Good to Great in God's Eyes - Read Great Books, Part 2

Are you spiritually stuck right now you know going through the motions but not sensing the closeness of God. Feeling like your faith is running on autopilot. Would you like to know how to take your spiritual walk to the next level will today I'm going to give you creative ways to pull you out of that and give you a fresh encounter with God you love today.

Stay with me. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge year with Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry featuring the daily Bible just a miniature picks up where he left off last time in the series. Good to great in Gaza but before we begin. If this is your first time listening to looking over the edge just will learn more about go to Living on the Edge.there you will find tons of resources on a wide range of topics, and countless programs for you to enjoy prefer the chipping roadmap is also a great way to get plugged in with our ministry here now as part two of chips message read great books from Romans chapter 12 we read books, first broaden our world. Second, to sharpen your mind and third read great books that inflame your heart that inflame your heart member.

The first book ever that inflame my heart was EM bounds skull, the power of prayer, and I don't read that one unless like your it psychologically and sort of you know a good state of mind in the early part of his book. I mean this guy's written a zillion books on prayer and all of them when you get done you just want to will say I am so guilty. I am so lacking. I am such a spiritual worm but is kinda good for you.

Just not too much but he says in that book with the world needs is not more men not more money not more machinery, not even people who think about prayer, not people talk about prayer, not people can explain prayer what God is looking for is men and women who pray who really pray who believe that God is real can bring the needs before him and believe that he will answer that is what God is looking for is the hardest discipline in the world because I believe prayer is the barometer of genuine humility in my self-sufficiency and my honest evaluation of how much I need God or don't need, God can be measured by the quantity and the quality of my prayer life meaningless. Do the math, there's an all-knowing being he knows what's can happen at the end of the day the end of history.

He has unlimited power. He calls you, his child, he is saved you.

He's redeemed you major part of his family has told you he wants to guide you. He wants to bless you. He's a good God is a great plan for your life. He wants to prosper you. He wants to use you.

He has a plan for your life. He supernaturally get to do. He put his spirit in you, he was to do all these things in your life. Can we get up in the morning safe and I don't really have time to talk to you because I basically know what to do with my life and how to do it and then wait we say because I didn't have time. What what what what and so we think you know ride in the car and on the floor. Thanks, and we do a little quickie for specular. Thank you Lord you know what I want to practice the presence of God. I won't have quickie prayers. I want to pray in the car I want to pray as I walk but you have to develop the discipline of times that are blocked off where you meet with God and you open your heart and you get honest and you get real and you intercede and EM bounds bang and so as you can tell on. On rare occasion, I've had opportunity to get intense and mildly out of balance. Could anyone imagine a personality type like me going this direction, so I read EM bounds and on the Christian four years five.

Maybe, and I'm coaching going to grad school and teaching high school and I got a little 35 minute commute as I read EM bounds.

I decide I'm gonna pray an hour every day before my flight. So I get up at some ungodly hour and I pray for an hour. It's really hard but I do it and pretty legalistic about which isn't good.

This is not is not a really great story about how God I am. This is kind like how dumb I was with some good came out of it and so I prayed for an hour. Then I read my Bible. Had my quiet time memorize couple verses in. Then I went and coached and then came back to ministry on the campus, drove to grad school did a few little things and I did that for six months at the end of six months by praying for an hour before I did anything else you happen item hospital. The doctor looked at me and said, man what tell me that you schedule and that he loves me, that you may be the dumbest guy I've ever met me really I me I had some sort of virus. He said you can throw off anything and what I learned was is prayers about a relationship. What I learned was God wanted to meet with me at all is not about duty is not about being a soldier. It's not measured always by how long and what you doing this and that. It's about my heart and that I need to block off time and I need to be disciplined and I'm glad I went through that because it developed some discipline and then I had to back away and learn how to pray out of relationship and out of grace. You know something, there's something to be said for learning to do our duty for a brief season to develop some things in your heart and your schedule in your life but but it inflames my heart. I member Andrew Murray tiny little book. The beauty of holiness and don't have a lot to say about this one other than you ever thought of God being humble. I still remember I don't know what it was. Maybe I did like to read to all the books I read were almost really thin paperbacks and had a Aqua cover and had the picture of a shell. You know that was real shiny with the pearl in the middle of it and it said the beauty of holiness and the book was simply about the majestic awesome beauty of the King of all the universe and how beautiful it is that he took on human flesh and what it would be like to need never serve a person, but to choose to lower yourself and serve in the book said the greatest delight the most God likeness you can ever be is when you understand humility is a sacred privilege where you get the following the steps of Jesus. It was like I mean you're talking about a highly driven. I want my way I'm going to do my thing by the way, it's nice to have God on my team attitude and it just inflamed my heart, it cut to my soul.

