Last year I tried an experiment of reading only one Bible for the year. I chose a Cambridge Wide Margin Hardback for the Bible and went to it like I would normally approach my scripture reading. It was a great experiment and everyone who follows me on instagram saw plenty of pictures of the Bible as the year went on. Here is my review video of the project and my plans for 2021.
Folks have asked me if I plan to do it again and the answer is YES! I’m already a month into my 2021 wide margin.
I always seem to find myself in a pull and push with reading more. Reading is cathartic for me, it always has been. It also forces me to slow down and gives me the space to think about things. I’ve never set a goal of how many books to read in a year, and I’m not doing that in 2021, but I know I want to read more. I’ve been satisfied with around 5 books a month, so that puts me inside a place I feel comfortable with. With all of that, here are the books I finished in January of 2021. I read every one of them on Kindle, and it is getting interesting shifting over to totally reading digital.
Dynamics of Spiritual Live | Richard Lovelace
I kept seeing this quoted on Instagram by Jon Tyson late in 2020. It took me a few months to get through it. Lovelace was a Presbyterian theologian with a huge influence on Tim Keller. I appreciated how he looked at revival and awakening as both sociological AND a supernatural movement of God. The last portion of the book does a great job outlining the variegation of Protestantism in America. This book was great on multiple levels.
Boundaries For Leaders | Henry Cloud
I actually bought this book awhile back and never got around to it. While it wasn’t written for this reason, it is a fantastic lesson in the great pivot of COVID19. Much of the lessons Cloud writes about came during the 2008 financial crisis and the financial industry trying to flip the ship back over and lead through turmoil. Great lessons for leadership.
What you do is who you are | Ben Horowitz
I’ve been thinking a lot about culture and how it contributes to any organization, especially church staff teams. This was recommended to me and was a great look at how cultures are made and what it means to be intentional about organizational culture
Didn’t See It Coming | Carey Niewhof
I have heard about this book again and again from other leaders. I read it a couple of weekends back as I have been processing through a tough season of ministry. It was a fantastic read and a breath of fresh air. The book centers around understanding challenges from a biblical perspective.
The Deeply Formed Life | Rich Villodas
I think this book seemed to take the church world by storm during the 4th quarter of 2020. Villodas (and his precursor in ministry Pete Scazarro) have a fantastic look at living life in the way of Jesus in a busy, hectic world. I am thankful for the richness and depth in this extremely easy to read book.
Chad Brooks is a United Methodist Pastor serving in Louisiana. Married to Meredith, he is currently starting a new church in northeast Louisiana. Host of the Productive Pastor Podcast and lover of motorcycles, Chad would love to find Bigfoot one day.
Chad Brooks is a United Methodist Pastor serving in Louisiana. Married to Meredith, he is currently starting a new church in northeast Louisiana. Host of the Productive Pastor Podcast and lover of motorcycles, Chad would love to find Bigfoot one day.