Eric Liddell on running a race

When asked how he ran so fast, [Eric Liddell] often told people that he ran as fast as he could for the first half of a race and then asked God to help him run even faster for the second half.


From Page 43 of Letters and Papers from Prison

Review: The Seven Laws of the Learner

The Seven Laws of the Learner by Bruce H. Wilkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read about three books each month, and this has to be one of the most impactful and convicting for the year 2015. (The other book that had such a profound impact on my life and worldview would be Clowney's Unfolding Mystery - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...)

I had taken on an attitude that it is not my problem to motivate the unmotivated student, be it in secular or Christian circles. I’ll just find those who are interested in having God’s will done in their lives, and then we’ll take it from there.

Chapter after chapter, I am compelled to reconsider many of my perceptions (most of them had been cast in stone after extensive teaching experience). I have caught a little of his seemingly bottomless passion to see students walk life face-to-face with the living God. The impartation of knowledge is simply the vehicle to see about revival.

In the religious-persecution-free society in Singapore, believers often feel no need for God or his commands. It is painful to see Christians and churches engage in self-sustaining and consumeristic practices. The only time we want to follow in his ways, is when we demand that he answers our prayers and solve our problems. As I closed the book, tears welled up in my eyes and my heart was overwhelmed with a desire for revival - to be part of a gospel community of continually repented and loving believers. The catalyst would have to start with me, because having counted the cost, it would be crazy not to give up my life for such a cause as this.

For this to be a balanced review, I have to discuss what was not so fantastic.

There were some theological references that I was uncomfortable with. For example, his refer to the parable of the talents is tricky because in his parable Jesus used 'talents' in the context of money, not to refer to a person's giftedness (p408-409). He also has to explain (p420-432) in what way is the prophet Nathan like a teacher before he can use that as a starting base for the section on revival. Thankfully these theological ambiguity came toward the end of the book and not at the beginning, otherwise students who are hermeneutically wired may be quickly (and wrongly) dismiss that the book is filled with eisegetical assertions.

These errors do not subtract from the message Wilkinson is trying to impart to us readers. We receive from what he is gifted in, and that is teaching. For a more meaty theological diet, one can simply read this book in conjunction with a more scholarly and biblical title.

On the topic of teaching, this has to be one of the first I would recommend to teachers.

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Review: Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible

Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible by Thom Schultz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The book's exciting layout with the many diagrams and eye-catching design was novel at first, but after 150 it became kind of kiddy. Not too appropriate for a book address a serious topic. The hard selling of the lifetree cafe eventually turned me off, and I could not read past 120 pages, after which i just sped read through the headlines of each section. If the authors mentioned the lifetree cafe concept only a couple of times in the book, it could have gotten maybe a few more stars. But it way way overkill. Perhaps if they were more honest in their ambush marketing (by perhaps having more information on the subtitle), to warn us readers of what it is to come, we would not feel like we had been taken for a ride. But then, the book probably wont have too many buyers picking it up. =D

I cannot recommend this book.

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Review: You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes: And Other Great Advice from an Unlikely Preacher's Wife

You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes: And Other Great Advice from an Unlikely Preacher's Wife by Lisa McKay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

McKay writes in a highly engaging manner such that it was a breeze to keep reading on and on and on! I sensed her larger than life personality and great passion for the topic jumping out the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed her authenticity and wisdom; her frank and insightful sharing has opened my eyes to the scary reality of the unrealistic expectations of a pastor's wife (and children). It has also encouraged me to face these challenges head-on, because at least now I am aware and can take pre-emptive action, for example, preparing my family for what is to come by assuring them they can be whoever God wants them to be and not pretend to be somebody that they think they are expected to be.

McKay's strength is not in theology -there were several questionable sections where she dived into the meaning of biblical terms in their original languages and engaged in putting her own interpretation into Scripture. While her target audience would not be too bothered by these, and should enjoy the insight and advice from this battle-hardened preacher's wife. I'd nevertheless have to subtract a star from an otherwise 5-star book until these issues are ironed out.

I read this book in 2015 and wrote the following: "While I am no preacher's wife, I am a male seminary student. I recommended it to my girlfriend, and she thoroughly enjoyed the read. That says alot, because she absolutely not a book person (she claims that reading books hypnotise her to sleep). It generated a couple of things to deliberate and discuss about, as I prepare to enter into my beloved Christ's service!"

