For Personal Spiritual Growth:
1. Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
2. No Easy Road by Dick Eastman
3. Called & Committed by David Watson
4. No Wonder They Call Him Savior by Max Lucado
5. All of A.W. Tozer’s books especially The Pursuit of God
6. The Navigator by Robert D. Foster (a must read! Life story of Dawson Trotman)
7. The Divine Romance by Gene Edwards
8. A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards
For Personal Leadership/Life Growth:
1. The Jesus Style by Gayle D. Erwin
2. The Vanguard Leader by Frank Damazio
3. Team Ministry by Dick Iverson
4. When The Giant Lies Down by Dick & Ruth Foth
5. The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham by Harold Myra & Marshall Shelley
6. Disciple by Juan Carlos Ortiz
7. The Oswald J. Smith Treasury (5 little books with different titles)
8. Be The Leader You Were Meant To Be by Leroy Eims
9. The Making of a Christian Leader by Ted W. Engstrom
10. Life is Tremendous (Leadership Is For You) by Charles E. Jones
11. The Lost Art of Disciple Making by Leroy Eims
12. The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
For Marriage and Family:
1. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
2. The Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson
3. If Only He Knew: What No Woman Can Resist by Gary Smalley
4. Personality Plus by Florence Littauer
5. The Two Sides of Love by Gary Smalley & John Trent
For Survival and Endurance:
1. Well-Intentioned Dragons by Marshall Shelley
2. Healing for Damaged Emotions David A. Seamands
3. Hang in There…to the Better End (formerly Running the Mid-Night Marathon)by Craig Brian Larson
4. Three Steps Forward Two Steps Back by Charles R. Swindoll
For Church Structure/Growth:
1. Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger
2. The Presence Based Church by Terry Teykl
3. Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero
4. Breaking Down Walls by Raleigh Washington & Glen Kehrein
5. A Drink at Joel’s Place by Jess Moody
6. Re-Thinking the Church by James Emery White
7. Church in the New Testament by Kevin J. Conner
For Miscellaneous Reasons:
1. The Beauty of Spiritual Language by Jack Hayford
2. Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack S. Deere
3. Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy
4. With the Word (a devotional commentary) by Warren Wiersbe
5. Afghanistan My Tears by David Leatherberry
Obviously, some of these books are out of print but it would be worth your effort to try and find them. I pray you have some of the greatest experiences of your life and ministry in '09. Please know you are loved and believed in! Always always, Papa G.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Papa G's Top Ten Life Verses!
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (KJV)
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (KJV)
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (KJV)
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (NKJV)
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (KJV)
Zechariah 4:10a For who has despised the day of small things? (NKJV)
Haggai 2:9 The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts." (NKJV)
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (KJV)
Ezekiel 36:11 will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. (NKJV)
Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (NIV)
{Below is #11--I’m like the Big Ten University System, they are called the Big Ten but have 11 colleges—go figure!}
Isaiah 41:8-13 But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' "Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them-- Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.' (NKJV)
Philippians 3:10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (NKJV)
Colossians 2:10a And you are complete in Him,… (NKJV)
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (NKJV)
Proverbs 24:3-4 Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (NKJV)
And My #1 Favorite Bible Verse that is actually #16 (sorry, I have too many!) that keeps me going is:
Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: (NKJV)
For my spiritual sons and daughters--may God give you specific words that keep you going! It has been a secret of longevity for me! Love you & believe in you, Papa G.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (KJV)
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (KJV)
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (KJV)
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (NKJV)
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (KJV)
Zechariah 4:10a For who has despised the day of small things? (NKJV)
Haggai 2:9 The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts." (NKJV)
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (KJV)
Ezekiel 36:11 will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. (NKJV)
Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (NIV)
{Below is #11--I’m like the Big Ten University System, they are called the Big Ten but have 11 colleges—go figure!}
Isaiah 41:8-13 But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' "Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them-- Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.' (NKJV)
Philippians 3:10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (NKJV)
Colossians 2:10a And you are complete in Him,… (NKJV)
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (NKJV)
Proverbs 24:3-4 Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (NKJV)
And My #1 Favorite Bible Verse that is actually #16 (sorry, I have too many!) that keeps me going is:
Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: (NKJV)
For my spiritual sons and daughters--may God give you specific words that keep you going! It has been a secret of longevity for me! Love you & believe in you, Papa G.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Christmas...A Season for Mending Relationships
Christmas is a great time to reach out to an unsaved loved one. What better time of year to build a bridge of communication?
My older brother was estranged from our family for a number of years and the holidays were especially hard. Finally reconciliation came and Christmas was right again. Many are facing this holiday without a loved one. Some are estranged from friends or family members because of some argument or blowup that took place years ago. I want to encourage you to take time to reach out and mend relationships this Christmas and begin the New Year on a new footing.
Here are a few suggestions that might be helpful…
● Don’t try to preach—just reach!
It takes some people a while to come to the realization that preaching to their relative who is estranged is not effective. I want to encourage you to reach out and accept your family (in spite of their unsaved lifestyle) then you will begin to the relationship start to rebuild.
● Keep the focus on the future—not the past.
It doesn’t matter really who was right or wrong. Agree to disagree and move ahead. May want to win and lose in the process. Say, “I’m sorry I hurt you”—it validates how the other person feels.
● Don’t expect too much—keep it light.
When relationships have been damaged, or severed as it was in my brother’s case, they need time to be rebuilt again. Start slowly to create a new bond of love and trust. Find common ground—something enjoyable to do together. If your son likes basketball, get tickets to a game. If your daughter enjoys shopping, make a date and go to the mall. If your friend enjoys music, invite them to a concert. There are so many wonderful activities and events to choose from during the Christmas season.
But beware; the ground you are on is shaky at best. Be careful not to bring up sensitive areas from the past. If a sticky subject comes up, simply say, “We are having such a great time, let’s not ruin it by getting into an argument.”
●Pray—it works!
Give it up to God. Even when hope is gone, even when things may appear worse than ever, a breakthrough could be on the horizon. It’s like watching the big hand on a clock. It can seem like it is moving farther away at it makes the circle back to 12:00. But the truth is, after it moves to the farthest point away at 6:00, it begins to draw closer to 12:00 again. We prayed for my brother for over a decade and he was headed in the wrong direction getting farther and farther from God. But our prayer on his behalf brought him back to Jesus!
Christmas is the season of hope. Jesus is the greatest symbol of hope in a hopeless world. Use this holiday season to reach out in love. Begin mending relationships. There is no better time than today!
For my spiritual sons and daughter please know you are loved! If you have unsaved parents or siblings I hope these little suggestions will help you have a better Christmas season.
Papa G.
Here are a few powerful verses that I pray blesses you as you pray for and reach out to a loved one who is not with the Lord this year:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, along with your entire household.” Acts 16:31 NLT
“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” Isaiah 44:3 KJV
My older brother was estranged from our family for a number of years and the holidays were especially hard. Finally reconciliation came and Christmas was right again. Many are facing this holiday without a loved one. Some are estranged from friends or family members because of some argument or blowup that took place years ago. I want to encourage you to take time to reach out and mend relationships this Christmas and begin the New Year on a new footing.
Here are a few suggestions that might be helpful…
● Don’t try to preach—just reach!
It takes some people a while to come to the realization that preaching to their relative who is estranged is not effective. I want to encourage you to reach out and accept your family (in spite of their unsaved lifestyle) then you will begin to the relationship start to rebuild.
● Keep the focus on the future—not the past.
It doesn’t matter really who was right or wrong. Agree to disagree and move ahead. May want to win and lose in the process. Say, “I’m sorry I hurt you”—it validates how the other person feels.
● Don’t expect too much—keep it light.
When relationships have been damaged, or severed as it was in my brother’s case, they need time to be rebuilt again. Start slowly to create a new bond of love and trust. Find common ground—something enjoyable to do together. If your son likes basketball, get tickets to a game. If your daughter enjoys shopping, make a date and go to the mall. If your friend enjoys music, invite them to a concert. There are so many wonderful activities and events to choose from during the Christmas season.
But beware; the ground you are on is shaky at best. Be careful not to bring up sensitive areas from the past. If a sticky subject comes up, simply say, “We are having such a great time, let’s not ruin it by getting into an argument.”
●Pray—it works!
Give it up to God. Even when hope is gone, even when things may appear worse than ever, a breakthrough could be on the horizon. It’s like watching the big hand on a clock. It can seem like it is moving farther away at it makes the circle back to 12:00. But the truth is, after it moves to the farthest point away at 6:00, it begins to draw closer to 12:00 again. We prayed for my brother for over a decade and he was headed in the wrong direction getting farther and farther from God. But our prayer on his behalf brought him back to Jesus!
Christmas is the season of hope. Jesus is the greatest symbol of hope in a hopeless world. Use this holiday season to reach out in love. Begin mending relationships. There is no better time than today!
For my spiritual sons and daughter please know you are loved! If you have unsaved parents or siblings I hope these little suggestions will help you have a better Christmas season.
Papa G.
Here are a few powerful verses that I pray blesses you as you pray for and reach out to a loved one who is not with the Lord this year:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, along with your entire household.” Acts 16:31 NLT
“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” Isaiah 44:3 KJV
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