My Mentor Died 1,595 Years Ago

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/augustine-mentor-died-1595-years/

When You Face Trials That Ask for More than You Have 

Written by Joseph Sherrard, an associate pastor at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church (EPC) outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

There will be a time for each of us in life and ministry when we’ll face challenges that ask for more than what we currently possess. We’ll face challenges our prior training and experience can’t solve. Patterns of sin that can no longer be rationalized away. Old wounds that can no longer be ignored.

Whatever they are, when we come to these challenges we’ll have a choice: We can either make superficial changes to our lives or we can accept the Lord’s invitation to dig a deeper well that will help us persevere, endure, and go “from strength to strength” (Ps. 84:7).

To do this deeper work, we need trusted mentors to guide and shepherd us. I wrote recently about the gift of mentors from the past for moments like these. It’s important—even necessary—to have a contemporary mentor you can talk to face-to-face. But six years ago, I found a local church pastor who died a millennium and a half ago. Augustine of Hippo was the pastoral voice I needed to help me face both the reality within my heart and the challenges of ministry.

When we look back to those who have gone before us, to those who have faced dilemmas similar to our own and have navigated them faithfully, we can learn wisdom from them that will steady and fortify us. I pray that my words will help you to find the mentor you need for whatever you’re facing in life and ministry.

—Joseph

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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.