Not a Fan

I read Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman because my church started a series last Sunday based on the book.

He makes the case for being a follower of Jesus, as opposed to a "fan." He thoroughly contrasts the two postures, and challenges the reader in no uncertain terms to true, costly discipleship--which is, of course, the only kind there is.

I enjoyed the author's use of humor, and his readable writing style. I liked his creative outline he used in the three sections of the book: Part 1 ("fan or follower: an honest diagnosis"), Part 2 ("an invitation to follow: the unedited version"), and Part 3 ("following Jesus--wherever, whenever, whatever"). Though I found it inexplicable that he repeatedly referred to "Galilee" as a "town" (it is a region, not a town), I found little else to argue with him about. The book is strong on exhortation, weak on application; that is, he challenges the reader in nearly every conceivable way to "go all-in" as a follower of Jesus, but never seems to get into any detail as to how this is to be done.

Still, Not a Fan is a clear and timely challenge for our day, for all who have ears to hear.

Dead Sermons and Living Words

If you are a preacher, or are called to preach, or preparing to preach, or might preach sometime somewhere somehow, PLEASE read Joe McKeever's excellent blog post based on a portion of the estimable Warren Wiersbe's book, Preaching and Teaching with Imagination. If I could do so without disturbing everyone else in the coffee shop, I would give it a loud, standing ovation.

See if you agree. Read it here.

10 Signs of Evangelistic Health

Thom Rainer, one of the bloggers I read regularly, recently posted "Ten Questions to Diagnose the Evangelistic Health of Your Church."


It's a pretty good list, based on Rainer's extensive work with churches across the length and breadth of the U.S.A. It would also make a fantastic list of prayer and action priorities for any pastor or church leader. Check it out (and then read the rest of the piece on Rainer's blog):

1. Are members more concerned about the lost than their own preferences and comfort? Listen to how church members talk to understand what their true priorities are.
2. Is the church led to pray for lost persons? Most churches are pretty good about praying for those who have physical needs. But do they pray for those who have the greatest spiritual need, a relationship with Jesus Christ?
3. Are the members of the church open to reaching people who don’t look or act like them? The gospel breaks all racial, ethnic, and language barriers. Do the members seek to reach others? Do they rejoice when these people become a part of the church?
4. Do conflicts and critics zap the evangelistic energy of the church? An evangelistic church is a united church. A divided church is rarely evangelistic.
5. Do small groups and Sunday school classes seek to reach lost persons within their groups? Sunday school was once one of the most effective evangelistic tools in the church. Are the groups in your church evangelistic?
6. Is the leadership of the church evangelistic? The congregation will follow and emulate the priorities of the church leadership.
7. Do the sermons regularly communicate the gospel? They may not be evangelistic sermons in the classic sense, but all sermons should point people to Jesus.
8. Are there ministries in the church that encourage members to be involved in evangelistic outreach and lifestyle? You may be surprised to find how many members become evangelistic with a modest amount of training and equipping.
9. Have programs become ends in themselves rather than means to reach people? Perhaps a total ministry and program audit is in order.
10. Is there any process of accountability for members to be more evangelistic? That which is rewarded and expected becomes the priority of the congregation.

4 Rules for Preachers

Justin Taylor, on his Gospel Coalition blog, offered Phillips Brooks's Four Rules for Preachers. They're good. Here is the outline:

1. Count and rejoice to count yourself the servant of the people to whom you minister.

2. Never allow yourself to feel equal to your work.

3. Be profoundly honest.

4. Be vital, be alive, not dead.

Brooks amplifies each one, briefly but meaningfully. Click here to read the whole thing.

7 Phrases for Leaders

One of my favorite bloggers, Ron Edmondson, recently posted seven statements he says leaders should use often. I agree with him, which of course reflects well on him. Here are those seven statements.

I believe in you.

You are an asset to this team.

Let me know how I can help you.

You are doing a great job.

I need your help.

I want to help you reach your personal goals.

You are making a difference here.

What would you add or subtract? Are any of these part of your regular dialogue with your co-laborers?

Splendor of God

Every year I plan to read at least a couple biographies (read more about my annual reading plan here). One of this year's choices is Splendor of God, a 1929 effort by Honore Willsie Morrow.

It is actually a "biographical novel," though well-sourced (a "partial list" of thirty-nine sources appears in the back of the book). It traces the missionary efforts of Adonirum Judson, the father of Christian missions to Burma.

It is a fascinating and rewarding account, not only of Judson's life, but also of the strange Burmese culture, the mercurial Burmese king, the first Burmese converts, and the many brave men and women who went to Burma in the early 1800s to help Judson in his efforts. It is also engaging in its depiction of Judson as a faltering, often stumbling man of faith, to whom others looked up as a hero...but who struggled mightily to find the God he preached.

My copy of the book was given to me by a friend, in a box with many other books. I doubt that I would have found it otherwise. And I'm glad I did.

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