Let’s play a little game about books.

In the comments section, give your answers to the following:

Outside the Bible….

What is the most influential book you’ve ever read?

What book do you want to read next?

Hugh Halter, author of The Tangible Kingdom (along with Matt Smay) posted this video for their upcoming book, AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church.

If it’s anything like The Tangible Kingdom, it’s a must read. Check out this clip.

Each year I create an intentional reading plan as part of my personal growth and development. There are bound to be exceptions as I discover new titles throughout the year, but this pretty much tells the story of the knowledge that will be dropped in my mind. There are even a few re-reads.

Look it over and let me know any books on this list that you’ve read and what you liked/disliked about them.

Ragamuffin Gospel – Brennan Manning (Annual Re-read)
Renewal as a Way of Life – Richard Lovelace
Counterfeit Gods – Tim Keller
Untamed – Alan Hirsch
The Canon of Scripture – F.F. Bruce
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – Donald Miller
Hear No Evil – Matthew Paul Turner
Spiritual Leadership – J. Oswald Sanders
Eat This Book – Eugene Peterson
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction – Eugene Peterson
The Jesus Way – Eugene Peterson
The Blue Parakeet – Scott McKnight
Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals – William Webb
The Homiletical Plot – Eugene Lowry
Sex, Lies, and Religion – Randy Elrod
The Divine Commodity – Skye Jethani
Resident Aliens – Stanley Hauerwas
Galatians – Martin Luther
Forgotten God – Francis Chan
Doctrine – Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
Finally Alive – John Piper
Heaven – Randy Alcorn
Simply Christian – N.T. Wright
Church in the Making – Ben Arment
The Trellis and the Vine – Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
The Normal Christian Life – Watchman Nee
The Meaning of the Pentateuch – John Sailhamer
The Lost World of Genesis One – John Walton
The Gospel-Driven Life – Michael Horton
From Eternity to Here – Frank Viola
Messy Faith – A.J. Gregory
Your Jesus is Too Safe – Jared Wilson
Primal – Mark Batterson
The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society – Lesslie Newbigin
The Return of the Prodigal Son – Henri Nouwen
Classic Christianity – Thomas Oden
The Seeking Heart – Fenelon
Leading on Empty – Wayne Cordeiro
How People Change – Timothy Lane
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands – Paul Tripp
The Book of God – Walter Wangerin
Decision Making and the Will of God – Garry Freisen
3 Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare – Clinton Arnold
The Cross of Christ - John Stott
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards – George Mardsen
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount – David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and The Principles of Screenwriting – Robert McKee
Linchpin – Seth Godin
Drive - Dan Pink
A Whole New Mind – Dan Pink
Switch – Chip and Dan Heath
Thinkertoys – Michael Michalco
Have a Little Faith – Mitch Albom
My Life Outside the Ring – Hulk Hogan
The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown
East of Eden – John Steinbeck

I’m a sucker for “Best-of” lists and thought I’d share my top 9 things of 2009. This list isn’t so much about what was released in 2009 but things I enjoyed in 2009.

The categories are books, films, and music and I’m giving a brief review of each.

Favorite 9 Books I Read in 2009
Crazy Love by Francis Chan // A call to live what you believe.
Matthew by Stanley Hauerwas // Opened my eyes to Matthew’s message of discipleship.
Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester // Greatly shaped my ecclesiology.
ReJesus by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost // Jesus…untamed.
Deep Church by Jim Belcher // Explored the tension I’ve been living in with regards to church.
Traveling Light by Eugene Peterson // Unpacked the freedom in Galatians.
Missional Rennaissance by Reggie McNeal // Handbook for the missional church.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott // Writing advice from one of the best.
So Beautiful by Leonard Sweet // It’s like Sweet intercepted the pass of the current church culture and went the other way for a score.

Favorite 9 Albums I Listened to in 2009
Leonard Cohen: Live in London // Most played album in my rotation
The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You // Like modern-day Buddy Holly songs.
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme // I discovered jazz this year & this is my fav.
Derek Webb: Stockholm Syndrome // Too honest for Christian radio.
Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion // Beautifully weird and melodic.
The Welcome Wagon: Welcome to the Welcome Wagon // Simple and Sufjanesque.
Elvis Presley: From Elvis in Memphis // It’s not just a classic album, it’s an experience.
Neko Case: Middle Cyclone // Bold singing of story songs.
Monsters of Folks: Self-Titled // Indie supergroup that doesn’t sound like it. (That’s a good thing).

