Tag: Books

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Plan B by Pete Wilson

planb-1I’ve met a lot of pastors in my life; many in person and some through the internet. I won’t go into all of the details, but I have had the privilege of meeting Pete Wilson, both through the internet and in person.  Pete is the pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, it’s simply an amazing church made up of amazing leaders and people. It is one of those movements of God that if I were not called to pastor New Passion Church, I would probably do whatever I could to get to Nashville to mop floors at Cross Point, just to be able to be a part of what God is doing and to learn from one of the best leaders in the country. Pete and I are not really close friends or anything, but I can honestly say, I’ve met very few people like Pete, who are genuinely authentic (and not in the catch phrase kind of way) and who has a true pastor’s heart for people and is a friend to pastors and other ministry leaders. I’ve never got the impression that he has an ulterior motive and I’m a pretty good discerner of people.

I say all of that because I think you should understand what I know of the man who has written “Plan B” – which is set to release on May 4, 2010 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon for $10 HERE. I simply cannot wait to read this book. I remember hearing about the series that Pete did at Cross Point on this very title, “Plan B.”  You can hear one of the messages HERE.

You can win one of 10 pre-release copies of the book today (1/29/2010) by leaving your name and area you live in on Pete’s blog in the comments section. Check out this promo video for the book:

I believe in my heart there are so many people who desperately need to find hope in the midst of their Plan B. Maybe there’s someone in your life who’s trying to figure out why life isn’t turning out the way they thought. I’m praying this book would be a great gift for them during this season of their life. – Pete Wilson

(Register to Win a Copy of Plan B)

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I am Evil

Well, today I found out that one of Nicki’s aunts and uncles thinks that I am evil because I am associated with the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry (Purpose Driven in general) and because I freely and willingly will give the PD Life book to someone who is searching for “purpose” to their life or a PDYM Book for any youth pastor who is looking to bring balance to his or her ministry.

Hmmm…I guess there is nothing to worry about since this is the same couple who will place their hands on you as if they are giving you a friendly gesture, but what they are really doing is “silently casting evil spirits out of you.” I wondered why they always laid their hands on my shoulders!? Their friend has admittedly said that she has tried on several occasions to cast an evil spirit out of my wife’s step dad who is a devoted follower of Christ. I wonder if I can get them to help me fund my trip to the Gathering in September? Probably not.

So do you have any weird family members? What makes them weird or different?

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Chasing Daylight Chapter 4 Thoughts (Part 2)

Here are some quotes from Chapter 4 of Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus, that have really stood out to me. The chapter is on “Influence.”

  • Influence is defined as “power affecting a person, thing, or course of events” – especially one that operates without without any direct or apparent effort.
  • Many times we conclude we are powerless because we cannot changes things “up.” Those who hold positions of power and authority simply will not see things our way. All too often when we cannot change things up, we conclude that we cannot change anything.
  • How many times have we concluded we were powerless to make a difference because the available resources were withheld from us?
  • Two roadblocks that often mislead us are lack of authority and lack of resources.
  • [In the story about Jonathan and Saul referenced in the book] Saul was paralyzed because he had too much to lose. **My Note: I never want to be paralyzed because I have too much to lose.**
  • Title, position, and authority may hold power, but influence travels through relationships. And in the end, influence is the fountainhead of power.
  • The essence of influence is to win the heart and soul of another person through the strength of your own character and personhood. This is why influence is always more powerful than authority. Authority can shape what a person does, but influence shapes who a person becomes.
  • All of us pass a bit of ourselves on to others. You better like who you are and make what you give to others from yourself a gift and not a curse.
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Chasing Daylight Chapter 4 Thoughts (Part 1)

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Here are the first quotes that have stood out to me so far from Chapter 4 of Chasing Daylight from Erwin McManus. The chapter is titles “Influence.”

  • Manipulation is the use of influence to control others for personal gain. It is the dark side of influence. Manipulation could be described as a relational lie. It is not merely deception in language, but the corruption of trust.
  • While manipulation is inherently evil, influence is the best way to lead and move others toward what is good.
  • A life touched by God always ends in touching others.
  • We have lost confidence in the power of influence, and because of that, we have lost the beauty of its art. The problem with potential power is that while it may control the actions of another human being, it does not capture the heart.

Just being straight up…this chapter has stood out to me so far because I have been in a church environment where the pastor was a master manipulator. I have seen where his manipulation has severely wounded and damaged people, some to the point of no return. I see a pattern in scripture where God was disgusted and angered by the priest in the Old Testament and the Pharisees and Sadducees in the New Testament because they led people away from the love of God versus towards it. Jesus said in Matthew 23 that the Pharisees would travel land and sea to make one convert, only to turn them into twice the sons of hell as they were.

I saw this pastor use his influence to manipulate the sale of a church and its property that people invested years of their life and in some cases “hundreds” of thousands of dollars to see a deceptive vision come to pass. All for nothing, there was no reason for anything that took place. I’ve forgiven this man, but it does not diminish the damage and the hurt caused by the power of manipulation. Erwin is correct…it is the “Dark Side” of influence. My only prayer is that God extends the same amount of mercy and grace in my life as I need it as he has this man. My true prayer is that I live for God in such a way that I never need that much.

Nicki and I were talking the other day about men who have used their influence in the same manner. I told Nicki that if I had as much influence as these people had, I would truly use it to change the world, not to meet a personal agenda. That is my honest desire. I believe the key is when Erwin said, “A life touched by God always ends in touching others!” What do you want to use your influence to do?

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Thoughts on Chapter 3 of Chasing Daylight (Part 1)

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Here are some quotes and thoughts from Chapter 3 of Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus that stood out to me or spoke to me: Please share in the discussion!

The Chapter is about Uncertainty, and how as we move with God, we will face uncertainties. I am about a quarter of the way through the chapter and it’s really good!

  • We have no control over when we die or how we die. We must instead take responsibility for what we do have control over – how we choose to live.
  • Our wealth and abundance of human resources have positioned us to accept a paradigm that provision precedes vision. This has been the foundation of building no-risk faith. This is a tragedy when a part of the adventure is the discovery that vision always precedes provision.
  • If you wait for guarantees, the only thing that will be guaranteed is that you will miss endless divine opportunities – that you can know for certain.
  • [On Uncertain Faith] “By faith Abraham, when called [by God] to go to a place where he would later receive an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8
  • Faith is all about character, trusting in the character of God, being certain in who God is and following Him into the unknown.
  • One of the wonders of uncertainty is that it is the environment in which God invites us to be creative.
  • First-dimension faith is about trusting the character of God – and transforming your character.
  • Much of first-dimension faith is about doing the right thing regardless of the circumstances or consequences. It is about having the faith that God will be with you when you do what is right.