Calvary Road is a book that says basically the Christian life is a journey to the cross, you must die number the words of Jesus you know him priest all that much if any man come after me, let him what deny himself and take up his cross, how often daily. What what he think of a cross that it wasn't a religious symbol even for the first three, 400 years of the church. It's an instrument of death, take up your cross, your will, your agenda, your dreams, you are.have it your way. Take up your cross and die daily income follow me in that little book is the journey with the great ray of hope at the end it says unless you die to yourself. You never experience resurrection life is never a resurrection without a death but I want on my Christian life I spent inordinate amount of energy trying to control trying to take care of trying to okay get financially secure here politeness up over here. Everything's gonna be okay here. My days I go like this and it does go like this and I'm really upset and my emotions go down, and they go up, it's gotta be my way and I have all kind of verses and sophisticated Christian knees that I say that sort of excuse all that God brings suffering and heart ache and inconvenience and problem people and wayward children, and struggles in marriage is acts of grace, so that you can learn to die die to where you surrender and you say I can't do this marriage.

I can't live this life. I can't be this that I can't be this kid. I can handle this financial pressure and you die to yourself and you say, but I will allow you to live your life through me at whatever level you want.I'm desperate and I bet we could take a microphone around this room and we could talk about times when you've come to the very end of the end of the end of your rope and how God has met you right have it that. Haven't those been the times. I mean, it is just you've exploded and experience grace when you experience it you experience when you're dead you experience when you can handle it.

You can't make it happen. And that's why God's grace allows some of those things to happen. Well, I put a couple other titles there that have been helpful to me and maybe the pursuit of God are true spirituality will be ones in be helpful to you.

But let me go to the fourth one we read great books that first broaden our world. Then they sharpen our minds. Third, they inflame our heart and forth to develop your skills, I was not a Christian and not necessarily recommend this book is probably out-of-print, but what I want you to get is read books that develop your skills.

I did know how to be a dead man a really nice mom and dad names were Christians and you not hear it. All of a sudden unit, then I got two little boys. I do not have family devotions how to pray with them. I don't how to discipline them and it was a little book called the Christian family by Larry Christiansen and I just read it. I did what it said must be a good book as I get great kids great wife, the communication heater marriage.

My dad and my mom were believers, Teresa's parents.

As she grew up warrant. Her dad was an alcoholic. My dad is an alcoholic. So you know you know people say we got back we got baggage think that's why when I speak on marriage and parenting. I think think the reason it resonates on the radio is people say now that guys really messed up just like me. The mix maybe there's hope you know you but I think that's that's how God ministers out of our weakness, but I mean we sat down with Norman Wright's book munication heater marriage and we read it chapter by chapter. Did the questions at the back which I hated, and now I don't read directions.

