On top of that, Priscilla and I are speaking at a Young Adult Conference for Singles and we thought it would be helpful to share some of the books and resources that have been helpful for us in our personal lives, as well as in our marriage and family.

Marriage Books

• The Story of Marriage – John and Lisa Bevere
• The 5 Love Languages – Gary Thomas
• Created For Connection – Dr. Sue Johnson
• Sacred Marriage – Gary Thomas (recommended to me)
• Boundaries In Marriage – Dr. Henry Cloud
• Twenty Secrets to an UNBREAKABLE Marriage – Jonathan and Adalis Shuttlesworth

Parenting Books

• The Intentional Father – Jon Tyson
• Have A New Kid By Friday – Dr. Kevin Leman
• Sticky Faith – Dr. Kara Powell
• What A Difference A Mom Makes – Dr. Kevin Leman
• Boundaries With Kids – Dr. Henry Cloud (recommended to me)

Books on Singleness and Dating

• Boundaries In Dating – Dr. Henry Cloud
• Single Today – Ryan Wekenman (recommended to me)
• Single and Secure – Rich Wilkerson Jr.
• Single, Dating, Engaged, and Married – Ben Stuart

How are you handling people’s expectations of you? Have any further advice? Drop it in the comments.

“Leaders are readers.”

— Every Leadership Expert

I’ve heard this phrase for years. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t disagree, I just don’t have enough discipline to sit on a chair for x hours and read a book.

That being said, I’m currently on vacation and wanted to slow my pace down a lot so I forced myself to sit and read (albeit on the beach) and have read 1 physical book already.

My Personal Challenge

I have a heard time sitting still for a long period of time. I’ve started probably 30 books and stopped after chapter 2 or 3 – not because they weren’t good, but I get sidetracked and move on to other things, and have a problem getting back into it.

I’m not writing this post to have someone point out some focus methods or some way to be better disciplined. Why? Because I think I’ve landed on what does work for my lifestyle at the present moment.

How I Read books in 2022

Those of you who’ve tracked with me as a pastor know that I despise reading my Bible on an app. I use the YouVersion Bible app for reference on the go, but for straight up Bible study or daily reading, I read my physical Bible – especially when I preach!

That’s how I read my Bible, but how do I read 12 books a year? I have switched to audio books through Audible. I have loved the experience. I usually listen as I do dishes, on my commute to the office, or even while I go on walks.

There have been a few books that were so deep that I actually had to buy the physical book and follow along as I listen. Yes, that’s a little more expensive, but I have found that the retention is multiplied for me.

I’m not here to debate if an audio book is the equivalent of “reading” a book or not. All I’m here to say is that it’s helped me as a leader to also be a reader!

Audible is currently offering 3 months free for Prime members, which means you get 3 credits. 1 credit per month gives you any 1 title to download and keep. So three months gives you 3 books for you to download and keep even if you cancel your monthly subscription.

Here are 3 of my favourite books I’ve been reading lately:

• The End – Mark Hitchcock (I also bought the physical book)
• Managing Leadership Anxiety – Steve Cuss
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert T. Kiyosaki
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry – John Mark Comer

What books are you looking to read this summer? Let me know in the comments.

Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I’ll receive a small commission.

A few weeks ago we started a new sermon series on the “end times.” The fancy, theological word is eschatology (The doctrine/study of the last things). I titled this series “Are We There Yet” because just like my kids, I found a lot of Christians wonder the same thing regarding the end timed.

Outside of the Scriptures, which must always be our source and foundation, I’ve been using 4 particular books as I study and prepare these sermons. I recommend you take a look at them if you want to go deeper in your own study on the end times.

Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I’ll receive a small commission.

