Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work book cover

Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work

Hardcover – November 13, 2012

by
Price
$26.04
Format
Hardcover
Pages
288
Publisher
Viking
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0525952701
Dimensions
6.34 x 1.11 x 9.35 inches
Weight
1.05 pounds

Description

"Tim Keller's ministry in New York City is leading a generation of seekers and skeptics toward belief in God. I thank God for him." —Billy Graham"This is the book I give to all my friends who are serious spiritual seekers or skeptics." —Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life , on The Reason for God "Theologically rich and philosophically informed, yet accessible and filled with practical wisdom. Drawing on decades of study and ministry, Every Good Endeavor may soon become one of the most important contemporary books on faith and work."xa0— Comment magazine "Another masterpiece . . . Well-reasoned [and] comprehensive . . . Every Good Endeavor deftly explains how we can relish and enjoy our work while honoring God and serving others, all the while avoiding the extremes of negativity on the one hand and idolatry on the other."xa0—The Gospel Coalition"Most people sitting in the pews of our churches on a Sunday morning spend more time in the workplace than anywhere else. Yet we can too easily make following Christ a matter of personal devotions and church activity. . . .xa0This is great book on an important area that is too often neglected." —Tim Chester Timothy Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. His first pastorate was in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989 he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. Today, Redeemer has nearly six thousand regular Sunday attendees and has helped to start more than three hundred new churches around the world.xa0He is the author of The Songs of Jesus , Prayer , Encounters with Jesus , Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering ,xa0and The Meaning of Marriage , among others, including the perennial bestsellers The Reason for God and The Prodigal God . Katherine Leary Alsdorf worked twenty-five years in the high-tech industry as an economic analyst and in various executive leadership positions. After her CEO roles at One Touch Systems and Pensare, Redeemer Presbyterian Church recruited Katherine to lead the church’s efforts in marketplace ministry, now called the Center for Faith & Work, which has grown to serve more than two thousand people a year. Katherine has served on the boards of the International Arts Movement, the Fellowship for the Performing Arts, and the Theology of Work Project.

Features & Highlights

  • New York Times
  • bestselling author of
  • The Prodigal Prophet
  • Timothy Keller shows how God calls on each of us to express meaning and purpose through our work and careers.“A touchstone of the [new evangelical] movement.” —
  • The New York Times
  • Tim Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author of
  • The Reason for God
  • , has taught and counseled students, young professionals, and senior leaders on the subject of work and calling for more than twenty years. Now he pulls his insights into a thoughtful and practical book for readers everywhere.With deep conviction and often surprising advice, Keller shows readers that biblical wisdom is immensely relevant to our questions about work today. In fact, the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of worship—not just of self-interest.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1.5K)
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(605)
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15%
(363)
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7%
(169)
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Most Helpful Reviews

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Sound Theology, Practical Instruction

As someone who has worked as a pastor, a barista, a bus driver, a lawn service professional, a retail specialist, and a writer, this book is immensely practical, possesses theological depth, and is a delight to read. The threefold structure, tracing "God's Plan for Work", "Our Problems with Work", and "The Gospel and Work" is elegant and accessible, and gives instruction concerning work's original intent, the impact of sin upon our work, and the redemption that is offered in Christ. Tim Keller, in both his speaking and writing ministry, is a true gift to the Christian world.

While a lengthy review could easily be written, these brief words will suffice: you will seldom find a book that in its simplicity and clarity provides Christians with a helpful framework for understanding and undertaking work, to the glory of God.
13 people found this helpful
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A "you gotta read" book!

Simply the best book on the importance of work in God's design for our lives! Every Good Endeavor is a "you gotta read" book for person who works, especially those who work outside of the church. I have always enjoyed what I do for a living, but what a different, more powerful, perspective I have now on the meaning of my daily work.
1 people found this helpful
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A source of wisdom and discernment

I agree with previous reviews. This book is a good resource to help people find meaning in their work and find work that has meaning.

There are many sources for knowledge in 2013. There are ample opportunities to apply that knowledge to gain experience. But how do we convert experience into wisdom and discernment? This book addresses that need.

On page 210 Timothy Keller says that wisdom, according to the Bible, is knowing the right thing to do in the 80% of situations where moral rules (e.g. The Ten Commandments) don't apply (e.g., whether to move, whether to accept a job offer, whom to marry).

Keller lists five sources of growing wisdom:
1. Know God personally. Why? Because God is all-knowing.

2. Know ourselves. As my friend Jim Seybert says "Identify and grow your strengths, don't focus on improving your weaknesses.

3. Remember the results of your experiences. Don't repeat failures and mistakes. That's the beginning of wisdom.

4. Read the book of Proverbs. It has 31 chapters, one for each day of the month. Read and re-read it.

5. Seek the Holy Spirit. He is the spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17) and the power source for wisdom (Ephesians 1:19).

I was blessed to receive a Thank You card during the Christmas holidays from a young person who I've known for several years but rarely see. She thanked me for being her mentor. She had not asked me to mentor her. She has simply watched and read what I do in my vocation and found how I live my life as a useful guide to her.

I believe that's what Timothy Keller wants all of us to do more of ... live a life that honors God and exhibits wisdom that serves people.
1 people found this helpful
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I didn't think it would be this good...

I have read many fine books on how we are to have a biblical understanding of work. Works like Your Work Matters to God by Sherman and Hendricks, The Other Six Days by Stevens, and The Call by Guinness all were terrific in their own ways.

However, when people ask for one good book which addresses "theology and practice of work," Every Good Endeavor is the book I will recommend. Keller does what he does best: present old truths in fresh ways.
1 people found this helpful
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The book on faith and work I've wanted write myself

There are lots of books on faith and work. Most of them contribute something, but most of them are somewhat theoretical, or focus on a particular aspect (ethics, vocation, etc), or are only tangentially biblical. Not so Tim Keller's "Every Good Endeavor".

As a businessman with a passion for living out Christian faith as someone created in God's image, someone called by Him to work, I have longed for support from the church. I've blogged quite a bit about this but clearly don't have the time, staying power, or writing ability to write the book that could form the foundation of church ministry in support of ordinary people doing ordinary work in an extraordinary Kingdom way. