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Daniel Im

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Books

Top Quotes on Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller

August 7, 2018 By Daniel Im

As many of you know, this year I’ve committed to reading/listening to as much of Timothy J. Keller as possible.

It hasn’t gone as well as I thought. Partly because I’m writing my next book (I wasn’t anticipating this), and also because I like reading broadly. So instead of one year of Keller, it might end up being a few years of Keller.

In any case, I previously listed my favorite quotes here for Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters.

I’ll do the same for Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, my latest Keller read.

  • “The Bible begins talking about work as soon as it begins talking about anything—that is how important and basic it is.”
  • “In the beginning, then, God worked. Work was not a necessary evil that came into the picture later, or something human beings were created to do but that was beneath the great God himself. No, God worked for the sheer joy of it.”
  • “The book of Genesis leaves us with a striking truth—work was part of paradise.”
  • “Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality; it is not simply medicine but food for our soul.”
  • “Without meaningful work we sense significant inner loss and emptiness. People who are cut off from work because of physical or other reasons quickly discover how much they need work to thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually.”
  • “According to the Bible, we don’t merely need the money from work to survive; we need the work itself to survive and live fully human lives.”

[Read more…] about Top Quotes on Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller

Why Isolation, Boredom, and Pride are as Dangerous as Dynamite

March 27, 2018 By Daniel Im

“Wow, I’m a natural. This is it. I was born to do this,” were the very thoughts I had moments before I was disqualified.

After running the 100m dash at a track meet in elementary school, our coach asked the team if anyone wanted to enter the speed walking event.

“Speed walking? Like…walking with speed?” I thought to myself.

This was my first official track meet and everything was new to me. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and especially speed walking.

Though I had never heard of the event—let alone see it take place—I volunteered for it. After all, how hard could it be? It’s just walking fast, isn’t it? Anything was better than just waiting around until the track meet was over.

After the coach showed me the proper form and let me in on the rules, I was off.

Seconds into the race, I was leading the pack. Minutes in, the distance between me and the next contestant was unfathomable.

“Wow, I’m a natural,” I thought to myself. “This is it. I was born to do this.”

And that’s when it happened. I was pulled out of the race for breaking the rules.

Disqualified. No second chances. No restarts. It was over. My rising Olympic career was over.

Have you ever been disqualified?

Okay, maybe not for bending your knees while speed walking, but for something else? For over embellishing your resume? Or, maybe for looking over at your friend’s answers during an exam?

There’s a disturbing—dare I say—trend that I’ve noticed over the past several years. It seems like an increasing number of public figures are falling from grace and disqualifying themselves from leadership.

An increasing number of public figures are falling from grace and disqualifying themselves.

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Eric Geiger words it well in his new book, How to Ruin Your Life and Starting Over When You Do,

I could easily write about a recent story of a well-known leader, coach, college professor, or ministry leader who was removed from a position of influence because of disqualifying behavior, because of issues of character and integrity. However, the story would be old news by the time you read these words because there are always new stories as these implosions continually come to light. Competent and effective leaders in a variety of fields and disciplines forfeit their roles over deficiencies in their character. They were able to lead others but not themselves, able to grow an organization while their hearts grew cold. When a lack of integrity comes to light, leaders can be disqualified. [1]

When a lack of integrity comes to light, leaders can be disqualified.

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[Read more…] about Why Isolation, Boredom, and Pride are as Dangerous as Dynamite

Top Quotes on Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

February 20, 2018 By Daniel Im

As many of you know, this year I’ve committed to reading/listening to as much of Timothy J. Keller as possible (click here to learn more about the books I’m reading/listening to and why).

I likely won’t do this for every Keller book I read/listen to, but Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters was so incredibly rich, that for personal learning purposes, I wanted to revisit the book and pull out the quotes that punched me in the face. On a few of them, I’ll add some commentary.

[Read more…] about Top Quotes on Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

Investing In Your City For The Long Haul

January 23, 2018 By Daniel Im


I love this paragraph from Rich Perez’s Mi Casa Uptown,

I realized that if I was going to contribute to the much-needed reform in culture, personally and as a spiritual leader in my community, I was going to have to plant roots here—a tall order, for sure, and intimidating in some ways. But why does this matter? Because I’m convinced more than ever that in our constantly changing culture, anything that takes root will take time.

“Anything that takes root will take time.”

As I mentioned in my book, No Silver Bullets, our obsession with the quick fix, the instant solution, and the “to-go” option in life and in ministry handicaps the work that God wants to do in us and through us…

…and when the best things in life often require time to mature, marinate, and develop the flavor profiles that aren’t there instantaneously, we cheat ourselves and those around us when we carelessly just go from one thing to the next.

We cheat ourselves and those around us when we carelessly just go from one thing to the next.

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Rich makes a good point about this,

And if we, as kingdom-of-God citizens, don’t look to the long haul, we won’t have a considerable effect. Time will be one of our greatest assets. Risk will be one of our closest friends. Transforming love will be our greatest motivation. Is it worth our time? Is it worth the risk? Is it worth the sacrifice? Ask any kid who doesn’t have a dad or big brother. Ask the parents working long hours to make sure their kids have book bags for school. Ask the young girl who sees no other way to feel accepted and cared for than to give herself away to men. Ask the older gentleman who feels enslaved by his ambition to climb the financial ladder. Ask the immigrants who quietly move about the community, gripped by fear because they’re unable to communicate in a foreign country. Ask them. They will all say that it is worth the time, risk, and sacrifice.

If we don’t look to the long haul, we won’t have a considerable effect. – @richperez729

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So what should we do about this?

[Read more…] about Investing In Your City For The Long Haul

A Year (or Two) to Study Timothy Keller

January 9, 2018 By Daniel Im

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading, I’m not learning. And if I’m not learning, I’m not growing. And if I’m not growing, I have no right to be leading.

This was the opening line to an article I wrote a couple years ago on why everyone should be reading multiple books at the same time.

With the number of books I now listen to on Audible (get 2 FREE audiobooks), and the number of podcasts I am subscribed to, the only thing I’d add to that quote (a couple years later) is the word listening.

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading or listening, I’m not learning.

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As a discipline, I typically read and listen pretty broadly (there are five categories I generally stick to) in addition to my daily Bible reading. However, this year, I wanted to try something different.

I’m going to cut down the volume of reading/listening that I do in other areas to focus on a specific person.

In years past, Lesslie Newbigin has been that guy for me. In the area of missiology and missional life, he is the one who has most informed my thinking and practice. I’m not about to abandon him, but I did want to spend a year (or two) going deep into the theology, thinking, practice, and disciplines of another individual—Timothy Keller.

From a distance, I’ve always respected him. In fact, I’ve led multiple groups through his excellent Reason for God book and small group study. However, a couple months ago, when I met him in person through a leadership event that Ed Stetzer and I convene twice a year (CPLF), I was blown away.

[Read more…] about A Year (or Two) to Study Timothy Keller

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