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Improving Your Serve-Cassette
Chuck Swindoll offers a case for unselfishness and shows why serving others can be a much more fulfilling way to life. You'll learn how a radical application of biblical principles of servanthood can transform you from the inside out..
241 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
163 people are currently reading
1121 people want to read
About the author
Charles R. Swindoll
1,019 books826 followersCharles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 26, 2018
This is one of the best books I've read, even among the the five star reads of this past year. This book is not for the wannabe or the wuss, but for those who desire to strengthen their ability to serve. Serving is not necessarily an aspiration many seem to share, nor it is a lovey bed of roses--there are thorns and Swindoll even takes a look at the dark side of service. But overall this book, to which there are parts where you may say amen or ouch, takes a close look at what service and what it isn't in light of serving God first and foremost.
September 1, 2020
This book is brutal and challenges thought processes, so be warned.
Also, the list in front of the book that lists all of the translations used, try and use them all while reading this book.
This is not an “easy” read. Get that tissue box ready.
Also, the list in front of the book that lists all of the translations used, try and use them all while reading this book.
This is not an “easy” read. Get that tissue box ready.
May 25, 2016
This was a difficult book to read because it made me realize that I need to change. It is for that reason that I recommend this book to others who, like me, need a lesson in selfless living.
January 28, 2011
Boy, did I learn from this book. Swindolls shows in Improving your Serve what servant leadership is all about and that it’s much more than willingness to do the nasty jobs no one else wants to. Being a true servant is about giving, forgiving, forgetting. It’s about a state of mind, a way of thinking, a change of the heart to truly become like Jesus.
And Swindoll makes this point by using Scripture to tell us what God has in mind for us, how He wants us to serve. His key verse is Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
For me, the biggest eye-opener was to discover through this book that much of my serving was still aimed at me. I did it to be a good leader, to show that I wasn’t above doing the dishes, or mopping the floor. But in my heart, I did it to prove something, I didn’t do it for God. I served, but I still wanted people to see it in some way and appreciate me for it.
For a full review, see: http://www.youthleadersacademy.com/im...
And Swindoll makes this point by using Scripture to tell us what God has in mind for us, how He wants us to serve. His key verse is Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
For me, the biggest eye-opener was to discover through this book that much of my serving was still aimed at me. I did it to be a good leader, to show that I wasn’t above doing the dishes, or mopping the floor. But in my heart, I did it to prove something, I didn’t do it for God. I served, but I still wanted people to see it in some way and appreciate me for it.
For a full review, see: http://www.youthleadersacademy.com/im...
January 14, 2014
The Book Improving Your Serve, by Charles R. Swindoll has helped me change my view so much on the world. It has taught me to stop thinking about the Me, Myself and I tactic and focus on serving others. The fact that the author was able to tap into my life so much amazed me. I felt as though Swindoll was speaking right to me. Like he understood everything I saw on a daily basis, as if he had known me forever. I know that because of reading this book I will definitely start changing my outlook and putting others before me. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because of the ability to really connect with the reader and ability to draw us to make a change. Overall fantastic book, I would recommend it to everyone!
March 20, 2010
How to offer yourself selflessly to other people. =)
October 6, 2009
It was a good reminder of how the Beatitudes apply to our relationships with others.
March 6, 2018
I hate to review books I haven't finished (I hate to not finish books in general), but after about 30 pages I couldn't really justify the time it would take to get through the whole book.
This book just misses. It's premise is good (being like Christ in serving others), but it's arguments and foundations are lacking. Swindoll talks of happiness, success and satisfaction and I get the impression that he communicates the principles in his book to help people live more fulfilled lives. It reads like an "unlocking the potential in your life" kind of book. Like following Christ is just another way (or even the preferred way) to making your life count and being happy while doing it.
He seems to anticipate his readers' reluctance to giving it all and writes in a chapter that I skimmed at the end of the book, "If we are truly faithful to God in every area of life, some of us may very well be called to follow Him to the ends of the earth. Many have done that. He may even ask a few of us to serve in some bold and difficult act of personal sacrifice here at home or abroad. But it's not always that way. In fact, I would say it is not even very often that way. Most of the time the Lord makes somewhat smaller demands on us...but they still require unselfishness." How sad that after 200 pages of trying convince people that it's good to serve you need to reassure them that God probably isn't going to actually ask you to do anything too hard or crazy. Don't worry. You can most likely still go about your comfortable lives and just focus on the little things that count for God. I find no biblical support for the idea that "most of the time the Lord makes somewhat smaller demands of us." The author himself quotes Luke 9:23 earlier in the book and argues that following Christ is "terribly expensive" and costly. His inconsistent application of the Bible and his own thoughts is evident throughout what I read and skimmed.
