I love to read and learn, so periodically on this blog I will share with you some of the books I’ve been reading. Here are four that I have read recently:
Shrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church-Growth Culture by Tim Suttle. Tim Suttle has written a great book challenging the culture of “greatness” that has crowded out the virtues of faithfulness, goodness, and virtue in the local church. Suttle reminds us that the defining quality of Christian leadership is faithfulness to God’s calling and will.
Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World by Michael S. Horton. Dr. Michael Horton has written a classic, in my opinion. In our age of “bigger is better,” Horton takes us back to the Bible to remind us that God uses ordinary people for his extraordinary purpose, that God forms people into the image of Christ through “ordinary” habits and disciplines, and that God reveals himself and his work through his ordinary servants. Our society’s disdain for the ordinary keeps us from seeing the powerful ways that the Kingdom of God is breaking into the world every single day, and Dr. Horton’s book urges us to reclaim the beauty of the ordinary before it’s too late.
Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill. This book details Wesley Hill’s journey of living for Christ as a gay man. It is a powerful and remarkable story. Hill has chosen to live a celibate life because he believes that his identity in Christ is what defines him, not his sexuality. If you or anyone you know struggles with balancing same-sex attraction and a desire to follow Christ, read this book!
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Swizzler. I have read this book before and now I am listening to it in my car. It is one of the best books I have ever encountered on how to have difficult conversations and how to talk to others when the stakes are high. Communication is something that every person can improve, and this book will help you improve your communication skills in a way that has a positive impact on your relationships, your career, and your reputation.
rusty tugman 