Confessions of a Reformission Rev. - My Review of Mark Driscoll's story

I read this book several months ago - maybe even a year ago.  I really should have written this review much sooner, as a lot has happened in the last couple of months to Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church.

I had heard about the "cussing pastor from Seattle" but had never really known much about him.  Then I downloaded a few of his podcasts.  I listened to the audiobook of one of his early books on the structure and nature of Church.  I like him - mostly.  I honestly don't think he is that great of a preacher - he preaches too long and tends to wander.  But who am I to judge - after all, he lead a growing church from a handful to 13,000.  However, that church no longer exists.

This book was one in a series published by the Leadership Network.  After reading their "Exponential" book, I decided to read this also. Published in 2006, Mars Hill was running over 4,000 people per weekend and heading towards 10,000.

I love Driscoll's candor and honesty.  He tells of his struggles and mistakes.  He owns up to his own sin.  In fact, many of the wrongs that were brought up over the last few years are the issues he publicly owns up to in this book!

I wonder if the Mars Hill Church story is a book about a church that grew too fast.  In many ways, I heard loud and clear that they struggled to maintain growth and then, as they were growing, they struggled to manage their own fame.  Mark tells about his getting to the point of a nervous breakdown, and his decision to limit his travel schedule.  He tells about the pressures on his family.  At the same time, though, he tells of difficult decisions made to grow the church.  In a couple of places, he tells of decisions to let some associate leaders resign/transition because they were not ready for the next level.  In other words, he fired them so that he could find a higher-capacity leader.  And in the light of the downfall of Mars Hill, this happened time and again and really the church in the long-run.

While I am getting very critical here, I also recognize that Mars Hill was reaching a crowd that most churches are not reaching - unchurched, nonbelievers in a very culturally-liberal area!  And he was doing it with a very conservative theology!  Many experts would suggest that such is impossible!  So before we are quick to judge, it would be proper for us to appreciate exactly what Driscoll was doing right!

I did get one big takeaway from this book.  Driscoll suggests that churches that effectively reach people are theologically conservative and culturally liberal.  Chew on that for a while!

I also really benefited from the 10 Curious Questions found in Chapter Zero. With these diagnostic questions, Driscoll encourages church leaders to answer the difficult questions, to identify what their church will look like and act, and to think through the implications of our answers.  Good stuff here, even if you can't stand the man who wrote it!  It is in these opening chapters that we find that Driscoll indeed has a good grasp on theology, organization and leadership. No wonder he lead a growing church.

Surprised By The Fire - My Review

Shortly after meeting Tom Mills, he gave me a copy of his book, "Surprised By the Fire." He then provided several copies for us to give away to all of the families in our church.  I was not surprised when the reports came back with so much positive feedback for this book.

I remember reading 1 & 2 Peter as a teenager and, on one particular occasion, with highlighter in hand, marked up almost the entire texts of these short epistles.  Filled with practical, concise teaching and encouragement, these letters get right to the point.  So I was pleased to read a practical study and commentary written to those who need to get ready.

"Get ready for what?" you might ask.  For difficult times.  Don't worry, though.  The author is not a conspiracy theorist, predicting doom and gloom ahead, nor does he attempt to predict the return of Christ.  He merely acknowledges that many Christians around the world are persecuted for their faith and, if trends continue, American Christians are likely to experience increasing pressure and event persecution as well.  The solution?  Rather than fight the culture, the author suggests that we take seriously the teachings of 1 & 2 Peter.  If we do, will not only be ready for difficult, but will not be surprised when it comes.

The structure of the book and the style of writing simply follows the text found in the Biblical books of 1 & 2 Peter.  But so much more than a commentary, each chapter presents an exposition of the primary teaching and practical application of the text.  Within each section, we are invited to check ourselves to determine if we can really say "yes" to the affirmations of the book.  To do this, several Checkpoints are presented through the book.  At the end of each chapter, we find an empty box that waits for a check-mark.  And again the question is asked, "Am I living the life of an obedient child of God?"  "Am I living as a newborn baby - longing for the pure milk of God's Word?"

