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This is our time and content tested library that we use as we make disciples. With six generations of thriving God followers who are self-replicating, we guarantee this library works!

However, folks new to Sustainable Discipleship sometimes ask, "What does that book have to do with following God?" or "I hear that book (author) is pretty controversial..." But, each of these books serves a specific purpose in making disciples.

They teach disciples to connect Biblical truths to real life.
They cause disciples to think critically -identifying truths and untruths.
Some are designed to see if disciples will catch the error.
Some are designed to push disciples to define a better answer.
Some are designed to expand our experience of God beyond our culture.

All of these skills, all of this exposure, are necessary if we are going to follow God in this, well, challenging world.

You may want or need to customize your library but we encourage you to explore why, how and for whom we use these books as you replace them. Each type of book serves a very critical purpose.

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This is our time and content tested library that we use as we make disciples. With six generations of thriving God followers who are self-replicating, we guarantee this library works!

However, folks new to Sustainable Discipleship sometimes ask, "What does that book have to do with following God?" or "I hear that book (author) is pretty controversial..." But, each of these books serves a specific purpose in making disciples.

They teach disciples to connect Biblical truths to real life.
They cause disciples to think critically -identifying truths and untruths.
Some are designed to see if disciples will catch the error.
Some are designed to push disciples to define a better answer.
Some are designed to expand our experience of God beyond our culture.

All of these skills, all of this exposure, are necessary if we are going to follow God in this, well, challenging world.

You may want or need to customize your library but we encourage you to explore why, how and for whom we use these books as you replace them. Each type of book serves a very critical purpose.

Business, Leadership

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Instructive, Relatable or Storytelling

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership features insights learned from Maxwell’s 30-plus years of leadership successes and mistakes with observations from the worlds of business, politics, sports, religion, and military conflict. This book is recognized as one of the most trusted and referenced leadership books. Maxwell guides leaders through 21 simple leadership truths (laws) to improve leadership ability.

easy read, Leadership

And the Shofar Blew

Discipleship 2
, Fiction
, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling

Meticulously plotted, Francine Rivers’s classic, And the Shofar Blew, brims with unforgettable characters. It is the story of a perfect pastor, a perfect pastor's wife, steadfast saints, and the disaster that so often accompanies ministry. A preventative maintenance must read for anyone headed into leadership.

Christian Living, difficult read, Theology

Birthright

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Instructive, Self Help

David Needham asks "Christian, do you know who you are?" and offers fresh insight into the theological problem of Christian identity. Birthright achieves an excellent balance between the theological and the practical.

Critical Thinking, easy read

Blink

Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling

Blink revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. It is about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant - in the blink of an eye -that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work-in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?

Church, easy read, Leadership

Breakout Churches

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling

This is the story of thirteen churches and the leaders who moved them from stagnancy to growth and from mediocrity to greatness. Drawing on one of the most comprehensive studies ever on the church, this book reveals the process of becoming a “breakout” church and the factors that lead to this spiritual metamorphosis.

Critical Thinking, difficult read, Theology

Can I Lose My Salvation?

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Instructive

This book (paper) addresses a simple question that both scholars and Average Joes find themselves asking at some point. The answer has divided believers, created denominations, and confused Christians for centuries. The work finds it origins in the author's early discipleship journey as he asked, "How can I be saved and still live like I haven't?"

Church, easy read, Leadership

Deep and Wide

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Relatable or Storytelling

Author and pastor Andy Stanley draws from Scripture and over 25 years of pastoral experience to bring to life the irresistible nature of this movement known as the Church. Deep and Wide provides church leaders with an in-depth look into North Point Community Church and its strategy for creating churches unchurched people absolutely love to attend.

Christian Living, easy read, Prayer

Fresh Power

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Eye Opening

Fresh Power talks about what it means to be Spirit-filled, both as individuals and as the church. The Book of Acts is the basis for his study as Cymbala delves into what it was like for Christians back in the first century—and what it can be like for us today.

Prayer

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

Discipleship 1, Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, By Example

Cymbala reveals a secret: the church is first and foremost a house of prayer, he says, a place where souls can call on God. Cymbala tells not his church’s story as much as the stories of individual souls whose saving illustrate the truth of his testimony that God responds to prayer made in repentance and faith. Cymbala considers his work part of the revivalist tradition. A needed read to remind us of the spirituality of ministry.

Business, Leadership

Good Boss, Bad Boss

Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Instructive, Relatable or Storytelling

If you are a boss who wants to do great work, what can you do about it? Good Boss, Bad Boss is devoted to answering that question. Stanford Professor Robert Sutton weaves together the best psychological and management research with compelling stories and cases to reveal the mindset and moves of the best (and worst) bosses.

Business, Critical Thinking, easy read

Good to Great

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, By Example

Good to Great represents Collins' research to discover what made a select set of organizations go from good to great. In the book, Collins reveals ten characteristics that propelled this smaller set of good companies to become great companies. Good to Great is a great business read but the principles are timeless and easily apply to any organization or system including self-development and church culture development.

Christian Living, easy read

How To Avoid Peeing On Snakes

Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Eye Opening, Instructive

Most of life's successes and tragedies are not based on what we do but rather who we are because what we do is the result of who we are. How to Avoid Peeing on Snakes takes a look a sixteen virtues that God longs for us to have so that we can live abundantly.

Discipleship, Leadership

How to Make Disciples

Discipleship 2, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Instructive

How to Make Disciples follows Doug’s journey from struggling to make a few disciples to having five generations of self-sustaining, self-replicating disciples of God. Packed with real stories, insights, and illustrations, How to Make Disciples provides a simple, proven, step-by-step process for making disciples.

Christian Living, Critical Thinking, Prayer

How to Pray

Discipleship 1
, Non Fiction
, Instructive

Most of us know we OUGHT to pray, but many seem uncertain as to HOW, WHEN, and WHERE to pray. This book is the classic Christian answer to these vital questions.

Applying Truth, Christian Living, easy read

Improving Your Serve

Discipleship 1, Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Instructive

In this classic volume, Charles Swindoll uniquely shows the important aspects of authentic servanthood, such as: What it takes to serve unselfishly, why a servant has such a powerful influence, and what challenges and rewards a servant can expect. The author offers clear guidelines on developing a servant's heart and challenges you to realize the rich rewards promised in a life of authentic Christian servanthood.

Applying Truth, easy read

In His Steps

Discipleship 1, Discipleship 2
, Fiction
, By Example, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling

What does it really mean to be a Christian? In His Steps was the first to ask "What would Jesus do? and quickly became a classic Christian novel and one of the best-selling books of all time. This story of a small group of church members who pledged themselves to a new step of faith that would change, not just a handful of people, but an entire town-for good.

easy read, Leadership

Letters to Timothy

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Instructive

After nearly fifty years in ministry, Letters to Timothy is John Bisagno's retirement gift to younger and older pastors alike. A voluminous and comprehensive work, it is full of useful advice to ministers covering the “things that might have fallen through the cracks in seminary." It contains 100 plus small, short, devotional chapters on relevant leadership topics.

Christian Living, Critical Thinking, difficult read

Mere Christianity

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Instructive, Relatable or Storytelling

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis aims to prove to the sensible skeptic that God does exist and that He sent His son Jesus Christ to redeem the world. The book begins with a logical proof for the Christian God and then transitions into a discussion of the common ground upon which all of those of the Christian faith stand together. Readers at all stages of belief will find that Mere Christianity provides an approachable path to discovering a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.

Church, Leadership

Pagan Christianity

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Instructive

Why do we “dress up” for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, and choirs? This ground-breaking book makes an unsettling proposal: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is rooted, not in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. The authors uncover the problems that emerge when the church functions more like a business organization than the living organism it was created to be.

easy read, Mystical, Prayer

Piercing the Darkness

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Fiction
, Eye Opening

This companion volume to This Present Darkness offers readers a new perspective on spiritual warfare, prayer, and the seemingly coincidental events of our lives as it follows the lives of a community and church from the perspective of the physical and spiritual realm exposing angels and demons. It challenges us to see the bigger picture and the spiritual warfare that goes on around us every day.

Church, Leadership

Purpose Driven Church

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Instructive

Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Rick Warren believes that in order for a church to be healthy it must become a purpose-driven church, built around the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus.

Applying Truth

Quick Smart Start

Discipleship 1
, Non Fiction
, Instructive

Quick, Start, Smart provides useful truths and answers many of the questions that new disciples ask as they begin to read the Bible. All in all, sixteen key topics are addressed to give disciples a head-start on their journey.

Christian Living, easy read

Ruthless Trust

Discipleship 1
, Non Fiction
, Relatable or Storytelling, Self Help

thless Trust examines the major obstacle to living in unconditional love and grace, our inability to trust God. Manning writes, "Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic.”

Communication, Self Help

Scary Cose

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Relatable or Storytelling

If you have ever struggled in relationships – personally, professionally, or on teams, this book is for you! An intimate self-story by Donald Miller that will teach you and open up new ways of thinking.

Critical Thinking, Self Help

Search for Significance

Discipleship 1
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Self Help

Billy Graham recommended this book saying, "The Search for Significance should be read by every Christian." Search addresses four critical areas of self-worth and self-confidence. One by one, McGee confronts the lies, dismantles the, and points believers to a higher truth. Search is a necessary read to reinforce proper beliefs or to help those with self-worth challenges.

Christian Living

Sit Walk Stand

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Instructive

Sit, Walk, Stand is a small book with a big message. It’s sold as a study of Ephesians, but it’s much more than that. In 78 short pages, the author describes our relation to God, man, and the enemy. This is boot camp Christianity, the sort of book every new believer needs to read.

Business, easy read, Leadership

Six Thinking Hats

Discipleship 1, Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Instructive, Relatable or Storytelling

Six Thinking Hats offers a practical and uniquely positive approach to managing group thought and decisions. Running your discipleship group gets easier, more powerful, and super-efficient. And disciples benefit in how they can excel as they communicate, lead businesses, and work in groups.