Either and we sat down and talked about it and then and they came out with another book. It was sickening. More communication heater marriage and so we went through that one. You have to develop skills. I do know how to communicate. I do know how to express anger. I did know how to do any of the kind of things you're supposed to. As a dad or as a mate, but you know what God has produced great resources to help people like us, whether it your marriage or whether it's parenting or for me learning to lead the CEO of the FedEx Fred Smith. His dad was a pastor in a tiny little Methodist Church. He wrote a little book called learning to lead for pastors. It's like gold. Another book that I read the effective executive when a Christian book your pastor and all of a sudden some starts to grow. I have a clue. The difference between being efficient versus being effective. Peter Drucker's little book. I mean, the father of modern management man that is just it's just a little gold book about developing skills to lead your life well and then basic theology by Charles Ryder is just something that I want to develop my skills were I can think theologically. You think to the issues of salvation think to the issues of Christology big word that you know we could use if you love everyone so apologetic. I don't use a big word here and people won't understand that we figured out how the last 25 years to dumb down the church so low we don't have anybody that thinks theologically people that recognize air your leaders hear people of influence. We need to develop our skills, broaden our minds inflame our hearts. How do you do it you read great books via fifth type of book is read great books that heal your soul heal your soul is on an airplane in the really wrestling with a big decision about whether to marry Teresa some of you know our history and her background is. It was really big and I have learned to relate to people pretty well, but I learned in looking back. The reason I learn to relate to people pretty well is because I was so fearful of rejection. I could sort of regroups and figure out to the tough guys are so startup into the parent use with the all-American book my am good sure it's good to see you. Yes, that Cindy will be home right on time you see it you know the basketball guy law permitted to do no good to get on my white socks I could figure out how to act with whoever and I was just a chameleon and I was a people pleaser and I had the biggest decision of my life and I had one group of people saying we think you do this and another group of people respected doing this and then I'm just going and what I realize was, instead of making a decision based on God's word and with the Scripture said I did all the study was really pretty clear. I was so afraid of disappointing people and being rejected that I didn't have the sheer courage to step up in the a man and make a decision so you know if this is right good and if it's wrong. Lord, I want to know when we get the judgment seat of Christ on the step right up to the plate and I'll receive whatever you want to give me bad or good.

You know there's a time where you can ask everyone else which out of the is a time where it all doesn't line up and gets really easy. There's time will you be a man you be a woman you trust God based on everything you know you take a step of faith and you don't care with holy regard about what other people think and that little book the ins and outs of rejection by Charles R. Sullivan is what I was reading on the plane on my way to California to a conference when I realized that's the issue. My heart and God gave me clarity. They begin to heal my soul.

Another book again. Probably out-of-print is called the strong in the week by Paul Turney and he's a Swiss psychologist believer in I happen to be pastoring 28 years old and had this opportunity go out into a little country church and in fact it was that the metropolitan area was no stop lights 4500 people total and then the church was about 15 minutes outside of town. One little white building and read some rodents that would run across the back and we had 35 people in the church and there was a group of business people that all had businesses in Dallas and were kind of the upper middle to really upwardly mobile and they wanted to have a good strong Bible teaching church about 30 miles outside where they lived, and so we created in a little church and you know it had its ups and downs. I think I was the eighth pastor about four years so the deftly had some ups and downs and and I think when they got me.

They thought that Megan has more downs you know and I didn't have any idea what I was doing but you know it wasn't.

It was like a little country church within you go like into one of their houses, and like Southern living would be here and I like to be like super nice and like I was overwhelmingly intimidated and never been around people with money before both my parents were schoolteachers, and why just thought they were way up here and I'm a little pygmy down here and I was nervous and and then I pastor there for couple years. When I got to know my found out some of these very wealthy, powerful people don't big businesses and drive down to Dallas and walk in the big shiny building that everyone thinks the wonderful and I got like really big problems in their marriage of some of the kids are going to some really bad stuff and pretty soon I'm realizing there just like me and then at the same time I read this book called the strong the week and I'll save you a whole read the thesis of the book is everyone in the world is desperately insecure. Thousands of hours of counseling godly Christian man. This was everyone is desperately insecure. Some people demonstrate their insecurity with strong reactions they power up. I've got so many zeros. Here's my portfolio. If this is what I drive look at that watching how many letters behind my name. You better get out of the way and they intimidate people and their strong and powerful. You know what they do.

It produces distance why is now that distance keeps the real them from being exposed and there desperately insecure and I learned when I saw people like that and said be intimidated if it all while my guys like really insecure just like me probably need some help in the other group master insecurity with Greek week reactions. I could never do that now now now well I just know well you know I have a hard time looking up II like to gaze at my navel most of the time and the and and I'm a victim and you know what they are just insecure like me and you what happens.

