JUST READ......

Well, we’ve just had a brilliant two week family holiday and one of the highlights for me every year is getting some time away from the normal hustle and bustle to read a few interesting books and get my mind stretched. 

So I thought you might like to know what I read this year...

REAL MARRIAGE by Mark and Grace Driscoll.

I read this a few years ago in preparation for our “Love, Sex and Relationships” series and wanted to go through it again more slowly because I passionately believe that the whole area of Christian marriage is one of the key spiritual battlefields today. And no wonder for marriage is a glorious drama, reflecting the amazing love between Christ, the heavenly bridegroom, and his bride the church. Driscoll, in his usual style pulls no punches. He writes along with his wife Grace about the real challenges and sets them into a biblical context. It is a direct, hard hitting book. No subtlety is neededwhen it comes to this area and he does not use euphemisms or woolly language, he speaks directly but with tremendous force. Every married person (men especially) should read this book.

WHEN THE GAME IS OVER, IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX by John Ortberg.

I love books like this – books which challenge to live life with purpose to remind us of how short life is and to make sure that moments count, Ortberg uses the analogy of  a board game – we love to be in control but we cant be. Things happen but we need to have clear priorities and specific purposes or else life – like the game- will just slip away and we will be left with many, many regrets. This is a powerful reminder to us of what life is all about and Ortberg creatively and imaginatively expounds various scriptures on the theme (and also use heaps of humour – so you will laugh a lot!)

LIVING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF MEDIOCRITY by Charles Swindoll.

I love Swindoll. I feel he’s one of my mentors, though I’ve never met him. This was written many years ago (I first read it in the ‘80s) and I read it again in preparation for the newSunday morning series coming up called “Soarin” (more on that in a later blog!”) He uses the picture of an eagle soaring and shows again, like Ortberg, that it’s possible to live well and finish well for the glory of God. But it requires personal hard work, sacrifice and clear choices in our lifestyle.

Finally I started to read a couple of leadership books which ipicked up in a secular bookshop in the airport. 

HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE LEAD by John Maxwell and MINUTE MOTIVATORS FOR LEADERS by Stan Toler.  Anything I can find on leadership to help me a better leader is a good investment.

I also brought with me THE BUSY CHRISTIAN’S GUIDE TO BUSYNESS by Tim Chester. 

Ironically, I never got round to reading it!!

Id love to know what’s on your summer reading list and anything you can suggest to bless me with. Email me ontrevor@newtownbredabaptist.com

DONT AGONISE – ORGANISE

This was the strapline for a message I preached last week about giving called “The Success Factor” (check it out online)– part of our Treasure Hunt series. I found it uncomfortable because money is such a touchy subject in church. But the problem with many of us is not that we dont WANT to give to God’s work, we just don’t know HOW TO. That’s why we need to get organised.

Most of run our lives on the basis of SPEND – SAVE - GIVEin decreasing amounts for each of those categories. In fact,there is so much to spend on, often little is saved or given, no matter how much we earn. Financial institutions and lending bodies recognise this as your pattern; thats why they absolutely INSIST that you repay your mortgage or your car loan by direct debit. They don’t just allow you to decide how much to pay back by how much you’ve got left over at the end of the month. No, they insist you make the regular commitment and give them access to your bank account to take the money!

To organise means to turn your list – to run your life on the basis of GIVE – SAVE – SPEND. Paul wrote to the Corinthians to encourage them to give to the special collectionfor the believers in Jerusalem. He encouraged them to “set it aside” (ch 16 v1) i.e. to plan, decide, agree, have a plan – not just to rummage around in a pocket or purse to see what is there. Organise it. Likewise in his great chapter on giving in 2Corinthians  9 he urges them to “decide” in their hearts. Thatswhy a standing order or direct debit is such a great thing. Money comes in and then you give it without hardly noticing.  And if you Gift Aid it also, then the government will give back to your chosen recipient another big whack on top to be used for God’s work (Don’t take this for granted – it wont last forever) Many think it’s unspiritual to think like that – but it’s actually incredibly WISE and prudent and God-honouring.It’s practical discipleship.

Most Christian organisations and churches suffer from a lack of praying and a lack of giving, which hinder the fulfilment of vision. Our own 60 for 60 appeal in Newtownbreda is a simple yet challenging concept. An extra £60,000 to celebrate 60 years of our life and witness. And to enable us to go forward in the areas of missions, childrens work, facilities,evangelistic  events and to give us a financial buffer so that when sudden unexpected needs arise, we can respond quickly.  Thereby, we believe we honour the Lord.  Spread over 2014 and spread between our entire congregation, the target becomes possible. But we all need to organise , not to agonise.