Point Man, Steve Farrar
Gentlemen, we must get aggressive toward temptation. We must snort, grunt, and snarl if necessary, but we absolutely cannot be passive. We must adopt an attack mentality. (pg98)
Point Man is unapologetically for men, and Steve Farrar challenges men to “take point” – the military illustration of taking the lead and responsibility for your squad. He describes men as the “sleeping giants of the church” who have been overlooked and under equipped – as true today as it was in 1990 when written. Farrar speaks plainly on the issues men face like accountability, temptation, and the role of fathers. It’s a clarion call for men to step up to their responsibility to be the spiritual leader of their home, and finishing well requires more than mere physical presence.
Pursuit of Pleasure
Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.
-Soren Kierkegaard
Rooted and Built Up
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col 2:6-7
I continue to challenge myself with what it means to live “a life rooted” in Jesus Christ. I really like how the NASB understands these verses in Colossians and how it clearly and simply explains that each day of our lives ought to built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Simple statement, yet an ongoing challenge for each of us to consider afresh today.
Work Matters, Tom Nelson
I believe how we view our work and how we do our work matters a great deal more than we might imagine. Yet when it comes to this important area of my life, particularly how my work connects to my Christian faith, I must confess I have often found myself in a thick fog. (pg15)
As Christian business people, we struggle with the duality of our Sunday faith and our weekday vocation. In “Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work” Tom Nelson succeeds in bridging these seemingly distant shores, and does so in an easy to read conversational style that is engaging, Biblical, and thought provoking; helping us understand that all of work is a calling. Each chapter concludes with an appropriate prayer, as well as questions designed to encourage discussion and interaction with the chapter theme – making it an excellent resource for a small group study, or a weekday breakfast study group.
Work in the Spirit, Miroslav Volf
Since the whole life of a Christian is by definition a life in the Spirit, work cannot be an exception, whether that work is ecclesiastical or secular. Work in the Spirit is one dimension of the Christian walk in the Spirit. (pg viii)
Many of us, especially men, define ourselves by our work, and we struggle with our calling in life, job satisfaction, or how to find balance in our life. Yale theologian Miroslav Volf has given this careful Theological consideration, and helps us gain a new appreciation of work “in the Spirit” by building on the ideas of the Church Fathers, Luther, and Barth. He challenges us to consider work using an all-encompassing Eschatology instead of a framework from Anthropology. His Theology is sound, and though written in 1991, his conclusions remain very practical today. A challenging read, well worth the investment.
Business for the Common Good, Wong and Rae
Followers of Christ should care deeply about developing and living within a broader vision for business because doing so reflects intentionality and an allegiance to the world view that lays claim on their entire lives. (pg31)
Why do Christians have such a hard time integrating their faith into all aspects of their life including business? Why do we compartmentalize and create a divided life between Sunday and Monday? Wong & Rae do an excellent job answering these questions, and encourage readers to consider aspects of business such as globalization, stewardship, ethics, leadership and our calling to business, and balances business goals with discussions of Theology and the Christian world view. As one would expect from IVP Academic, there are lots of footnotes to document and encourage further study. Simply put, this book lays out the challenge for us to engage business with an integrated faith.
Mile 1, Paul Carter
To use Biblical language, beyond the “narrow gate” there is a “narrow way”. How do we find that way and how do we walk on it? Those are the questions that the church has done a poor job answering for the newly converted. This book is for those people. This book is not about how to get saved – there are lots of those books. This book is not about step one, it’s about Mile 1. This book is about how to move from the valley you got saved in to the elevated highway that leads to life. (Isa 35:8) (pg viii)
Rarely do we read the manual. Ever. We buy something and no matter how much more complex it is than our last one, we assume that we can “figure it out” intuitively- often with predictable results. Simply put, Mile 1 is a manual for your faith, designed for those first steps along the road less travelled.
Paul Carter writes with honesty and simplicity about areas of our faith that are nothing short of profound and utterly life changing. Though the 372 pages may seem daunting, Carter has broken the path into manageable chunks ideal for small groups or individual discipleship.
Rev. Dr. Gary Nelson
I realised that I’ve done a lot of book notations lately, and decided it was time to change that up a bit. I began thinking of people who inspire me, and challenge me as “a life rooted”, and my thoughts turned to Rev. Dr. Gary Nelson.
I recently had the opportunity to attend an Alumni BBQ at Tyndale University College and Seminary where I am alumnus of ’92 (Bth) and ’07 (MTS). I’ve been connected with Tyndale for some time, and have seen many changes and endured some of the tough times as well. In my time there, I’ve seen four Presidents at the helm, and have always felt that God has had His hand on these men. Whether academic, or accountant- all have had the right skills for the tasks at hand.
This year, we see Rev. Dr. Gary Nelson appointed as President, and I recently had the opportunity to hear him address the Alumni, and I’m really excited to see that Tyndale has chosen a President with a Pastor’s heart and love for the Church. I think that the church is currently experiencing a transition, with influences from missional movements and postmodernism, which have challenged the very definitions of “Church”. I feel strongly that Rev. Dr. Gary Nelson is in a unique position to lead Tyndale into an era of effectively motivating and training the next generation of leaders who are going to energise and reform the church to meet the needs of the times we find ourselves in.
Gary: May God richly bless you as you serve in this role at Tyndale. I pray that God will give you a sense of His presence and confirmation of His leading you in this next step in your ministry. You inspire me as “a life rooted”.
No Man Left Behind; Morley, Delk & Clemmer
Television would tell us that men are shallow thinkers, who only care about sex, beer, and sleep. These stereotypes poke fun to sell products, but our churches ought to be careful to reject these premises. “No Man Left Behind” is written to encourage healthy attitudes towards discipling men, and ministering to them where they are at, and in the challenges that they face.
…initiatives of the church serve the purpose of discipleship. You cannot produce worshippers by begging men to worship; you cannot produce tithers by guilting men to give; you can’t create evangelists simply by training men to share. Men will not worship a God they do not know and revere; they will not give to a God they don’t love; and they won’t share about a God they aren’t passionate about. Jesus’ model is to produce disciples who worship, disciples who tithe, and disciples who are passionate to share the good news about what He has done for them. -Pg 22
This is more than just a “how to” manual. It’s obvious that these authors have “been there, done that” before. They help the reader catch a vision for effective and relevant ministry, with no man left behind!
1 Cor 11:1-2 ESV
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.2 Thess 3:6 ESV
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
As I see it, Evangelical Protestant churches have failed to recognise the need to 
respect church tradition. Husbands and Greenman direct our attention to ressourcement, the theology of looking back to the ancient practices and theologians of the church in order to “draw out their significance for revitalization of the contemporary church.” No easy task for modern Christians who value independence and consider themselves forward thinking.
The 13 authors draw us into wonderful conversations with the ancient church that ought to challenge us, and help us appreciate anew the value of looking back as we strive for contemporary renewal.
