Hell YES!

Erasing Hell - by Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle is one of the best books I have read in a long time.  It may even have edged out Drew Dyck's book "Generation X-Christian" for my recommended read #1 for the year.  Francis & Preston do a great balanced job of looking at the real information about Hell.  What the Bible really says and helping the reader to understand what is important.  I will not spoil it for you, but it was refreshing to read such a book.  Not a difficult read yet with enough technical study information to satisfy the more "studious" reader.  Do not worry about it being too in-depth for you, as with his preaching, Francis does a great job in making sure that you can digest the information.

Top of the List, you need to read this book, I cannot recommend it enough.

Preacherman

Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up By Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle In Erasing Hell, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle take on the topic of hell and our eternal destiny, with a sense of humility and a deep respect for the inspired Word of God. They will address questions such as "Will everyone be saved?" and "Does God Get What He Wants in the End?" as well as reviewing in depth, everything Jesus said about Hell. Chan and Sprinkle lay all the evidence on the table and present all the facts from Scripture, so that people can decide what to believe for themselves.

Generation EX-Christians

A really good read from Drew Dyck. It is really neat to have someone who you knew as a little kid (really it is true) grow up and become an author. It is even better when they do great work like this book. Christians everywhere should read this book but especially those in Church leadership. It really calls for us to look at the importance of proper healthy teaching, but also putting our faith into proper action so that the value of Jesus is known and shown.

A call for us to patiently gather the sheep who wander away, we are to seek to enter their world with the light of the Truth to lovingly lead them to Jesus.

I would encourage you to check it out!

Preacherman

Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith and How to Bring Them Back By Drew Dyck Young people today are not just sprinting away from the church, but they're leaving the faith as well! Drawing on recent research and in-depth interviews, Dyck identifies seven categories of "leavers"; offers advice on how to connect with each type; reveals communication land mines to avoid; and equips you to reawaken the prodigal's desire for God. 176 pages, softcover from Moody.

A great book for anyone who is looking for some answers to the common objections to Christianity. McFarland does a great job of presenting the questions and giving solid information for the answers. Whether you are seeking and want some answers or you are a Christian and want to know more, this is a great book.

The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity By Alex McFarland Believers have a biblical mandate to share their faith with a dying world, yet many don't know the answers to even the most basic questions unbelievers ask-and most of us don't have time for a theology degree! Alex McFarland provides an apologetics primer that will have answers to even the toughest objections to Christianity.

Expelled - Great video

Expelled! What a great name for Ben Stein's expose about the corruption in educational and governmental institutions with regard to free thinking. It is all too true that freedom of thinking ends when we consider intelligent design or creation. Then society shuts you down and expels you from their systems.

A great view. Highly recommend for everyone!

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, DVD By Starring Ben Stein Ben Stein may not look like a typical school rebel---but when he learned that educators and scientists were being ridiculed, denied tenure, and even fired for the "crime" of discussing evidence of "design" in nature, he'd had enough! Join him as he travels the world, questioning academia's doctrine of random evolution and championing intellectual freedom! Also includes pocket size book of quotes. Rated PG. Approx. 95 minutes. Bonus Features: Inside Expelled - Interview with Ben & Lee Strobel A Special Message from Ben Stein Using Intelligent Design for Medical Research Bonus Music Tracks by Andy Hunter Expelled Super Trailer Widescreen Closed captioned

Prodigal God

I have grown to really appreciate the work that God has been doing through Tim Keller. This book is such a great challenge to us as Christians as to better understand a very important teaching of Jesus and the critical nature of our relationship with God.

Tim gives us a fresh look into the parable we commonly refer to as the "Prodigal Son". A fresh point of view and a solid reminder of the importance of our relationship with the Father. We so often focus on the mess the younger son is in and neglect the works based selfish attitude of the older son.

I more than recommend this book to all Christians. I consider it an essential read, especially for leaders.

Press on!

Preacherman

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith By Timothy Keller Using his characteristic intellectual approach to faith issues, Keller uncovers an unexpected message in the familiar---and often misunderstood---New Testament parable of the prodigal son. Seekers and believers alike will see Christianity in a whole new way when they learn how Christ's followers are supposed to love, so they can join him in heaven. 176 pages, hardcover from Penguin.

Simple Church

A great book and a challenging read, especially for those in Church leadership. This book reads easy and works hard to bring us to a place where we understand that the complexity that usually has become the local Church is not effective.  We are called in this book back to a place where we make decisions that make sense.  Build on the things we are doing and only do the things we should be doing.

The book also makes a strong point for simple, clear, concise VISION.  Something that people can resonate with and remember easily.  I would encourage all current Church leadership to read this one and if you think one day you might be more involved in leading a Church then you should read it as well.

Be a lifelong learner and even if you don't agree with everything you read (and you shouldn't) keep reading.

Preacherman

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples By Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world. Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak. Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus. Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.

Why Men Hate Going To Church

Why is it that men typically stay away from Churches? At least this is the norm for most Churches in the western world. This is a great book that talks about the issues surrounding why men tend to stay away from Church and what can we do to change that.

A provocative and good read. This is an essential read to help Church leaders learn about what they need to do to overcome the lack of men in their congregations. You may or may not agree with all of the author's points and your particular context may be different than some of th examples given in the book, but the reality of men not being engaged is very true.

I highly recommend this book, it encouraged us as we were learning about how to engage the men in our Church and out community.

Read on

Preacherman

Why Men Hate Going to Church By David Murrow "Church is . . . boring, full of hypocrites, greedy, etc." You've heard the excuses, now read the reasons why institutional Christianity leaves countless men cold. Arguing that many churches create a man-hostile environment, Murrow offers detailed explanations of resulting male/female imbalances. Discover how to meet the real needs of men---and close your congregational gender gap! 224 pages, softcover from Nelson.