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The Road We Must Travel: A Personal Guide For Your Journey
There is a road everyone must travel. Who among us doesn't need a mentor and guide to help us along the way? The Bible provides guidelines for navigating the roadblocks, detours, and potholes that keep us from reaching our desired destination. The authors deliver insights that assures spiritual helath and well-being, despite the obstacles we face on our journey.
- GenresChristianNonfiction
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2014
27 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
About the author
Francis Chan
80 books2,865 followersFrancis Chan is an American pastor and teacher, who lives in California with his wife, Lisa, and their four children. He is the former pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA, which he and his wife started in 1994.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 27, 2017
This is a book that I really enjoyed ... at times. The book is full of wisdom and insight, but I only gave it 3 stars because of the relatively wide variety in the quality of the chapters. The book is worth buying just for Francis Chan's chapter on the leading of the spirit! Highly recommended.
Here are some of the five star chapters with my favorite quotes:
1) George Macdonald, The Need for Honest Self-Assessment
In my younger years as a pastor, I was often loaded with too much energy and too many ideas to actually believe that setting aside time for quiet inner conversation was useful. The newspaper, breakfast appointments, getting work done, seemed far more attractive. It was only as the evidence began to mount—fatigue, frustration, bad decisions, faulty wisdom—that I got the message. My priorities were out of alignment. (p.12)
Here are far more “inner conversation starters” than you need, but these are some of the questions that, for me, begin to excavate the hidden gold: What have been the beautiful moments in which God may have been revealing himself to me? And what have been the evil moments when the worst in me or in the larger world showed itself? What happened this week that needs to be remembered, perhaps recorded in a journal so I can return to it in the future and recall the blessing (or the rebuke) of God? What have my prevailing feelings been (and what are they at present)? Has there been a preponderance of sadness, of fear, of anger, of emptiness? Or has it been a time when joy and enthusiasm has been the dominant mood? What have been the blessings, those acts of grace that have come through others or—as I perceive it—directly from God himself? Can I express praise and appreciation (sometimes even written in a thank-you note or journal)? Have things happened for which I need to accept responsibility, perhaps leading to repentance? Why did they happen? Were they avoidable and how can they be prevented in the future? What thoughts have been dominating my think time? Noble thoughts? Escapist thoughts that woo me away from more important or challenging issues? Superficial thoughts that lead to nowhere? Is there a possibility that I am living in denial of certain realities (for instance, painful criticism, sloppy work, habitual patterns) that are hurting me and others? Are there any resentments or ill feelings toward others that remain unaddressed, unforgiven? Visualizing myself in the company of spouse, children, friends, colleagues: am I a pleasant person to be around? Are people challenged, elevated, enthused when I enter the room? As someone has observed, “Some people bring joy wherever they go; others bring joy when they go.” Which am I? What is God trying to say into my life today? Through Scripture? Through other readings? What has he been saying through those in my inner circle of relationships? Through critics? What insights swirl up and out of the deepest parts of my soul? Which of them needs to be repudiated, and which needs to be cultivated? What are the possibilities in the hours ahead? Where might there be ambushes that would challenge character, reputation, well-being? What things might I do and say that would make the people in my inner circle feel more loved and appreciated? Am I mindful of the socially awkward, the poor, the suffering, the oppressed in my local world and in the larger world? Am I in tune with appropriate current events in the world and perceiving them through the lens of biblical perspective? What specific steps will I take today to enhance my growth as a follower of Jesus? I like to ask one more question as part of my personal inner conversation. What if today is the day I meet Jesus face to face . . . either because he returns or because I am unexpectedly called into his presence? For a people who say we believe in eternal life, this is a significant question and should not be avoided. (p.17)
2) Francis Chan, Tuning Your Engine
This wrestling with the role of the Holy Spirit has been a gradual thing over several years. For several years in my ministry, I really operated as though the Holy Spirit didn’t exist. The truth is I trusted in the flesh—the natural abilities that God gave me—the same way unbelievers trust their natural gifts. With my natural communication abilities, I could probably gather a crowd even without the Spirit. But I realized in the church there’s got to be something more beyond what I can do through my own talents. There’s got to be something supernatural, something only the Holy Spirit can do. (p.55)
I’ve got to quit trying to play the Holy Spirit’s role by forcing, manipulating, talking, and programming people into the change I want to see. Instead I’ve got to spend more time praying that the Holy Spirit would come into their lives and regenerate them. So what’s the point of all the work, sermon prep, and programs if the outcome is out of our hands? Some of our toil is wasted, because we’re toiling in the belief that these things do change people. But the experiences I related above have shown me that a lot more of our work needs to be put into prayer, study of the Word, and trusting God. I could spend an extra ten hours on every sermon, trying to get every word just right, but my time would be much better spent sharing the gospel with people and praying. (p.59)