I read that book I thought.

Everyone's wearing a mask, so what the heck I just think I'm gonna rip mine off what you see is what you get. You like it you like it you don't you don't I've learned in the last two years who I am in Christ is what matters what he thinks of me is what matters. And you know when I pick people power up. You know I can come look beyond that and say for sure done a lot of that myself and have compassion and with people or shrinking back, you can say you know something you put your arm around him and also challenging to say you know I don't be critical here because I know you tell the story and it works for a while because you get a lot of affection and attention. But sweetheart, or brother what you need to do is get your eyes off yourself. You really have something to offer and you not believing that is pretty arrogant because God says you do want to get your eyes off yourself and the unit struggles I got struggles in that got your intimate he's got struggles to see there's books that can heal your soul in my 40s I think late 30s and 40s a special I think you go through time we start you know when your kids are start to get older and your parents are start to get older and you're trying to you're right in that sort of like the brackish water. You know, sort of the saltwater and freshwater in your that stage of life where you know you kids are getting older and trying to figure out about parenting and all the sudden your kids a start to say and feel some things that you felt about your parents and your parents right now are not looking really near as dumb as they did about 10 years ago in a place you get and then you're you you're working through some identity issues and then you realize. Gosh, my dad wasn't perfect. My mom was a perfect and an some time depending on your background, you can spend anywhere from a decade or decade and 1/2 internally.

Even if you do it externally. You can whine about all that you didn't get my dad never told me you love me I can from a very difficult family, you know, my mother and I didn't really bond connecting to my sister did this and we did that mess happen and this happened, you can spend a lot of energy, focusing on all that you didn't get. And you know there is a period of a time you need to get a window and get some insight but boy, that's a that's a that's a bad way to live very unfruitful way to live and I remember reading now and's book on the prodigal, and Abba father by Brennan Manning in those two books have one very simple message God loves me and God loves you at this very moment as much as you will ever be loved, ever, ever, ever, there's not something you could do to get him to love you. There's not something you can do that will stop him from loving you. He doesn't love you, if any, doesn't love you because while you were yet a sinner, he loves you. You are the object of his affection, and as you read and grow in Christ.

What you'll find, especially among those who spoken much about the spiritual life and growth. It all boils down to receiving and accepting the unconditional love of God is your real own identity and then having the freedom because of that to love and accept other people and we all wrestle with that.

And those are issues in a week. You know, every family that talked about families in dysfunctional families. My theory is there's really really dysfunctional families. Not quite so dysfunctional families and mildly dysfunctional families and that has all of us. So I got issues, so you need to read books that will heal your soul and finally what I want to say is first and foremost I saved for last. Some of you think it is every to get this one. First and foremost, read the Bible. Don't ever let books written by men.

Substitute the book written by God.

Set your mind on the things that are above allow your mind to be renewed. This word Moses would say is you're very life. Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the father. This isn't read a chapter to keep the devil away. This is and have a little list so that you know you done my devotionals and check that office.

He worked out as my I took my juices are good for me. I read my Bible. I pray my 12 to 15 minutes know this is about.

This is about God saying I sent my son and you now as my child have much my spirit in you and I will take that spirit. The bears witness with your spirit that cries out to me, Abba, father, and I will take the written word and I will allow it to become in your life and experience the living word and the God who spoke in all the world and all the galaxies came into existence invites you and invites me and he will speak to you and he will encourage you and he will share things from his word and they will leap off the page at times that will so convict you that you'll just there's times I just thought Lord I been a Christian. 30 years now. That attitude is so ugly I didn't think I was capable of that bad of an attitude, and the thought.

I have so far to go in theirs are the times were you will open it and and you will hear God's voice through his word. Love you and if firm you when there's no other person that understands in ways will be beyond your wildest dreams and help guide you and you will direct you, but I believe that the greatest decision I made and I praise God for Dawson Trotman because Dawson Trotman lead someone to Christ, to lead someone to Christ, to lead someone to Christ who led some to Christ, who led a bricklayer to Christ who invested seven or eight years and me and he came down to my dorm room every Tuesday morning. I did want to meet with him and I don't want to get up.

