Here are the posts in order of most views in 2011 (some were written before 2011, but they received major traffic last year so they made the list).
The 100 Best Christian Books Ever Written
Billy Graham’s Stunning Prophecy
An Important Insight from President Obama
Twitter vs. Facebook: Reflections, Comparisons, and Ministry Perspective
Discipleship, Mission, and Church: A Plea to Learn Our History
25 Tips for Bloggers: Established, New, and Pondering
The tips you will read in this post are responsible for causing this blog to reach the top 10 out of all Christian blogs on the Web.
I started blogging in 2008. Almost a decade before that, some of my friends tried to persuade me to start blogging. But I resisted.
My reason: I didn’t have enough time.
Well, I still don’t have enough time, yet I’ve managed to blog for over three years now. And looking back, I wish I had heeded my friends’ advice and started earlier. My bad.
You see, I love blogging. In fact, I enjoy it more than writing books. It’s far less tedious, takes less time, and affords instant feedback.
I also view it as a major way of influencing people with my message on the deeper Christian life. It’s not quite as powerful a tool of influence as a book or a spoken message, but it’s close.
While I’m still learning the craft, I’ve discovered some valuable tips about the art of blogging that I’d like to share with you. They are . . . Continue Reading…
Many of you have asked if my books are on Kindle. The answer is yes. Click the titles below, and you’ll be brought to the Kindle versions on Amazon.
The Untold Story of the New Testament Church
Future Kindle titles will be placed on this page as they are released.
Isn’t it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity? Continue Reading…
Twitter and Facebook. I’ve been using these two social media tools for a few years now. And here’s the take-home.
I liken Facebook to a class reunion.
I liken Twitter to a huge roundtable discussion.
Like a class reunion, Facebook is great for reconnecting with old friends. Getting updates on their lives. Updating them on your life. And making new friends. Like a class reunion, there are multiple private conversations going on in different parts of the room at the same time.
Twitter is like a large roundtable discussion on various and sundry topics that’s televised for all to see (if they tune into the channel). Experts are part of the discussion. And so are neophytes. Each person has the floor for a few seconds, and others respond to them instantly. Then someone else has the floor, and others respond instantly. And on and on it goes.
Facebook is better for connecting, reconnecting, and keeping up with friends as well as making new ones. Twitter is better for sharing and gaining information, knowledge, and resources.
Facebook encourages you to stay within the network for your communication. Twitter is a jumping-off point that hands you multitudes of resources to go somewhere else and learn. Continue Reading…
25 Tips for Authors: Established, New, and Pondering
This post was provoked by the many people who have asked me questions about authoring and publishing books over the years. So I thought I’d jot down my answers in one post for ease of future reference.
I’m no expert when it comes to writing books, selling books, or the book publishing industry. So this advice may be about as valuable as the ink it took to publish it on this screen.
Presently, I’ve written over seven books published by five different publishers. And thankfully (surprisingly), each one has done well. So while I claim no expertise in this area, I can write from what I’ve experienced so far.
A few of the points below apply only to first-time authors. But most apply to all authors, aspiring and established.
Due to the length of this piece, you may want to print it out and read it off-line. Then come back online and click on the embedded links. Continue Reading…
Previously, I had thought that very few people bought a book based on endorsements.
(By endorsements, I’m referring to the endorsements that appear in the first pages of a book and on the back cover.)
I assumed that book blurbs were highly overrated, and in the main, ineffective for three reasons:
1) I don’t ever recall buying a book because of an endorsement. I buy books for one of two reasons. One, I know and like the author. Two, I am interested in the subject that the book treats. That’s all.
2) My experience with superb books. Many of the best books I’ve ever read either didn’t have endorsements or the endorsements were written by people that I’ve never heard of.
3) The consensus of experts. The marketing gurus I have read have clamored (rather loudly) about how book blurbs aren’t that important. Continue Reading…
A number of you have asked me how to increase traffic to your blog. Now I will candidly admit that I’m no expert on this, but I can share with confidence the following tips that will help you in this area:
1. Join Twitter, follow the people you know and like to read, and tweet your blog posts. I’m still amazed at how many people who use Facebook, read emails, but who aren’t on Twitter. Twitter is a microblog. If you’re a blogger, you shouldn’t be without it. It’s free to join. You can follow my tweets here. I’d also recommend that you read 10 Twitter Mistakes That Make You Look Clueless.
2. Subscribe to other people’s blogs and make comments. These two go together. If you look at the blue text at the bottom of yesterday’s post, I talked about why you want to subscribe to the blogs you like. Case in point: Yesterday, many of you got free publicity for your blogs to thousands of readers because you read my post and commented. There are many bloggers who regularly read my blog, but they didn’t see my post yesterday. Why? They haven’t subscribed yet. Making comments increases your blog’s visibility because you’re participating in the conversation. Continue Reading…
Sometime last year I read with great interest NY Times columnist David Pogue’s article on productivity secrets.
As someone who has been given a very specific commission from the Lord that often overwhelms me, I’m always seeking ways to save time and be more productive.
When I was in my 20s, and God was preparing me for what was ahead, I remember reading a quote by Watchman Nee’s wife where she said, “My husband doesn’t waste a minute.”
Those words stuck, and they’ve been with me ever since.
The part of Progue’s article that arrested me was the line, “I know where everything is.”
My inward response was, “I have no idea where everything is!” Continue Reading…
Here are the posts in order of most views in 2010 (some were written before 2010, but they received major traffic last year so they made the list).
What is an Organic Church? A Plea for Clarity
10 Straw-Man Myths About “Pagan Christianity” & “Reimagining Church”
Neil Cole & Frank Viola Discuss Missional Organic Church
Why Organic Church Is Not Exactly a Movement: “Christianity Today” Article