Now I am re-reading it in 2018 as a married man with graduation from bible school in a couple of weeks. Whereas the 2015 me came away with a positive and can-do attitude, I am ashamed to admit that I was rather angered by the audacious demands that some congregations made of ministers' wives. The 2018 me is more pragmatic and realistic, knowing that I have to firmly establish the expectations and limits of my family's involvement before accepting any ministerial position.

All things considered, I'd think that this is still a rather good gift especially for women dating or engaged to men about to enter into pastoral ministry.

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Review: The Top Ten Leadership Commandments

The Top Ten Leadership Commandments by Hans Finzel
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

As a seminary student trained to think in a postmodern education system, I did not like the legalistic title one bit. But I decided to give the book a chance and rate it for its content. The introduction was pretty good, but then I arrived at the real stuff. Just as I had expected, to base an entire book (or sermon) on why we should be like one of the bible characters is to miss the entire point of the grand narrative of the book or the bible as a whole. No decent bible scholar worth his salt would go on that tack, and true enough, Finzel supplied plenty of eisegetical material to last you for a long long time. Moses is definitely the main character of whatever book he appears in, and the application definitely is not that we should model ourselves after him.

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Review: Broken Windows of the Soul: A Pastor and Christian Psychologist Discuss Sexual Sins and the Prescription to Heal Them

Broken Windows of the Soul: A Pastor and Christian Psychologist Discuss Sexual Sins and the Prescription to Heal Them by Arnold R. Fleagle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The chapter on “Fixing Broken Windows” is an exceptional resource in helping those who have fallen in sin, especially the outstanding eight-question template that provides a framework for accountability partners to refer. While Paul may not have explicitly instructed his readers to adhere to such a structure, the values presented in Broken Windows of the Soul come across as wise advice. These principles, like Scripture, are “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NIV).

The outstanding reflection questions provided at the end of every chapter would provide an excellent framework that close friends in covenant relationship to one another, to journey together toward sexual purity. The reflection questions would also be helpful if the book was used as a guide for a small group discussion or study. For purposes of further study, a worthy companion that can be used in conjunction with Broken Windows of the Soul would be Finally Free.

The authors require the reader to make a mental leap of how the broken windows theory, which has its roots in social psychology, is linked to abnormal/cognitive psychology, and then to the “spiritual treatment” of sexual sin. Only halfway through the book, does the chapter about the “spiders in the glass” analogy shed a little more light on the validity of the spiritual application of the broken windows theory to address sexual sin. If placed closer to the introduction, the analogy could possibly aid the reader’s logical thought progression of psychology to the bible and to application in one’s own life. A similar case could be made for the chapter on “Arming the Alarm System” to be placed nearer to the beginning of the book.

If the book’s primary audience are pastors, ministers and “true-blue” Christians, then the arrangement of chapters should start with a biblical foundation before drawing links to social psychology and application of the truth claims. If however the book’s brevity indicates that the intended audience are the “fair-weather” Christians or non-Christians, then the current introductory psychological references creates a helpful apologetic bridge to the biblical model for sexual healing.

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Review: Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge

Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge by Henry Cloud
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After having read so so many books, am so glad that Cloud delivers one that I like so so very much! He draws from a lifetime of psychological study and experience in consulting with CEOs in writing this book. Real life stories are used to great effect to illustrate complicated or abstract principles. Sometimes he gets lost in retelling the stories that he forgets to reinforce the point (and we have to refer to the subtitle to figure out what he is trying to say).

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book! Alongside Hybel's Courageous Leadership and McIntosh & Rima's Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership, this book would feature in my must-give book list to any leader I care about.

Here's a quick summary of the gems in the book (spoiler warning!):

Leaders can motivate or demotivate their people (xiv) and one of the aspects of a leader's behaviour that make everything work is his/her "boundaries," which is a structure that determines what will exist and what will not (xv).

A leader is always going to get a combination of two things; what you create and what you allow (p15).

In the language of Apple, 'who is the DRI, the directly responsible individual? (who is over and allows the 'problem' employee to be difficult or not perform; if that employee is confused about the strategy or direction, who is it that sets them; p15).

