he helps leaders avoid the pitfalls that stifle their organizations and even hurt the people they are meant to serve.”
Win Every Day: Proven Practices for Extraordinary Results by Mark Miller
Mark Miller has worked at Chick-fil-A in various capacities since 1977. He has written several books, all of which I’ve read. In the fifth and final book of his “High Performance” series, he uses his trademark business fable format to show how any organization can cultivate the kind of everyday habits that yield extraordinary results. The book will be published March 10.
From the Amazon description:
“Miller tells the story of Blake Brown, a CEO who learns how to help his team to consistently excel at execution from a perhaps unlikely source: his son’s high school football coach. The story is fictional, but the principles and practices are very real, derived from years of research led by a team from Stanford University. Miller and his team interviewed leaders and employees from numerous world-class organizations, including the Navy SEALS, Starbucks, Apple, Southwest Airlines, the Seattle Seahawks, Mayo Clinic, Cirque du Soleil, and more. The lessons learned were then field-tested with over seventy businesses employing over 7,000 people. Miller gives you proven tools to release the untapped potential in your people, create a strong competitive advantage, and win not just on game day but every day.”
Stand Firm: Living in a Post-Christian Culture by John MacArthur
The latest book by John MacArthur will be published March 31.
From the Amazon description:
“In Stand Firm: Living in a Post-Christian Culture, Dr. John MacArthur drafts biblical battle plans for maintaining a life of Christian faithfulness. God has revealed what kind of people we are to be in a hostile world, and by His Word and Spirit, He supplies us with everything we need to persevere in holiness, humility, and love.”
Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference by Tim Keller and John D. Inazu
From the Amazon description:
“How can Christians today interact with those around them in a way that shows respect to those whose beliefs are radically different but that also remains faithful to the gospel? Timothy Keller and John Inazu bring together illuminating stories–their own and from others–to answer this vital question. Uncommon Ground gathers an array of perspectives from people thinking deeply and working daily to live with humility, patience, and tolerance in our time.
Providing varied and enlightening approaches to reaching faithfully across deep and often painful differences, Uncommon Ground shows us how live with confidence, joy, and hope in a complex and fragmented age.”
Contributors include Lecrae, Trillia Newbell and Sara Groves. The book will be published April 14.
Just Jones: Sometimes a Thing Is Impossible . . . Until It Is Actually Done (A Noticer Trilogy Book) by Andy Andrews
Andy Andrews returns with the final book in the “Noticer Trilogy”, following The Noticer and the The Noticer Returns. The book will be published September 8.
From the Amazon description:
“At 3:29 a.m. on May 22, a telephone rings in Orange Beach, Alabama. Breaking the sleepy silence inside the bedroom of New York Times bestselling author Andy Andrews, a hastily whispered message heralds the news for which readers have waited seven years. The old man is back in town. And, apparently, he is also in jail.
Jones is tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding his brief incarceration. When Andy arrives to bail him out, he finds another person sharing his room in the gray-bars hotel: twenty-seven-year-old Keely Higgins, who has two master’s degrees, more than a hundred thousand dollars in debt, and a massive hangover.”
Which of these new and upcoming books are you most looking forward to reading?