4 Books To Study the End Times

The End – Mark Hitchcock

Psychic hotlines, tabloid newspapers, and astrologers make a living preying upon people’s innate interest in the future. But what does the Bible say about it all? The End lays out Bible prophecy in a clear and understandable way:

• How to interpret Bible prophecy
• The key prophecy passages in the Bible
• The key events and characters of prophecy
• The strengths and weaknesses of the different views on the Rapture, the Millennium, and the chronology of end times events

Daniel: The Key To Prophetic Revelation – John F. Walvoord

“This Walvoord masterpiece presents the beauties of Daniel’s prophecies in the light of modern archaeological evidence. Companion to The Revelation of Jesus Christ, this major contribution to prophetic research emphasizes the value and genuineness of Daniel. It quotes Bible scholars from different corners of the theological ring to help the reader discover the meaning of Scripture for himself. Unusually thorough and well outlined, this commentary captures the heartbeat of a young prophet who spoke boldly for God.”

The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – John F. Walvoord

“A verse-by-verse study of one of the most complex books in the Bible. It points out the symbolic nature of Revelation while showing it should be interpreted literally.”

Things To Come: A Study In Biblical Eschatology – J. Dwight Pentecost

“Because of the prominence of prophecy in Scripture, many excellent books have appeared dealing with prophetic subjects. Until recently, however, the treatment of prophecy has been either apologetic or expository, and prophetic themes have been developed individually apart from their relation to the whole revealed prophetic program. Much of our knowledge has been only fragmentary and unrelated.

Dr. Dwight Pentecost’s monumental text, Things to Come, has changed all that. In this massive, highly successful book, Dr. Pentecost has synthesized the whole field of prophecy into a unified biblical doctrine, a systematic and complete biblical eschatology.

With nearly a quarter of a million copies sold, Things to Come has earned its place in the library of the pastor, the scholar, and the seminarian or Bible institute student. In addition, it offers a comprehensive and accessible study for anyone interested in the important subject of biblical prophecy.”

Which one are you planning to buy?

Here are some thoughts and ideas that have impacted my life, many of which I’ve learned now that I am older.

40 thoughts from 40 years of living

1. I wish I would’ve started investing money in my 20’s
2. Be faithful with what God has put on your plate to do
3. I’m ok with you having unmet expectations of me
4. Aim for Heaven’s approval, not man’s
5. God has the ability to bless your socks off
6. You need to work hard
7. Be faithful and consistent over a long period of time
8. Eat better because garbage in = garbage out
9. God can use you to do great things even if you feel unqualified
10. You will have to make tough decisions, and it may even upset people you love
11. Success at work without success at home is no success at all
12. Slow down and enjoy/savour the important moments
13. Spend time digging deeper wells in different areas of life. They will help you be ready in and out of season
14. It is important to set boundaries in relationships even if people around you don’t like it
15. There is grief along the journey, but as time moves on, your capacity to handle it grows
16. The more vision you have, the more alignment you need
17. Vision and alignment cause the “weeds” to stick out
18. It’s never too late to start something new
19. Do your homework, know the facts… And then Lean into faith and “faith the facts“
20. I can do hard things
21. How you start does not determine how you can finish
22. Nothing worth doing is ever easy
23. Preach with conviction and worry less about structure
24. You don’t need a 3-point sermon outline. Communicate one thought from several angles
25. Family vacations are a lot of work, but worth it for the memories
26. Being a father has allowed me to discover more about God’s heart for His children
27. Be curious and explore what has your interest. God may just be speaking to you
28. Pastoring with a very young family is very demanding, but it’s only for a season (they grow up)
29. Use every one of your vacation days – it’s your responsibility to block the time off
30. Even the most productive/successful person still has 24 hours in a day
31. You can’t make time, you can only allocate time
32. Learn to say “no” to good things so you can say YES to better things
33. Family first! You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family – make them your priority
34. The Holy Spirit’s voice often sounds a lot like my wife’s
35. God knows me better than I know myself
36. Honour and celebrate the past, it’s what got you here, but boldly pursue what’s in front of you
37. God honours movement. Never stop starting
38. Miracles happen in the margin, so make room
39. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
40. IT’S TIME… because God said it’s time!

I hope at least one of these things has encouraged you, inspired you, or helped you gain a little more perspective on what you’re walking through.

What have you been thinking about as we come to the end of 2021? …Drop it in the comments.

Here’s to the next 40 years!