The Centrality of The Gospel, by Timothy Keller

Goodnotes web.goodnotes.com

HOW TO FIND YOUR SELF, by Timothy Keller

Goodnotes web.goodnotes.com

Do Hard Things, by Steve Magness

Magness challenges the typical view of toughness and argues that society often confuses toughness with harshness, emotional suppression, intimidation, and control. Instead, he offers a new model of toughness built around facing reality, listening to the body, responding instead of reacting, and transcending discomfort.  

The author contrasts two models of toughness. The old model is represented by authoritarian coaching, fear-based leadership, and “push through at all costs” thinking. Magness rejects that as shallow and often harmful. Real toughness, in his view, is not pretending pain or fear are absent. It is learning to stay aware, calm, and intentional under pressure.  

Magness uses of examples from sports, military training, neuroscience, psychology, and his own athletic experience. One major idea he presents is that toughness must be trained through skill, awareness, and stress exposure, not through abuse or humiliation. The person learns to feel discomfort, create space, and make a better decision.  

He gives the reader four pillars from which to achieve this toughness - 

1. Ditch the facade and embrace reality: Tough people accurately assess what is happening instead of hiding behind false confidence or bravado.

2. Listen to your body: Emotions and physical sensations are not enemies. They are information that help us make better decisions.

3. Respond instead of react: Toughness means creating space between stimulus and response so we can act wisely instead of impulsively.

4. Transcend discomfort: Purpose, meaning, autonomy, competence, and connection help people endure hardship without being crushed by it.

The big takeaway is - Real toughness is not calloused indifference. It is honest awareness, emotional maturity, flexible response, and purpose-driven endurance.

Keller on Quiet Times, Mysticism, and the Priceless Payoff of Prayer



https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/tim-keller-on-prayer/

Tim Keller explores prayer not as a "quiet time" ritual or mere spiritual duty, but as a biblically grounded encounter with God that fuses theology with real experience. He pushes beyond common evangelical patterns of devotional time, urging believers to move from a head-only study of Scripture into meditation that turns truth into adoration, confession, and supplication. A key point is that prayer should deepen our communion with God by shaping our affections, not just informing our minds. The Gospel Coalition

Keller emphasizes that prayer in Jesus's name isn't simply a verbal ending to our petitions. Rather, it acknowledges that we come before the Father only by Christ's mediation, standing in humility but also confidence in his righteousness. Praying in our own name, by contrast, assumes God should hear us because of our own merit rather than Christ's. The Gospel Coalition

On struggle and distraction in prayer, he points to biblical meditation—filling the mind with Scripture to steady the heart and affections—over emotionally driven or vague contemplative techniques. Prayer isn't first about emotional payoff, but about faithful regularity rooted in the gospel, even when joy feels distant. The Gospel Coalition

Overall, Keller invites Christians to rethink prayer as both deep theological reflection and humble, persistent communion with God, centered on Christ, shaped by Scripture, and lived out not just in quiet times but in a transformed life on our knees. The Gospel Coalition

Think Out, Work In, Pray Up

First, think out your theology. Know what you believe and why.

Second, work in your theology. It requires honesty to wrestle down a restless heart.

Third, pray up your theology. Learn the art of turning theology into prayer, letting it trigger adoration, confession, and supplication.

""Do those things," he advises, "and your theology will intersect with your experience." Those who are inclined, whether from doctrinal formation or natural temperament, to elevate feelings over theology are planting their feet in midair. But theologically minded believers should likewise beware. "The irony," Keller warns, "is that many conservative Christians, most concerned about conserving true and sound doctrine, neglect the importance of prayer and make no effort to experience God—which can lead to the eventual loss of sound doctrine.""

— Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel by Matt Smethurst

https://a.co/j4T1Im6

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Undeniable, by Cameron Hanes

Great book to listen to on some long treks. I've listened to some of his podcasts and guest interviews and knew he was a 68 years old serious ultramarathoner, but didn't know his accomplishments as an elite backcountry bow hunter. That's some real man stuff!!

While holding a full-time job for 25 years, he trained intensively, and built his brand. 

Cameron's Foundational Principles

Discipline beats motivation. Daily, repeatable habits create high performance.

Effort compounds. The small, unglamorous tasks done every day build mastery.

Obsession is a virtue. Becoming great requires a willingness to pursue a calling with unusual intensity.

Suffering produces strength. Hardship, pain, and failure forge mental toughness and character.

Purpose fuels endurance. Knowing why you push yourself sustains the grind long after excitement fades.

Consistency creates credibility. Being reliable, steady, and always improving earns respect and opportunities.

Hanes' slogan is KEEP HAMMERING

Finish Line Leadership, by Dave Kraft

"What would you like me to talk about?" Dave asked.

Dave Kraft, author and executive coach, spoke at an event I co-hosted recently and that's the question he asked me regarding his upcoming talk.

My response was "chapter 1, of Finish Line Leadership."

In Chapter 1, The One Foundation for Everything, Kraft establishes the foundational truth that Christian leadership must be rooted in Christ alone. He frames leadership as a race, not a short sprint, but a ultramarathon that demands endurance, character, and dependence on Jesus. 

He argues that many leaders stumble not because of lack of skill or vision, but because their foundation is built on achievement, role, or performance rather than on the person and presence of Christ. Kraft challenges his readers to examine where their identity and power come from: are they leading out of their gifts, accolades, or position, or out of a sustained relationship with Jesus? 

He emphasizes that everything else (purpose, passion, priorities, values, execution) rests on this foundation. Without it, the rest of the journey becomes vulnerable to drift, burnout, or collapse. The chapter closes with reflective questions inviting leaders to assess the solidity of their foundation.

At the end of each chapter, Dave gives three questions for reflection, discussion, and application. 

The foundation of real leadership is Jesus applied. He, Jesus, gives us so many commands throughout his word. Dallas Willard felt we should have green lettering to go with the red lettering in our Bibles. 

Green, for Go and Do. 

To that end…..

Thank you Jesus for your word. I pray I receive that word, apply that word, and transformed by the knowledge and application.

Just So Something, by Kevin DeYoung

In his book Just Do Something Kevin DeYoung challenges the hesitation that often masquerades as holiness. Many believers pray endlessly for signs and certainty, waiting for God to reveal a detailed plan before taking a step. DeYoung insists that while prayer is vital, it is not a substitute for obedience or responsibility. God's will, he reminds us, is not a hidden code to be cracked but a revealed calling to live faithfully within His Word.

A revealed calling to live

Prayer, then, is meant to align the heart with God's purposes, not to delay faithful action. When we pray for wisdom, as James 1:5 commands, God grants discernment to act in ways consistent with Scripture. DeYoung writes, "Pray hard, then take a risk." Faith is proven in motion; when we trust that if we are seeking first the kingdom of God, our steps will be ordered even if we cannot see the full path. Proverbs and Psalms talks about how we make plans, God establishes our steps. 

Pray hard and take a risk

This perspective liberates me from the fear of making the "wrong" decision. The focus shifts from "What should I do?" to "Who am I becoming?" As DeYoung puts it, we should pray less for God to show us the right job or spouse and more to become the kind of person who honors Him in every decision.

Become the right kind of person

In truth, prayer and action belong together. We pray to stay dependent, and we act to stay obedient. When our hearts are yielded to God's will, our movement becomes worship, and in moving, we discover His faithful guidance along the way.

Prayer and action belong together

DeYoung debunks the 'looking for God's will pattern I hear a lot about. Don't get me wrong, praying without ceasing is a command we're called to live in, but I get the idea DeYoung has dealt with a lot of people setting around looking for God's will before moving 

Discovery isn't waiting and praying. 

