The Six Most Influential Books I’ve Read Within the Last Decade

Books, Kingdom of God, Spiritual Growth

I’m a book geek. I won’t hide it, nor will I apologize for it.

Over the last few years, reading has played an indispensable role in helping me discover a richer, deeper, more satisfying life with Christ.

But it’s not just reading, per se. It’s learning what to read and who to read. Like digging for gold, you’ve got to know where to look.

So I figured I’d share some of the books and authors that have impacted me the most. There are many, many really good books that I could recommend, to be sure. But for me, these are in a separate category.

So here goes, in no particular order…

Preface to My New Book: “Healthy Prayer”

Books, Prayer, Solitude, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth

Writing a book was never really a goal of mine. Vocationally, I have always self-identified as preacher first, content to read what other people have written.

But three years into pastoring my church in South Louisiana, I experienced a dynamic shift in my prayer life. I discovered an approach to prayer that was a bit foreign to me, but once I experienced it I couldn’t get enough. This shift in prayer set me on a course that began to slowly transform my marriage, my parenting, and my approach to life and ministry.

Not long after, I decided to begin teaching the people in my church what I was discovering about prayer. Every couple months or so, I began hosting “prayer workshops” in my living room. I would take 8-12 people at a time and teach about prayer for three hours on a Saturday morning.

A Few Takeaways from The Apprentice Gathering

Books, Church Leadership, Kingdom of God, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth

This past weekend I had the unique opportunity to attend The Apprentice Gathering at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. I arrived on Wednesday night and spent the next three days gleaning from some of the top leaders in the field of Christian spiritual formation.

I first heard about this event several months ago when I stumbled upon it while googling some info on Greg Boyd, who happened to be one of the speakers.

Greg is one of my absolute favorite modern theologians/pastors/authors. Since buying one of his books in Books-a-Million back in 2009, I have followed his work with great interest. He has had an immeasurable impact on my theology and the way I think about God. Possibly more than anyone else. It was a huge honor just to meet him and say “thanks” in person.