All of us are tempted to believe lies about ourselves, and for pastors the lies tend to attach to identity: that God has called you to lead a movement, that you must sacrifice your home life to your ministry life, that your reputation for holiness matters more than the thing itself. Dayton Hartman names seven of them and traces what each does to a church.

The treatment is short and uncomfortable in the right way, with Hartman writing as a working pastor rather than a consultant. The subtitle states the stakes plainly: each of these lies elevates the man, subverts the gospel he preaches, and undermines the congregation he serves. For pastors, and for elders who want to know what to watch for.