He taught me how to have a quiet time and for two years and just so you know for two years and I just could not get out of bed and a long, quiet times like six minutes you mean God read four verses, and I don't got I'm doing fine could you later why I was arrogant I had no idea what was available and I had no idea the depth of my need and forever for a while. Then I finally took my my alarm clock and I put in the bathroom so I at least had to get up. I read finally had to get a roommate to help me. I was in college I knew I want to be God's word.

I could not discipline myself. I was so undisciplined and I got my roommate. It was a heavyweight wrestler and said Bob I mean I'm trying I'm trying I'm trying to make it like two mornings out of seven. I know I've got to be in God's word. I want to but when the alarm goes off. My will is gone about the chip you really want help us about the chip not domestically you really want help I said Bob we been roommates man I out. I want help. He's a chip no matter what do you want help I said Bob. He said okay tomorrow morning you get God's work. So I go to sleep alarm goes off. I put my head over the covers. Bob goes a chip time to get up and you know me know I read later's afternoon a chip member Bob Catalina he comes over. Take my covers, throws him off, leaning over me like it and it just get out of here.

Humphreys and Mandisa chip you come some not get nuts at the tiller my head he goes out its glass water drinking fountain comes in chip you get not know throws the water splash and now I'm ticked and he's in trouble about 150 pounds and is about 100+ that it never entered my mind to do anything except get out here in gospel truth. He goes to the end of the bed and grabs my ankle and lifts me up and now I'm upside down.

This is for real. And he wants a new member. The dorms were. They had the big local showers. The pig we got our door. He opens at one he turns it on Asus chip you want to get up and now I am trying to do was sit ups you know any text editors and he just shook. He laid me down to Palm Beach back in the room and he said if you want more.

This this is every day and say some I think God for Bob Myers.

It started as a duty, 10, 12, 15, 18 minutes got to where you know Lord released him in the word. I can't tell you that we gooey feelings in God things punch in a lot of times liking a good breakfast in on but I'm sure was good for me to skimmer what a and little by little by little I just made a covenant with God, no Bible, no breakfast, you will be the first person in my life. You will be the most important person in my life.

I will meet with you and I will talk with you and I will ask you to speak to me and I covenant with you. That's what I'm going to do.

Have I gone into legalistic times. Of course, does God love me any less when I miss morning, absolutely not. But but I had to focus my heart. I had to set my heart on doing what God wanted me to do and I want to tie after about four or five or six years God spoke more and more by another, seven, eight, nine or 10.

I didn't didn't alarm and now I can't even remember the last time I ever looked at alarm clock, or ever had to set it the greatest delightful, most wonderful hours of my day are in the morning and I just I just get to meet with him. He talks to me. I have all the struggles, knowledge problems because I'm insecure and I came from dysfunctional family. Just like you. But there's a God who loves me and accepts me just like I am, and he knows what can happen today and and it's amazing I can open anywhere and can speak to me from anywhere and he knows the meeting. I'm gonna have in the conflict them to have the struggle that I have and he's kind of insecurities and in the things I keep wanting to do, but he doesn't seem to want to do when I want to get done and he just keeps speaking and loving.

And for about 30 years now. That pattern has been the most transforming event in my life.

Read great books why because you don't want to be conformed to this world you want to be transformed by the renewing of your mind that your life could prove or demonstrate what the will of God is that which is good. I want a good life that which is acceptable.

That which is well pleasing you notice I put some very practical steps to some of you to say you know that wasn't all that much scripture in this one next session is what I wanted to do what what I know is you can read 30 books next month. You need a plan.

