1: Do we imagine ourselves as heroes? 

“One of the good people contributing to the way the world ought to be?” Tim Keller asks in his book Every Good Endeavor.

Do we believe the world would be a better place if others simply acted as we did? 

Perhaps we believe “the world would be dramatically improved if everyone were free-spirited and progressive and willing to defy oppressive traditions,” Tim … continue reading

1: “Everyone knows that things in this world are seriously out of whack,” Timothy Keller writes in his book Every Good Endeavor.

“No one claims that his or her own life is as it should be, let alone the whole world,” he notes. 

“There is something wrong within us. Nothing ever seems to make us happy or fulfilled except in the most fleeting way. 

“There is also wrong among … continue reading

Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.

Eleanor Roosevelt once famously said, “Do something every day that scares you.”

This week in RiseWithDrew, I’ve been sharing some insights from Tim Keller and his powerful book Every Good … continue reading

1: When we reflect on the disasters and atrocities of the last 100 years, it is easy to be discouraged.

“It is more a mood than a coherent set of beliefs,” Tim Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor. “There is far more cynicism about all truth claims and plans for society—both older traditional ones and more modern, liberal ones,” he observes. 

“Movies and novels about the future in the … continue reading

1: Good question.

After all, “marriage can be the most intimate, the most satisfying, the most enduring, growth-producing of human relationships,” Stephen R. Covey writes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 

“It might seem natural and proper to be centered on one’s husband or wife.” 

And, being a parent can be the most rewarding of all of life’s experiences. It is “as an area of focus and … continue reading

1: Persia. 482 B.C.

King marries queen. King kills queen because “she is too bold and displeases him.”

King meets beautiful young woman. Beautiful young woman becomes new queen. Queen hides the fact that she is Jewish. 

A royal decree is issued: “On a future date, neighbors of Jewish families throughout the realm will be free to kill them and plunder their wealth.” 

Queen’s relative tells her she must take … continue reading

1: Imagine we are in a church. We see a table of books. We wander over. There’s a book titled The Man God Uses or The Woman God Uses.

What do we assume about this book? 

Probably, it’s about a missionary. Perhaps a church leader. 

Yet, when we read the Bible, we see God works through all sorts of ordinary people.

“It is often hard to get Christians to see … continue reading

1: Our work can become all-consuming. 

“Where one’s identity in prior generations might come from being the son of so-and-so or living in a particular part of town or being a member of a church or club,” Timothy Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, “today young people are seeking to define themselves by the status of their work.”

Which can become dangerous.… continue reading

1: “One of the most vivid depictions of the frustration and fruitlessness of work is found in Peter Shaffer‘s play Amadeus,” Timothy Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work.

The play features Antonio Salieri, a 19th-century composer with wealth and power. Antonio has written several extremely successful operas and has risen up to become the court composer for the Hapsburg emperor.… continue reading

1: “We know there is something wrong with us, but we can’t admit it or identify it,” Tim Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor.

“There is a deep restlessness, which can take various forms—guilt and striving to prove ourselves, rebellion and the need to assert our independence, compliance and the need to please others,” he observes. 

“Something is wrong, and we may know the effects, but we fall short … continue reading