Ordering Your Private World

One of my all time favorite books. I read this through at least once or twice a year. MacDonald talks about how to get your inner life in order with a series of principles based on the five areas of your life: Motivation, Use of Time, Wisdom and Knowledge, Spiritual Strength, and Restoration. Worth the cost of the book are the little "memos" throughout the book illustrating his principles. I'm pretty sure this book has had more influence on my life than nearly any other.

If my private world is in order, it is because …

I am convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity.

I make a daily choice to monitor its state of orderliness.

Having faced up to what drives me, I listen quietly for the call of Christ.

I see myself as Christ's steward and not as master of my purpose, my role, and my identity.

I have made a daily determination to see time as God's gift and worthy of careful investment.

I have determined that every day will be for me a day of growth in knowledge and wisdom.

I regularly choose to enlarge the spiritual center of my life.

I am unafraid to be alone and quiet before Christ.

I have chosen to press Sabbath peace into the rush and routine of my daily life in order to find the rest God prescribed for Himself and all of humanity.

Do they run when they see you coming?

A great youth ministry resource in learning how to reach out and build bridges with kids outside of the church. The book begins the most important principle in ministry and evangelism - compassion, focusing on loving and accepting youth where they are. Some chapter titles: "I thought I already had compassion", "Reaching, not repelling", "Door opening questions", and "Outreach in action."

We don't need to bring people to Christ; we need to bring Christ to them.