In his chapter called "A Case for Unselfishness" the author writes, "These verses [1 Peter 5:5-7] address three crucial realms related to true success: authority, attitude, and anxiety. And the best part of all of this: Following God's directives will bring the one benefit not found in the world's empty promises: a deep sense of lasting satisfaction. It's what we could call the forgotten side of success. And I would add that it is the success that will come to those who wish to develop the heart of a servant." To get to this kind of success, you must humble yourself to those who are wise, humble yourself "under God's mighty hand," and throw yourself on the mercy and care of God. When we do those things, "Instead of all those hours pushing and promoting, we'll wind up with more time for friends and family. And the Lord will even grant you some time for yourself, plus a few extra hours to go fishing!" He continues with a caution that we shouldn't confuse selfishness and good self-esteem. "Without a strong belief in ourselves, we are easily crippled and wounded in life...as a matter of fact, without a healthy ego, without the confidence that God is in us, on our side, pulling for us, we become fragile, easily bruised, counterproductive people."
So even in the chapter about not being selfish, the motivation is still about the self (wanting to be fulfilled and even have time for hobbies), and the means is a belief that God is pulling for us. Swindoll just misses the point that true Christ-like servanthood is not the means to a better life in terms of success or fulfillment, but a life for God's glory (and it may not leave us any time for fishing)!
Not only does the message still seem to be about how this perspective will change our experience in life (instead of how it will glorify God), but the author seems to be mistaken about in whose power this is achieved. He writes, "There is a better way. Jesus says, 'Be a servant, give to others!' Now that's a philosophy that anyone can understand. And, without question, it is attainable." Later on he writes that, "Deep down inside most Christians I know there is a deep-seated desire to release instead of keep...to give instead of grab. It's worth whatever it takes to let that start happening."
What I have read so far gives me the impression that you just have to want to follow Jesus, change your attitudes and follow your Christian impulses and then you will be able to be a good servant and have a better life. It's still all about self.
I believe Swindoll had good intentions. He quotes a lot of verses (which is more than I can say for a lot of "Christian" books out there) and he devotes entire sections of the chapters to the biblical basis for his perspective, but his application of them just doesn't go deep enough and he doesn't start from the most important principle: we exist for God's glory and and we rely on God to live for it. You just can't get to the right conclusions if you think we can be good Christians in our own power and for the purpose of living more fulfilled lives.
His writing reminds me of James Dobson - cultural Christianity with no real unified theology behind it. I have only read one of Dobson's books (The Strong-Willed Child) but I couldn't believe how awful it was - totally lacking in biblical principles (encouraging the exact opposite in many cases). To be fair to Swindoll (unlike Dobson), I believe he was actually trying to be biblical and I believe he really did study the Bible to come to his conclusions (he even hits on some good and accurate principles sometimes), but he still seems to be viewing Christianity through his lens of American "morality" culture instead of the a radical, all for God's glory, need God every day, fight against our flesh and his understanding of the Bible seems to lack depth and cohesion. He lacks a unified theology that ties all the verses he quotes together, not as truisms, but as a way to know God and worship him with our lives. Even in giving the author the benefit of the doubt, I couldn't recommend this book because it leaves you with the dangerous understanding that you can have it all: your comfortable American lifestyle and your service for God and others. I would be concerned that it encourages people to be lukewarm (Rev. 3:16) and leaves them with a false confidence in themselves and their service.
This book just misses. It's premise is good (being like Christ in serving others), but it's arguments and foundations are lacking. Swindoll talks of happiness, success and satisfaction and I get the impression that he communicates the principles in his book to help people live more fulfilled lives. It reads like an "unlocking the potential in your life" kind of book. Like following Christ is just another way (or even the preferred way) to making your life count and being happy while doing it.
He seems to anticipate his readers' reluctance to giving it all and writes in a chapter that I skimmed at the end of the book, "If we are truly faithful to God in every area of life, some of us may very well be called to follow Him to the ends of the earth. Many have done that. He may even ask a few of us to serve in some bold and difficult act of personal sacrifice here at home or abroad. But it's not always that way. In fact, I would say it is not even very often that way. Most of the time the Lord makes somewhat smaller demands on us...but they still require unselfishness." How sad that after 200 pages of trying convince people that it's good to serve you need to reassure them that God probably isn't going to actually ask you to do anything too hard or crazy. Don't worry. You can most likely still go about your comfortable lives and just focus on the little things that count for God. I find no biblical support for the idea that "most of the time the Lord makes somewhat smaller demands of us." The author himself quotes Luke 9:23 earlier in the book and argues that following Christ is "terribly expensive" and costly. His inconsistent application of the Bible and his own thoughts is evident throughout what I read and skimmed.