As a coach once told me in a difficult time; keep moving.

https://open.substack.com/pub/dannylsmith/p/doing-and-praying?r=i9yfz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Danny Smith

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No Ordinary Dog, by Will Chesney

The Good and Beautiful God, by James Bryan Smith

The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith is the first book in the Apprentice Series and focuses on spiritual transformation through knowing the true character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Smith argues that many of our struggles stem from false narratives we believe about God, ourselves, and the world. Each chapter addresses a specific false narrative—such as "God is angry" or "God blesses me when I'm good"—and replaces it with a true, biblical narrative grounded in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Smith emphasizes spiritual practices (called "soul training exercises") to help readers internalize these true narratives. His goal is to help believers move from merely trying to be good to training in the way of Jesus, allowing God's love and grace to transform them from the inside out.

Main themes include:

• God is good, loving, and trustworthy

• Transformation happens by changing the stories we live by

• Spiritual practices are essential to growth in Christlikeness

It's a hopeful and practical guide to becoming more like Christ by truly understanding who God is.

Aging Matters: Finding Your Calling for the Rest of Your Life, by R. Paul Stevens

Book Summary and Reflection This is my second time reading Aging Matters. I first read it in 2020, but I don't remember reading it. After seeing a quote in another book, and checking it out on Amazon, I was surprised to find I owned it. My immediate reaction was I'd bought it and not read. Imagine my shock to find nearly 10% of the book was highlighted and I'd recorded it on my book blog—it had obviously struck a chord. As I reread, I found myself thinking more than a few times, "Ha, so this is where I got that idea!" The truths in these pages have quietly shaped my thinking, my teaching, and some decisions without me realizing how deeply they'd taken root. I've read a few of Steven's books. He was a very early author in the Theology of Work space. As Cathy and I have downsized a few things, including my physical library, I've kept all of Stevens's books. The kids will have to decide what to do with them! I believe it was C.S. Lewis that said a book wasn't truly read until it'd been read twice. Reading it this time around was a bit of an echo, and it helped clarify. From the book…… R. Paul Stevens challenges the cultural script that aging equals retirement from meaning. Instead, he calls us to renewed vocation in later life. Work is not merely paid employment; it is creative, relational, and redemptive participation in God's world. At every age, our calling is to: Belong to God through communion and intimacy, Live righteously by becoming more like Christ, Serve others through presence, purpose, and faithfulness. Calling doesn't expire, it evolves. It deepens. It finds fresh forms. The invitation from God is ongoing: join Him in what He's doing. Aging itself becomes a spiritual discipline. Stevens describes three invitations: Intensification – a move toward inner stillness and depth. Simplification – a shedding of excess and a focus on what matters. Heavenly-mindedness – seeing life with eternal perspective. In this stage, we confront the vices of aging, like bitterness or resignation, and are invited to cultivate the virtues of late life: faith, hope, and love. These are not automatic. They are forged in the fires of surrender, perseverance, and grace. Stevens redefines legacy: it's not about leaving something behind, but about passing something forward. It's not just financial—it's spiritual, relational, and eternal. He encourages us to: Review life with honesty and grace. Practice progressive relinquishment of roles, control, and even identity. Prepare for death with peace, not fear. The real question isn't, What did you accomplish? It's, Did you live faithfully with what God gave you? Personal Takeaway A lot has happened since I first read Aging. I made it 19 miles in my first marathon attempt. I completed Goggins' 4x4x48 Challenge, finished the 75 Hard Challenge, and did 1,000 pushups in 18 hours. I had a quintuple bypass. And I turned 70. And, most importantly, I seem to have slowly discovered some things about myself and my calling in what Steven's calls the third-third of life. Reading Aging Matters again now, and especially in this discover stage I realize I've been in, doesn't feel like coincidence. It feels like divine timing that this book showed up again because it still has work to do in me. It was strange laying in that hospital bed two years ago and realizing I'd been reading Gary Black's Preparing for Heaven. Black and Stevens has helped me see aging as more than survival, though that's what it feels like some days. Aging is a calling to try to live intentionally, to try to love deeply, and to try leave a decent legacy. But, finishing well isn't about being remembered, it's about being faithful. I'm afraid one of the hardest things I will have done is to be able to say "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7) and to hear "well done, good and faithful servant" (Luke 19:17). "Train hard, every day" isn't just for the physical part of our being. To that end….. Danny Originally posted at  https://dannylsmith.substack.com/p/book-summary-and-reflection-aging