Gordon MacDonald

12 Signs of a Transformed Life

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

What does a life transformed by the gospel look like? Well, in some ways that might depend upon what it looked like before gospel impact. Yet, Gordon MacDonald took a stab at describing a transformed life in an excellent article for Leadership Journal.

Below are the 12 marks MacDonald identifies:

  1. Has an undiluted devotion to Jesus
  2. Pursues a biblically informed view of the world
  3. Is intentional and disciplined in seeking God’s direction in life
  4. Worships, and has a spirit of continuous repentance
  5. Builds healthy, reciprocal human relationships
  6. Knows how to engage the larger world where faith is not necessarily understood
  7.  Is aware of personal “call” and unique competencies
  8. Is merciful and generous
  9. Appreciates that suffering is part of faithfulness to Jesus
  10. Is eager and ready to express the content of his faith
  11. Overflows with thankfulness
  12. Has a passion for reconciliation

To read MacDonald’s whole excellent article, click: How to Spot a Transformed Life

Currents of Repentance

/ Dennis Griffith / 16 Comments

 

 “If all we do in our meditations is to repent of a few petty acts called sins that have accumulated over the last day (and this is not to belittle the importance of doing that), we have not known the deep power of purifying grace that repentance is supposed to offer.  Israel and its stories help me to understand the deep underlying currents of evil response and intent, the tragic aquifers far beneath my conscious life that will continually feed my daily life with impurity unless they are identified and replaced with alternatives of the kind of character God built into Abraham.”    

– Gordon MacDonald

15 Books on Leadership

/ Dennis Griffith / 5 Comments

The following books are some I highly recommend for those who are in leadership positions, or aspire to grow as leaders.   

While my primary interest is church leadership, I am fascinated by effective leaders in any sphere.  The books listed are not necessarily distinctively Christian.  I believe most, if not all, of these books would be beneficial for leaders in any realm. 

Wooden on Leadership  by John Wooden & Steve Jamison

Transforming Leadership by Leighton Ford

Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders (of OMF)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen Covey

First Things First by Stephen Covey

Good to Great by Jim Collins 

(Note Collins has also written a short, but excellent supplement to this book, titled Good to Great in the Social Sectors)

 Leading Change by John Kotter

 Excellence in Leadership by John White

 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork by John Maxwell

 Agape Leadership by Alexander Strauch & Robert Peterson

 Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make by Hans Finzel

 Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

 Leading With a Limp by Dan Allender