In his chapter called "A Case for Unselfishness" the author writes, "These verses [1 Peter 5:5-7] address three crucial realms related to true success: authority, attitude, and anxiety. And the best part of all of this: Following God's directives will bring the one benefit not found in the world's empty promises: a deep sense of lasting satisfaction. It's what we could call the forgotten side of success. And I would add that it is the success that will come to those who wish to develop the heart of a servant." To get to this kind of success, you must humble yourself to those who are wise, humble yourself "under God's mighty hand," and throw yourself on the mercy and care of God. When we do those things, "Instead of all those hours pushing and promoting, we'll wind up with more time for friends and family. And the Lord will even grant you some time for yourself, plus a few extra hours to go fishing!" He continues with a caution that we shouldn't confuse selfishness and good self-esteem. "Without a strong belief in ourselves, we are easily crippled and wounded in life...as a matter of fact, without a healthy ego, without the confidence that God is in us, on our side, pulling for us, we become fragile, easily bruised, counterproductive people."
So even in the chapter about not being selfish, the motivation is still about the self (wanting to be fulfilled and even have time for hobbies), and the means is a belief that God is pulling for us. Swindoll just misses the point that true Christ-like servanthood is not the means to a better life in terms of success or fulfillment, but a life for God's glory (and it may not leave us any time for fishing)!
Not only does the message still seem to be about how this perspective will change our experience in life (instead of how it will glorify God), but the author seems to be mistaken about in whose power this is achieved. He writes, "There is a better way. Jesus says, 'Be a servant, give to others!' Now that's a philosophy that anyone can understand. And, without question, it is attainable." Later on he writes that, "Deep down inside most Christians I know there is a deep-seated desire to release instead of keep...to give instead of grab. It's worth whatever it takes to let that start happening."
What I have read so far gives me the impression that you just have to want to follow Jesus, change your attitudes and follow your Christian impulses and then you will be able to be a good servant and have a better life. It's still all about self.
I believe Swindoll had good intentions. He quotes a lot of verses (which is more than I can say for a lot of "Christian" books out there) and he devotes entire sections of the chapters to the biblical basis for his perspective, but his application of them just doesn't go deep enough and he doesn't start from the most important principle: we exist for God's glory and and we rely on God to live for it. You just can't get to the right conclusions if you think we can be good Christians in our own power and for the purpose of living more fulfilled lives.
His writing reminds me of James Dobson - cultural Christianity with no real unified theology behind it. I have only read one of Dobson's books (The Strong-Willed Child) but I couldn't believe how awful it was - totally lacking in biblical principles (encouraging the exact opposite in many cases). To be fair to Swindoll (unlike Dobson), I believe he was actually trying to be biblical and I believe he really did study the Bible to come to his conclusions (he even hits on some good and accurate principles sometimes), but he still seems to be viewing Christianity through his lens of American "morality" culture instead of the a radical, all for God's glory, need God every day, fight against our flesh and his understanding of the Bible seems to lack depth and cohesion. He lacks a unified theology that ties all the verses he quotes together, not as truisms, but as a way to know God and worship him with our lives. Even in giving the author the benefit of the doubt, I couldn't recommend this book because it leaves you with the dangerous understanding that you can have it all: your comfortable American lifestyle and your service for God and others. I would be concerned that it encourages people to be lukewarm (Rev. 3:16) and leaves them with a false confidence in themselves and their service.
October 15, 2009
Becaue we are going to Kenya in November to work in mission hospital where our son and daughter in law are serving, Samaritan's Purse sent us this book by prolific writer, Charles Swindoll, to read. He challenges us to have servant's hearts, to think more highly of others than ourselves, to forgive and forget those things that hinder our relationships with others, and to show Christ to others through our words and deeds. I have lots to ponder.
March 8, 2007
This is very excellent book to encourage people to serve God and His people. Great points and illustrations and stories.
May 23, 2012
Read this book in college a few years ago. It totally challenged me (in a good way).
December 31, 2018
Excellently applicable book that is deeply rooted in scriptural analysis. While it can get repetitive, I think it’s impactful and incredibly important. One of my favorite reads of the year.
April 3, 2024
Lots of food for thought.
