I was given this book by a friend as a Christmas gift.  Having read what seems like hundreds of leadership books and several books about Billy Graham, I wondered if the book would have anything new to offer.  Trust me, it did.  Like most people I believe Billy Graham is one of the greatest communicators of all time but I had never considered the fact that he led an organization for over 60 years that touched the world.  This book is a reminder that while we see him as one of the most respected men in the world, he faced tremendous opposition particularly in the early days of his ministry.

It was fascinating to learn how he went about putting together his team, many of whom served with him the entire 60 years.  I also was inspired as I read about how Billy Graham remained totally focused to his mission.  This meant turning down millions of dollars to go into movies, run for president and start a college.

I also found it interesting that his family considered him to be somewhat of a negative person, someone prone to worry about things.  It just reminded me of how he allowed God to transform his life to be used in a powerful way.

This book is fairly long but even if you read part of it you will have invested your time well.  This is a great book to give as a gift to any business or church leader.

This coming Sunday at FOTP Grapevine we will conclude the series “I Resolve To” based on the top five new years resolutions posted on our website www.my2009resoutions.com  This weeks message is “I Resolve To Grow in My Faith.

I saw a bumper sicker on a car once that read “I may be getting older but I refuse to grow up.”  The same thing could be said of many Christians unfortunately.  Sundays message will give you practical insight into how to make sure you grow up instead of give up.

This is an interesting book written by Michael Medved.  I had seen him interviewed on TV and although he definitely approaches things from a conservative point of view, he does so in a way that is not offensive.

Uncovering the truth about some of the lies is not so comforting.  The first chapter debunks the myth that America was founded on genocide against the Native Americans.  While Medved does a good job knocking down this straw man, it is little consolation for the other things done to those who inhabited those who inhabited this land originally.

He makes a very strong case in dealing with the lie that founders intended a secular and not a Christian Nation.  This is one of the better chapters.  He states that the Pilgrims actually came from Holland (after having been there for 11 years) not because of persecution but because of the great religious tolerance of that country.  They were concerned that they would lose their identity in such an environment.

He also points out that Jefferson’s famous letter regarding the wall of separation actually was motivated by his concern with potential government harassment of minority faiths rather than worries over the states ongoing promotion of religious principles.  In fact a year after the letter he led congress to provide government funds for a Catholic priest who was ministering to the Kaskaskia Indians.

Some of the lies are in the news today.  There is a great chapter on the lie that the power of big business hurts the country and oppresses the people.

Some chapters were better than others.  Overall it was an interesting book to read.  I appreciated Medved’s ablilty to make his point without be derogatory towards those who held other views.

A friend had read this book and told me about it.  I guess I should have asked him if it was a good book.  I read the reviews on Amazon and like any book there are going to be some people who think the book is great.  There were several who did so but I am not one of them.

The book is only appealing to avid golfers and I mean avid.  A hacker like me just can’t really relate to having think through the intricacies of shot making as described in the book.

It is the story of a struggling golf pro who finds himself in Utopia, Texas where he gets connected with Johnny the local golf pro so to speak at a small golf course in the middle of nowhere.   Having played on some courses like the one described in the book, I could appreciate this part of the book.  The lessons that the struggling golfer learns from Johnny are certainly applicable to golf and life in general but not earth shattering as far as I am concerned.  The book has a strong spiritual message and can be a good way to share the gospel with someone who loves golf but otherwise while it kept my attention it is not one I would highly recommend.

This book is featured in the film Fireproof which by the way, if you haven’t seen this film see it as soon as you can.  The dvd will be available starting on January 27.  Fireproof is the story of a firefighter who has a marriage that is on the brink of disaster.  With the encouragement of Christian friend and his father, he is able to turn things around.  The movie was produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.  The church also produced Facing the Giants.  The story of how this small church is touching the world is amazing.

The Love Dare is a 40 day challenge for husbands to understand and practice unconditional love.  I am going through the book with a group of men.  Even though I have a GREAT marriage this book has helped make it even better. 

The daily reading is very brief and the daily dare (application) is something very doable as long as you remain focused with intentionality.  It has been exciting to get together with the group and hear the difference this is making in marriages.  Here is the bottom line – any husband would do his wife a favor by taking the Love Dare.

Sunday was the second part of our series “I Resolve To” based on the new years resolutions posted on our website http://www.my2009resolutions.com/

We had over 500 people post their resolutions and we have taken the top five to make up this series.  Sundays topic was “I Resolve to Shed Those Pounds.”

This coming Sunday the topic will be “I Resolve to Fix My Finances.”  This is one of my favorite topics because I see it as the greatest hindrance to spiritual growth for most Christians in America.  When people can get this part of their lives in alignment with God’s word it is very liberating.  I look forward to sharing Biblical principles to help people fix their finances.  With over 2000 verses on money and finances it is no doubt the ultimate source of information for guidance in this area of our lives.

Sunday we had 7 first time guests.  God continues to bring new people our way at Fellowship of the Parks Grapevine.

This is a GREAT book.  It is short, easy to read and yet so very profound. I loved this book.

Although I have used the term prodigal many times and have spoken on the passage in Luke 15 which is the basis for this book, I guess I really never knew what the word prodigal meant.  It means recklessly extravagant or having spent everything.  So this book is about our prodigal God who is recklessly extravagant when it comes to grace.

The book also points out the two very distinct ways that we can be separated from God.  The younger brother represents one way, self discovery and the older brother represents the other way, moral conformity.  As it turns out Jesus was telling this story to people in both groups, sinners and tax collectors and Pharisees.  His message was always better received by the first group than the second. 

Keller points out that a church that has too many elder brothers in it is in trouble.  A church should be attracting many more people who are on the path of the younger brother who are searching for elusive peace and joy but have come to their senses and turned to the father. 

While the older brother on the surface appears to be morally on track in the end he reveals his true motives when he becomes angry over the grace that the father extends to the younger brother.  This shows that he ultimately wanted his father’s things more than he wanted his father.  When push comes to shove he proves to be selfish and self centered.  Churches in America are full of elder brothers.  They are the ones who appear to be Christ followers but who become angry when the best parking places are given to the guests.  They are the ones who want to hear their favorite style of music rather than a style that allows the younger brother to engage in worship.

I am so blessed to be a part of a church full of people who are concerned about the younger brother and passionate about helping him find his way home.  They are people who realize that our only hope is God’s reckless grace.

Today was another amazing day at FOTP Grapevine.  We announced that Jon Brooks will be coming on board in a part time capacity with us as our Associate Campus Pastor.  Jon and I served together at First Baptist Church Euless.  He is an amazing, gifted leader and any church would benefit from having Jon and Cathy on their team.

Jon serves full time as the Campus Pastor for Faith Christian School.  In his role with us he will give direction to our youth ministry led by Kody Wetzold, speak in my absence and he and Cathy will be leading a Lifegroup for young adults in the Keller area.

We had 133 in attendance today even though many of our regulars were out of town.  We continue to have a host of new guests with us each week.  God is truly up to something big at FOTP Grapevine.