Most Christians, at some point in their life, wrestle through the question of “What is the will of God for my life?” Have you ever voiced that concern? I certainly have.
Over the years, I have found that the more you get to know God’s word, the more crystal clear the answer to this question becomes.
I love God’s Word.
The Bible, beyond telling us how to be saved, is a constant source of encouragement, revelation, and guidance. It’s the best book in the world!
When I was teaching through the book of Acts at Calvary Fellowship, I took notice of how decisions were made by the early church, especially the Apostle Paul and his companions. I noticed some simple principles that would be helpful in our world as well. That message out of Acts was the catalyst for a book I recently wrote called, “Direction: Discovering & Living God’s Will.” (Click here to find it on Apple’s iBooks bookstore)
The idea of writing a book had been churning in my mind for a long time. Years ago, I wrote a book for church sound system operators. I sought publication for it, and while there were some nibbles, it never got published.
As a pastor, I am deeply interested in helping people grow into mature followers of Jesus. So often the question of “What is the will of God for me?” is forefront to that process. The Bible has a lot to say about that topic, both directly and indirectly.
Like any pastor, I am constantly putting together sermons to help people apply the Bible to their lives. Today, because we are so connected through social media, I have a conviction to not just write sermons for the congregation at the church that I pastor, but to use the material that is born through prayer and study for sermons to minister to the body of Christ at large.
In developing that conviction, and considering writing a book, I had a couple of, shall we say, excuses.
Here they are.
1. With so many Christian books out there, what in the world do I have to say that hasn’t already been said?
2. People should be reading their Bible more anyway. No need for another book.
3. Do you know how much time and work it takes to write a book?
But I pressed on, largely, for these reasons:
1. Ministry.
God has given each of us a voice and a message. And while that message, in many cases, is the same among God’s servants, the way it is communicated resonates differently with different people. Good Christian books have helped me grow closer to the Lord.
2. Legacy.
Writings last long after people do. Stop and think about the fact that you can be an influence in generations to come by writing (or making videos, etc). I wish I had books that were written by my parents and grandparents!
3. Jesus.
I want to write books that help people grow in their relationship with Jesus. “Direction: Discovering & Living the Will of God” is meant to get people into God’s word for themselves.
One of the tools that I am using to get the word out about the book is called Story Cartel. It’s a community designed to connect authors and readers. The way it works is that you get a free copy of the book in exchange for agreeing to write an honest review. Also, when you download the book, you are automatically entered into a drawing to win some great prizes.
Today is the last day to get it free. I hope you’ll check it out. You can do so by clicking here.
If you don’t want to do the review thing, but still want to pick up a copy, head on over to Amazon or iTunes/iBooks and check it out.