May 25, 2021
This book is AWESOME!!! It’s a study of what the Bible says about servant hood and how to model our lives after the best servant ever - Jesus!! It is full of conviction and practical life applications with each chapter. It truly has made me look at serving in a new light and I am SO excited to continue to apply everything I have learned!!
December 15, 2015
A young friend recommended this one to me, which was somewhat surprising as it was likely written several years before he was born. I told him early on that my antennae went up with the seeming tennis metaphor in the title (it's really not about sport, thankfully). Swindoll has here an excellent message, but I sense that its genesis springs from motivation rooted in the paradigm of greed that he speaks of as being central to the times. Several times I had a thought that this could have been written using half the words, and let me go on to actually be of service. This appears to be the only thing of Swindoll's that I've read, and perhaps I should give another work a chance when I'm not set to pre-judge it based on the title.
February 11, 2016
3.5. I first read this in a small group study while I was in university. Written in the 1980's but still culturally relevant as we live in a society dominated by self-interest. Good reminders of how Christians are called to be different--live servant lives. Opening chapters are on forgiving and forgetting, which Swindoll considers integral aspects of being servants and then he moves to the Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as key servant characteristics. The book concludes with a reminder of the call to follow Jesus' example, knowing that being a faithful servant will not be easy or applauded by all who surround us. Most of his chapters are well-grounded in scripture.
July 23, 2013
Though I have enjoyed Mr. Swindoll’s work in the pass, this book never grabbed me. Being a servant seems to be a pretty straight forward idea. After a couple of chapters, I think I got it. Though the information is good, it feels like it could have been condensed to a long essay, instead of an entire book. Charles does provide a very intriguing analogy of what it must be like for God as He watches people study the Bible, but not act on it.
April 1, 2016
This book presents a different way of living. Instead of making my life all about me, it challenges me to give and serve like Christ did. It includes some of the most profound words I've ever read in my life. Regarding personal suffering/trouble/hardship, he says we should have this perspective: "Everything I endure is designed to prepare me for serving others more effectively. Everything." (p. 189). Wow.
Currently reading
September 13, 2010Another attempt to keep the believer in the bondage of the O.T. This book cause me to struggle for years in my walk with some nonsense of being a servant. We cannot stop it (modernism)but we can read our Bibles and know what the truth is. Booksellers don't make any money unless the convince you the Bible is incomplete and you need someone to translate it for you.
September 6, 2019
A straightforward discussion of the prizes and perils of living with a servant's heart. Includes lots of scriptural references, and I appreciated them being quoted in full (often these sorts of books assume you have a Bible at the ready to look them up yourself). Despite being written in the 80's, this book remains relevant to today.
December 4, 2015
First time reading a Swindle book and I can see why his fans love him so. He has a great way of telling you some of the brutal truth without offending you. He gives a greater insight in this book on what it means to serve like Jesus served. Clear examples. I especially enjoyed that he covered the benefits of serving and also the downfalls.
November 29, 2018
This was on the Classical Conversations booklist. It's a good solid book on Christian discipleship and only loses a star because I struggled to finish it, as I always do with non-fiction books. I will see if anyone at church wants it, or if you're reading this and would like to read it, let me know!
Read
November 12, 2008Book is a great and humbling look at servant leadership taken directly from the example of Jesus.
Charles makes real applicable principles that can be applied to living like a servant even in these demanding times.
Charles makes real applicable principles that can be applied to living like a servant even in these demanding times.
May 7, 2012
I have read this book over and over several times. Every time I read it, I find something new & useful in my walk with Christ. It is the most practical approach to servanthood by far. Like Christ, we are not called to be served but to serve.
September 20, 2016
This has become one of the most challenging and most inspiring book I've read in my life as a Christian. Thank You Lord for teaching me that servanthood is the greatest work I could ever do in this life, because Christ Himself came not to be served, but to serve!
May 17, 2007
Talbot Course: Field Education
MUST READ! Take away all the desires for titles, positions, paychecks, recognition...this book is about what Serving God truly means! Swindoll is the man!!!
MUST READ! Take away all the desires for titles, positions, paychecks, recognition...this book is about what Serving God truly means! Swindoll is the man!!!
January 13, 2008
I first read this book my junior year of college and have read it several times since. Helps put things in perspective.
February 4, 2008
I was encouraged to add to my list of skills to Master : Serving Others
August 19, 2009
Wonderful, incredible book. One of my top 3 favorites of all time, all genres. This book changed my life!
September 15, 2009
All his books are great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews