Jamin Goggin - The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It

Jamin and Kyle have a finger on the pulse of something significant here. I have often been concerned with the current view of strength and power as it is currently understood and embraced in our culture. The church must see power for what it is and where its found. True Holy Spirit power is found in weakness, not brazen human strength and skill. It is imperative for us to understand and embrace this truth. The Way of the Dragon of the Way of the Lamb will help us all along the path to pursuing the way of the Lamb.

M ATT C HANDLER , LEAD PASTOR OF THE V ILLAGE C HURCH AND PRESIDENT OF THE A CTS 29 C HURCH P LANTING N ETWORK

This is a book every Christian leader needs to read and soon. Nuanced, wise, pastoral, and yet challenging, The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb will shape more than your leadership and your ministry, it will shape your soul and reorient you to following Jesus. In our day and age, this is a message we need desperately.

S ARAH B ESSEY , AUTHOR OF O UT OF S ORTS AND J ESUS F EMINIST

I was both encouraged and humbled by this book. The authors openness to the sages in the generation before them is in shining contrast to the generationalism that is so common today. But the combined weight of their analysis is a sobering reminder of the seductive coils of power in which we are all so easily entangled.

O S G UINNESS , AUTHOR OF I MPOSSIBLE P EOPLE AND F OOL S T ALK

The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb is possibly one of the most unique, yet profound books Ive read in years. The wisdom packed into its pages is so remarkable, I felt like I was standing on holy ground with each page, needing to take off my shoes. What a monumental book. A must-read.

N ISH W EISETH , AUTHOR OF S PEAK

Insightful, humbling, and worshipful, this book is a necessary call for the church to seek its power in the Spirit, not in the celebrity culture of a lost world. The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb will encourage pastors and church members to look at themselves and their fellowships through the lens of the gospel.

R USSELL M OORE , PRESIDENT OF THE E THICS & R ELIGIOUS L IBERTY C OMMISSION OF THE S OUTHERN B APTIST C ONVENTION

These two young men have done it right: theyve listened to some of the greats in the church today, some great leaders noted not by power, but by humility and by a cruciform existence. The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb charts a path for todays young leadersthe way of listening to the wisdom of the wise.

S COT M C K NIGHT , J ULIUS R. M ANTEY P ROFESSOR OF N EW T ESTAMENT , N ORTHERN S EMINARY

You need this book, I need this book. We all need this book, probably a lot more than we imagine. Too many of these lessons Ive learned the hard way. I can only pray that a rising generation of Christian leaders will learn from Jamin and Kyles journey and realize that the path to true glory passes through the way of the Lamb.

C OLLIN H ANSEN , EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF T HE G OSPEL C OALITION AND AUTHOR OF B LIND S POTS

American Evangelicalism needs Jesus. These pages testify to the reality that an exodus from celebrity to humility, certainty to maturity, toxic leadership to simple discipleship, successful to faithful, isnt through the way of self-righteous rants, power plays, or smug condemnation. Instead, this is the confession of two brothers seeking the way of the Lamb by surrendering to the wisdom of elders. Leaders whose lives look like Christ. When these elders are listened to, a culture that proclaims Jesus is the Way will join them in The Way of Jesus.

J ARROD M C K ENNA , TEACHING PASTOR AT W ESTCITY C HURCH AND COFOUNDER OF F IRST H OME P ROJECT

Absolutely brilliant! The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb is a counter-cultural roadmap for life in Gods kingdom. The lust for power doesnt escape any of us, even those who are stewards of Gods church. This book provides a gripping diagnosis, as well as a cure for those who desire it. Read this book!

A LBERT T ATE , LEAD PASTOR OF F ELLOWSHIP M ONROVIA

Our cultureand our churchesoften associate power and relevance with youth and self-exaltation. Fortunately, Jamin and Kyle have confronted this distortion and many corruptions of power today. Youre invited to join them and discover afresh that as astounding as it may be, the way of the Dragon is ultimately overcome by the way of the Lamb.

J OSHUA R YAN B UTLER , PASTOR OF L OCAL AND G LOBAL O UTREACH AT I MAGO D EI C OMMUNITY AND AUTHOR OF T HE S KELETONS IN G OD S C LOSET AND T HE P URSUING G OD

What if our idea of success is all wrong? What if the church has glorified the wrong things? For many pastors the overwhelming desire for success and celebrity is a constant temptation, leading to an obsession with numbers and notoriety. In The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel embark on a pilgrimage to show us a different way, spending time with men and women who have eschewed the way of the Dragon for a life marked by kingdom depth, lasting influence, and the wisdom of weakness. Sharing the lives and wisdom of their mentors, this book is a tonic for the twenty-first century church, showing Christians that the wisdom of the cross is the path to lasting meaning, deep joy in the midst of suffering, and powerful influencein short, the recipe for renewal, both personal and corporate. I hope this book is read widely.

J IM B ELCHER , AUTHOR OF I N S EARCH OF D EEP F AITH AND COAUTHOR OF D EEP C HURCH

The question of power is the most momentous issue facing Christians today. Whenever and wherever Christianity runs off the rails, in toxic and destructive ways, it is because we stumble at this point, opting for the way of the Dragon. I encourage you to join Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel on their journey to discover the way of the Lamb. This is a wise, urgent, and prophetic book.

R ICHARD B ECK , PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT A BILENE C HRISTIAN U NIVERSITY , BLOGGER , AND AUTHOR OF R EVIVING O LD S CRATCH AND U NCLEAN

A fresh perspective on the search for power. Jamin and Kyle explore the notion of power found in weakness and what they discoverthrough personal experience and in conversation with othersis that this is the power which sets us free. Lay down your wearying notions of what it means to embrace and pursue power and accept the invitation here, to so much more.

D EIDRA R IGGS , AUTHOR OF O NE : U NITY IN A D IVIDED W ORLD

Goggin and Strobel effectively wrestle with the tension of power versus weakness by leaning on the Scriptures and the wisdom of fellow believers. Power is alluring for some and repulsive for others. Weakness is difficult, but in it the Lord works wonders. This book helps the Christian think correctly on these things.

E D S TETZER , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE B ILLY G RAHAM C ENTER FOR E VANGELISM AND AUTHOR OF P LANTING N EW C HURCHES IN A P OSTMODERN A GE AND COAUTHOR OF T RANSFORMATIONAL C HURCH

There are plenty of reasons to question what the modern church has become and there are many critical voices eager to expose her failures. Goggin and Strobel are not among them. Like expert physicians, they dissect and diagnose the churchs maladies. They consult with brilliant and wise experts and show how the pathogen of worldly power enters the church and corrupts it. Like good doctors, Goggin and Strobel pursue their work with both precision and compassion and their genuine love for the church is evident on every page. But what makes the book a must-read for every leader is the revelation that Goggin and Strobel arent ultimately trying to heal the church, but themselves.