Churches that are built through our effort rather than the Spirit’s will quickly collapse when we stop pushing and prodding people along. Of course, we should push, prod, and persuade men and women to love Christ and put their trust in the Holy Spirit, but not to do more, try harder, or get involved in more programs. I’ve learned to spend a lot more time praying and asking the Spirit to move and begging God to send forth laborers. The more you look at Scripture, the more you realize that nothing happens unless God is behind it. Jesus is building his church. I just want to be a part of that. I’ll keep doing my work, but the fruit is up to him. We can only pray, “Please, please, please let us see your Spirit at work. May it be like a mighty wind that moves us.” (p.60)
3) Eugene Peterson, Reading the Bible Spiritually
Reading the Bible not for information but to hear its voice speak to you takes practice. Pastors have to practice it first; they must enter into it. And in order to do that, pastors simply have to quit being in such a big hurry. Pastors are the busiest people in the world—always making an appointment or rushing to a meeting. They have no time to listen, and therefore they cannot teach others to listen. In fact, I think we pastors are the worst listeners. We’re so used to speaking, teaching, and giving answers. We must learn to be quiet, to quit being so verbal, to learn to pay attention to what’s going on, and to listen. This is not only about listening to the Bible, it’s about listening to people—taking time to hear the nuances in their voices and language and enter into what we’re hearing. We’re all very poorly educated in this business. (p.75)
4) Mark Buchanan, Striving for Simplicity
Simplicity is something more, something other than just doing without or doing it yourself. Its essence is neither forsaking nor striving. Its essence, rather, is listening: What has God put in your heart? Simplicity is, once having discerned that, being content with it. Simplify it further: simplicity is being content with God. (p.142)
“Oh, I love him so much, I don’t know where to begin to tell you how good he is.” “Begin there, sister! Begin right there!” “Oh,” she said, “he is so good to me. I praise him all the time for how good he is to me. For three months, I prayed to the Lord for shoes. And look!” And at that the woman cocked up her leg so that we could see one foot. One very ordinary shoe covered it. “He gave me shoes. Hallelujah, he is so good.” And the Ugandans clapped and yelled and shouted back, “Hallelujah!” I didn’t. I was devastated. I sat there hollowed out, hammered down. In all my life I had not once prayed for shoes. And in all my life I had not once thanked God for the many, many shoes I had. As I later tried to sort that out, I looked at a lot of Scriptures about being thankful. I discovered that being thankful and experiencing the power and presence of Jesus Christ are tightly entwined. As we practice thankfulness, we experience more of God’s transforming grace, God’s thereness. I looked again at 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “No matter what happens, always be thankful” (TLB). And then at Ephesians 5:20: “Always give thanks for everything to God” (TLB). And it came to me that the deepest theological concept is not the doctrine of the Incarnation, or the theories of Atonement, or the arguments for theodicy. Not views on premillennialism or supralapsarianism, nor ideas about tribulationism or dispensationalism. No, the deepest theological concept is thankfulness. Because to know God is to thank God. To worship God is to thank God. And to thank God in all things and for all things is to acknowledge that God is good, perfectly good, and perfectly just, and perfectly powerful—and that all things do work together for good for those who love God and have been called according to God’s purposes. Thankfulness is an act of subversion against the Cult of the Next Thing. (p.144)
Earlier, I spoke about defying Mammon, breaking out of his cult. But that in itself leads nowhere. Once we defy it, then what? If we refuse the lure of the Next Thing, what will we replace it with? The answer is God. We will live—fully, joyfully—in the presence of God. Consumerism’s worst effect is it shunts us away from God’s presence. It always ushers us into the wrong place. Is it possible that the God who made the heavens and the earth, who hewed mountains and poured seas, the God who raises the dead, the God who knit you together in your mother’s womb, numbered your days, knows your thoughts, knows you by name, and says to you, “Everything I have is yours”—is it possible, I’m asking, that that’s not enough? That we won’t be happy until our kitchen is renovated, or we’ve bought a better car, or visited Europe? And then we won’t be happy anyway? Is that possible? The Cult of the Next Thing guarantees it. Is God who he says he is? That is the crux. If God isn’t, then “let’s eat, drink, and be merry. … What’s the difference, for tomorrow we die.” 85 But if God is God, it is only a cruel form of self-spite to spurn the true God for a lesser god—especially a sloppy, bullying ingrate like Mammon, the pig-god, and his miserable cult. (p.151)
Here are some of the five star chapters with my favorite quotes:
1) George Macdonald, The Need for Honest Self-Assessment
In my younger years as a pastor, I was often loaded with too much energy and too many ideas to actually believe that setting aside time for quiet inner conversation was useful. The newspaper, breakfast appointments, getting work done, seemed far more attractive. It was only as the evidence began to mount—fatigue, frustration, bad decisions, faulty wisdom—that I got the message. My priorities were out of alignment. (p.12)
Here are far more “inner conversation starters” than you need, but these are some of the questions that, for me, begin to excavate the hidden gold: What have been the beautiful moments in which God may have been revealing himself to me? And what have been the evil moments when the worst in me or in the larger world showed itself? What happened this week that needs to be remembered, perhaps recorded in a journal so I can return to it in the future and recall the blessing (or the rebuke) of God? What have my prevailing feelings been (and what are they at present)? Has there been a preponderance of sadness, of fear, of anger, of emptiness? Or has it been a time when joy and enthusiasm has been the dominant mood? What have been the blessings, those acts of grace that have come through others or—as I perceive it—directly from God himself? Can I express praise and appreciation (sometimes even written in a thank-you note or journal)? Have things happened for which I need to accept responsibility, perhaps leading to repentance? Why did they happen? Were they avoidable and how can they be prevented in the future? What thoughts have been dominating my think time? Noble thoughts? Escapist thoughts that woo me away from more important or challenging issues? Superficial thoughts that lead to nowhere? Is there a possibility that I am living in denial of certain realities (for instance, painful criticism, sloppy work, habitual patterns) that are hurting me and others? Are there any resentments or ill feelings toward others that remain unaddressed, unforgiven? Visualizing myself in the company of spouse, children, friends, colleagues: am I a pleasant person to be around? Are people challenged, elevated, enthused when I enter the room? As someone has observed, “Some people bring joy wherever they go; others bring joy when they go.” Which am I? What is God trying to say into my life today? Through Scripture? Through other readings? What has he been saying through those in my inner circle of relationships? Through critics? What insights swirl up and out of the deepest parts of my soul? Which of them needs to be repudiated, and which needs to be cultivated? What are the possibilities in the hours ahead? Where might there be ambushes that would challenge character, reputation, well-being? What things might I do and say that would make the people in my inner circle feel more loved and appreciated? Am I mindful of the socially awkward, the poor, the suffering, the oppressed in my local world and in the larger world? Am I in tune with appropriate current events in the world and perceiving them through the lens of biblical perspective? What specific steps will I take today to enhance my growth as a follower of Jesus? I like to ask one more question as part of my personal inner conversation. What if today is the day I meet Jesus face to face . . . either because he returns or because I am unexpectedly called into his presence? For a people who say we believe in eternal life, this is a significant question and should not be avoided. (p.17)
2) Francis Chan, Tuning Your Engine
This wrestling with the role of the Holy Spirit has been a gradual thing over several years. For several years in my ministry, I really operated as though the Holy Spirit didn’t exist. The truth is I trusted in the flesh—the natural abilities that God gave me—the same way unbelievers trust their natural gifts. With my natural communication abilities, I could probably gather a crowd even without the Spirit. But I realized in the church there’s got to be something more beyond what I can do through my own talents. There’s got to be something supernatural, something only the Holy Spirit can do. (p.55)
I’ve got to quit trying to play the Holy Spirit’s role by forcing, manipulating, talking, and programming people into the change I want to see. Instead I’ve got to spend more time praying that the Holy Spirit would come into their lives and regenerate them. So what’s the point of all the work, sermon prep, and programs if the outcome is out of our hands? Some of our toil is wasted, because we’re toiling in the belief that these things do change people. But the experiences I related above have shown me that a lot more of our work needs to be put into prayer, study of the Word, and trusting God. I could spend an extra ten hours on every sermon, trying to get every word just right, but my time would be much better spent sharing the gospel with people and praying. (p.59)
Churches that are built through our effort rather than the Spirit’s will quickly collapse when we stop pushing and prodding people along. Of course, we should push, prod, and persuade men and women to love Christ and put their trust in the Holy Spirit, but not to do more, try harder, or get involved in more programs. I’ve learned to spend a lot more time praying and asking the Spirit to move and begging God to send forth laborers. The more you look at Scripture, the more you realize that nothing happens unless God is behind it. Jesus is building his church. I just want to be a part of that. I’ll keep doing my work, but the fruit is up to him. We can only pray, “Please, please, please let us see your Spirit at work. May it be like a mighty wind that moves us.” (p.60)
3) Eugene Peterson, Reading the Bible Spiritually
Reading the Bible not for information but to hear its voice speak to you takes practice. Pastors have to practice it first; they must enter into it. And in order to do that, pastors simply have to quit being in such a big hurry. Pastors are the busiest people in the world—always making an appointment or rushing to a meeting. They have no time to listen, and therefore they cannot teach others to listen. In fact, I think we pastors are the worst listeners. We’re so used to speaking, teaching, and giving answers. We must learn to be quiet, to quit being so verbal, to learn to pay attention to what’s going on, and to listen. This is not only about listening to the Bible, it’s about listening to people—taking time to hear the nuances in their voices and language and enter into what we’re hearing. We’re all very poorly educated in this business. (p.75)
4) Mark Buchanan, Striving for Simplicity
Simplicity is something more, something other than just doing without or doing it yourself. Its essence is neither forsaking nor striving. Its essence, rather, is listening: What has God put in your heart? Simplicity is, once having discerned that, being content with it. Simplify it further: simplicity is being content with God. (p.142)
“Oh, I love him so much, I don’t know where to begin to tell you how good he is.” “Begin there, sister! Begin right there!” “Oh,” she said, “he is so good to me. I praise him all the time for how good he is to me. For three months, I prayed to the Lord for shoes. And look!” And at that the woman cocked up her leg so that we could see one foot. One very ordinary shoe covered it. “He gave me shoes. Hallelujah, he is so good.” And the Ugandans clapped and yelled and shouted back, “Hallelujah!” I didn’t. I was devastated. I sat there hollowed out, hammered down. In all my life I had not once prayed for shoes. And in all my life I had not once thanked God for the many, many shoes I had. As I later tried to sort that out, I looked at a lot of Scriptures about being thankful. I discovered that being thankful and experiencing the power and presence of Jesus Christ are tightly entwined. As we practice thankfulness, we experience more of God’s transforming grace, God’s thereness. I looked again at 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “No matter what happens, always be thankful” (TLB). And then at Ephesians 5:20: “Always give thanks for everything to God” (TLB). And it came to me that the deepest theological concept is not the doctrine of the Incarnation, or the theories of Atonement, or the arguments for theodicy. Not views on premillennialism or supralapsarianism, nor ideas about tribulationism or dispensationalism. No, the deepest theological concept is thankfulness. Because to know God is to thank God. To worship God is to thank God. And to thank God in all things and for all things is to acknowledge that God is good, perfectly good, and perfectly just, and perfectly powerful—and that all things do work together for good for those who love God and have been called according to God’s purposes. Thankfulness is an act of subversion against the Cult of the Next Thing. (p.144)
