I believe that once a person becomes a genuine Christian, they can never “lose” their salvation.  They are saved by grace and they are kept by the power of God.  Along that line, I recently read Charles Stanley’s book Eternal Security: Can We Be Sure.  In the book, Stanley shares about growing up in a Pentecostal Holiness Church that did not believe in the eternal security of the believer.  Not only did the church not believe that a person that is saved is always saved, they often preached against that doctrine. 

Stanley’s book is well written and the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer is strongly supported.  The book is understandable and written to a wide audience.

Do you believe that you can “lose” your salvation?  Well, so did Charles Stanley!  But in the book, he documents how he came to believe differently when he began to dig into the Scriptures.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of eternal security, I believe the book will be a blessing to you.  Pick up a copy today and decide about this doctrine for yourself.

I just completed John C. Maxwell’s book, Running with the Giants. Maxwell spent a couple of years of his Bible reading focusing on Old Testament heroes. In his book, he shares what he believes these Old Testament heroes would want us to know about life and leadership.

The book was interesting, but rather predictable. Like most pastors, I have preached on the heroes mentioned in the book and made many of the same observations in my sermons. I recommend the book, but don’t expect this book to reach the level of some of the other Maxwell leadership books.

Tonight, I completed a powerful, short book by Bill Hybels, called When Leadership and Discipleship Collide. Hybels has served for years as Senior Pastor of the Willow Creek Church in Chicago, Illinois. Our staff is planning to attend the Willow Creek Leadership Summit this August.

In his book, Hybels contends that following Jesus sometimes causes us to go against established leadership principles. For example, leadership principles encourage us to surround ourselves with a team of highly qualified leaders. In contrast, Jesus chose a rag-tag group of inexperienced, unproven men to lead the Christian movement.

Hybels contends that discipleship and leadership principles occasionally collide. When the collision takes place, the Bible should always take precedence over “accepted” leadership principles. Hybels wrote:

In those rare cases when the human laws of leadership and the scriptural demands of discipleship do collide, decide on the side of discipleship every time….When the demands of discipleship articulated in the Bible collide with human laws of leadership, read my lips: Defer to the Bible. Look to the Bible. Trust the Bible. And obey the Bible….every time!

This book is a quick, easy read, but it is choked full of helpful, sage advice for anyone seeking to be a Godly leader. Read it. It won’t take long, but you’ll gain a new perspective on the relationship between discipleship and leadership.

Through the years, I have believed Rick Warren to be a man of God and an innovative church growth expert. I attended the Purpose Driven Leadership Conference on the Saddleback Church campus and wrote a doctoral paper on the Purpose-Driven movement. In recent years, Dr. Warren has come under attack from many Christians who I believe are short-sighted and ill-informed.

I am thankful for a recent book by Richard Abanes that is written in defense of Dr. Warren. Abanes’ book, Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him, provides insight into Rick Warren, his books, and his beliefs. I found the book to be well written and fairly presented. Abanes provided access into the private life of the Warrens and the Saddleback church. If you have any interest in this subject, you must read the book. I believe that Abanes sets the record straight about Rick Warren and I’m thankful that he does.