You need to get on the right path in the right journey. So for suggestions one begin with the regular time. The Bible in a version you can understand just if nothing else comes out of this say I'm going to start in the Bible at a regular time ends in a version I can understand number two. Use a resource that will provide some structure understanding and additional insight and if this sounds like a commercial, it could be construed that way. But it's a commercial. Because we love people. I read the daily walk for the first 10 or 15 years my Christian life through the Bible in a year to the Bible in a year to the Bible and thought about you going to Hittites anyway who the heads up as a resin right, sin, and the Jebusites, and what was happening with the sea.

I don't know any of that stuff.

But here you have a tool that all so that's what was happening in history, and so that's how it's broken up and there something specific for me and now regular ordinary people like me and you and Dawes and Cameron and Hudson can just grow and be who were supposed to be and we get some help from some resources. Third, don't be overwhelmed, to develop a plan to read one book every month or two minute of it.

I don't you going away feeling guilty and overwhelmed that I turned on the TV on the center of the cerebral chipset. Now if you are turned off more. Okay, I don't want to interfere with what God speaking to you, but what I want to do is say you know I'm gonna start substituting media for some meat, some intellectual, spiritual, psychological mind renewing God ordained me.

I'm getting joy and that's the final one. Enjoy the journey. It is not about how many books you read. It is about how deeply the books you read sinking will be right back with his application for this message. Books series good to great in God's eyes. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus said whoever wants to become great among you must what the series chip explores what great this means to God by highlighting 10 crucial practices he says are vital know if you're looking to dive deeper into the subject. Let me encourage you to check out chips book or small group study. These are perfect tools to help jumpstart your faith. To learn more about these resources go to LivingontheEdge.org the chip and remap call AAA 333-6003 trips back with me in studio and ship after hearing your message today and I thought about the countless people listening right now who have real needs as we continue to create new programming and resources that meet those needs. The expenses of the ministry are a monthly issue so wanted to take a moment to talk to those who've considered partnering with us before, but just haven't made that commitment in a day really only about 2% of all the people that listen to partner with us financially in any way. I think sometimes is because they just don't think what I could do would make a difference but I just want to encourage some of you that feel like you know hey you know what God's really using this my life but I'm just not in a position maybe you could do something really small. But God could take your small gift into something really big with it. So thanks so much and appreciate anything.

God leads you to do. Thanks, Chip will of joining the Living on the Edge team is an idea that makes sense to you. Let me encourage you to become a monthly partner you can do that by going to LivingontheEdge.org or the chipping remap and tapping the donate button with just a few clicks, you can set up a recurring donation and help others benefit from this ministry, or if it's easier text the word donate 741 41 that's donate 741 41 thanks in advance for supporting us anyway you can will chip for the past couple programs you been encouraging us to read great books, but I'm sure there are people out there listening and say yeah well I'm not really a reader and just the thought of opening a book is overwhelming. Would you say to them what will Dave. That's a really really good question an enemy sort of address this in two different ways. There are some people that reading is a real real struggle and their actually embarrassed about how little they read or they don't read very well and I would say let's just get on the table. Let's let's not guilt anybody into. I can never be a great Christian. Unless I can you to read lots of books and and some people are in a Ex-Lax Igor. I mean it's just a challenge that the second thing is is that if you don't know where to begin. But let me just let's not overthink this.

How about where you have a need. Where are you struggling is like all our marriage is in trouble. Have you ever thought of reading a good marriage book or I'm really depressed wow maybe a good book on on spiritual and mental health. Or, you know what I'm struggling with one of my kids or I really have this passion to be a great dad. If you will read around your needs and your passions what you'll find is you will be very motivated and and I don't know about you but left myself unless I was sharing books with other people. I would probably not read very many books and so can you imagine sitting around with some other people and say hey will one of the best books you've ever read or you know what are some great thoughts you're thinking and you know when we get into this together.

I will tell you that's when the motivation really rises and great things happen Encouraging Word ship thanks.

Just before we close, would you stop for a minute and pray for Living on the Edge today. We've never seen a greater need for God's truth to go out there right now and by God's grace Living on the Edge has been able to provide encouragement, teaching, and personal discipleship resources to more people than ever before.

So thank you to those who support us with your prayers. God is doing amazing things for all of us here, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge