Do you want to be a better leader? Raise the threshold of your pain. Do you want your church to grow or your business to reach higher goals? Reluctance to face pain is your greatest limitation. There is no growth without change, no change without loss, and no loss without pain. Bottom line: if you're not hurting, you're not leading. But this book is not a theological treatise on pain. Rather in Leadership Pain, Samuel Chand - best-selling author recognized as "the leader's leader" - provides a concrete, practical understanding of the pain we experience to help us interpret pain more accurately and learn the lessons God has in it for us. Chand is ruthlessly honest and highly practical as he examines the principles and practices that make our pain a means of fulfilling God's divine purposes for our churches, communities, and us. These features are included in this leadership treasure trove: Powerful, personal stories from some of the finest leaders in the world, such as Craig Groeschel, Benny Perez, Mike Kai, Lisa Bevere, Mark Chironna, Dale Bronner, Philip Wagner, Michael Pitts, and numerous others Revealing insights into the growth that occurs through pain in leadership roles Practical exercises to help you apply the valuable principles you are learning Read more

Are you hungry to help others through leadership but don't feel like you have the authority?One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don't buy it. Great leaders - whether they have the official authority or not - learn how to be an influential presence wherever they are.In How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, author and pastor Clay Scroggins explains the nature of leadership and what's needed to be a great leader - even when you answer to someone else.Drawing from biblical principles and his experience as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Clay will help you nurture your vision and cultivate influence with integrity and confidence, even when you lack authority in your organization or ministry.In this audiobook, Clay will walk you through the challenge of leadership and the four basic behaviors all great leaders have and how to cultivate them:Leading yourselfChoosing positivityThinking criticallyRejecting passivityWith practical wisdom and humor, Clay Scroggins will help you free yourself to become the great leader you want to be so you can make a difference. Even when you're not in charge.Charts and graphs included in the audiobook companion PDF download.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

From the best-selling author and former New York Times investigative reporter, an unprecedented look at the defining struggles of the modern Catholic Church, told through the lives of the last seven popesWhen the jolly Italian peasant-turned-cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli of Venice was elected Pope John XXIII in 1958, change was in the air. The Church, many said, had refused to enter the twentieth century. In response, Pope John launched Vatican II, an “ecumenical council” that summoned hundreds of church leaders to Rome. It marked one of the most progressive turns the Church had taken in centuries: “medicine of mercy,” as Pope John called it. Yet not everyone in the Church was prepared to accept this modernization. The lines were drawn—in a battle that continues to rage into the twenty-first century.In Jesus Wept, Philip Shenon takes us inside the Holy See to reveal its intricacies, hypocrisies, and hidden maneuverings, bringing all the momentous disputes and issues vividly to life: priestly celibacy, birth control, homosexuality, restoring ties with other Christians and Jews, shameful sex abuse crimes, the role of women in the Church.In his rich portrayals of the popes from John to Francis, Shenon draws on research across four continents, including hundreds of interviews and the exhaustive archival material. He also brings to light other key figures in the Church, such as Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, the incredibly powerful, conservative, and staunchly anticommunist director of the Holy Office under Pius XII, who lived proudly by the motto semper idem—“always the same.” This is a consummate, vibrant history of the modern Church. Read more

What is Jesus worth to you?It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily...But who do you know who lives like that? Do you?In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment--a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring. Read more

The most important words Jesus ever spoke were, “Follow me.” But how are we to follow him in a divided world with so much bitterness, anger, and hate? How can we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves? We can do it the same way Jesus did: by taking the high road! In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told people to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile. What he said can be summed up this way: “Take the high road.” That’s the road Jesus took. He was a high-road leader. His words and his actions made it clear he wants us to: Value All People Give More an We Take Embrace Authenticity Do the Right Things for the Right Reasons Place People Above Our Agenda Bring People Together in a World that Divides Best-selling authors John C. Maxwell and Chris Hodges show how every step of Jesus’ walk on earth was on the high road, and they explain how you can take that same path.Immerse yourself in the life of Jesus, and you will be equipped and inspired to take the high road in every situation, just like he did. When you do, you will be most like him. You will be salt and light in a world that desperately needs it. Read more

You Can Learn to Handle the Onslaught of Internal and External Pressures Does anxiety get in the way of your ability to be an effective leader? Is your inability to notice when you and those around you are anxious keeping you "stuck" in chronic unhealthy patterns? In Managing Leadership Anxiety, pastor and spiritual growth expert Steve Cuss offers powerful tools to help you move from being managed by anxiety to managing anxiety.You'll develop the capacity to notice your anxiety and your group's anxiety. You will increase your sensitivity to the way groups develop systemic anxiety that keeps them trapped. Your personal self-awareness will increase as you learn how self gets in the way of identifying and addressing issues.Managing Leadership Anxiety offers valuable principles to those who are hungry to understand the source of the anxiety in themselves and in the people with whom they relate. Readers will be empowered to take back control of their lives and lead in mature and vibrant ways. Read more

Are you ready to step fully into your purpose, activate your potential, and live out loud? In Activate Your Impact, Brooke Thomas equips you with the faith-fueled activators you need to break free from fear, build with confidence, and boldly step into the calling God has placed on your life. Through twelve key activations in business, life, and faith, this book will challenge you to awaken your purpose, expand your capacity, and walk in unwavering obedience. With powerful biblical truths, real-life stories, and actionable steps, Activate Your Impact is more than just a book-it's a guide to unlocking the influence and legact you were created for. If you've ever felt stuck, delayed, or uncertain about what's next, this is your invitation to believe bigger, take action, and live the abundant life God has already prepared for you. The time is now-your impact is waiting to be activated! Read more

After examining the lives of hundreds of historical, biblical, and contemporary leaders, Dr. J. Robert Clinton gained perspective on how leaders develop over a lifetime. By studying the six distinct stages he identifies, you will learn to:Recognize and respond to God’s providential shaping in your lifeDetermine where you are in the leadership development processIdentify others with leadership characteristicsDirect the development of future leadersThis revised and updated edition includes several new appendixes and expanded endnotes, as well as an application section at the end of each chapter. Read more

This audiobook reveals the glorious weaknesses of today's new breed of leader, as well as the Bible's most famous ones. It supplies practical direction to anyone who aspires to be a more effective leader, showing that a "limping" leader can be the person God uses to accomplish amazing things. Read more

In his powerful book The Fred Factor, motivational speaker Mark Sanborn recounts the true story of Fred, the mail carrier who passionately loves his job and who genuinely cares about the people he serves. Because of that, he is constantly going the extra mile while handling the mail, and sometimes watching over the houses, of the people on his route, treating everyone he meets as a friend. Where others might see delivering mail as monotonous drudgery, Fred sees an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those he serves. We've all encountered people like Fred in our lives. In The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn illuminates the simple steps each of us can take to transform our own lives from the ordinary into the extraordinary. Through stories about Fred and others like him, Sanborn reveals four basic "how to" principles that will help us bring fresh energy and creativity to our life and work: how to make a real difference everyday, how to become more successful by building strong relationships, how to create real value for others without spending a penny, and how to constantly reinvent yourself. By following these principles, and by learning from and teaching other "Freds", you too can excel in your career and make your life extraordinary. As Mark Sanborn makes clear, each of us has the potential be a Fred. The Fred Factor shows you how. Read more

"The more I read the Bible, the more evident it becomes that everything I have ever taught or written about effective leadership over the past 25 years, Jesus did to perfection. He is simply the greatest leadership role model of all time."Effective leadership—whether on the job, in the community, at church, or in the home—starts on the inside. In this revised classic, renowned leadership expert Ken Blanchard guides you through the process of discovering how to lead like Jesus.Before you can hope to lead anyone else, you must know who you are. Every leader must answer two critical questions. One deals with your relationship to Christ. The other with your life purpose.Whose are you going to be?Who are you going to be?Learning to lead like Jesus can be described as the process of aligning two internal domains (the heart and the head) and two external domains (the hands and the habits). These four dimensions of leadership form the outline for this very practical and transformational book, from which you will learn how to:Integrate your faith with your role and responsibility as a leaderIdentify your prioritiesBuild your relationship with God in a new and personal wayMove from success to significanceLead out of service rather than self-interestPut the love of Jesus into actionWith simple yet profound principles from the life of Jesus, and dozens of stories and leadership examples from his own life, Ken Blanchard once again shows us the way effective leaders lead. Read more

If you were to design the best possible life you could imagine, what would you include? Perhaps a beautiful house on the water... deep, enriching relationships... a job you love... and days filled with joy and meaning, free from anxiety and doubt?What if you were to hire the best architects in the world to design your dream home—could they also design your dream life?A life beyond your wildest dreams is actually available to you, one far beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. But the cost is high, with many important questions to consider:How do I want to feel? How do I want to live? What do I want most?Who am I meant to become? This book draws on 2,000 years of wisdom and lays it out for you in one place—to set in motion the life of your dreams: a life of deep contentment, joy, and confidence—no matter what.This is the blueprint. Read more

How Can Deacons Mobilize Service in the Church?Deacons are essential to a church’s health―yet confusion abounds regarding their biblical job description. What’s their God-given role in a local congregation and how do they relate to the church’s overall mission?In this short book, Matt Smethurst makes the case that deacons are model servants called to meet tangible needs, organize and mobilize acts of service, preserve the unity of the flock, and support the ministry of the elders. Clearing away common misconceptions, Smethurst offers practical guidance for deploying deacons and helping churches to flourish.Download eighteen free sample questions for deacon candidates. Read more

An invitation and guide for leaders “to cast a courageous and imaginative vision, to lead resiliently, and to be present and steady in times of deep anxiety.”Ed Friedman’s genius was to see the individual in the family in the larger group, bringing the wisdom of his experience as a therapist and rabbi to the field of organizational leadership.A timeless bestseller, A Failure of Nerve still astonishes in this new edition with its relevance and continues to transform the lives of leaders everywhere―business, church, family, schools―as it has for more than 20 years: Offers prescient guide to leadership in the age of “quick fix.”Provides ways to recognize and address organizational dysfunction.Emphasizes “strength over pathology” in these anxious times.“The age that is upon us requires differentiated leadership that is willing to rise above the anxiety of the masses. We need leaders who will have the ‘capacity to understand and deal effectively’ with the hive mind that is us. This is, in Friedman's words, ‘the key to the kingdom.’ I am grateful for this accessible new edition.”―C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Texas Read more

The global church is facing a discipleship crisis. Here's how we move forward into transformative discipleship...Pastors and church leaders want to see lives changed by the gospel. They work tirelessly to care for people, initiate new ministries, preach creatively, and keep up with trends. Sadly, much of this effort does not result in deeply changed disciples.Traditional discipleship strategies fail because they only address surface issues and do not go deep enough into the emotional health of individuals.But transformative, emotionally healthy discipleship is a methods-based biblical theology that, when fully implemented, informs every area of a church, ministry, or organization. It is a discipleship structure built from the center that:Slows down our lives so we can cultivate a deep, personal relationship with Jesus.Challenges the values of Western culture that have compromised the radical call to follow the crucified Jesus.Integrates sadness, loss, and vulnerability, that, when left out, leave people defensive and easily triggered.Acknowledges God's gift of limits in our lives.Connects how our family and personal history influence our discipleship in the present.Measures our spiritual maturity by how we are growing in our ability to love others.In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, bestselling author Pete Scazzero takes leaders step-by-step through how to create an emotionally healthy culture and multiply deeply-changed people in every aspect of church life, including:Leadership and team developmentMarriage and single ministrySmall groups and youth and children's ministryPreaching, worship, and administrationOutreachComplete with assessments and practical strategies, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you move people to the beneath-the-surface discipleship that actually has the power to change the world.**Winner of the 2022 ECPA Christian Book Award for Ministry Resources** Read more

Don't Eliminate Resistance; Lead Through It!Every leader knows the stormy seas of resistance. When faced with change, even the most dedicated teams can push back, especially when there's something to lose. How do you guide your team through these turbulent times without losing sight of the mission? Leading Through Resistance by Tod Bolsinger is a beacon for leaders navigating the choppy waters of organizational change.Leading Through Resistance offers more than just strategies; it delivers a mindset shift. With wisdom woven through every page, Tod Bolsinger teaches you unexpected skills to not only face resistance but to transform it into a mission-driving force.Transformative InsightsCourage and Empathy in Leadership: Discover how to guide your community with a blend of courage and empathy. Learn how to help your team confront losses head-on, transforming obstacles into opportunities for growth.Practical Wisdom from an Expert: Gain insights from Bolsinger himself—an experienced Christian leader whose bestselling books have guided countless leaders through the complexities of change.Bite-sized Brilliance: Enjoy brief, impactful chapters that are as rich in insight as they are in brevity. Each chapter is sprinkled with vibrant illustrations to keep you engaged and inspired.Leading Through Resistance is not just a book; it's a roadmap to resilient leadership. Equip yourself with the tools to lead with confidence, adapt with grace, and inspire transformation. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your leadership journey, Leading Through Resistance is your essential guide to turning resistance into resilience. Read more

