Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 49

S3, Ep. 11: The best leadership books to read

[image error]

Leadership books are tricky to recommend, largely because there are so many bad books out there. But there are some that are incredibly helpful. Today, Dave and I share a few of the books that we’ve found most helpful.

Among the books highlighted in this episode:

Herding Tigers by Todd Henry Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal and Tantum Collins The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T. Phillips Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose Leading  Change b...

Weekend reading (4/21)

[image error]

Don’t Celebrate Brokenness 

Erik Reed:

One value at the church I pastor, The Journey Church, is “pompous-free realness.” This refers to our unwillingness to celebrate facades or masks. We discourage pretending in church because there is a full quota on churches hosting weekly masquerade balls. Churches must be places of refuge for hurting people. People crave realness. So, I am for broken people and welcoming the broken. I do not discourage brokenness. I certainly do not encourage pretending...

Three podcasts I’m digging right now

[image error]

When I’m not listening to audiobooks in the car, I’m usually listening to a podcast (unless it’s a rare time when I get control over our Spotify account). Over the years, my podcast consumption has changed quite a bit, moving from sermon audio to faith and culture to more of a mish-mash of all kinds of things. Here are three of my favorites that I’m currently listening to:

The Science of Social Media. This is a podcast by the folks at Buffer, who do a great job of making an informative podca...

Links I like (4/19)

[image error]

Webcast: We’re gearing up for the next webcast with The Gospel Project, The Gospel at the Center. Recently, Matt Chandler joined us to invite you all to this event:

Learn more at live.gospelproject.com.

What I Didn’t Know Before I Wrote a Book

Chris Martin:

In the spring of 2014, Trevin Wax and I were having lunch in the LifeWay cafeteria when he said I should write a blog on how evangelical pastors can better minister to Millennials.

I balked at the idea…hard.

“It’s so cliché to talk abou...

Three books in the queue

[image error]

I’m always trying to read something, but admittedly it can be challenging with a hectic work schedule and the stuff of life. Even so, I do what I can to make sure I’m making the time for my good ole-fashioned physical books, in addition to whatever I’m listening to when I’m on the go. Here’s a quick look at three books that are in the queue right now:

Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman

Today sees the release of the landmark Action Comics #1000, which I’m excited about as it kicks off a whol...

Links I like (4/17)

[image error]

Podcast: On the latest episode of The Hero of the Story, Andy McLean steps in to discuss the need for gospel purity in student ministry. This was a fun (and challenging) conversation), so I hope you’ll check it out.

Seven Marks of a Workaholic

David Murray:

Workaholism is probably the most respectable sin in the Christian community, and maybe especially among pastors. In this Harvard Business Review podcast (and transcript) Nancy Rothbard, a professor of management at the University of Penn...

S3, Ep. 10: What does it mean to “grow down”?

[image error]

Reading Writers is back in the studio this week with a new episode. On this episode, Dave and I are joined by Michael Kelley, Director of Groups Ministry at LifeWay and author of the new book, Growing Down: Unlearning the Patterns of Adulthood that Keep Us from Jesus. Listen in as we discuss:

The heart behind Growing Down. How we can recapture our youthful love of reading. How Michael feels about Max Lucado. Classic books we haven’t read (and a few no one should read).

Among the books high...

Weekend reading (4/14)

[image error]

What Haunts Me About the Humboldt Bus Disaster

Tim Challies:

As I have reflected on the disaster, there is a thought that continues to haunt me. It’s the thought of young people who have heard the gospel, but haven’t yet decided what to do about it. I know many people who are in the age-range of those players, people who are in their teens or twenties. Many of them have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, but have not yet responded in repentance and faith. They haven’t outright rejected the go...

Crushing the Lie of Moralism

[image error]

I’m convinced there are few lies more damaging to believers than the lie of moralism. The idea of a gospel-less pursuit of holiness places a burden upon us that none of us were meant to bear. A burden only Christ can carry. This the lie we need to put to death, one I explore in a new article for Facts & Trends:

Many of us live this way our whole lives, not realizing God has something better in mind for us. We fail to understand that our behavior isn’t the standard by which God measures us—t...

Links I like (4/12)

[image error]

Bill Hybels Resigns from Willow Creek

Bob Smietana:

Bill Hybels has stepped down as senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, the Chicago-area megachurch he founded over 40 years ago, citing the controversy over recent allegations against him.

Many in the wider Christian community have been confused by those allegations, he said, and the controversy has distracted his church’s leaders from their mission and has hurt the church’s ministries. “They can’t flourish to their fullest potenti...