In the end, this is a great book for those looking for some guided study of God's Word, and for those looking for a penetrating evaluation of their spiritual maturity.  In this book we find both biblical study and personal formation, which is the goal of the entire Bible, by the way.  If this is what you are looking for, I encourage you to check it out!

How Good Is Good Enough - a review of my first book to read in 2015!

I completed one book already in 2015!  Okay, so I was halfway through it when the ball dropped on New Year's Eve.  And it is only 92 pages, so that it really not much of an accomplishment.  But I really am planning to read a lot more this year.

Andy Stanley is my favorite preacher.  He just does a great job of communicating God's Word in fresh, relational ways.  This gift-book sized book is a perfect introduction to the biggest question of Christianity.  While preachers, teachers and thinkers might want to start with the question of the person and work of Jesus (which is the central theme of Christianity), we often forget that the people who most need the work of the person of Jesus to become real in their lives don't yet know that the solution is Jesus!  And while Stanley uses classic arguments from the domain of apologetics, he does so later in the book.

The best part of this short work is his argument against the "just be a good person" position.  Basically, he ends up asking, "how do you know how good is good enough?"  His argument centers on the point that if the "be a good person" position is true, and if God is truly good, then he should have told us exactly how good is good enough!  Other than his absolutist command to obey perfectly, he has not!  Therefore he is very unfair, and his judgment is unjust, or the "be a good person" position doesn't work.  Of course, Stanley argues this very skillfully and with a lot of grace.  He then proposes that the death and resurrection of Jesus provided forgiveness from God and justification of sinners.

I read this book for a reason.  A few weeks ago I read a blog from a pastor in California who gives a free copy of this book to every first-time guest at his church.  I thought it sounded like a good idea, and after reading the book, agreed that it is a great idea!  I believe that this question of "how good is good enough," stemming from the "be a good person" position, is the biggest false gospel in our culture.  This is the big thing that keeps people from experiencing God and his grace and mercy through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

So  bought 12 copies and am praying over them, asking God to lead to our church 12 families who need to hear this message and, who after reading this book, will come and talk to me about what Christ might be able to do in their lives!

Be A People Person - my review

As a pastor, I am a leader by job description and by calling.  And while John Maxwell has his fair share of critics (mostly because of other pastors who put too much emphasis on leadership and not enough emphasis on servant-ship), his writings are helpful.  I think John was blessed with the personality and spiritual gifting of leadership and therefore, does intuitively what many of us do not.  Thankfully, he has given decades to helping the rest of us!

I purchased this book at the recommendation of a colleague, as I was looking for a book written from a Christian perspective, in order to study with someone else who was looking to develop their own people skills. At about 150 pages, this short read seemed like an introduction to everything else that Maxwell has written.  His popular themes of maintaining a positive attitude, encouraging others, living with integrity, motivating others, etc. are all present.  As I read, I wondered if this was one of Maxwell's first books, and indeed it was.

I was greatly helped by some of his suggestions and ideas. In the chapter about the characteristics of people with charisma, he teaches that charismatic people regularly show others that they care.  And then he adds this:  "Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than you are i making them feel good about you.  In other words, don't try to sell other people on you, try to sell them on themselves."  This line of reasoning is so very helpful, and is really theme of the book - that  to be a people person is to put the emphasis on others.

The chapter of loving difficult people was especially helpful.  Maxwell suggests that we treat others in relation to how we see ourselves.  He writes, "show me a person who sees him or herself in a negative light and I will show you a person who sees others in a negative way."  The implication for getting along?  "When you realize that people treat you according to how they see themselves rather than how you really are, you are less likely to be affected by their behavior."  So true.  So helpful.

In the end, this book serves as a helpful introduction to leadership.  For those who have read a few leadership titles, it will no doubt serve as an inspiring remind of what they already know.