Growing in Grace: Resources, Fall 2025, Vol. 13
Written By Karen Ristuccia
Quarterly mini book reviews for Christian leaders
Christian Leadership
Jim Murphy, Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life (Academy of Excellence, 2020).
Murphy has devoted himself to helping top performers, especially athletes, achieve. He does so by having his clients focus on their inner life rather than on their outward performance and acclaim. While not producing an overtly Christian book, Murphy shows his loyalties by referencing Christian thinkers throughout. Church leaders can find ideas for swapping comparison and competition for integrity and grit.
Understanding the Times
Tim Challies and Tim Keesee, From the Rising of the Sun: A Journey of Worship Around the World (Zondervan, 2025).
Over mostly consecutive Sundays, two Tims travel around the world, starting in Fiji and ending in Alaska, joining believers in worshipping across the globe. The variety of styles and situations they experience testify to God’s immensity, reminding us of his gospel’s creativity, reach, and power. The authors also provide a series of helpful reflections about worship issues from sacraments to music.
Education
Ron Clark, Be 1% Better: Surprisingly Simple Ways to Transform Your School (Dave Burgess Consulting, 2024).
For many of us, the season of fall means a return to numerous school-year activities. Whatever the activity, participants can benefit from leaders who choose to be “1% better”. Using real life examples, Clark inspires readers (and leaders) to “small increment, but large impact” growth.
Mentoring and Discipleship
Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt, Aging with Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture (Crossway, 2021).
Written with women in mind, this book is for everyone. Building on years of experience as ministry leaders, the authors dive into Scripture and personal reflection to affirm that "the gospel is big enough, good enough, and powerful enough to make every moment of every season of life significant and glorious." Those who learn this truth well will make great teachers of, and mentors to, the people in their local church.