D. Richard Ferguson's Blog, page 9
July 3, 2021
Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life by Paul D. Stanley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I found this book to be extremely helpful in thinking through the concept of mentoring. Most people have kind of a narrow concept of mentoring. This book broadens the per spective, describing seven different kinds of mentoring that range from the more deliberate and intensive (such as what he refers to as discipler, spiritual guide or coach) to the more passive and less deliberate, such as someone who is simply a good model.
For each type he gives lots of examples, specifies when they are most helpful, and describes both how to be that kind of mentor and how to respond to that kind of mentor.
A few weaknesses of the book are:
* questionable theology in the section on discipleship. He seems to think that not all Christians are disciples – an error of the “anti-lordship” movement.
* Most of the examples in the book have to do with mentoring outside the Church. It would have been more helpful to have more material on spiritual mentoring within the Church.
* The authors seem to be more influenced by psychology than by biblical counseling.
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Three by Ted Dekker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of the better Ted Dekker book I’ve read. It held my interest throughout, which rarely happens with a novel (or any book for that matter). The storytelling was intriguing–especially the depiction of the delightful childhood friendship. Very heart-warming.
The message of the book is fascinating. The idea is that man has three natures, as revealed in Romans 7. The bad nature, that “keeps one sinning,” a good nature that wants to follow God’s law (but fails), and the “I” who is choosing between the two.
Dekker’s understanding of man’s nature seems to be that unregenerate man has within him both a good and bad nature, and, with God’s help, can choose the good. This falls well short of the traditional Protestant understanding of human depravity. However I still find it an interesting lens through which to consider Romans 7. Whether we want to call them three natures or not, we can’t deny that in that chapter, part of Paul only sins and another part of him longs to follow God’s law. And it may be argued a third part is the “I” who is distressed over the part that keeps sinning (though I’m not sure it’s possible to distinguish between that part and the part that wants to keep God’s law).
The traditional Protestant view (which I believe to be correct) is that it is our fallen nature that keeps sinning, and it is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that ones desires to keep God’s law. Nevertheless, the text is clear that the part of Paul that wanted to keep God’s law was indeed Paul, in a very real sense.
At any rate, an enjoyable read, and a fantastic discussion started on the nature of man.
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Thomas Wingfold, Curate by George MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The one thing I know for sure about this book is that I need to read it again. This time, slower.
For most modern fiction readers, among whom the adjective “preachy” is an epithet in describing a novel, a book like this one will be most unwelcome. Numerous sermons appear in the story, sometimes taking several pages. And most of the dialogue is comprised of long, detailed theological discussions. For that reason, the story develops very slowly. It’s actually pretty boring in many places, to be honest.
On the other hand, for those who read fiction to be changed and to grow spiritually, this book is a gold mine. Much of the book is an apologetic against atheism. And MacDonald sets forth the arguments in far greater depth that is found today in most nonfiction apologetics texts. In fact, I think if most Christians were confronted with the arguments of the antagonists in the book, they would not be able to answer them.
The story is also peppered with countless spiritual insights that require the reader to set the book down to contemplate them if they are to be fully digested.
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The Baron’s Apprenticeship by George MacDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book as a teenager, and the portrayal of the main character’s honesty was so moving to me, to this day it inspires me. This book did what Christian fiction should do–it took something I already knew (that honesty is good) and made it look so appealing that it helped me grow and change in ways nonfiction can’t.
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July 2, 2021
Animal Farm by George Orwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Just now getting around to reading the books everyone else read in high school.
Animal farm is a detailed allegory about the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of Stalin. The basic idea is the animals overthrow the oppressive farmer and take over, but soon the leaders of the revolution (the pigs) become just as oppressive as the farmer was–the story of Marxism. Each of the details in the story represents some aspect of the Bolshevik Revolution.
The story is a good one for our culture today because Marxism is making a push in the Black Lives Matter movement and politicians such as “the Squad” and many others in today’s Democrat party. The Marxist philosophy Orwell parodies in this story is on the rise today in the form of Critical Race Theory.
Critical Theory is a philosophy that says the system needs to be destroyed because it is inherently oppressive. It preys on people who feel oppressed, or who are open to be convinced they are oppressed and promises those people that if they participate in the revolution, they will finally be the ones in power.
When those people do gain power, they inevitably become just as oppressive or more oppressive than those they overthrew. (Can you imagine being governed by the rioters of 2020?)
I pray that our culture will be able to see BLM and Critical Theory for what it is and reject it.
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June 29, 2021
Set Your Mind on Things Above
Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Why is that? Why do we have so much trouble getting our bodies to do what our spirit desires? When I know my life would be so much better if I could just change my behavior in a certain area, why is it so hard?