Earlier, I spoke about defying Mammon, breaking out of his cult. But that in itself leads nowhere. Once we defy it, then what? If we refuse the lure of the Next Thing, what will we replace it with? The answer is God. We will live—fully, joyfully—in the presence of God. Consumerism’s worst effect is it shunts us away from God’s presence. It always ushers us into the wrong place. Is it possible that the God who made the heavens and the earth, who hewed mountains and poured seas, the God who raises the dead, the God who knit you together in your mother’s womb, numbered your days, knows your thoughts, knows you by name, and says to you, “Everything I have is yours”—is it possible, I’m asking, that that’s not enough? That we won’t be happy until our kitchen is renovated, or we’ve bought a better car, or visited Europe? And then we won’t be happy anyway? Is that possible? The Cult of the Next Thing guarantees it. Is God who he says he is? That is the crux. If God isn’t, then “let’s eat, drink, and be merry. … What’s the difference, for tomorrow we die.” 85 But if God is God, it is only a cruel form of self-spite to spurn the true God for a lesser god—especially a sloppy, bullying ingrate like Mammon, the pig-god, and his miserable cult. (p.151)
September 6, 2016
The first section by Gordon MacDonald reminded me of Step number 10 of the 12 Steps programs and as I continued to read realized that in so many ways the guidance in this books reflects the same guidance of the 12 steps.
A trip requires a beginning and a destination and how we get there depends on the roads we travel. Traveling well means keeping ourselves well-tuned and in good repair. Just as a car needs to cared for so do we and in "The Road We Must Travel" the guidance, wisdom, and suggestions shared are methods to keeping ourselves well-tuned and in good repair.
Self-assessment, tuning our spirits, taking Sabbaths, staying constant in trouble, traveling light, and keeping our vision alive are all things we should be paying attention to in our Christian life and yet so many of us do not. At the end of any given road we can feel exhausted, worn out, having a nervous breakdown, a broken marriage or other broken relationships and faithless.
Instead of just guessing what might happen along the way prepare yourself with the guidelines in this book and take some of the stress off yourself and enjoy the journey as it was meant to be. A very good read no matter where you are in your Christian journey.
A trip requires a beginning and a destination and how we get there depends on the roads we travel. Traveling well means keeping ourselves well-tuned and in good repair. Just as a car needs to cared for so do we and in "The Road We Must Travel" the guidance, wisdom, and suggestions shared are methods to keeping ourselves well-tuned and in good repair.
Self-assessment, tuning our spirits, taking Sabbaths, staying constant in trouble, traveling light, and keeping our vision alive are all things we should be paying attention to in our Christian life and yet so many of us do not. At the end of any given road we can feel exhausted, worn out, having a nervous breakdown, a broken marriage or other broken relationships and faithless.
Instead of just guessing what might happen along the way prepare yourself with the guidelines in this book and take some of the stress off yourself and enjoy the journey as it was meant to be. A very good read no matter where you are in your Christian journey.
July 16, 2015
Highly respected, best-selling spiritual mentors, including Francis Chan, Eugene Peterson (The Message), Bill Hybels, and others, provide guidance as you navigate uncharted roads ahead.
--My thoughts. This book is so wonderful, one that you will have to give as gifts to all you know. Read it, use it for your bible studies. One of the many things I really liked was, instead of looking to Jesus for our significance and value, we often look to insignificant things. That is so true. There are 12 stops. These authors, some I didn't know well, and some I did. I loved hearing their thoughts and studying from them.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
--My thoughts. This book is so wonderful, one that you will have to give as gifts to all you know. Read it, use it for your bible studies. One of the many things I really liked was, instead of looking to Jesus for our significance and value, we often look to insignificant things. That is so true. There are 12 stops. These authors, some I didn't know well, and some I did. I loved hearing their thoughts and studying from them.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 26, 2014
I read a lot of books and I have read a number of books by authors in this collection going back many years. Few books really captivate me from the beginning these days. This book did, from starting to read the introduction I could hardly out the book down. The book beings with this example:
"It's all about the blue highlight.
The paper roadmaps earlier generations used to fold, crease, scribble on, repair with Scotch tape, and spread out on kitchen tables, shady picnic benches, and the front seats of station wagons and minivans have mostly faded from view.
It's all digital now.
The new maps are bright, intuitive, up-to-date, high-definition depictions glowing on the screens of smart phones, tablets, laptops, and sleek GPS units. These are maps that don't tear along the folds, wedge themselves between car seats, or soak up spilled coffee. You don't have to turn the glove compartment inside out to find them, and it doesn't take an engineering degree to refold them. You simply type in where you are, where you want to go and . . . voilà. There it is. The sweet certainty of what you wanted to know.
