I am in the mountains near Colorado Springs this week for CIY Wilderness, and one of the books I am reading is DiscipleShift, by Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington.

We are called to make disciples. Jesus made that very clear in the Great Commission, and elsewhere throughout the New Testament. But how do we become churches that produce disciples that produce more disciples?

Throughout history, the church has taken different approaches to disciple making, not all of them effective. And in an increasingly apathetic culture, how can we continue to fulfill this mandate? Perhaps it’s time for a shift in our thinking. Perhaps it’s time for a shift in our mindset. Or, as these two authors point out, perhaps it’s time for five key shifts in our approach to disciple making.

I’m really excited about reading this book where I can discuss it with so many other ministers. I am excited to see how God might impact my thinking in this area through this book in the context in which I’m reading it.

If you would like to read DiscipleShift, you can order a copy on Amazon.

Marriage is one of those areas of life that takes a lot of work. Don’t get me wrong, the rewards are well worth the effort, but marriages take a lot of work to maintain and to grow.

And, for the Christian, marriage takes on even more significance due to the parallels with the area of discipleship. In fact, that is the main thrust of Gary Thomas’ book Sacred Marriage. He poses the question, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”

I firmly believe that one of God’s intentions in marriage is our happiness. And when we base our marriage on the foundation of Christ, happiness is one of the by-products. But I think Thomas may be correct in his statement that there is something deeper and more foundational than our happiness.

Paul uses the idea of marriage to communicate several key truths about Christ’s relationship with the church. And if Scripture exposes that symbolism, then it’s well worth our efforts to examine and understand as well.

So Sacred Marriage isn’t so much a book about marriage as it is a book about discipleship, within the context of marriage. As you seek to build a marriage upon the foundation of Christ, you’ll see how to discover and grow more in the character of Christ in the process.

And that is goal worth chasing.

If you are married, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. If even if you aren’t, there are several key principles of discipleship contained in these chapters. It’s well worth reading. You can find it on Amazon.