Behavior follows thoughts. It’s impossible to live in a way that isn’t in line with your thought life. What you think about set the trajectory of your life. This is why there are so many passages of Scripture that command us to set our thoughts on godly things.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).
“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).
The Steering Wheel of Your LifeYour thought life is the steering wheel of your life. It’s impossible to let your thoughts run in one direction and steer your behavior in a different direction.
The problem is we live in a world where spiritual realities are invisible. We can see temporal things but the most important realities—spiritual laws, faith, unbelief, divine rewards, angels, demons, God, even our own hearts—all invisible.
You get up in the morning and spend 15 minutes alone with God, you pray, fill your mind with spiritual truths from God’s Word, then go out into the world where a godless culture bombards you with a secular mindset for the next 23 hours. Even if you manage to punctuate those hours with prayer, still, those prayers last for seconds, maybe minutes, but not hours.
How to Focus on God the Rest of the DayHow can you set your mind on things above for longer stretches?
The primary way—the way Jesus was most fond of and that he taught us to use—is sermons. Jesus devoted his time to preaching (Matthew 4:23). It was the reason he came into this world (Mark 1:38). He taught his disciples to do the same (Mark 3:14).
A good sermon can keep your mind on things above for an hour or longer. Sometimes a lot longer if it’s an especially memorable message.
But sermons aren’t the only way to fix your thoughts on spiritual things. What if there were a way to set not only your thoughts, but also your affections—emotions, attitudes, desires, and imagination—on spiritual realities for hours, days, or weeks?
The Role of Christian FictionThat was my goal when I set out to write the Walk with the Wind novel series. I spent years studying the art of storytelling, learning everything I could to accomplish this one purpose: to craft a story that would take abstract gospel truths and dramatize them in a such a way as to imprint them on the reader’s soul.
Most of the time, learning God’s Word is hard work. But when conveyed in a story—a story that transports you into another world to the point where you forget you’re even reading—that can press biblical truths into your heart in ways that can last a lifetime.
This is what the world does with their entertainment every day. They take worldly, godless ideas and make them seem wise and beautiful and attractive in the way they portray them in movies, novels, and other modes of storytelling.
How many times has a skilled TV screenwriter made you root for a murderer or drug dealer with their storytelling Jedi mind tricks? What if someone used those same techniques to help you love the things Scripture says are beautiful? I believe that is the role all Christian fiction should serve.
What Do You Think?I would love your opinion. Was that goal accomplished in Escape from Paradise and At War with the Wind: the Fight for Abigail? And what other books have achieved that purpose in your heart?
The post Set Your Mind on Things Above appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.
Set Your Mind on Things Above
Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Why is that? Why do we have so much trouble getting our bodies to do what our spirit desires? When I know my life would be so much better if I could just change my behavior in a certain area, why is it so hard?
Behavior follows thoughts. It’s impossible to live in a way that isn’t in line with your thought life. What you think about set the trajectory of your life. This is why there are so many passages of Scripture that command us to set our thoughts on godly things.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).
“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).
The Steering Wheel of Your LifeYour thought life is the steering wheel of your life. It’s impossible to let your thoughts run in one direction and steer your behavior in a different direction.
The problem is we live in a world where spiritual realities are invisible. We can see temporal things but the most important realities—spiritual laws, faith, unbelief, divine rewards, angels, demons, God, even our own hearts—all invisible.
You get up in the morning and spend 15 minutes alone with God, you pray, fill your mind with spiritual truths from God’s Word, then go out into the world where a godless culture bombards you with a secular mindset for the next 23 hours. Even if you manage to punctuate those hours with prayer, still, those prayers last for seconds, maybe minutes, but not hours.
How to Focus on God the Rest of the DayHow can you set your mind on things above for longer stretches?
The primary way—the way Jesus was most fond of and that he taught us to use—is sermons. Jesus devoted his time to preaching (Matthew 4:23). It was the reason he came into this world (Mark 1:38). He taught his disciples to do the same (Mark 3:14).
A good sermon can keep your mind on things above for an hour or longer. Sometimes a lot longer if it’s an especially memorable message.
But sermons aren’t the only way to fix your thoughts on spiritual things. What if there were a way to set not only your thoughts, but also your affections—emotions, attitudes, desires, and imagination—on spiritual realities for hours, days, or weeks?
The Role of Christian FictionThat was my goal when I set out to write the Walk with the Wind novel series. I spent years studying the art of storytelling, learning everything I could to accomplish this one purpose: to craft a story that would take abstract gospel truths and dramatize them in a such a way as to imprint them on the reader’s soul.
Most of the time, learning God’s Word is hard work. But when conveyed in a story—a story that transports you into another world to the point where you forget you’re even reading—that can press biblical truths into your heart in ways that can last a lifetime.
