Don't Waste Your Sports - Book Review

I just finished the Christian Audio version of Don't Waste Your Sports by C.J. Mahaney.  It was free on Christian Audio for a short time.  I love free, so I couldn't help but snag this book.

Don't Waste Your Sports was a short book.  Some of the chapters were only about 6 minutes long in the audio version.  The whole book took less than an hour to listen to.  That was OK though, the book was very to the point.  And, quite frankly, it is about sports, with the hope that athletes will read it.  So, not trying to be mean, but a short book might have been the best choice.

I really enjoyed this book.  I am not a huge sports fan, so I have always been keenly aware of some of the negative aspects of sports.  Not being a good athlete myself, has also increased my sensitivity to the pride that reigns supreme in many good athletes. It was refreshing to hear many of those issues addressed directly in this book.

I have to add, though, that because of my negative attitude, it has caused me to miss some of the more positive aspects of sports. This book was very helpful in assisting me in seeing the redeemable points in  sports, thinking ultimately about the Glory of God in the midst of sports.

If you are an athlete (or not) or a coach or an athletic director or a parent, I would like to recommend this book.

Challenging Words for a Pastor

I am in the middle of receiving a triple (or potentially quadruple) punch combination from some of the books that I have been reading lately. I am being hit with various forms of the question, "What are you doing with your time?"

The first punch came from the book Worldliness by CJ Mahaney and friends. It may have been several small punches combined, but I definitely received a wallop from this book. Especially the chapters dealing with various forms of media consumption. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it ... if you want to get smacked in the face with some serious truth and relevant questions.

The second punch is coming from my current Christian Audio book titled, The Next Story by Tim Challies. This book is dealing with the advances of media and technology and what affects it is having and could potentially have. It is a challenging book, and as he moves past the interesting, intellectual and instructional portions of the book, he brings it home with some penetrating questions that you can tell come from a heart that is also dealing with these same questions.

To let you know a little better how the Lord is working on me, allow me to share a couple of quotes that might put it into perspective. The first quote is one that really reveals my heart's condition as it has been for quite a while. It confronts laziness, which I have confronted within myself many times over. I currently feel like I am winning the battle against laziness (maybe), but this quote puts to words my own thoughts better than I could voice them.

Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good. They do not pray; they do not read; they do not search the Scripture…The call is: watch, study, attend to reading. In truth you cannot read too much in Scriptures; and what you read you cannot read too carefully, and what you read carefully you cannot understand too well, and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what you teach well you cannot live too well…the devil…the world…and our flesh are raging and raving against us. Therefore, dear sirs and brothers, pastors and preachers, pray, read, study, be diligent…This evil, shameful time is not the season for being lazy, for sleeping and snoring.

In this quote, in the battle against laziness, I am also challenged to consider how I am battling that laziness. Is it right to simply fill that time with activity, even good activities? What should I devote myself to as a Pastor? If I find that I am not lazy, but instead busy, is that actually a good thing? Consider this next quote, by Eugene Peterson, and you will understand where I am at in this internal inquisition.

The adjective busy set as a modifier to pastor should sound to our ears like adulterous to characterize a wife or embezzling to describe a banker. It is an outrageous scandal, a blasphemous affront…. [It is] a blasphemous anxiety to do God’s work for him.

I am busy because I am vain. I want to appear important. Significant. What better way than to be busy? The incredible hours, the crowded schedule, and the heavy demands on my time are proof to myself — and to all who will notice — that I am important.

How can I lead people into the quiet place beside the still waters if I am in perpetual motion? How can I persuade a person to live by faith and not by works if I have to juggle my schedule constantly to make everything fit into place? (The Contemplative Pastor)

Both of these quotes came from a blog titled Dash House. His whole blog post is worth the read and a bit better put-together than mine. The post is titled, The Pastor who jogged while mowing his lawn, and you can click here to read the whole thing.

If you made it through this entire post, then I will ask you a couple of questions.  The first question is, "Are you struggling with laziness?"  The second question, the potentially more challenging question, is, "Are you struggling with that other form of laziness called busyness?"

[HT: Tim Challies]

Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney

I just finished the audio book, Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney with contributing authors: John Piper (Foreword), Dave Harvey, Bob Kauflin, Jeff Purswell, and Craig Cabaniss.

The book begins with a challenging first chapter by Mahaney, wondering if the verse, I John 2:15, which says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world." is in Your Bible.  Is it?  What does this verse mean?  This is the basic premise of the book, God's call to be in the world, but not love the world or anything in the world.

The following chapters deal with different areas of life and how to incorporate this command in a real way.  Chapter two deals with the media.  Chapter three focuses on music.  Chapter four challenges the place of stuff in our hearts.  Chapter five discusses clothing.  The final chapter of the book really brings it together with a discussion on how to love the world.

As a whole, I found this book to be especially convicting.  The questions that were being asked in each section probed deep into my daily practices to reveal different areas where the love of the world could be creeping in or has already built a lodge within my heart.

I also found this book to be exceptionally practical.  There were real, tangible ways to put the supported principles into practice.  And amazingly, the book didn't degrade into a legalistic mess.  Many times when authors attempt to illustrate principles they tend to be legalistic in their approach.  These authors were able to avoid that trap, and I believe that it is because of their great love for the gospel message that infiltrated every page.

I highly recommend this book... unless of course you aren't interested in being challenged and possibly convicted.

Cross Centered

I just completed the book Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney.

When I was considering books for my summer's reading, I tried to pick books using two basic criteria.  One, I wanted to pick books that I had heard (trusted) people talking about, and two, I wanted to pick books that focus on the gospel.  This book almost defines those two criteria.

To be absolutely honest, when I write about a book on this blog, one of my goals is to keep a record of books that I have read since I started this blog.  I haven't done a very good job of that, there have been quite a few books that never made it to the blog.  The other reason why I make a point of mentioning books on this blog is to promote the book.  When I read a book that I believe has a message that is worth hearing, I try to talk about it in such a way to get you to buy it and read it.  As evidence of its quality, I want to include that I started it last Friday, I believe, and finished it today.  So, with this book, I am simply going to say, buy it and read it.

This book is about the gospel.  It is about the cross of Christ.  It is about the central point, not only of the Bible, but of all of human history.  It is about the thing that should be the central point in your life.  I will leave you with one quote:

The gospel isn't one class among many that you'll attend during your life as a Christian -- the gospel is the whole building where all the classes take place!  Rightly approached, all the topics you'll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you within the walls of the glorious gospel.

Click the link and buy the book.  It is worth the read.