John Markum

Tag: It

Minute to Lose it

Posted on by johnmarkum

I watched a very exciting episode of the new game show, Minute to Win It, with my wife the other day. It’s a very creative idea for a TV show and seems to be very family oriented: a breath of fresh air in such a value-deficient media. And who said only bad news sales?!

But as I got thinking about the concept, I began thinking of things that take a considerably longer time to earn, yet could be ruined in a brief moment of poor judgement. Doubtlessly, you can think of others to add to this list:

  • A good marriage. Takes half a lifetime to get right. Easily ruined in a variety of ways, and in less time than it takes to say “I did.”
  • Respect. You can work your whole life to develop the respect of your peers, children, spouse, and co-workers. One whoops can ruin a thousand at-a-boy‘s.
  • Health. Probably the first on the list that can be lost innocently. You can workout, lift weights, do routine cardio-aerobics, etc… One bad hit during a pick-up game and your limping for weeks (or longer).
  • Sobriety. From any substance. As Mark Twain once said, “Breaking the smoking habit is easy… I’ve done it hundreds of times.” You haven’t touched a drop of alcohol in years, and one tough day can push you to urges you haven’t given in to for a long time.
  • Purity. Once you cross those lines, you can’t uncross them. Losing something so precious and valuable to someone who has no intentions of committing to you is why God insists that sexuality be reserved for the safety of marriage. Plus, it saves you from a very uncomfortable conversation with the person you will marry.
  • Friendships. Some develop faster than others, but the best ones are always those that are forged by time. Good friendships are all too often torn apart by one act of betrayal, gossip, or selfishness.

Did you notice? None of these things are worth any amount of money. You would likely be very willing to empty every bank account you possess in order to keep the things on this list or in order to get them back. Don’t trade your most valuable possessions for something that is temporary and worth far less!

Blessings,

John

Pastors: Book list

Posted on by johnmarkum

I was told in college, “Leaders are readers.” How true I’ve learned that statement to be! I do a substantial amount of reading because I’ve discovered I don’t know it all. Shocking, I know. Whether you are in ministry full time, part time, thinking about pursuing ministry as a career, or simply a devoted lay leader, here is a list of books by people way smarter than me that I suggest you get your hands on. These books each changed my life.

  1. Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick – When I found out this guy was writing a book, I totally geeked out. As I finished reading the last page, I had goose bumps. Very powerful message. EVERY person in ministry should read it 3 times, seriously!
  2. Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels – This is a pastor who has withstood the test of time. And this book opened my eyes and challenged me in big ways to the power God has invested in His church. Purely life-giving!
  3. Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley – Andy Stanley is nothing short of a voice to my entire generation when it comes to leadership. This isn’t 21 things you need to know about leadership (nothing wrong with that either), it’s 5 simple applications that work.
  4. 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner, and Lane Jones – Every church leader/aspiring-church-leader should read this book, and have it easily accessible to reference and re-reference. This book cuts through all of the responsibilities of a pastor and forces us to focus (something we’re bad about doing) on the heartbeat of our calling in the ministry.
  5. Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones- Last Stanley book, I swear! I love this one because this simplifies all of the mystery surrounding how to prepare and deliver a message. This book changed the way I preach after doing for over 12 years.
  6. The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren – Long before he was making number one best sellers, Rick Warren was simply a pastor leading one of the most dynamic moves of God. His church has lead the way on how to do ministry for countless thousands of pastors. This was probably the first real book on starting a church from someone who did it extremely successfully in the last 40 years.
  7. The Heart of a Great Pastor by H.B. London and Neil Wiseman – These 2 are veteran pastors with a powerful legacy of training ministers to do the same. I think I like this book so much because it made me fall in love with my calling all over again. And it compares our “shepherding” as pastors to the “Good Shepherd,” Jesus. It’s so powerful and encouraging, that I reach for it every time I feel like my burden is getting too great. Every pastor should have it on hand. Don’t know how I got through my first 4 years of ministry without this…
  8. Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer – This book totally changed my approach to ministry here in the states. As a pastor who started a new service, this book is a must-read for anyone beginning a new service/church.
  9. It by Craig Groeschel – Pastor Groeschel is mega-leader! It’s refreshing to see a man with such an expansive ministry that remains pure to the Gospel, and carries himself with humble confidence. You know that feeling you get when you walk into a church whether big or small, new or established, and immediately sense “Oh, yeah this place has it!”? This book is about it and why some churches have it, while other similar ministries do not. Very powerful. If you don’t have it, you can get it. If you do have it, you can lose it. So get It, and read It!
  10. The Minister’s Instruction Manual by Mel Brown – Last, but by no means least! Pastor Brown is my pastor here at Edgewood, and has served our congregation for over 42 years. He has 6 degree including an earned Doctorate of Ministry, and a Doctorate of Counseling Psychology. He has trained over a dozen missionaries and church planters. Over the years, pastors time again kept asking him to make his materials available to train other church leaders. This book is the compilation of all of that. I love it so much because it is all the pragmatic things that no one teaches you how to do in Bible college.

The phrase no pain, no gain has been a mantra for athletes and fitness junkies for years. And what they understand about physical pain needs to be broadened to a much more general use in all of our lives. Pain hurts. That's the whole problem. No one enjoys it, and if someone does, we rightfully

The Premium of Pain