This is what the world does with their entertainment every day. They take worldly, godless ideas and make them seem wise and beautiful and attractive in the way they portray them in movies, novels, and other modes of storytelling.
How many times has a skilled TV screenwriter made you root for a murderer or drug dealer with their storytelling Jedi mind tricks? What if someone used those same techniques to help you love the things Scripture says are beautiful? I believe that is the role all Christian fiction should serve.
What Do You Think?I would love your opinion. Was that goal accomplished in Escape from Paradise and At War with the Wind: the Fight for Abigail? And what other books have achieved that purpose in your heart?
The post Set Your Mind on Things Above appeared first on D. Richard Ferguson.
June 24, 2021
Escape from Paradise Chapter 11 Study Questions
Watson’s face goes white at the news that his dear sister has been “taken.” Being taken by the little ones represents becoming captive to sin. Paul refers to our former life as unbelievers as the time when we were slaves to sin (Romans 6:20). That enslavement ends at conversion (v.22), however, even believers can voluntarily re-enslave themselves. When we give control to the flesh, we find our best efforts to forsake certain sins unsuccessful (Galatians 5:17).
Note: While Escape from Paradise is a parable of coming to salvation, At War with the Wind is a parable of a believer trying to escape bondage to a sin to which she has enslaved herself.
Giants and ChildrenApparent physical size, in the story, represents greatness in the eyes of men. The “great ones” were seen as giants by the people in the lowlands because those people had such high regard for them. The same men were seen as small in the high country because people there saw their true stature.
In our society, the “great ones” are the celebrities. It’s not uncommon to hear them described as “larger than life”—even at their funerals!
But from a biblical point of view, pop stars, athletes, and movie stars who reject Christ are not great in any sense. They are fools with such miniscule souls that they care about nothing beyond this world.
The truly great ones are people who are lowly and unimportant in the world’s eyes. This is why I depicted believers as children.
The small stature of the mountain people in the story illustrates not only the low opinion the world has of believers, but also our humility. Jesus was clear that we cannot enter heaven unless we become like a little child (Matthew 18:3).
The War, the Warriors, and the Wild AnimalsThe conflict between the cottage people and the warriors represents spiritual warfare—the battle between believers and demons.
While the lowlanders (unbelievers) see the cottage people (Christians) as enemies, the cottage people understand their opponents are the warriors (demons), not the lowlanders. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spirits (Ephesians 6:12).
The wild animals, who are the regional powers ruling the warriors, represent demons in the hierarchy of authority in the spiritual world. These beings are mentioned in Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:16, 2:15, 1 Peter 3:22, and possibly Romans 8:38.
Study QuestionsEXCERPT
“There are far worse fates than what happened to those people.”“Worse than having your chest ripped open?” -p.92
QUESTION 1
What does it mean to be afraid of God as the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell rather than fearing those who can kill the body? (Matthew 10:28)
QUESTION 2
Consider the logic Jesus uses in Matthew 5:29—30. Is there some area of your thinking that needs to be corrected by that logic (It would be better to lose _____ than to have an eternally negative outcome)?
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June 22, 2021
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is worth reading for the hostage negotiation stories alone. Easily. A very entertaining and interesting read.
Beyond that, Voss does a great job in the purpose of the book, which is to teach negotiation skills. Another plus that made this book worth my time was the fact that most of the skills are listening skills and people skills, both of which I need. They are supremely valuable skills for many matters of life that extend beyond negotiation.
One helpful tip had to do with discovering dishonesty. If you suspect a claim may not be true, ask the person about it three times, with different words. Telling a convincing lie take a lot of effort, and it’s difficult to do that three times.
Another helpful tip for me is the “mirroring” skill. People naturally want to connect with one another and be in sync with each other (notice friends sitting together at the park who take a drink or cross their legs about the same time, or walk with their steps n sync). When you mirror someone’s behavior or words (in a way that’s natural, not obnoxious), it makes them feel in sync with you and they want to participate in that. The mirroring exercise is simple–just repeat the last 2 or three words they said. Then be silent. This prompts them to expand on it. This exercise has a lot of value in negotiation, but aside from that, I see it as a helpful tool for making conversation (for those of us who are challenged in that area).
I found the book fascinating from beginning to end (which is saying a lot. I rarely find any book fascinating.)
What I Didn’t LoveThe only negatives are:
1) He uses profanity and obscenity (it’s a secular book).
2) Voss seems to take an approach to life that drives him to get the best possible outcome for himself in every negotiation. This is not compatible with Christian morality. Just because I can talk my boss into giving me a salary higher than he can afford, or my landlord a rental rate lower than he can afford, doesn’t mean I should. Sometimes we should say, “You’re offering a fair price–I’ll take it” even if we have the skills to get them to agree to less.