The central principle of boundaries is ownership. Leaders are the one who define and create the boundaries that drive the behaviour that forms the identity of teams and culture and sets the standards of performance (p16).

Highlighted how returning Apple CEO Steve Jobs diagnosed the problem as a lack of focus and pruned 70% of models and products with a much-needed clarity through setting a positive boundary. The employees were to just make four great products: "consumer," "pro", "desktop" and "portable" (p19).

People dont leave jobs - they leave bosses (p56).

The importance that there is no relational consequences to making a mistake. That is what people need from their leaders, the knowledge that their leader is for their success, and if a mistake is made, that leader will stand beside them and help them learn and improve, not punish them... a "getting better" orientation goes much further than a "being perfect" orientation (p71).

Our brains need positive relationships to grow and function well (p83).

Most leaders are "meeting'ed to death" ... most of these meetings are not doing much to build connection and unity. The answer is usually not more but different meetings of a certain type and more connection as a result of whatever meeting do occur (p86).

In chapter 6 (p103-108), through a real life scenario, Cloud highlights the far reaching effects a leader with negative thinking can have on an entire organisation. This is in contrast to another company's founder who started it with an ingenious plan while still in bankruptcy (p103); this guy does not suffer from such negative thinking.

In contrast to learned helplessness (p108-116), a leader can focus his team's energy on working on controllable factors that directly affects the desired outcomes of the organisation (p126).

In chapter 8 (p153-166), Cloud illustrates the term "dead fish" with a real life scenario, which means something like the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed, in order for the team to accomplish a specific vision and mission.

The job of the leader is to form a team around a common purpose or goal, and then work with the team to figure out what that team is going to have to value and behave like to reach that goal (p165-6). It does not belong to a person, but to the person as a whole. As a result, it is going to take the entire team to make it happen. That is the essence of a team (p170).

The entertaining accounts of how people wanted feedback given to them demonstrated how important it was to get to know each individual's communication style and vulnerabilities. The needed feedback and difficult-to-hear truths prevented future hiccups, as they knew better how to deal with each other (p175).

We make investments when we feel trust, (p186-7) which grows when:
-we feel understood (p173-180)
-we display credibility and character (p180-3)
-we believe in someone's capacity and ability (p183-4)
-someone has a built a good track record (p184-6)

While internal advisers are essential, outside ones are different. They protect you by having no conflict of interest; they are only there to help you, not to serve themselves, if they are good ones (p203).

Set very, very strong boundaries with yourself against any tendency you might have toward defensiveness, blame, or denial when given feedback. the weakest leaders are threatened by feedback, and often completely closed off to insights that are so easily seen by others. Strong leaders embrace feedback, seek to understand it, and put it to use. Even when they may disagree, they dont become defensive; instead they engage in dialogue and honest inquiry to figure out where the gaps between their intentions and others' perceptions come from. The feedback may be wrong, but they embrace it to understand it nevertheless. You can embrace and not agree at the same time. Move toward it (p208-9).

Dont be ruled by fear (p212-3) or put off change (p214-6): take steps toward overcoming the fear rather put off something indefinitely.

Set boundaries on your weaknesses (p219-221) and confine yourself to do what you are gifted at, don't meddle in affairs that would result in operational chaos.

It is of utmost importance to do a time audit to identify gaps between stated priorities and time/effort spent. What is vital to achieve your vision? Are those getting on the schedule first? Give them first priority but assign them a time and place, so that they actually get done (p221-6).

There is only so much time available and if one says yes to something, that means no to something else. (p224)

Give yourself time to refuel after an energy sapping activity, eg. high-conflict situations (p225) or draining people (p226).

When you realise that you are ridiculously in charge, it does not mean you are in charge of others or in charge of what goes on in the organization. It also means that you are ridiculously in charge of yourself (p230-1).

There are two kinds of high level leaders. One is defined by the work. The other is in a process of actively defining hte work, and they do that by first defining themselves and taking charge of who they are going to be and how they are going to work. They have good self-leadership boundaries (p231).

Far too many leaders fail because they think plenty about the plan and not enough about the people (p234). Do all of these things, and you will have science on your side. More important, you will have the people on your side, people who want to work for and with a leader who engenders an environment that attends to our strongest human desires: to connect, create and grow (p236).

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