The blue highlight.
That calming, comforting, unmistakable sapphire line overlaying your course, illuminating your way, boldly directing you from Point A to Point B by the most efficient route.
Now . . . if only we had a blue highlight in life.
Wouldn't that be something? Key in where you are right now, enter "Heaven" as your final destination, and push the button. And there before your appreciative eyes is the course for the rest of your life-from now until you step across the threshold of glory.
But it doesn't work that way, does it? It's good and it's comforting to have a Point A and a Point B in our lives, but where is the line marking our route? What's around the bend? Where are the intersections?
What's the mileage? Will it be an eight-lane freeway or a winding, backcountry road with a few bridges washed out along the way?
How long will it take? Where are the exits, vistas, scenic byways, and rest stops?
We can ask all the specifics we like, but it really won't help. No one knows the precise route each of us will take to the other side.
There may be a clear destination-and thank God for that-but there is no blue highlight marking the course from here to there.
Sometimes that's okay, and sometimes it is not. We might even identify with Thomas who, in the grip of sorrow and fear, blurted out, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"1
Jesus, of course, told his anxious friend, "I am the way."
And he is! But he doesn't show any of us a highlighted route.
That remains a day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment proposition.
As Solomon noted: "The mind of man plans his way, but the
Lord directs his steps."2
We can, however, do this much: We can make sure we are prepared for the journey, no matter what the route might be. This book is all about that. It's not a road atlas, it's more like a travelogue, with strong ideas and helps for navigating life. No, it's not exactly like Rick Steves Does Europe, but here are twelve wise, seasoned, and companionable travelers who offer thoughtful, biblical counsel for our problems, solutions to common roadblocks, and welcome encouragement for the highway that lies ahead.
Yes, like it or not, we're all on the same road trip.
But not all of us travel with peace and perspective.
With a little help from these friends, maybe we can."
I was part way through reading this and stopped and read it out loud to my wife. We both thought of people who would love it. And the book goes on from there and just keeps getting better. This book was an amazing read. It is a wonderful collection of articles to help you on the journey of life. The contributors are:
Francis Chan
Eugene Paterson
Bill Hybels
Ruth Barton
Gordon MacDonald
Mark Buchanan
Nathan Conrad
Steve May
Tullian Tchividjian
Skye Jethani
Mark Labberton
Donald Sunukjian
And the chapters are:
Contents:
Introduction
Part I: Roadworthy
1. The Need for Honest Self-Assessment - Gordon MacDonald
2. Look at Yourself First - Bill Hybels
3. Avoiding Cultural Contamination - Mark Buchanan
4. The Fall - Nathan Conrad
Part II: Necessary Repairs
5. Tuning Your Engine - Francis Chan
6. Sharpen Your Sixth Sense - Bill Hybels
7. Reading the Bible Spiritually - Eugene Peterson
8. Tame the Restless Evil - Steve May
Part III: Washouts and Detours
9. Trouble Happens - Tullian Tchividjian
10. The Art of Managing Conflict - Gordon MacDonald
11. Bad Situations Are Great Opportunities - Mark Buchanan
Part IV: Traveling Light
12. A Steady Rhythm - Ruth Haley Barton
13. The Crucial Need for Regular Rest - Gordon MacDonald
14. Striving for Simplicity - Mark Buchanan
Part V: Peripheral Vision
15. Mentoring Others to Spiritual Maturity - Gordon MacDonald
16. Yield the Right-of-Way - Skye Jethani
17. The First Rule of the Road: Love - Mark Labberton
18. See with the Eyes of a Doctor - Donald Sunukjian
Notes
I think my favourite chapters was Mark Buchanan's - Avoid Cultural Contamination. This was an awesome read and I highly recommend it!
Read the review on my blogBook Reviews and More.
"It's all about the blue highlight.
The paper roadmaps earlier generations used to fold, crease, scribble on, repair with Scotch tape, and spread out on kitchen tables, shady picnic benches, and the front seats of station wagons and minivans have mostly faded from view.
It's all digital now.
The new maps are bright, intuitive, up-to-date, high-definition depictions glowing on the screens of smart phones, tablets, laptops, and sleek GPS units. These are maps that don't tear along the folds, wedge themselves between car seats, or soak up spilled coffee. You don't have to turn the glove compartment inside out to find them, and it doesn't take an engineering degree to refold them. You simply type in where you are, where you want to go and . . . voilà. There it is. The sweet certainty of what you wanted to know.
The blue highlight.
That calming, comforting, unmistakable sapphire line overlaying your course, illuminating your way, boldly directing you from Point A to Point B by the most efficient route.
Now . . . if only we had a blue highlight in life.
Wouldn't that be something? Key in where you are right now, enter "Heaven" as your final destination, and push the button. And there before your appreciative eyes is the course for the rest of your life-from now until you step across the threshold of glory.
But it doesn't work that way, does it? It's good and it's comforting to have a Point A and a Point B in our lives, but where is the line marking our route? What's around the bend? Where are the intersections?
What's the mileage? Will it be an eight-lane freeway or a winding, backcountry road with a few bridges washed out along the way?
How long will it take? Where are the exits, vistas, scenic byways, and rest stops?
We can ask all the specifics we like, but it really won't help. No one knows the precise route each of us will take to the other side.
There may be a clear destination-and thank God for that-but there is no blue highlight marking the course from here to there.
Sometimes that's okay, and sometimes it is not. We might even identify with Thomas who, in the grip of sorrow and fear, blurted out, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"1
Jesus, of course, told his anxious friend, "I am the way."
And he is! But he doesn't show any of us a highlighted route.
That remains a day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment proposition.
As Solomon noted: "The mind of man plans his way, but the
Lord directs his steps."2
We can, however, do this much: We can make sure we are prepared for the journey, no matter what the route might be. This book is all about that. It's not a road atlas, it's more like a travelogue, with strong ideas and helps for navigating life. No, it's not exactly like Rick Steves Does Europe, but here are twelve wise, seasoned, and companionable travelers who offer thoughtful, biblical counsel for our problems, solutions to common roadblocks, and welcome encouragement for the highway that lies ahead.
Yes, like it or not, we're all on the same road trip.
But not all of us travel with peace and perspective.
With a little help from these friends, maybe we can."
I was part way through reading this and stopped and read it out loud to my wife. We both thought of people who would love it. And the book goes on from there and just keeps getting better. This book was an amazing read. It is a wonderful collection of articles to help you on the journey of life. The contributors are:
Francis Chan
Eugene Paterson
Bill Hybels
Ruth Barton
Gordon MacDonald
Mark Buchanan
Nathan Conrad
Steve May
Tullian Tchividjian
Skye Jethani
Mark Labberton
Donald Sunukjian
And the chapters are:
Contents:
Introduction
Part I: Roadworthy
1. The Need for Honest Self-Assessment - Gordon MacDonald
2. Look at Yourself First - Bill Hybels
3. Avoiding Cultural Contamination - Mark Buchanan
4. The Fall - Nathan Conrad
Part II: Necessary Repairs
5. Tuning Your Engine - Francis Chan
6. Sharpen Your Sixth Sense - Bill Hybels
7. Reading the Bible Spiritually - Eugene Peterson
8. Tame the Restless Evil - Steve May
Part III: Washouts and Detours
9. Trouble Happens - Tullian Tchividjian
10. The Art of Managing Conflict - Gordon MacDonald
11. Bad Situations Are Great Opportunities - Mark Buchanan
Part IV: Traveling Light
12. A Steady Rhythm - Ruth Haley Barton
13. The Crucial Need for Regular Rest - Gordon MacDonald
14. Striving for Simplicity - Mark Buchanan
Part V: Peripheral Vision
15. Mentoring Others to Spiritual Maturity - Gordon MacDonald
16. Yield the Right-of-Way - Skye Jethani
17. The First Rule of the Road: Love - Mark Labberton
18. See with the Eyes of a Doctor - Donald Sunukjian
Notes
I think my favourite chapters was Mark Buchanan's - Avoid Cultural Contamination. This was an awesome read and I highly recommend it!
Read the review on my blogBook Reviews and More.
March 31, 2014
Eighteen authors in their new book, “The Road We Must Travel” published by Worthy Publishing gives us A Personal Guide for Your Journey.
From the back cover: Navigating Uncharted Territory?
Do you ever wish you had a map of your life with a highlighted route telling you where to go? Do you wish you could ask a mentor for advice about how to get through the roadblocks in your way?
The Road We Must Travel brings you thirteen seasoned companions to join you on life’s travels. Authors and pastors including Francis Chan, Bill Hybels, Ruth Haley Barton and Eugene Peterson offer words of encouragement, wisdom, and biblical counsel on circumstances that affect us all. Together these spiritual mentors address questions such as:
How do I figure out my calling?
What does it look like to listen for the Holy Spirit in my life?
How do I live as a Christian in today’s culture?
How can I find purpose in suffering?
What steps can I take to resolve conflict?
How can I break free from my constant busyness?
We’re all on the same road trip, heading toward the same destination. With help from those who travel ahead of us, we can find peace and perspective on the journey.
Ever go on a long trip? Unless you planned specific breaks, things/places to look at, lunch/snacks, bathroom, by the time you reach your destination you will be exhausted and maybe not in a good humor. Now what would this trip be like if you had no idea of where you were going? Well take heart eighteen authors have joined forces to give us some idea of what to expect and how to take “The Road We Must Travel”. In Five parts, four or three chapters to a part, we are given tools to help us as we travel along the way. We all have our road and we all need a guide so I believe that this book is for everyone. It would also make a great gift for friends and family to help them in their journey.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Worthy Publishing for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: Navigating Uncharted Territory?
Do you ever wish you had a map of your life with a highlighted route telling you where to go? Do you wish you could ask a mentor for advice about how to get through the roadblocks in your way?
The Road We Must Travel brings you thirteen seasoned companions to join you on life’s travels. Authors and pastors including Francis Chan, Bill Hybels, Ruth Haley Barton and Eugene Peterson offer words of encouragement, wisdom, and biblical counsel on circumstances that affect us all. Together these spiritual mentors address questions such as:
How do I figure out my calling?
What does it look like to listen for the Holy Spirit in my life?
How do I live as a Christian in today’s culture?
How can I find purpose in suffering?
