Fill the Stage

Daniel Dignan

Fill The Stage

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Phantastes

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Except for a couple of books, this is just about the best book I’ve ever read. The story is full of myth, poetry, and romance. A young man finds himself in a faery world, surrounded by fantastic, and sometimes dangerous creatures. His longing for joy, love, beauty, and heroics drives his journey, but his desire and curiosity put him on a dangerous path.

C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, read this book during his late teens; it became a key book in his slow conversion to Christianity. If you want a meaningful story that helps you think seriously about crucial topics: love, happiness, redemption, preparation, work, and courage, I recommend the book.

God’s Big Picture

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The Bible contains 66 books that all contribute toward a single story. Just as reading the parts of a story is essential for understanding the whole, knowing the whole is necessary for understanding the parts.

Vaughn Roberts, pastor of St. Ebbe’s in Oxford, England, helps readers understand the Bible’s story and theme: the promised and coming kingdom of God. Roberts shows how God’s kingdom is progressively revealed through the Bible. And he provides a helpful definition of the kingdom of God as “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing.”

Genesis (the Bible’s first book) reveals major events: God’s creation of the universe, the fall of man, and God’s promise to Abraham of a kingdom to come. The rest of the Old Testament reveals a partial fulfillment, followed by a collapse. But the New Testament, in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, reveals the coming of the King who proclaims his kingdom, dies, and rises again to save the world. Promising to return again, he will reign over a perfect kingdom.

Well, so what? Knowing the Bible’s overarching story helps us understand the Bible’s books, God’s good news, and our own stories. In its light, we can understand what God wants us to know about his universe, what he has done, is doing, and will do, and how we should live.

Roberts quotes Psalm 95:3-7, which reveals that the Ultimate Being is both creator and King, and that man finds purpose and peace in devotion to Him.

“For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

If you read the book, let me know what interested you the most and why.

Confronting the Presidents

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One of the most fulfilling and fun ways to learn leadership lessons is to read about prominent leaders. Very few, if any, lists of leaders can top that of the U.S. presidents. Consequently, understanding the struggles, victories, and historical context of each president’s term(s) will provide valuable insight for those seeking to deepen their knowledge of history, American government, human nature, and leadership philosophy. 

If you are looking for helpful highlights of each president, presented in an upbeat, succinct style, this is the book for you. O’Reilly and Dugard capture their 19th #1 bestseller with this tome, proving they know how to present history in an accessible, entertaining, and informative fashion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

The Walk

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This book guides followers of Jesus through the two essential books in the Bible: the Gospel of Mark and Romans. Overall, it helps readers understand the story of Jesus, what he was about, and what it means to be a Christian.

The book assumes no prior knowledge of Christianity. The author, an experienced pastor, shares the Bible’s central story of God’s good news, what it means for us, and what we must do to benefit from it.

If you are considering Christianity, a brand-new Christian, or someone who wants to grow in their faith, I highly recommend this book. Also, if you have been a Christian for a long time, this book can support your efforts to help friends and family understand the Bible and benefit from its message.

The Walk is accessible, engaging, and well-written. If you read the book, let me know what you think.

Hand Me Another Brick

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This book is a guide to Nehemiah, an Old Testament story about a man who rebuilt and revived Jerusalem. Many believe Nehemiah is the best leadership book ever written.

Nehemiah, the subject of the book, served Artaxerxes the king of the Persian Empire, ensuring the safety of his food and drink. Nehemiah lived during the time of Socrates, over 400 years before Christ. The story begins with the arrival of messengers from Jerusalem who told Nehemiah that Jerusalem was in ruins and unable to protect itself or prosper.

In response, Nehemiah wept bitterly and prayed for about four months, all the while developing a plan to rebuild the city. One day, the king asked him why he looked sad, Nehemiah’s moment had arrived; he told the king and requested permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, and revealed a sound plan for doing so.

Chuck Swindoll, a well-known pastor, wrote several books about great leaders of the Bible, including Moses, David, and Esther. In Hand Me Another Brick, he helps leaders and aspiring ones learn how to lead well. Topics include the following:

  • Prayer
  • Preparation
  • Motivation
  • Opposition and criticism
  • Discouragement
  • Financial issues
  • Handeling success
  • Intimidation
  • Priorities

I highly recommend the book.

1 Samuel For You

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Samuel is an epic story about the early days of Israel, one thousand years before Christ. The nation comprising twelve tribes had experienced almost constant war and bondage. They had rejected their God, seeking a king like their neighbors, who would fight their enemies. Consequently, a man named Saul was anointed king. He united the tribes, won a great military victory, but eventually became corrupt.

In a war between Israel and the Philistines, a giant named Goliath taunted Israel and God, demanding one-on-one combat with one of Israel’s warriors to decide the outcome. Neither Saul nor any of Israel’s warriors volunteered. Yet, a shepherd boy named David told the king he would fight the giant. Refusing the king’s armor, he stepped onto the field of battle with a sling and a few small rocks. Perhaps you’ve heard what happened.

Throughout the story, Saul turned away from God and, over time, lost everything, including his family and self-respect. On the other hand, David endeavored to live a life devoted to God. He suffered severe persecution, but over time, David gained a kingdom, a family, and friends. Though imperfect, David functions as a pointer to a greater king, Jesus of Nazareth.

Samuel is not only a fascinating story but also an entry point for understanding the Bible as a whole. Tim Chester’s commentary is a fascinating guide, one I highly recommend.

Chester’s guide will help you:

  1. Understand the Bible better
  2. Learn how to make friends
  3. Learn how to handle difficulties
  4. Learn how to lead well
  5. Learn how to become a happier person

What did you find most helpful about 1 Samuel?

Land of Hope

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This is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. It’s the story of America from its discovery and founding to recent times. Wildred McClay overviews the significant events, people, and ideas that shaped America, aiming to show what made America a land of hope.

Events include the unsettlement of Europe, Christopher Columbus’s journeys to the New World, the Revolutionary War, Westward expansion, the Civil War, industrialization and modernization, the World Wars, the Cold War, and more. Highlighted leaders include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt.

The book offers a positive account of America’s rise and greatness without glossing over grave issues such as slavery and our national debt. The author reveals the unique ideas, convictions, and traditions that spurred American energy, generosity, purpose, commitment, and self-criticism. Moreover, McClay insightfully describes the role of America’s Christian heritage and its leaders in shaping American destiny. Along these lines, America’s literature is integrated into this retelling of American political and religious history, showing its impact and effect on the generations that followed.

This book is a tremendous educational experience. If you want a fascinating story about the land of hope that is America, this book is for you.

Beowulf

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Beowulf, a Scandinavian warrior, fights a monster named Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, and finally, years later, a fire-breathing dragon. Winning great honor, he eventually became a king, the bulwark of his people.

An ancient and renowned tale, over 1,000 years old, Beowulf was initially written in Anglo-Saxon, or Old English. This translation is regarded as one of the finest—poetic, epic, and gripping. About one hundred pages, it’s a quick read and hard to put down.

The unknown author offers a glimpse into the ancient heroic age of the Germanic peoples, who migrated to England and Denmark. They lived by the warrior code and sought glory through warfare.

Beowulf achieves great honor, and there are thrilling moments, and indeed, happy seasons. However, a perceptive observer noted that the book begins and ends with a funeral, revealing that the world is not enough.

Some of the great literary minds studied the tale. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, translated Beowulf in his 30s and went on to teach it for decades, writing a commentary. (I have not read it.) In this translation, you can see the Old English on the left-facing pages; modern English is on the right.

Finally, after you read the epic, I recommend reading Seamus Heaney’s introduction.

What did you think about the story?

Called to Lead

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This is one of the best leadership books I’ve ever read. It’s about two leaders who changed the world: Nehemiah and Paul. Nehemiah lived about 400 years before Christ, when the Persian Empire ruled Asia. He rebuilt the ancient wall of Jerusalem and revived the nation about 150 years after the Babylonian Empire destroyed it. Paul lived during and after the time of Christ, writing much of the New Testament and spreading Christianity throughout much of the world. Both of these men were world-class leaders.

The author, John MacArthur, taught the Bible for over 50 years at Grace Community Church in California. In Called To Lead, he explains leadership principles implicit in Nehemiah and one of Paul’s letters, 2 Corinthians, such as trustworthiness and discipline. The book is an extraordinary guide to those who want to lead well.

What leadership principle helped you the most?

Churchill

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To become a leader, you must develop your character. One way to build character is to read biographies of great leaders. This method has been used for thousands of years. Plutarch, a Roman politician and historian, wrote the Parallel Lives, in which he compared the characters of Greek and Roman leaders. Some of America’s founding fathers studied that book.

Here’s a recommendation: If you are interested in business, read a biography of a successful businessman, such as Walt Disney. If you are interested in ministry, read about a missionary, such as David Livingstone or Gladys Aylward. If you are interested in science, I recommend reading about Michael Faraday. His life is a true rags-to-riches story, and he changed the world. If you like politics, it’s hard to beat George Washington and Winston Churchill. Their leadership still influences untold numbers of people.

As you read the biography, identify what the leader did well. If you observe a great habit, write it down and try to put it into practice. Note mistakes and how they were handled. Also, note vices and moral failings. (An excellent biography gives you a sense of the whole person.)

The best biographers are entertaining and accurate, revealing what their subjects were like, what they were trying to do, and how things turned out.

Churchill quite literally saved Western Civilization during World War II. His rise, fall, and rise is a fascinating story. Some consider him the greatest leader of the 20th century. I recommend reading Paul Johnson’s short biography: Churchill.

Once you start reading biographies, you might not find it easy to stop, but that’s a good thing.