Church, Leadership

Spiritual Leadership

Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, By Example, Relatable or Storytelling

J. Oswald Sanders, a Christian leader for nearly seventy years and author of more than forty books, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. He illustrates his points with examples from Scripture and biographies of eminent men of God, such as Moses, Nehemiah, the apostle Paul, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, and others. The book is described as "What every church will always need."

Christian Living, difficult read

Surprised by Joy

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling, Self Help

his is C.S. Lewis' revered author’s spiritual memoir, in which he recounts the story of his divine journey and eventual conversion to Christianity. Self-described as "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England", Lewis recounts his lifelong search for joy and joy's role in guiding him to find God.

Business, Critical Thinking, difficult read, spiritual warfare

The Art of War

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Instructive

This is an age-old, short text that speaks of the strategies of warfare from an outstanding Chinese General, Sun Tzu. Long applied to secular business and leadership, it is also astounding when applied to spiritual warfare and conquering the world for good. This is a difficult read which best read in Discipleship Three or beyond. It requires the skill of indirectly connecting Biblical truths.

Critical Thinking, Mystical, Prayer

The Book of Mystical Chapters

Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening

This compilation of writings from the Orthodox fathers of early Christianity is broken into the theological categories of theoretikos, praktikos, gnostikos – the knowledge, practice, and mystery of the Christian faith. Incredible proverbial writings and excerpts long since abandoned for the modern church. This takes a level of learning to guard against and lean into the challenges of super spiritual monk type writing. Not for the novice but incredible for the more mature next step.

easy read, Leadership

The Great Omission

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling

In this powerful call for the inclusion of indigenous believers in the Great Commission, Steve Saint shows how current missions strategies have unwittingly harmed the indigenous church and kept millions of believers from fulfilling their roles in God's Kingdom -- and millions of others from hearing the Good News.

Christian Living, Spiritual Health

The Longevity Project

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening

We have been told that the key to longevity involves obsessing over what we eat, how much we stress, and how fast we run. Based on the most extensive study of longevity ever conducted, The Longevity Project exposes what really impacts our lifespan-including friends, family, personality, and work.

Applying Truth, Christian Living, easy read

The Pursuit of Holiness

Discipleship 1, Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Instructive

“Be holy, for I am holy,” commands God to His people. But what does that look like in everyday life? Because of grace, we don’t have to earn our salvation. But sometimes that leaves us wondering what our part in holiness should be. In this established and long-esteemed resource, renowned author Jerry Bridges helps us see where we should rely on God―and where we should accept responsibility.

Christian Living, easy read, Prayer

The Reflective Life

Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, Relatable or Storytelling

calm, focused, and fulfilled. How do we, like Mary, create "pauses" in our days and weeks to hear what the Savior has to say to us? How do we make time for the things that ultimately matter? How can we become more spiritually sensitive to the everyday moments of life?

Christian Living, easy read

The Screwtape Letters

Discipleship 3, Discipleship Practice
, Fiction
, Eye Opening

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below."

Applying Truth, easy read

The Tender Commandments

Discipleship 1
, Non Fiction
, Eye Opening, Relatable or Storytelling

Launching off the idea that the Ten Commandments were actually designed for our best and not our oppression Ron Mehl presents a life-changing look at our relationship with God and His interactions with us.

Business, easy read, Leadership

The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Instructive, Relatable or Storytelling

Most people who find themselves in positions of leadership have little or no training for the role. They simply continue to make the same old mistakes. This leadership classic reveals the most common errors that leaders consistently make - regardless of training or age - and the way to stop these bad habits from undermining their positive talents and accomplishments.

easy read, Mystical

The Way of the Pilgrim

Discipleship 2
, Fiction
, Eye Opening

Way of the Pilgrim is a fictional story tracking the life of a man who discovers a prayer rope as a way of disciplining his prayer life. This edgy book is an essential stretch for most disciples.

easy read, Mystical, spiritual warfare

This Present Darkness

Discipleship 1, Discipleship 2
, Fiction
, Eye Opening

One of the first in the modern age of Christian novels and now a classic, This Present Darkness follows the lives of a community and church from the perspective of the physical and spiritual realm exposing angels and demons. It challenges us to see the bigger picture and the spiritual warfare that goes on around us every day. An eye-opening must-read for every follower.

Christian Living, Theology

This We Believe

Discipleship 2
, Non Fiction
, Instructive

If you want to know exactly what the Gospel is, This We Believe, tells you. It is a detailed look at a statement of the essentials of the Gospel written by a group of well-studied, prominent church leaders. This We Believe includes contributions from such well-known communicators as J. I. Packer, Joseph Stowell, Lee Strobel, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Ravi Zacharias. With clarity and passion, they help you understand the Gospel’s simple, profound, and priceless message.

Christian Living, Leadership

Well-Intentioned Dragons

Discipleship 2, Discipleship 3
, Non Fiction
, Instructive, Relatable or Storytelling

Every church has them--sincere, well-meaning Christians who leave ulcers, strained relationships, and hard feelings in their wake. They don't intend to be difficult; they don't consciously plot destruction or breed discontent among the members. But they often do undermine the ministry of the church and make pastors question their calling. How do you deal with them? How do you avoid being them?

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