They say there’s no such thing as a perfect church. Well, one author decided to test that theory out for himself.Peter DeHaan spent an entire year roaming from one church to another, visiting 52 different Christian congregations. In the process he learned what makes these places of worship unique, what makes newcomers feel like they belong, and what cringe-worthy shenanigans are guaranteed to keep visitors from ever coming back.In his travels, Peter learned about different denominations and worship styles as well as what happens when imperfect humans gather together in the name of a perfect God. What he discovered was occasionally funny, always interesting, and at times absurd.So absurd that he wrote a book about his experiences.52 CHURCHES is part religious exposé, part travel memoir, and 100% authentic. Peter refuses to hold back his punches. You’ll cringe when this Christian author is singled out by a fire-and-brimstone preacher, unnecessarily determined to save his soul out of hell. You’ll find yourself thankful that you weren’t in Peter’s shoes when the pastor told his congregation to greet one another with a holy kiss.You’ll read about Christian practices that are far different from your own, and in the process gain a deeper understanding of believers from all walks of life and denominational backgrounds: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic, Roman Catholic, and more.If you’re a pastor trying to engage newcomers, a seasoned church member looking for some chuckles, or a spiritual lurker curious about what goes on beneath the steeples of America’s churches today, this book was written for you.Read 52 CHURCHES now for an insightful, unforgettable read about the strange and mysterious believers who meet together behind closed doors each and every Sunday. Read more

If you’ve ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in life, this book is for you.The lives of an intensely-driven basketball coach, an ultra-successful CEO, and an unassuming janitor all intersect in this captivating parable about leadership, relationships, priorities, and the pursuit of success. Drawing on years spent as a sports coach and speaker, Todd Gongwer reveals timeless wisdom about what’s truly important in life and the workplace. An unforgettable story packed with profound truths and inspirational insights about Christian leadership, Lead . . . for God’s Sake! will challenge you to think deeply about:Who you are as a leaderWhat success means to youWhy you do what you doWhether you’re leading a business, a team, or your own family, this book is the first and most important step to harnessing your influence and becoming the leader you were meant to be. Read more

When You’re Speaking, But Still SilentHave you ever spoken, led, or created — and still felt like something inside you was missing?In a noisy world that rewards performance over true presence, it’s easy to lose touch with your real voice. This heartfelt and practical guide invites you to slow down, look within, and reconnect with the sound of your soul.Blending personal stories, spiritual wisdom, and hands-on exercises, this book gives you the tools to stop performing for approval and start living and leading from a place of deep authenticity. You don’t need a new voice — you need to return to the one you already have.Inside, you will discover:how to recognize when you are performing instead of being true to yourselfsimple ways to rebuild trust in your own voice and presencehow to move from fear, people-pleasing, and self-doubt to courage and claritya powerful framework to help you clear out old patterns and reclaim your authenticityhow to speak, lead, and live from a place of peace, strength, and purposeWhether you are an emerging leader, a creative spirit, or someone who simply wants to show up more fully in life, this book is your invitation to find your way back to yourself.It’s time to stop echoing the world around you — and start embodying the life and leadership you were always meant for. Read more

In this insightful training guide, Mac Lake brings over thirty years’ experience of coaching church and organizational leaders.Biblically grounded and loaded with practical examples and questions to spark thought, discussion, and application, Leading Others will help leaders to personally grow in their relationship with Christ and enable them to develop the skills required to lead others well.Designed not just to impart information but to bring transformation, this book covers eight key areas essential for effective leadership.An ideal resource for churches that want to help develop leaders of groups and teams, this training guide equips people with the character and the competencies to step into leadership. Read more