July 6, 2023 • 10 mins
If we stop reading, we stop learning. And if we stop learning, then we stop ministering effectively. If we’re going to pour into others, we need to be poured into as well. Reading is an important tool toward fostering longevity in ministry and avoiding burnout. But reading is not just about reading more books but the right ones, good books.
0:00 - The Importance of Reading to Ministry
3:37 - Types of Books to Read
9:35 - Conclusion
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
If we stop reading, we stop learning.
And if we stop learning, thenwe stop ministering effectively.
You know it's easy to putreading on the back burner and
tend to other things, isn't it?
But I think this eventuallyleads to stagnation.
If we're going to pour intoothers, we need to be poured
(00:23):
into as well.
Reading is not the only waythat we can be poured into, but
it is an important way.
Reading is to our intellectuallife as exercise is to the body.
There may be times of rest orfocus on other things, but
consistent neglect is adetriment to health.
(00:47):
So if we aren't reading, ourintellectual life is not healthy
.
And for those of us in some formof ministry, we deal with ideas
and words and creativity.
These are the tools of thetrade, our own internal source
(01:07):
of these tools of creativitywords, ideas.
They're limited and they'll beexhausted.
And if we're not being pouredinto and we're only pouring out,
that will be exhausted And thiswill lead to frustration,
repetition, repetition, poorperformance and even burnout.
Have you ever realized?
while preaching I am saying thesame thing I said last time.
(01:31):
That's not a fun feeling.
The greater the output, thegreater the drain on your
creativity and originality.
Think of it like this, likethis totally scientific chart As
the output goes up, yourcreativity goes down.
You need to find a way torecharge that area of your life.
(01:52):
Here's another analogy think ofit like a balloon.
My kids love balloons and theylove keeping their balloons when
they get for their birthday forforever.
And you can tell after a fewdays that the balloon that
they've gotten is beginning tolose some air.
But it's still going strong,it's still up in the air and
it's still doing great.
But then it seems like all of asudden, overnight at even the
(02:16):
thing is like barely hoveringabove the floor.
That's our lives, if we don'tfind a way to recharge.
Howard Hendricks says somethingsimilar in his book Teaching to
Change Lives.
He says quote if you stopgrowing today, you stop teaching
tomorrow.
Neither personality normethodology can substitute for
(02:40):
this principle.
You cannot communicate out of avacuum.
I remember reading this bookseveral years ago and that line
has really stuck with me.
I've tried to make this anemphasis in my life and ministry
.
The times when I've read more,i've found my ministry to be
much more enjoyable and fruitfulat least from my perspective
(03:04):
When I haven't been able to reador just been honestly simply
lazy.
My mind feels muddled and I'mrepetitive, regurgitating the
same things over and over andover again.
I want to encourage both of usto read more.
Turn off the TV, read a book.
Turn off YouTube well, exceptmaybe my videos watching.
(03:28):
Like all those, i'll confessI'm not a great reader, but I
want to do better.
Let's read more together Now.
I want to shift a bit now andshare some different types of
books that you should considerreading Now.
Stay with me.
I feel like Batman.
Stay with me.
The point here is not just toread more books, but to read the
(03:51):
right books.
Good books, those that excitethe mind and heart.
Books that challenge us,challenge our thinking, our
prejudices.
Books that help us to see lifein a new way.
Books that help us to hearscripture better Good books.
Put a comment below if you'vegot another type of book that I
(04:11):
don't cover here, or just onebook that's had a huge impact on
you.
Okay, so with that, readbiographies and fiction books.
I put these two togetherbecause I think they're two
groups that are easy to neglect,especially for people in
ministry or who just lovetheology In ministry.
We can prioritize theology booksand just only theology books
(04:35):
and like commentaries,biographies and fiction books
helps us to get ourselves out ofabstract theology and into real
life.
With biographies, you can seehow people lived out their faith
or how they handle difficultcircumstances.
With fiction, it helps you tosee the world with different
(04:57):
eyes.
Stories make you feel something, and I think we have a lot to
learn from this.
A lot of times when we talkabout God, we talk about him
very clinically.
When we talk about God in thisway, it seems like we're talking
about the idea of God ratherthan the person of God, and this
(05:18):
is the problem with that isthat we are dealing with a
person, not just propositions,not just the abstract.
We're dealing with the creatorof the world.
So stories help us to connectwith that emotional element.
They also help us to see howstories are put together.
Scripture is one giant,cohesive whole story, and it's
(05:41):
filled with lots of individualstories as well.
The more we can appreciate howstories are told, it will help
us to be more sensitive to thestories of Scripture.
It can also help us be moreengaging in our teaching and
preaching.
Next, read challenging books.
I think it is super helpful toread books we disagree with,
(06:05):
maybe not a constant diet of it,but we need some of those in
there.
We live in a really polarizedtime, right, don't we?
And we need to develop theskill to engage with other views
and do so fairly andcompassionately.
We're not trying to do a hitjob on somebody or just trying
to get in an argument.
That's not our purpose.
(06:25):
We want to deal with it fairlyand compassionately.
And it's so easy for us to stayin kind of our silos and our
echo chambers, but this doesn'thelp foster critical thinking or
thinking carefully aboutscripture.
It just fosters groupthink.
(06:46):
Reading challenging books helpsto refine our position and
beliefs.
You may have the right position, but the way you get there
might also have some holes in it.
So reading challenging bookscan help you fill those holes,
to see your position withgreater clarity, but also with
(07:06):
greater compassion.
It can also give you a greaterawareness at what's out there
and give you compassion forpeople who have a different view
, because you've seen some ofthe complexity of the issue.
That doesn't mean that we movefrom our conviction, but we have
compassion.
And, side note, choose a good,challenging book, not a weird
(07:27):
one, not an extreme one thatyou'll just laugh at.
The point is to learn and grow,not get ammunition for a fight.
You should also readencouraging and deeper books.
These are books that will helpflourish your heart for the Lord
and for others.
They help you in your walk withthe Lord.
They also can help develop yourview of God to a deeper level.
(07:52):
We're not just choosing fluffhere, but some of us may need
that push to read deeper, harderbooks.
Also, you don't want to getstuck reading one type of book.
That's why we've got manydifferent types here.
We don't have one constant dietof just one type of book.
You want to read widely, and Ifound it helpful to also read
(08:14):
multiple books at the same time.
You want to choose topics thatmaybe you wouldn't normally look
at, and this will help give youa better view of the wider
world and of others as well.
It helps develop you into adeeper person.
Additionally, reading multiplebooks at the same time keeps you
from getting bogged down orbored with just one book.
(08:38):
If you read a little bit everyday, you'll still make good
progress.
Try just 20 minutes a day.
That's it.
I've plowed through some biggerbooks just doing that every day
.
Finally, read scripture.
Who cares if you've read lotsof other books.
We want to hear the voice ofGod in scripture.
(08:59):
Sometimes we like reading aboutthe Bible more so than the
Bible itself.
That is a spiritual red flag Ifwe like reading our theology
books more than scripture.
Red flag.
We need more scripture, notless.
All of these other books arethere to supplement our faith,
(09:22):
are to point us into a closerrelationship with the Lord.
Scripture does that and theseother books do that, and if they
are drawing us away from theLord, then we need to go back to
scripture and hear more fromhim.
All of this is not meant to bea guilt trip, just an
encouragement to read more.
There may be more pressingthings for you to do in your
(09:45):
life than to read.
If you're not able to read,you're not inferior, but I do
think there is tremendous value,personally and spiritually, to
read more.
We want to minister effectively, so we need to keep learning,
so we need to keep reading.
May the Lord bless you andthanks for your time.
If we stop reading, we stop learning.
And if we stop learning, thenwe stop ministering effectively.
You know it's easy to putreading on the back burner and
tend to other things, isn't it?
But I think this eventuallyleads to stagnation.
If we're going to pour intoothers, we need to be poured
(00:23):
into as well.
Reading is not the only waythat we can be poured into, but
it is an important way.
Reading is to our intellectuallife as exercise is to the body.
There may be times of rest orfocus on other things, but
consistent neglect is adetriment to health.
(00:47):
So if we aren't reading, ourintellectual life is not healthy
.
And for those of us in some formof ministry, we deal with ideas
and words and creativity.
These are the tools of thetrade, our own internal source
(01:07):
of these tools of creativitywords, ideas.
They're limited and they'll beexhausted.
And if we're not being pouredinto and we're only pouring out,
that will be exhausted And thiswill lead to frustration,
repetition, repetition, poorperformance and even burnout.
Have you ever realized?
while preaching I am saying thesame thing I said last time.
(01:31):
That's not a fun feeling.
The greater the output, thegreater the drain on your
creativity and originality.
Think of it like this, likethis totally scientific chart As
the output goes up, yourcreativity goes down.
You need to find a way torecharge that area of your life.
(01:52):
Here's another analogy think ofit like a balloon.
My kids love balloons and theylove keeping their balloons when
they get for their birthday forforever.
And you can tell after a fewdays that the balloon that
they've gotten is beginning tolose some air.
But it's still going strong,it's still up in the air and
it's still doing great.
But then it seems like all of asudden, overnight at even the
(02:16):
thing is like barely hoveringabove the floor.
That's our lives, if we don'tfind a way to recharge.
Howard Hendricks says somethingsimilar in his book Teaching to
Change Lives.
He says quote if you stopgrowing today, you stop teaching
tomorrow.
Neither personality normethodology can substitute for
(02:40):
this principle.
You cannot communicate out of avacuum.
I remember reading this bookseveral years ago and that line
has really stuck with me.
I've tried to make this anemphasis in my life and ministry
.
The times when I've read more,i've found my ministry to be
much more enjoyable and fruitfulat least from my perspective
(03:04):
When I haven't been able to reador just been honestly simply
lazy.
My mind feels muddled and I'mrepetitive, regurgitating the
same things over and over andover again.
I want to encourage both of usto read more.
Turn off the TV, read a book.
Turn off YouTube well, exceptmaybe my videos watching.
(03:28):
Like all those, i'll confessI'm not a great reader, but I
want to do better.
Let's read more together Now.
I want to shift a bit now andshare some different types of
books that you should considerreading Now.
Stay with me.
I feel like Batman.
Stay with me.
The point here is not just toread more books, but to read the
(03:51):
right books.
Good books, those that excitethe mind and heart.
Books that challenge us,challenge our thinking, our
prejudices.
Books that help us to see lifein a new way.
Books that help us to hearscripture better Good books.
Put a comment below if you'vegot another type of book that I
(04:11):
don't cover here, or just onebook that's had a huge impact on
you.
Okay, so with that, readbiographies and fiction books.
I put these two togetherbecause I think they're two
groups that are easy to neglect,especially for people in
ministry or who just lovetheology In ministry.
We can prioritize theology booksand just only theology books
(04:35):
and like commentaries,biographies and fiction books
helps us to get ourselves out ofabstract theology and into real
life.
With biographies, you can seehow people lived out their faith
or how they handle difficultcircumstances.
With fiction, it helps you tosee the world with different
(04:57):
eyes.
Stories make you feel something, and I think we have a lot to
learn from this.
A lot of times when we talkabout God, we talk about him
very clinically.
When we talk about God in thisway, it seems like we're talking
about the idea of God ratherthan the person of God, and this
(05:18):
is the problem with that isthat we are dealing with a
person, not just propositions,not just the abstract.
We're dealing with the creatorof the world.
So stories help us to connectwith that emotional element.
They also help us to see howstories are put together.
Scripture is one giant,cohesive whole story, and it's
(05:41):
filled with lots of individualstories as well.
The more we can appreciate howstories are told, it will help
us to be more sensitive to thestories of Scripture.
It can also help us be moreengaging in our teaching and
preaching.
Next, read challenging books.
I think it is super helpful toread books we disagree with,
(06:05):
maybe not a constant diet of it,but we need some of those in
there.
We live in a really polarizedtime, right, don't we?
And we need to develop theskill to engage with other views
and do so fairly andcompassionately.
We're not trying to do a hitjob on somebody or just trying
to get in an argument.
That's not our purpose.
(06:25):
We want to deal with it fairlyand compassionately.
And it's so easy for us to stayin kind of our silos and our
echo chambers, but this doesn'thelp foster critical thinking or
thinking carefully aboutscripture.
It just fosters groupthink.
(06:46):
Reading challenging books helpsto refine our position and
beliefs.
You may have the right position, but the way you get there
might also have some holes in it.
So reading challenging bookscan help you fill those holes,
to see your position withgreater clarity, but also with
(07:06):
greater compassion.
It can also give you a greaterawareness at what's out there
and give you compassion forpeople who have a different view
, because you've seen some ofthe complexity of the issue.
That doesn't mean that we movefrom our conviction, but we have
compassion.
And, side note, choose a good,challenging book, not a weird
(07:27):
one, not an extreme one thatyou'll just laugh at.
The point is to learn and grow,not get ammunition for a fight.
You should also readencouraging and deeper books.
These are books that will helpflourish your heart for the Lord
and for others.
They help you in your walk withthe Lord.
They also can help develop yourview of God to a deeper level.
(07:52):
We're not just choosing fluffhere, but some of us may need
that push to read deeper, harderbooks.
Also, you don't want to getstuck reading one type of book.
That's why we've got manydifferent types here.
We don't have one constant dietof just one type of book.
You want to read widely, and Ifound it helpful to also read
(08:14):
multiple books at the same time.
You want to choose topics thatmaybe you wouldn't normally look
at, and this will help give youa better view of the wider
world and of others as well.
It helps develop you into adeeper person.
Additionally, reading multiplebooks at the same time keeps you
from getting bogged down orbored with just one book.
(08:38):
If you read a little bit everyday, you'll still make good
progress.
Try just 20 minutes a day.
That's it.
I've plowed through some biggerbooks just doing that every day
.
Finally, read scripture.
Who cares if you've read lotsof other books.
We want to hear the voice ofGod in scripture.
(08:59):
Sometimes we like reading aboutthe Bible more so than the
Bible itself.
That is a spiritual red flag Ifwe like reading our theology
books more than scripture.
Red flag.
We need more scripture, notless.
All of these other books arethere to supplement our faith,
(09:22):
are to point us into a closerrelationship with the Lord.
Scripture does that and theseother books do that, and if they
are drawing us away from theLord, then we need to go back to
scripture and hear more fromhim.
All of this is not meant to bea guilt trip, just an
encouragement to read more.
There may be more pressingthings for you to do in your
(09:45):
life than to read.
If you're not able to read,you're not inferior, but I do
think there is tremendous value,personally and spiritually, to
read more.
We want to minister effectively, so we need to keep learning,
so we need to keep reading.
May the Lord bless you andthanks for your time.
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