I am A Follower by Lenny Sweet

Leonard Sweet’s book I am a Follower: The way, truth, and life of Following Jesus is a deeply impacting tool. I provides its readers with a systematic approach to developing not only a drive for discipleship but a lifestyle which reflects discipleship. Through each of his chapters he uses life stories and personal events, which readers across the board can relate to, so that one might grasp how a life of discipleship might change one’s view on the world. His convincing methods and tools create a paradigm for growth in which believers are able to foster spiritual growth amongst themselves and others. Using the way of Jesus’ example of being the way, truth, and life we come across Sweet’s adoption of this into daily life. I found this book to be very helpful because it provided practical insight which would be applicable to daily life. His presentation was very attainable and by the end of the book I felt closer to Christ and had a day by day plan in which I would be able to grow in discipleship. I enjoyed the perspective which he gave because it gave a biblically sound approach to discipleship in which the method corresponded with the biblical accounts of Jesus’ discipleship practices.

Billy Graham's Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well

I have recently had the opportunity to read Billy Graham’s book Nearing Home: Life Faith and Finishing Well. This book struck me as outside of the box because it comes from the position of one who is understanding that they are at the end of their journey in life. Within this dark understanding of one’s plight Graham is able to bring about joyful hope and inspiration that even though one’s old age is beseeching upon one’s abilities one is still able to forge ahead in the kingdom of God. Graham develops ideas about how one might use the benefits of their old age, wisdom, knowledge, and experience in order to bless the lives of the people around them. I think this book is a must read for anyone at any age because it can motivate any person into spiritual action. A book that keeps the end in mind is very useful in today’s times and Billy Graham in Nearing Home has the knack of bringing everyone into his mind and perspective. Which shows that even though humanity may be weak and physically frail; God is strong and able to use us. I would highly recommend this book for anyone seriously thinking about working with elderly people or those who have no hope of being used by God.

Max Lucado's "Max on Life"

Max Lucado’s work Max on Life is a delicate stroll through the plethora of questions asked of any pastor since the dawn of the church. Questions on how to live in response to a certain problem or issue and how to see God in light of certain circumstances are a prevailing notion that is brought about throughout the book. It is interesting to see how Lucado uses his life experience to bring about insight, which causes true life change. His ability to converse with his readers gives the book a level of grace which would provide peace for anyone going through almost any conceivable circumstance. On a whole, I enjoyed the structure of the book because it allowed for a series of short reads while seeing each individual question answered as part of a cohesive section and book. I would have liked to see a better exegetical presentation of the scriptures he quoted for each of his answers but it is difficult to do such things and provide such nurturing pastoral advice. I would recommend this book for any pastor for their personal use or to make available to their ministry workers within the church because of the great practical resources it provides for daily spiritual growth. It would be nice if Max Lucado would create a reading plan or study guide to go along with this book in order to implement it in one’s study program.

Doing Virtuous Business: The Remarkable Success of Spiritual Enterprise by Theodore Malloch

Doing Virtuous Business: The Remarkable Success of Spiritual Enterprise by Theodore Malloch is a great tool for anyone interested in not only increasing their ability as a business person but also as a pursuer of God. The book investigates this concept of how capitalism within our social constructs creates a an atmosphere for progress in the business world. Malloch expresses how one’s “spiritual enterprise” causes effects one how one conducts business because of the changes in one’s ethics and character. If one builds a spiritual enterprise where good morals and virtue are expressed one’s actions will reflect their moral strength. For example, if one builds forgiveness and honesty as part of their “spiritual enterprise” they are more likely to provide forgiveness for those who transgress them. This book is a very practical tool for all people because it shows how one’s spiritual condition is able to affect their daily life. Also, it inspires one to fine tune their “spiritual enterprise” so that they will be able to conduct better business. The only thing that Malloch infers which was hard to cope with was how he expected the spiritual values to appear in modern culture. This is hard to unify with a world of no absolutes in which people are all inherently evil.

Slave by John MacArthur

John MacArthur’s new book Slave describes the true meaning of what it means to be  follower of Christ. MacArthur’s argument surrounds around the meaning of the Greek word “doulos” which implies slavery rather than servanthood. He then goes on to break down our position as slaves of Christ which includes our sonship and citizenship. Using much history and reputable sources, John MacArthur shows our responsibility to Christ as his slaves but loved slaves. This book helped me to get a better grasp on what it means to follow Jesus because it is not by choice but rather by compulsion through love that one acts for Christ. MacArthur does a great job to use the original image of a first century slave which was used by the scriptures to help readers understand the relationship between Jesus and his followers. He creates a sense of deep reverence for God and an attitude of humble service, which Christians should emulate. Being a slave to anything is a hard pill to swallow because of our modern day worldview, but MacArthur uses reasoning and logic to make readers understand that we are being taken from slavery to sin to slavery to Christ and heirs with him. Overall, I thought the book was very life altering and informational, but it may be difficult for a new believer to grasp all of the theology he added in the final chapters. For one who has a greater knowledge of the scriptures and theology this is a great ministry tool.

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

After reading Max Lucado’s Outlive Your Life it is hard not to feel a sense of change and boldness come over your being. Max Lucado takes the reader through a journey in which the reader finds himself or herself learning how to identify areas in need of compassion and how to react to those situations. Through his picturesque writing style and numerous stories he is able to move the reader through imagery to bring them to the point of acknowledging these few but life-changing truths. And that is that Jesus commands his disciples to “outlive their lives” by breaking boundaries, sacrificing of themselves, and identifying the needs of those around them. One can appreciate the pastoral care that Lucado provides in giving practical application to the heart of the book by teaching readers how to apply these principles into their daily lives with vivid examples and down to earth emotion. His book challenges the very culture that Christians have claimed to portray by truly calling the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus reaching out to those in need. He mentions that the church ought to be the image of the “invisible God” to the “visible need” around them. I would recommend this book to anyone who would say that they have a heart for the lost and hurting. Lastly, one must admire how Max Lucado not only writes the words on the page but acts out his message by contributing 100% of the royalties from his book to World Vision. In an age where many are quick to talk the talk Max Lucado presents to the church a way to walk the walk in his book Outlive Your Life.