What steps can I take to resolve conflict?
How can I break free from my constant busyness?
We’re all on the same road trip, heading toward the same destination. With help from those who travel ahead of us, we can find peace and perspective on the journey.
Ever go on a long trip? Unless you planned specific breaks, things/places to look at, lunch/snacks, bathroom, by the time you reach your destination you will be exhausted and maybe not in a good humor. Now what would this trip be like if you had no idea of where you were going? Well take heart eighteen authors have joined forces to give us some idea of what to expect and how to take “The Road We Must Travel”. In Five parts, four or three chapters to a part, we are given tools to help us as we travel along the way. We all have our road and we all need a guide so I believe that this book is for everyone. It would also make a great gift for friends and family to help them in their journey.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Worthy Publishing for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 18, 2015
A road map isn’t at all useful unless you know where you are. It’s not useful unless you know where your destination is. Life isn’t a “Point A” to “Point B” journey anyway. We have so many detours, points of interest and flat tires to contend with. So many times we get caught up in the scenery that we forget to advance. We get weary and want the trip to come to an end. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Will Jesus be looking for us when we get there?
In “The Road We Must Travel” Francis Chan, Eugene Peterson, Bill Hybels and many others join together to pen a personal guide for us. Tullian Tchividjian tells us in a chapter titled “Trouble Happens”: “The truth is, we are broken people living in a fallen world with other broken people…Life in this broken world is suffering.” But he doesn’t just leave us there. He takes us on to realize that grief is an act of worship. Pain leads to freedom, and deep suffering, as bad as it is, leads to deep surrender. “Sometimes God is actually saving us when it feels like he’s killing us.”
Mark Buchanan entertains us as he admits that he is much like Jonah. So is the “church”. Or more like Esther…. depending on the circumstances. Gordon MacDonald confesses that he has run from conflict because he thought that was the Christian way but healthy conflict should be about the energetic search for a better idea, not about winning or losing.
I’ve been thrilled with Ruth Haley Barton’s chapter on being fully present to God and present to other people. This may very well be the quality we all lose so easily.
“You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.” –Psalm 139:3 TLB
“We’re all on the same road trip, heading toward the same destination. With help from those who’ve traveled ahead of us, we can find peace and perspective on the journey.” The Road We Must Travel-A Personal Guide for Your Journey
In “The Road We Must Travel” Francis Chan, Eugene Peterson, Bill Hybels and many others join together to pen a personal guide for us. Tullian Tchividjian tells us in a chapter titled “Trouble Happens”: “The truth is, we are broken people living in a fallen world with other broken people…Life in this broken world is suffering.” But he doesn’t just leave us there. He takes us on to realize that grief is an act of worship. Pain leads to freedom, and deep suffering, as bad as it is, leads to deep surrender. “Sometimes God is actually saving us when it feels like he’s killing us.”
Mark Buchanan entertains us as he admits that he is much like Jonah. So is the “church”. Or more like Esther…. depending on the circumstances. Gordon MacDonald confesses that he has run from conflict because he thought that was the Christian way but healthy conflict should be about the energetic search for a better idea, not about winning or losing.
I’ve been thrilled with Ruth Haley Barton’s chapter on being fully present to God and present to other people. This may very well be the quality we all lose so easily.
“You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.” –Psalm 139:3 TLB
“We’re all on the same road trip, heading toward the same destination. With help from those who’ve traveled ahead of us, we can find peace and perspective on the journey.” The Road We Must Travel-A Personal Guide for Your Journey
April 2, 2014
Get your highlighters and sticky notes ready because you are definitely going to need them while reading this book. The introduction of the book sets the stage for the journey that lies ahead. We are all on a journey, in fact it is basically the same journey. Wouldn't it be nice to have a road map or GPS system that we could just input our current location and then Heaven as our ultimate destination and then get the perfect route?
While we don't exactly have that tool we do have some that are ultimately more powerful. Each of the sections of the book helps to break that journey down into segments and apply tools that will guide us through each of these points in our journeys.
Francis Chan, Eugene Peterson, and Bill Hybels' names are on the cover but there are ten other authors that are included in the book. I enjoyed reading the insights of such varied and esteemed Christian leaders. The groupings of the segments made it a cohesive book that flowed nicely from one segment to the next even though there were so many different authors.
I think you will be blessed by this book. Parts of it are sure to give you affirmation that you are on the right road and headed in the right direction. Other parts will give you encouragement to keep pressing on towards the end destination. Throughout the book we are constantly reminded that no matter what we plan, God still directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9) and that is the best guidance we will ever receive.
I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.
While we don't exactly have that tool we do have some that are ultimately more powerful. Each of the sections of the book helps to break that journey down into segments and apply tools that will guide us through each of these points in our journeys.
Francis Chan, Eugene Peterson, and Bill Hybels' names are on the cover but there are ten other authors that are included in the book. I enjoyed reading the insights of such varied and esteemed Christian leaders. The groupings of the segments made it a cohesive book that flowed nicely from one segment to the next even though there were so many different authors.
I think you will be blessed by this book. Parts of it are sure to give you affirmation that you are on the right road and headed in the right direction. Other parts will give you encouragement to keep pressing on towards the end destination. Throughout the book we are constantly reminded that no matter what we plan, God still directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9) and that is the best guidance we will ever receive.
