Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Wick's 2013 Highlights
2013 consisted of some huge ups as well as something not so fun in February. Check out past highlights at the following links: 2010, 2011, 2012.
January - We add Josiah to the Wickersham clan on the 20th. That makes three Chinese kids with a 9.5-year gap between the youngest and oldest. God is awesome.
February - I tear my ACL in my right knee while playing soccer with middle school students. This is tear #2 (Tear #1 occurred in my left knee while coaching high school students in 1997).
March - I set up Instagram and Twitter accounts all on my own accord. I'm just a few years late.
April - I complete my third and final Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) class and have only three summer classes to take at Columbia International University (CIU).
May - The Wickershams move to an apartment complex closer to TIS. I'm extremely happy about our new home in the peaceful setting.
June - Megan and the kiddos visit me at CIU for the first time. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much Megan enjoyed small-town southern life.
July - I complete an M.Ed. in Educational Administration at CIU. I never thought I would earn a master's degree, especially one in education.
August - The Wickershams participate in the Color Run 5K in Beijing. My knee was a little achy, but I finished the race.
September - I increase my coaching responsibilities and coach 30 Lady Eaglet soccer players, two of whom are Rose and Grace. I'm so thankful that my daughters actually want me to coach them.
October - I attend a standards-based assessment summit at the American International School of Guangzhou, China, and earn a graduate credit through the State University of New York.
November - A surprise bacon sundae birthday party is thrown by Megan for my 40th. It appears we have a tradition, but I'm not sure how Megan will be able to surprise me if I reach the big 41.
December - I get the privilege to speak at my secretary's wedding and get a little choked up in the process. His permanent covenant-keeping love for us is overwhelming.
January - We add Josiah to the Wickersham clan on the 20th. That makes three Chinese kids with a 9.5-year gap between the youngest and oldest. God is awesome.
February - I tear my ACL in my right knee while playing soccer with middle school students. This is tear #2 (Tear #1 occurred in my left knee while coaching high school students in 1997).
March - I set up Instagram and Twitter accounts all on my own accord. I'm just a few years late.
April - I complete my third and final Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) class and have only three summer classes to take at Columbia International University (CIU).
May - The Wickershams move to an apartment complex closer to TIS. I'm extremely happy about our new home in the peaceful setting.
June - Megan and the kiddos visit me at CIU for the first time. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much Megan enjoyed small-town southern life.
July - I complete an M.Ed. in Educational Administration at CIU. I never thought I would earn a master's degree, especially one in education.
August - The Wickershams participate in the Color Run 5K in Beijing. My knee was a little achy, but I finished the race.
September - I increase my coaching responsibilities and coach 30 Lady Eaglet soccer players, two of whom are Rose and Grace. I'm so thankful that my daughters actually want me to coach them.
October - I attend a standards-based assessment summit at the American International School of Guangzhou, China, and earn a graduate credit through the State University of New York.
November - A surprise bacon sundae birthday party is thrown by Megan for my 40th. It appears we have a tradition, but I'm not sure how Megan will be able to surprise me if I reach the big 41.
December - I get the privilege to speak at my secretary's wedding and get a little choked up in the process. His permanent covenant-keeping love for us is overwhelming.
Wick's 2012 Highlights
There is no typo in the title. The past day, I reflected on the past two years. You can check out past Wickersham highlights here: 2010 & 2011.
January - The TIS community moves into a brand new school building that contains 75 classrooms, our first gym, tennis courts, and much, much more. We definitely don't deserve this.
February - Carol, Megan's mother, is diagnosed with cancer and is given this special opportunity to witness to others the truth and glory of Him.
March - Megan flies to Indiana and surprises her mom. I played Mr. Mom for 1.5 weeks.
April - I take the girls on a special daddy's date to a newly opened Burger King in a western-style mall. It just tastes better.
May - After more than a two-year break, I'm thrilled to see Megan blogging again at http://meganwickersham.wordpress.com/. I like Megan's writing style and envy her creative flair.
June - I complete my first grad class through Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Taking classes through IWU enabled me to complete an M.Ed. in three years.
July - We see our first picture of Josiah Lee Fuzi Wickersham on Megan's 39th birthday. I can't believe I'm going to have a boy.
August - In addition to my duties as a middle school principal and PE department supervisor, I add Good Book Head of Department to my plate.
September - Megan and I attend an admin retreat in Xiamen (southeast China). The warmer temperatures appeal to my inner islander.
October - I plan to attend education conferences next month in Malaysia and Thailand. One is a secular leadership conference, and the other conference is for Christian educators.
November - Megan throws a surprise bacon sundae birthday party for me. Everything tastes better with bacon.
December - I start a research class through IWU that results in a 60-page action research report. That was a little work.
January - The TIS community moves into a brand new school building that contains 75 classrooms, our first gym, tennis courts, and much, much more. We definitely don't deserve this.
February - Carol, Megan's mother, is diagnosed with cancer and is given this special opportunity to witness to others the truth and glory of Him.
March - Megan flies to Indiana and surprises her mom. I played Mr. Mom for 1.5 weeks.
April - I take the girls on a special daddy's date to a newly opened Burger King in a western-style mall. It just tastes better.
May - After more than a two-year break, I'm thrilled to see Megan blogging again at http://meganwickersham.wordpress.com/. I like Megan's writing style and envy her creative flair.
June - I complete my first grad class through Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Taking classes through IWU enabled me to complete an M.Ed. in three years.
July - We see our first picture of Josiah Lee Fuzi Wickersham on Megan's 39th birthday. I can't believe I'm going to have a boy.
August - In addition to my duties as a middle school principal and PE department supervisor, I add Good Book Head of Department to my plate.
September - Megan and I attend an admin retreat in Xiamen (southeast China). The warmer temperatures appeal to my inner islander.
October - I plan to attend education conferences next month in Malaysia and Thailand. One is a secular leadership conference, and the other conference is for Christian educators.
November - Megan throws a surprise bacon sundae birthday party for me. Everything tastes better with bacon.
December - I start a research class through IWU that results in a 60-page action research report. That was a little work.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Lay's Fun Wasabi Shrimp Flavor Chips & Spicy Green Peppercorn Fish Flavor Chips Are Da' Bomb Diggity!
Although I'm fine w/ being a meat-and-potatoes guy, the TCK in me also doesn't mind a little adventure in my dining experiences. Yesterday I picked up a flavor of Lay's chips that makes sense to my Hoosier and Japanese makeup - fun wasabi shrimp flavor. I like how this flavor is described as fun. A few months ago, I picked up a bag of Lay's spicy green peppercorn fish flavor chips. These chips weren't described as fun, but I found them to be just as fun as the Lay's fun wasabi shrimp flavor chips. Perhaps they are even more fun. They have a dead fish floating on the cover of the bag, and I think that definitely puts them in the fun category. Although shrimp and corn fish flavor chips may not sound appealing to you, I have bought both flavors multiple times. The bags state the date of minimum durability is nine months, but this isn't a concern for me since they get eaten up within minutes after I purchase them. You betcha I can't eat just one.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Reviewing James MacDonald's When Life is Hard
I received James MacDonald's book, When Life is Hard, a few years ago when Pastor MacDonald was a council member of the Gospel Coalition. Christian books about overcoming adversity appeal to me, so I was thankful to receive this book as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, I never found When Life is Hard to be very engaging and only recently finished this 200 pager. I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I read it several years ago when I was at a different stage in life. Perhaps it would have been better for me to read the book with others and to write down my answers to the questions Pastor MacDonald posed. I found nothing in Pastor MacDonald's book that caused me to raise any eyebrows, although I would not simply say that God allows painful, difficult things to happen. A few of the positives in his book include having key words and phrases bolded or in italics, the use of Scripture (ESV, NASB, and NKJV translations) throughout the book, and how nicely the book is organized. Some of the ways Pastor MacDonald speaks truth include:
Glimpses of God: At the beginning of every chapter, a theme verse is examined, word by word.
From God's Heart to Mine: At the end of each chapter are a couple of verses or a short Scripture passage to memorize.
Mining for Gold: Each chapter includes a set of personal questions designed to help you reflect on and implement what God is showing you about trials in your life.
Come Forth as God: The final chapter looks at the sixteen key lessons covered in the book and summarizes them.
I am sure many people have made better sense of pain and suffering from reading When Life is Hard, and I think more will be blessed in the years to come by Pastor MacDonald's stories of hope. I appreciate hearing messages that don't gloss over the fact that life is hard at times, but there is One who can help you through the hard times.
Glimpses of God: At the beginning of every chapter, a theme verse is examined, word by word.
From God's Heart to Mine: At the end of each chapter are a couple of verses or a short Scripture passage to memorize.
Mining for Gold: Each chapter includes a set of personal questions designed to help you reflect on and implement what God is showing you about trials in your life.
Come Forth as God: The final chapter looks at the sixteen key lessons covered in the book and summarizes them.
I am sure many people have made better sense of pain and suffering from reading When Life is Hard, and I think more will be blessed in the years to come by Pastor MacDonald's stories of hope. I appreciate hearing messages that don't gloss over the fact that life is hard at times, but there is One who can help you through the hard times.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Reviewing Greg Laurie's How To Live Forever
Whenever we listen to sermons as a family, I typically find a recent sermon preached by Greg Laurie. His sermons are biblically based and preached in a manner that can help all of us better understand the Chief Cornerstone. I found Greg Laurie's booklet, How to Live Forever, like his sermons. How to Live Forever presents the gospel message in 27 pages. Below are the titles of the ten short chapters.
1. The Quest
2. Would You Sell Your Soul to End the Frustration?
3. Yet We Are Made in God's Image
4. The "S" Word - Sin
5. Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
6. Why Did He Do It?
1. The Quest
2. Would You Sell Your Soul to End the Frustration?
3. Yet We Are Made in God's Image
4. The "S" Word - Sin
5. Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
6. Why Did He Do It?
7. A Bleak Alternative
8. What Do I Have to Do?
9. How to Know God
10. Now What?
Since this booklet was written in 1999, some of the statistics and pop culture references (e.g., Back to the Future, Gianni Versace) are dated, but this is really of little importance. Scripture is found throughout the booklet in NLT, NKJV, and NIV (1984) translations, and Pastor Laurie handles unpopular topics such as the cross and Hell in a way that can engage people from various backgrounds. There were a couple of times when I read something that I would have worded differently or perhaps stressed something from another standpoint. Despite this, I believe How to Live Forever has definitely been used to feed souls and will continue to do so in the years to come.
8. What Do I Have to Do?
9. How to Know God
10. Now What?
Since this booklet was written in 1999, some of the statistics and pop culture references (e.g., Back to the Future, Gianni Versace) are dated, but this is really of little importance. Scripture is found throughout the booklet in NLT, NKJV, and NIV (1984) translations, and Pastor Laurie handles unpopular topics such as the cross and Hell in a way that can engage people from various backgrounds. There were a couple of times when I read something that I would have worded differently or perhaps stressed something from another standpoint. Despite this, I believe How to Live Forever has definitely been used to feed souls and will continue to do so in the years to come.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Reviewing Paul Miller's A Praying Life: Connecting With God in a Distracting World
Paul Miller's book, A Praying Life, was published four years ago and has sat on our Chinese bookshelf for much of that time. Recently, though, I was motivated to complete the book before a focused day of prayer. I desire to be more than someone who dispenses popcorn prayers, says grace before family meals, and provides nicely worded vertical requests at organized gatherings. I desire to be a prayer warrior who prays without ceasing; however, I permit so much to distract me from constantly communicating with my Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, my sick heart prefers reading and talking about prayer with other sick people instead of praising the Great Physician. Fortunately, Miller's book supplied not only sound theology but practical advice to help me better understand how I can go about better communing with my Creator.
A Praying Life consists of five sections divided into 32 compact chapters. The chapters are largely composed of personal family stories that show Miller struggles with sin like all of us. The chapters also show we have a great God who always answers prayer perfectly. We may not always like or understand God's answers, but we can trust that our Sovereign Lord knows what He is doing. I am thankful for Miller's use of Scripture throughout his book, as well as the sprinkling of informative diagrams.
Miller's book is endorsed by a few authors whom I have greatly benefited from (Tim Keller, Ken Sande, and Paul David Tripp). Within the book, you will find Miller quoting a wide range of people who have different thoughts on prayer (St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Nancy Pearcey, John Piper, N.T. Wright, Philip Yancey). Although I strongly disagree with some of the theological viewpoints of some of these people, I was not disturbed by anything I read in Miller's book. Also provided in the 280-page book are a foreword by David Powlison, a short introduction, some acknowledgments, more than six pages of notes, and advertisements for a few other resources from Miller. Below are the titles of the sections of the book.
Section 1: Learning to Pray Like a Child
Section 2: Learning to Trust Again
Section 3: Learning to Ask Your Father
Section 4: Living in Your Father's Story
Section 5: Praying in Real Life
I recommend checking out Miller's book if you are feeling spiritually dry and want to supplement your time in the Word. As a result of reading A Praying Life, I decided to use a prayer list again - a practice I stopped a few years ago. This time around, I'll use my ever-changing list in hopes that it will enable me to have a more fruitful praying life. Please do not hesitate to lift me up or ask me how I am doing. I can always use the accountability.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
A Praying Life consists of five sections divided into 32 compact chapters. The chapters are largely composed of personal family stories that show Miller struggles with sin like all of us. The chapters also show we have a great God who always answers prayer perfectly. We may not always like or understand God's answers, but we can trust that our Sovereign Lord knows what He is doing. I am thankful for Miller's use of Scripture throughout his book, as well as the sprinkling of informative diagrams.
Miller's book is endorsed by a few authors whom I have greatly benefited from (Tim Keller, Ken Sande, and Paul David Tripp). Within the book, you will find Miller quoting a wide range of people who have different thoughts on prayer (St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Nancy Pearcey, John Piper, N.T. Wright, Philip Yancey). Although I strongly disagree with some of the theological viewpoints of some of these people, I was not disturbed by anything I read in Miller's book. Also provided in the 280-page book are a foreword by David Powlison, a short introduction, some acknowledgments, more than six pages of notes, and advertisements for a few other resources from Miller. Below are the titles of the sections of the book.
Section 1: Learning to Pray Like a Child
Section 2: Learning to Trust Again
Section 3: Learning to Ask Your Father
Section 4: Living in Your Father's Story
Section 5: Praying in Real Life
I recommend checking out Miller's book if you are feeling spiritually dry and want to supplement your time in the Word. As a result of reading A Praying Life, I decided to use a prayer list again - a practice I stopped a few years ago. This time around, I'll use my ever-changing list in hopes that it will enable me to have a more fruitful praying life. Please do not hesitate to lift me up or ask me how I am doing. I can always use the accountability.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Reviewing Kenneth S. Coley's The Helmsman: Leading with Courage and Wisdom
I was fortunate to be able to purchase The Helmsman at an ACSI conference in Thailand this past fall. It was required reading for one of my last M.Ed. classes at Columbia International University. The Helmsman is a 250-page book with five sections consisting of 12 chapters, and it is a book for Christian principals or those who will become principals one day. The titles of the sections and chapters are:
I. Perspectives and Personas
1. Biblical Perspective - What are specific ways administrative tasks are performed differently in Christian schools as opposed to non-Christian schools?
2. Historical Perspective - Is our school effective? Am I an effective principal?
II. The Helmsman as Administrator: 1 Corinthians 12:28
3. Designing Your School's Philosophy - Is Christ the foundation of every aspect of our school programs?
4. Establishing Your School's Governance - Is Scripture being used to develop and maintain the governance of our school?
5. Curriculum Leadership - What do our units teach us about God, humankind, creation, moral order, or purpose?
III. The Helmsman as Builder: Nehemiah 1-13
6. Community Builder and Transformational Leader - What weaknesses do we need to improve upon in our school?
7. Six Forces of Leadership and Leadership by Outrage - What are my strengths and weaknesses as a leader, and what needs to change?
IV. The Helmsman as Builder of the Body: Ephesians 4:11-16
8. Supervision of Instruction - Is the supervision of teachers being differentiated?
9. Leadership Development - Is Jesus the supreme example of leadership development in our school?
V. The Helmsman as Steward: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
10. Finance and Facilities - Are biblical practices being conducted to generate funds?
11. Legal Issues - Are we doing anything that would defame the name of Christ?
12. Shore Leave - Is now a time when you need to consider stepping away from the demands of your position?
Although I have served as a middle school principal for three years, Dr. Coley taught me new information and gave me ideas that I will further reflect on. I clearly see why this book was a part of my educational administration course. It is a solid book that has blessed me, and I am sure will bless many others.
I. Perspectives and Personas
1. Biblical Perspective - What are specific ways administrative tasks are performed differently in Christian schools as opposed to non-Christian schools?
2. Historical Perspective - Is our school effective? Am I an effective principal?
II. The Helmsman as Administrator: 1 Corinthians 12:28
3. Designing Your School's Philosophy - Is Christ the foundation of every aspect of our school programs?
4. Establishing Your School's Governance - Is Scripture being used to develop and maintain the governance of our school?
5. Curriculum Leadership - What do our units teach us about God, humankind, creation, moral order, or purpose?
III. The Helmsman as Builder: Nehemiah 1-13
6. Community Builder and Transformational Leader - What weaknesses do we need to improve upon in our school?
7. Six Forces of Leadership and Leadership by Outrage - What are my strengths and weaknesses as a leader, and what needs to change?
IV. The Helmsman as Builder of the Body: Ephesians 4:11-16
8. Supervision of Instruction - Is the supervision of teachers being differentiated?
9. Leadership Development - Is Jesus the supreme example of leadership development in our school?
V. The Helmsman as Steward: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
10. Finance and Facilities - Are biblical practices being conducted to generate funds?
11. Legal Issues - Are we doing anything that would defame the name of Christ?
12. Shore Leave - Is now a time when you need to consider stepping away from the demands of your position?
Although I have served as a middle school principal for three years, Dr. Coley taught me new information and gave me ideas that I will further reflect on. I clearly see why this book was a part of my educational administration course. It is a solid book that has blessed me, and I am sure will bless many others.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Reviewing Tom Rath & Barry Conchie's Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow
I received Strengths Based Leadership prior to a workshop I attended with other ISC principals. Although the book is over 260 pages long, 135 pages are devoted to descriptions of the 34 StrengthsFinder themes, 20 pages cover the research behind the book, and nearly 10 pages are references. Strengths Based Leadership identifies three keys to being a more effective leader:
1. Knowing your strengths and investing in others' strengths
2. Getting people with the right strengths on your bus
3. Understanding and meeting the four basic needs of those who look for you to lead them
The book is organized into three parts. Part one is called Investing in Your Strengths, part two, the longest part, is entitled Maximizing Your Team, and part three is about understanding why people follow. Short introductions and conclusions are also included. In part two of Strengths Based Leadership, Rath and Conchie introduce us to four leaders who illustrate each of the four domains of leadership strength. Those four domains are executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking. The leaders introduced include Wendy Kopp, Founder and CEO of Teach For America (executing), Simon Cooper, President of the Ritz-Carlton (influencing), Mervyn Davies, Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank (relationship building), and Brad Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy (strategic thinking). I didn't think highlighting Brad Anderson was best since Best Buy's market isn't as strong as it once was; however, Strengths Based Leadership was written in 2008, and Brad Anderson retired over four years ago.
The 34 StrengthsFinder themes are grouped into the four domains of leadership strength based on a statistical factor analysis and a clinical evaluation by Gallup's top scientists. I have bought into the strengths-based philosophies and clearly see how certain people are better suited for certain positions. I think the best aspect of this book is having access to the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Assessment. Apparently, this is unavailable on the Kindle edition. After inputting your unique access code online to take the assessment, you receive a personalized strengths-based leadership guide.
I have shared my assessment with several other people, and we have found it to be fairly accurate. According to the assessment, I am strongest in the strategic thinking domain (input, intellection, and learner) and weakest in the influencing domain (helping your team reach a much broader audience). My assessment also stated I'm strong in the achiever (a great deal of stamina and working hard) and connectedness (faith in the links between all things) themes. Those who have shared their assessments with me have also stated that they largely agree with their assessment outcomes.
I am glad I was gifted with this book because it has enabled me to better understand myself and shown me the importance of placing people in the right jobs. I do not see myself promoting strengths-based assessments and discussions in the near future, but I now consider people's strengths far more than ever. Strengths Based Leadership is a simple read with much of it being material that can be skimmed, but new insights can be gained from reading the book.
1. Knowing your strengths and investing in others' strengths
2. Getting people with the right strengths on your bus
3. Understanding and meeting the four basic needs of those who look for you to lead them
The book is organized into three parts. Part one is called Investing in Your Strengths, part two, the longest part, is entitled Maximizing Your Team, and part three is about understanding why people follow. Short introductions and conclusions are also included. In part two of Strengths Based Leadership, Rath and Conchie introduce us to four leaders who illustrate each of the four domains of leadership strength. Those four domains are executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking. The leaders introduced include Wendy Kopp, Founder and CEO of Teach For America (executing), Simon Cooper, President of the Ritz-Carlton (influencing), Mervyn Davies, Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank (relationship building), and Brad Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy (strategic thinking). I didn't think highlighting Brad Anderson was best since Best Buy's market isn't as strong as it once was; however, Strengths Based Leadership was written in 2008, and Brad Anderson retired over four years ago.
