2012

The Upside of Adversity by Os Hillman

  • This is an excellent book which will really minister to a reader who is experiencing adversity. Brings a great deal of hope!

Secrets of the Kingdom Economy by Paul L. Cuny

  • This is an excellent book outlining how to live with a kingdom perspective. It shows the importance of being a humble servant and how that relates to the favor of God.

The Joseph-Daniel Calling: Facilitating the Release of the Wealth of the Wicked by Morris E. Ruddick

  • This is a pretty good book which really illustrates the importance of dying to self and developing an intimate relationship with the  Lord.

Golf’s Sacred Journey, Seven Days at the Links of Utiopi by David L. Cook

  • This is an easy read, especially for a golf fan and is a pretty good book that helps you to put things in perspective.

Tell to Win by Peter Guber

  • This is a decent book but I would not say it’s great. The premise is that in order to connect and persuade, you must use the power of stories. It could have been much simpler and shorter.

Breaking Intimidation by John Bevere

  • This is a fantastic book which has helped me tremendously. I recommend this book for any leader. It has been the book of the year for me!

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott

  • This is a great book which boils down the book of Proverbs (much of which was written by Solomon, the richest and wisest person who ever lived). It includes some great take-away exercises which can impact your life.

2011

Set Yourself Free by Robert D. Heidler

  • A really great resource for deliverance and self-deliverance. It gives the best and easiest to understand explanation of spiritual strongholds that I have ever read.

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

  • Yes, I just now read this Christian classic. Though I sometimes find it difficult to follow C. S. Lewis’ old English prose, once I got in the flow I found it easier for me. What an amazing thinker Lewis was! He shares some brilliant insights and I would highly recommend this book.

Dominion by Randy Alcorn

  • One of the best fictional reads I’ve had in a long time. I highly recommend anything written my Randy Alcorn, fiction or non-fiction.

Organic Church by Neil Cole

  • A really good book which outlines a strategy that turns the church paradigm on its head. A must read for anyone in the business of, or interested in the church.

Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

  • Excellent book which really challenged me to evaluate my walk with Jesus. Am I a true follower or just a fan of His who wants all the benefits but doesn’t want to pay the price to follow Him?

The Love Dare by Stephen & Alex Kendrick

  • From the movie Fireproof, this book is very well done. Designed for a spouse to read each chapter for 40 straight days and perform the suggested tasks to their mate. I did this on a weekly basis which was more manageable for me. I recommend this highly.

The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge

  • This book has gotten great reviews which is why I purchased it. I had a hard time getting through it, probably because the authors appear to be quite smarter than me and used language that I don’t normally use. This talks about the Romance that God desires us to have with Him…intimacy with our Creator. There are a few chapters that really had an impact on me.

LEAD…for God’s Sake! by Todd Gongwer

  • This modern-day parable is a great read that shares some foundational leadership truths. I highly recommend this book for any parent, coach or leader of any sort.

Dynamics Of The Marketplace Church by Rick Seeberger

  • Excellent book which outlines some of the biggest lies that we, as Christians, believe regarding the Church and the marketplace (church is done in a building, clergy are the ones to do ministry, business people are there to fund ministry, those in the marketplace are second class Christians, ministry is not allowed in the marketplace, etc…). If you are a minister in the marketplace or this concept intrigues you, you will love this book. If you are in vocational ministry you must read this book.

From Bud to Boss by Todd Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris

  • Very good book targeted primarily at those who recently got promoted into a leadership position for the first time. I wish I had this book 20 years ago as it would have saved me from learning lots of things through making mistakes. Lots of great leadership stuff even if you weren’t recently promoted.

23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese

  • Great read and very credible. The author was actually transported to Hell by God for 23 minutes and shares his story. Will create in you a sense of urgency for those you love.

Power Thoughts, 12 Strategies to WIN the Battle of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

  • This book was a gift from my daughter Molly for Christmas. It was a very good read which really helps you to renew your mind which is the beginning of true transformation (see Romans 12:2).

Grace Walk, What You’ve Always Wanted in the Christian Life by Steve McVey

  • Excellent book. If you are tired of following the rules, tired of doing things because you “should” or because of some sense of obligation, this book is for you. It will guide you on a path to loving Jesus with all your heart.

Winning with People by John Maxwell

  • Very good book which I read with my 14 year-old son (1 chapter a week). I highly recommend it for anyone who deals with people on a regular basis as this will provide you with some tools you can put to use immediately to improve every relationship in your life.

The Call by Os Guinness

  • While this book contains some good information, I found this book to be rather boring. I think it was because the author is much more intelligent than I am. Also, the subtitle is “Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life.” I don’t think this book does a lot to help you to find your calling although it does give some great information about the term “calling.”

Deadline by Randy Alcorn

  • I just read this on my vacation. It is perhaps the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read. Great story that also helps to strengthen your faith. I highly recommend this!

The Blessed Life by Robert Morris

  • A good book which has some incredible faith-building stories about the blessings one receives when they give. It will help you on the path from selfishness to generosity and show you the blessings that God promises you when you give.

Hearing God’s Voice by Henry and Richard Blackaby

  • This is a follow-up to Blackaby’s book Experiencing God and it is a very good one. Very clear on the ways that God speaks to us and how we can hear from him.