I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.
March 26, 2014
"The Road We Must Travel" is a compilation book with some well known authors and not so well known (at least to this blogger). The book is a easy read, which can be read easily as a devotional or in small chunks of time.
Gordon MacDonald discussing "Questions for Inner Conversation" will resonate with readers:
"The questions I (MacDonald) like most search one's heart...They are meant to test the inner space of one's life and prompt conversation that leads to light."
The rest of the review can be read on my blog, (www.dawnwhitmorespeaks.org) "Dawn's Dialogue"
Gordon MacDonald discussing "Questions for Inner Conversation" will resonate with readers:
"The questions I (MacDonald) like most search one's heart...They are meant to test the inner space of one's life and prompt conversation that leads to light."
The rest of the review can be read on my blog, (www.dawnwhitmorespeaks.org) "Dawn's Dialogue"
March 10, 2015
Train your youths to be pure like Daniel. walk the path of purity vs one of morality.
That's my greatest takeaway from the book.
The rest, I don't mean to sound arrogant but I am quite familiar with the teachings, though it is always fresh to hear stories from others, and use the text to ponder and reflect on my own leadership practices, and whether my philosophy clashes with what God wants to see done.
That's my greatest takeaway from the book.
The rest, I don't mean to sound arrogant but I am quite familiar with the teachings, though it is always fresh to hear stories from others, and use the text to ponder and reflect on my own leadership practices, and whether my philosophy clashes with what God wants to see done.
August 8, 2014
Book really aimed at leaders. How to do appropriate self care, deal with trouble, how to "see" people on our journey.
May 11, 2020
This book is uplifting👍🏾
March 4, 2025
Un libro excelente. Cada capítulo te hace reflexionar sobre diferentes áreas de tu vida, necesarias aún cuando el libro pareciese ser enfocado a personas con cargos de liderazgo; considero que todos (aún sin esta responsabilidad) deberían leerlo por lo menos una vez. Un libro excelente para transformar vidas, de cristianos tibios a hijos de Dios apasionados por parecerse al corazón de Cristo.
October 1, 2024
Reflection is an inner conversation - discourse one generates with oneself and with God. A time of inner conversation is personal and private.
Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the Faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups.
Unacquainted with the inner person, they set themselves up for possible disaster. “Exceptional leaders distinguish themselves because of superior self-leadership”. Goleman.
The best gift you can give the people you Lead is a healthy, energized, fully surrendered, focused self. And no one can do that for you. You’ve got to do that for yourself.
Every time you compromise character, you compromise leadership. “I’d rather study the Scriptures and live such a life that when I pray or speak, the Spirit gives me what He wants me to say.” - Francis Chan
Within the church, Hod wants us to be interdependent. We are directed to care for one another, look out for one another, and we are to be each other’s security.
Our job is not to get as many people into church as possible. Our job is to make sure that we’re setting a biblical pattern.
The commitment to follow Jesus is like marriage. It’s a lifelong commitment for better or for worse. If someone is not ready to make that commitment, then they shouldn’t get married.
Your ability or inability to control your tongue will determine more than anything else in the level of success you enjoy in your relationships.
We need to get into the habit of speaking carefully. We need to learn to think first, talk second.
Words have tremendous power, and we need to make sure we use them carefully.
In guarding our lips this way, we guard our lives, we strengthen our relationships, and we build up others to a close walk with God.
Character is demonstrated more by our reactions than our actions.
What we are made of - who we really are - comes out in times of pain and desperation. “The flavor of a tea bag comes out best when you put it in hot water.” When pain and tragedy strikes, God expects from us an emotionally realistic response.
Suffering exposes the foundation of your life.
In life we can have the eyes of a judge or a doctor.
Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the Faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups.
Unacquainted with the inner person, they set themselves up for possible disaster. “Exceptional leaders distinguish themselves because of superior self-leadership”. Goleman.
The best gift you can give the people you Lead is a healthy, energized, fully surrendered, focused self. And no one can do that for you. You’ve got to do that for yourself.
Every time you compromise character, you compromise leadership. “I’d rather study the Scriptures and live such a life that when I pray or speak, the Spirit gives me what He wants me to say.” - Francis Chan
Within the church, Hod wants us to be interdependent. We are directed to care for one another, look out for one another, and we are to be each other’s security.
Our job is not to get as many people into church as possible. Our job is to make sure that we’re setting a biblical pattern.
The commitment to follow Jesus is like marriage. It’s a lifelong commitment for better or for worse. If someone is not ready to make that commitment, then they shouldn’t get married.
Your ability or inability to control your tongue will determine more than anything else in the level of success you enjoy in your relationships.
We need to get into the habit of speaking carefully. We need to learn to think first, talk second.
Words have tremendous power, and we need to make sure we use them carefully.
In guarding our lips this way, we guard our lives, we strengthen our relationships, and we build up others to a close walk with God.
Character is demonstrated more by our reactions than our actions.
What we are made of - who we really are - comes out in times of pain and desperation. “The flavor of a tea bag comes out best when you put it in hot water.” When pain and tragedy strikes, God expects from us an emotionally realistic response.
Suffering exposes the foundation of your life.
In life we can have the eyes of a judge or a doctor.
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