One of the bright spots of 2020 is that it gave us more free time at home. Especially during the early part of the year when there weren’t any sporting events to watch and external family activities came to a screeching halt. We picked up many new and long forgotten family activities.
I heard from many people who picked up reading again…and some who picked up baseball cards!
At the end of every year I like to pick my top reads. I’ve been keeping track of the books I’ve read for the last 20 years! Hard to believe it’s been that long! Over the years I’ve read hundreds and hundreds of books and this year’s crop was exceptionally good. There were only 5 that I wouldn’t recommend. (They are at the bottom left of the picture.) The rest you would benefit from reading, but the ones below are exceptional and are ones that I still think about to this day.
WHAT BLOG POSTS?
As a side note you may wonder what happened to the frequency of my posts. This time last year, I was with some pastors listening to another pastor who is a prolific writer. He said something that caused me to push pause on writing. He said that when he was around 40 he wrote his first book, but it cost him 18 months of his life. Afterwards, he realized he had missed important events in his children’s life and decided the trade off wasn’t worth it. So he vowed to stop writing until all of his children were out of the home. Now he is a writing machine! And every one of his books are a winner!
My window for having all of my children at home is closing and I feel it more than ever before! These are the good ol’ days that I’ll remember and I don’t want to miss them! I still have a long run left in me, but in that moment, I heard a whisper that said, “It’s okay to hit pause on writing.”
So that’s what happened with the weekly blog posts.
BEST BOOKS
Okay back to the best reads of 2020. Out of the 34 books I read these are the best.
A Prophet with Honor. This book was a bit intimidating to me with over 800 pages. For you Audible listeners it clocks in at over 36 hours! That’s equivalent to 5-6 books! It took me over a month to get through it, but I was so glad I did. It was like a history of Christianity in the United States. It really helped me connect the dots over the last century of things I didn’t quite understand or how organizations were connected. So many organization and institutions trace back to Billy Graham. I also had no idea how political he was too, especially in his early days!
It’s difficult to imagine the hundreds of millions of people he spoke to over his lifetime or to imagine a more important figure over the last 100 years of Christianity. He was innovative with marketing, using new media, and with the first multisites. When stadiums overflowed in England, they set up a cardboard cutout of Graham on stage and piped in the message…all around the country! He refused to allow segregation at his “crusades” and worked toward racial reconciliation. Although some wanted more from him and others wanted him to leave it alone he continually reached out to all races of people.
This wasn’t an authorized biography from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Instead, it was a reporter who was given full access to the Graham archives and anyone he wanted to speak to in the organization. I loved that Graham didn’t feel like he had anything to hide. A man who spoke to more people than anyone in history and who had influence with presidents and world leaders all without a sexual or financial scandal…is so encouraging!
The saddest portions of the book were the parts on his family. The author doesn’t gloss over Graham’s long absences and the consequences for his wife and children. I’m so glad God uses imperfect people, because it gives me hope that God might use my life in some small way. If you are a church leader you need to read this book!
The Case for Miracles. Do you believe God still does miracles? Have you ever experienced a miracle? The shocking thing to me is how many Christians don’t believe God still does miracles. These are the very same people who believe in the resurrection…but not the power of the resurrection. If your faith has grown weak read this book. God is still in the miracle business!
Can We Trust the Gospels? Almost everything we know about Jesus is based on the historical documents Christians call the Gospels. But are they reliable and trustworthy? Peter Williams takes the best scholarship and historical evidence to show you not only are they trustworthy but they are some of the best historical documents in the world. Williams, who has his PhD from Cambridge, convincingly demonstrates that accepting the Gospels as trustworthy isn’t difficult and it’s the only rational conclusion for those who value the truth. My copy looks like a highlighter exploded in it. It’s that good! And more importantly it’s extremely accessible and succinct (140 pages).
The Motive. The author makes the case that too many people want to become a leader for the wrong reason. They want to become a leader for what they can get instead of what they can give. They want to become a leader because they think it comes with perks and a better compensation package. This kind of mindset is ruining companies and organizations. The only acceptable motivation is a desire to make it better, not make yourself better off. A quick read and maybe Lencioni’s most important book.
Rocket Fuel. This book isn’t for everyone. If you own your own company or you sit in the first or second chair then it is for you and trust me you’ll be glad you read it! He breaks out the two important roles of the visionary and the executer. If you constantly feel pulled in 2 different directions and not able to focus on what you need to focus on Wickman explains why and what you need to do about it. So much clarity came from this book!
Counterfeit Gods. Worshipping idols seems like a concept relegated to more primitive cultures, but Keller powerfully demonstrates the idols we still worship. Several times I had to put this book down so I could pray and repent. Good things can quickly become god things. It was so impactful, I did a message series around the main ideas.
Procrastinate on Purpose. We have been thinking about time management all wrong. He brilliantly explains why our current methods of trying to maximize our time is making us so exhausted. The main premise is spend time today on things that will give you more time tomorrow. Vaden shows you exactly what those things are and shows you how to make the right emotional decisions to make it possible. Highly recommended!
Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys. Do you have a son or a grandson? When was the last time you read something to help you with your most important role as a parent? If you have a son living at home you need to read this book immediately. It’s almost a manual for each stage of development. Your future relationship and the world can’t afford for you to not give them the nurturing they need and deserve. Very helpful!
Developing Female Leaders. How does the church unleash the leadership horsepower of women within the church? How does the church create a safe and equitable environment for women to lead in? This book isn’t so much about gender theology as it is about championing and helping women do what they are gifted and called to do within the church. No matter your theological viewpoint it will help you. If you are a lady in ministry or who desires more leadership opportunity within your church this is a great place to start. I sent the last chapter, “Best Practices for Female Leaders” to the next gen female leaders at our church.
Leadership in Turbulent Times. I read this right as our country started to go into lockdown. It was encouraging to see that as a nation we’ve been through far more challenging times than 2020. Goodwin examines the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. They each overcame great personal difficulty which prepared them to lead through national difficulties.
Joseph. I love the story of Joseph! It’s one of my favorites from the Hebrew scriptures and I was surprised at the many new insights I gained from this book. If you are looking for a Bible study to do this book would work well.
What area of life do you want to grow in? All you need to do to access the best thinking and best minds is just a little time each day…to read. This time next year you could be in a totally different place all because you chose to listen to a book on your daily commute or read 10 pages a day.
I’m cheering for you! And if you read an amazing book let me know!