Experiencing the Father’s Love by Os Hillman

  • Good book for those who are trying to learn how to live as a child of God, fully accepting his grace.

Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud

Great book outlining many ways in which we can get stuck in life because of our resistance to end things. Cloud does a great job of showing when you should and when you should not end relationships, businesses (personal and business), and habits. I highly recommend this book!

2010

The Seven Levels of Intimacy by Matthew Kelly

  • Excellent book about how to take your relationships to the next level.

Controlling People by Patricia Evans

  • Good book for those who live with or who deal with controlling people a lot. Very freeing.

Caring Enough to Confront by David Ausburger

  • Good book for those who struggle with conflict. Encourages you to embrace conflict as something that is necessary for relationships to grow and flourish.

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

  • Excellent book about some of the sins we have grown to accept in Christian society and how we can eradicate them.

The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly

  • Excellent book about a way to retain employees and make a significant difference in the lives of others.

The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels

  • Great book about the importance of and how to listen to the whispers God gives us regularly.

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott

  • Excellent book summarizing the book of Proverbs. Good life manual.

A Life God Rewards by Bruce Wilkinson

  • Quick, good read on how to live with the end in mind.

Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

  • Edgy business book on the importance of breaking rules and trends and not doing what’s always been done.

The Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro

  • Excellent book for those who want to take their relationship with God to a new level. Very helpful to me.

You Were Born For This by Bruce Wilkinson

  • Good book that will help your faith to grow. Shows you how to put yourself out there for God to use you in exciting ways.

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

  • Excellent book which unveils a secret which will change your life forever.

Faith Based Marketing by Bob Hutchins and Greg Stielstra

  • Good book about the Christian consumer and how to reach them.

The Winner’s Manual by Jim Tressel

  • Excellent book showing Jim Tressel’s heart and how he influences his young men he coaches and how he gets them to perform at a very high level.

Three Feet From Gold by Sharon L. Lechter & Greg S. Reid

  • Good book about the power of perseverance.

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell

  • Excellent book about how to connect with others. This shows how important this is in everything we do.

The Final Quest by Rick Joiner

An excellent book that is very deep. It takes a look at the final battle between light and darkness. A great faith-building book.

Failing Forward by John Maxwell

  • Good book about not dwelling on your mistakes and using them for good.

Preparing Your Son For Every Man’s Battle by Steve Arterburn

  • Excellent book for fathers who have 10-14 year-old sons. Can be a life changer for your sons.

212 Degrees by Sam Parker & Mac Anderson

  • Good book that is very easy and quick to read. Shows how going the extra mile is what separates champions from everyone else.

Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis

  • Excellent book for fathers (or single mothers) to help you in raising your sons. Discusses the power of ceremony in his life and gives ideas of how you can perform some of these life-changing ceremonies in your son’s life.

Wide Awake by Erwin McManus

  • Good book which encourages the reader to not settle for sleepwalking for life, but rather to discover the heroic life God has created us for.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

  • Excellent book about how to not get trapped in the “I’m a slave to my business” trap. Very powerful!

Boundaries in Marriage by Henry Cloud & John Townsend

  • Excellent book about how to erect safe boundaries in your marriage relationship. This book was extremely beneficial to me and helped me to find great freedom! This was the book of the year for me!

No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy

  • Good book for those whose day runs out before their tasks do. Very practical.

Winning With People by John Maxwell

  • Excellent book which shows that good relationships are the key to success. Teaches the reader how to be “other centered.”

Victorious Eschatology by Harold Eberle & Martin Trench

  • Good book which opened my eyes to some different views of the “end times.” Shifted my paradigm!

Radical by David Platt

  • Transformational book which grieved me at first and then encouraged me. It made me realize how far off the mark I have been in my Christian walk. A must read for every believer!

Fresh Faith by Jim Cymbala

  • Good (but not great) book about faith. The biggest takeaways for me are the reminders of the importance of humility and prayer in our faith. We must be humble enough to realize that we don’t have all the answers…that we could be wrong at times. Also, throughout the Bible, God could have shown up at any time; however, He showed up most when His people began to pray. Great reminders to me!

Fasting by Jentezen Franklin

  • Good book which has really encouraged me in my fasting. It has helped my attitude regarding this discipline and I am very excited about my next fast.

I love to read. As a result, I have listed the books I can remember reading beginning in 2010. I hope this is helpful to you in some way. As a note, I always read with a pen in hand and I mark up pages and write notes in the books. I also dog-ear pages that are extra-meaningful. I then go back and try to type up summaries of the key points for me so I can review them regularly. The books that have really impacted most this year have been Boundaries for Marriage, The Seven Levels of Intimacy and Caring Enough to Confront. All three have helped me significantly in my marriage. Also, Radical has helped to change my theology! In addition, Raising the Modern Day Knight and Preparing Your Son for Every Man’s Battle has been very instrumental in helping my relationship with my son while at the same time helping him to grow up into the man God designed him to be.

Transformational book which grieved me at first and then encouraged me. It made me realize how far off the mark I have been in my Christian walk. A must read for every believer!