Favorite 9 Films I Watched in 2009
Gran Torino // Eastwood’s performance is powerful.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button // Unique storyline that’s hard to pull off.
Where the Wild Things Are // Light-hearted & serious at the same time. My kids liked it.
District 9 // A mirror for our society in the form of an alien flick.
Seven Pounds // Stories of sacrifice still resonate.
Taken // Tapped into the desire for justice and outrage of injustice.
Slumdog Millionaire // Left me speechless which is hard to do.
Zombieland // Funniest movie I saw this year.
Star Trek // Summer blockbuster without the cheese.

What are your favorite things of 09?

Allow me to give you a warning:

If you ever tell me a dream you want to pursue, I will pursue you until you begin to pursue it.

That’s a whole lotta pursuing going on.

You see, I love seeing people take a dream, an idea, a God-given vision, and go for it.

Too many of us settle for a life of inaction and good intentions.

Allow me to share one of my dreams:

I want to write a book (or more).

I’ve written short stories (like this one) from time to time but never a book.

This summer I’m beginning work on my first book.

I’m going for it.

There are details to be worked out however, for now, I just need to write.

Stay tuned to the blog if you’re interested in following the journey.

From time to time, I’ll share more about the idea of the book, maybe some tidbits, and the publishing progress.

My friends at Project Church will be the ones helping me work through it as I’ll be incorporating some of my writings into the messages I teach during this summer.

Would appreciate your prayers and support.

And if you’re a writer, advice is always welcomed.

So that’s what I’m doing.

What about you?

What do you need to go for?

I read Tony Morgan’s book, Killing Cockroaches.

It’s subtitled, “Scattered Musings on Leadership.”

It delivered on its promise.

Ironically, it broke one of Tony’s messages in the book.

About having a single, focused message.

It didn’t.

But it kept my attention.

And I found some of his advice very useful.

Like his pointers on time management.

And 48 blogging tips.

And his thoughts church websites.

And “valuing superteams over superstars.”

And questions he asks when hiring staff.

Some super stuff.

It’s a practical book for church leader types.

You can get your very own copy here.

And say hello to Tony here.

Changing my reading pattern up for this year.  Usually I read whatever catches my eye but this year I’m creating an intentional reading plan designed to help grow me in specific areas.

There are bound to be exceptions throughout the year, but this pretty much tells the story of the knowledge that will be dropped in my mind. There are even a few re-reads. Look it over and let me know any books on this list that you’ve read and what you liked/disliked about them.  Thanks.

Leadership/Influence
Spiritual Leadership – J. Oswald Sanders
Tribes- Seth Godin
Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell
Culture Making – Andy Crouch
Starfish and the Spider -Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom
The Monkey and the Fish – Dave Gibbons
Axiom – Bill Hybels
Next Generation Leader – Andy Stanley
Lectures to My Students – Charles Spurgeon
Killing Cockroaches – Tony Morgan

Theology (various flavors)
Finally Alive – John Piper
ReJesus – Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch
Knowing God – JI Packer
Prodigal God – Tim Keller
Death by Love – Mark Driscoll
Orthodoxy- GK Chesterton
Surprised by Hope – NT Wright
The Cross of Christ – John Stott
Divine Conspiracy – Dallas Willard
Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die – John Piper
The Sovereignty of God – A.W. Pink
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Great Divorce – C.S. Lewis
Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis

Church/Mission
Vintage Church – Mark Driscoll
Sticky Church – Larry Osborne
Total Church – Tim Chester and Steve Timmis
Church Unique – Will Mancini
Missional Renaissance – Reggie McNeal
Deliberate Simplicity – Dave Browning
The Shaping of Things to Come – Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

Biography
A Short Life of Jonathon Edwards – George Marsden
Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther – Roland H. Bainton

Relationships
Celebration of Sex by Douglas E. Rosenau
Intimacy Ignited by by Joseph C. Dillow, Linda Dillow, Peter Pintus, and Lorraine Pintus
Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Tedd Tripp
War of Words – Paul Tripp

Communication/Teaching/Preaching
Supremacy of Christ in Preaching – John Piper
The Revolutionary Communicator – Erik Lokkesmoe and Jedd Medefind
Slide:ology – Nancy Duarte

Personal Growth/Life Skillz
Mad Church Disease – Anne Jackson
I Was Broke. Now I’m Not – Joe Sangl
How People Change – Paul Tripp and Timothy Lane
Humility – CJ Mahaney and Joshua Harris
On Writing – Stephen King
Killing Cockroaches – Tony Morgan

Study/Commentaries
Matthew, Mark, Luke (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary) – DA Carson, et al
Matthew: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (4 volumes) – John MacArthur
Matthew (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible) – Stanley Hauerwas
Mormonism Explained – Andrew Jackson

P.S. You can always view my Amazon.com wishlist if you want to hook me up with a book from this list.