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June 20, 2021
Gospel Treason by Brad Bigney
Gospel Treason: Betraying the Gospel with Hidden Idols by Brad Bigney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you struggle with anger, or anxiety, or depression, or worry, or envy, or fear, or if you have any marriage or relationship struggles – I strongly recommend that you read this book or listen to the 9 sermons it came from (especially the first 3). This is the best teaching on idols of the heart I’ve ever heard. I would love it if everyone in my church read this book. It would certainly make my job as a pastor a whole lot easier.
WeaknessesDefinition of IdolatryI do, however, have two points of disagreement with the book. Bigney At one point later in the series he says that when we make idols of good desires (like ministry or your spouse), the problem is that you desire that thing too much. I disagree. I think the problem isn’t desiring it too much, but rather having desire terminate on that thing, rather than enjoying that thing as an expression of God’s love.
For example, imagine a newly married wife wants to express her love to her husband, so when he arrives home from work she has his favorite meal prepared for him. He sees the meal, interprets it exactly for the expression of love that it is, and it brings him to tears. He gives his wife a huge hug and kiss.
Now imagine that 20 years later the marriage has gone downhill. Now he comes home, sees the meal, and sits down to eat without so much as saying hello to his wife or even acknowledging that she’s in the room. He scarfs it down, thoroughly enjoys it, and the only thing he says to his wife is, “Go make me some dessert.”
What is the problem? Is it that he enjoys the meal too much and needs to learn to enjoy it less? No. The problem is he is enjoying it the wrong way. His desire terminates on the food rather than using the food to enjoy his wife’s love. In the first case, when he enjoyed the meal the right way, it was good that he enjoyed it a lot. In fact, when he enjoys it that way, the more he enjoys it the better.
So when we make idols out of good things like marriage or ministry, the problem is not that we desire those things too much. The problem is we desire them the wrong way – we are looking to those things as joy sources rather than expressions of God’s love. So our enjoyment in enjoyment of those things rather than enjoyment of God through those things.
The Solution to Man-PleasingMy second critique has to do with the problem of making an idol out of the approval of others. The solution Bigney offers is that of realizing I have God’s love and approval. I don’t need others to affirm me because God affirms me.
There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying God’s approval, and love. We most definitely should do that. But we must be careful about why we seek that approval. Is it to validate our self-importance, or is it to enjoy God’s love?
If my biggest goal is self-importance, then it’s no great virtue for me to pursue that goal through God’s affirmation rather than human affirmation. Either way, my desire terminates on me being important. Much greater joy is to be found through delighting in God’s mportance. If I give up my desire to be on stage and receive all the shouts and applause, and I prefer instead to be one of the shouting, clapping fans who is thrilled by what he is watching on the stage (God), I will be much happier.
Romans 12:3 gives us the solution to pride: each one must think of himself in accordance with the measure of faith given him. That means my importance depends on how much I trust in God. My importance is not based on how much others think I’m worth, and not even so much on how much I’m worth to God, but rather on how much God is worth to me. Whoever values God the highest – that’s the greatest soul.
Imagine a group of chefs who all desire fame. And they know that the best way to become famous is to win the “Chef of the year” award from the world’s greatest chef. So they all go to his school. But that great chef cares about these people and he knows that there is no real happiness in achieving fame. It promises happiness but doesn’t deliver. It just makes your life hard. And what he wants is for them to be truly happy. So he sets up the chef of the year award so that the only way to win it is by enjoying his cooking. Every night he makes an amazing dinner. Students are encouraged to enjoy the meals, learning to appreciate the various flavors. At the end of the class, each person is hooked up to a meter that detects pleasure sensations in the body. Whoever reaches the highest levels of pleasure while eating the great chef’s food wins the chef of the year award. That way, the great chef knows that each chef will be striving for greater and greater enjoyment and will go away happy and satisfied (rather than having all the disappointment that goes with becoming famous and then realizing that it doesn’t satisfy).
When I find the idol in my heart of the craving to have people make much of me (to be famous in their sight), the solution is not to turn that desire toward God so that God will make much of me. That won’t work. First, because I know that God loves and accepts all His children, so His loving and accepting me won’t satisfy my desire to be famous or to be on stage receiving applause.
The solution is for me to change my focus from desiring the joy of being applauded, to the much greater joy of applauding a spectacularly wonderful thing – the glory and goodness and beauty of God. People pay money at a theater, not to stand in front of the audience but to be in it. They shell out their hard-earned dollars at a concert not to be on stage but to enjoy what is on stage. So we must exchange our desire to be affirmed for the enjoyment of affirming that which is truly marvelous.
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