The 34 StrengthsFinder themes are grouped into the four domains of leadership strength based on a statistical factor analysis and a clinical evaluation by Gallup's top scientists. I have bought into the strengths-based philosophies and clearly see how certain people are better suited for certain positions. I think the best aspect of this book is having access to the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Assessment. Apparently, this is unavailable on the Kindle edition. After inputting your unique access code online to take the assessment, you receive a personalized strengths-based leadership guide.
I have shared my assessment with several other people, and we have found it to be fairly accurate. According to the assessment, I am strongest in the strategic thinking domain (input, intellection, and learner) and weakest in the influencing domain (helping your team reach a much broader audience). My assessment also stated I'm strong in the achiever (a great deal of stamina and working hard) and connectedness (faith in the links between all things) themes. Those who have shared their assessments with me have also stated that they largely agree with their assessment outcomes.
I am glad I was gifted with this book because it has enabled me to better understand myself and shown me the importance of placing people in the right jobs. I do not see myself promoting strengths-based assessments and discussions in the near future, but I now consider people's strengths far more than ever. Strengths Based Leadership is a simple read with much of it being material that can be skimmed, but new insights can be gained from reading the book.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Reviewing Mez McConnell's Is There Anybody Out There?: A Journey From Despair To Hope
After listening to Pastor McConnell's testimony several months ago and seeing his autobiography for three bucks, I dropped the Washingtons for this incredible account of how the Father radically transforms people's lives. Is There Anybody Out There? is not your typical Christian story, and there is very little reference to God in the first half of the book. Pastor McConnell had an extremely troubling upbringing that led to a life behind bars, yet God got hold of Him and changed him forever. Pastor McConnell hails from the UK and uses slang when he writes of his younger years, so some of his language might be slightly unfamiliar to American readers. Initially, the first-person point of view is written in a very direct and choppy manner, much like what we might expect from someone who is living a life of disorder. After Pastor McConnell becomes a Christian, he continues to write honestly, but we also read how he lives boldly in a new way. This book is a reminder that a Christian is not only one whom Christ has saved, but one whom Christ has regenerated. I highly recommend this book for both believers and skeptics.
to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Romans 16:27
to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Romans 16:27
Reviewing John MacArthur's Found: God's Will
Although I have listened to my share of Dr. MacArthur's sermons and have frequented his Grace to You site for the answers to various questions, this is the first time I have read one of Dr. MacArthur's books. The 75-page Kindle version of Found can easily be read in no time, and it is solid material that is thoroughly supported by Scripture. Dr. MacArthur's seven-chapter book does not use complex theological language, but it does contain profound truths in words that any layperson can understand. Found is organized in the following manner:
1. Is God a Cosmic Killjoy? - The will of God is clearly revealed in His Holy Word.
2. The Crucial First Step - God wants people to be saved.
3. The Fizzies Principle - We must be filled with the Spirit.
4. The Priority of Purity - Be sanctified (pursue holiness).
5. Silencing the Critics - Submit to the Lord and submit to others in the Lord.
6. Facing the Flak - Suffer for Jesus.
7. You're It - If you are the right you, you can follow your desires and you will do His will.
If you want to better understand God's will for you, it is not as complicated as many people make it out to be. Dr. MacArthur helps us understand that in a succinct and straightforward way. I wholeheartedly give Found my Wickersham stamp of approval.
1. Is God a Cosmic Killjoy? - The will of God is clearly revealed in His Holy Word.
2. The Crucial First Step - God wants people to be saved.
3. The Fizzies Principle - We must be filled with the Spirit.
4. The Priority of Purity - Be sanctified (pursue holiness).
5. Silencing the Critics - Submit to the Lord and submit to others in the Lord.
6. Facing the Flak - Suffer for Jesus.
7. You're It - If you are the right you, you can follow your desires and you will do His will.
If you want to better understand God's will for you, it is not as complicated as many people make it out to be. Dr. MacArthur helps us understand that in a succinct and straightforward way. I wholeheartedly give Found my Wickersham stamp of approval.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
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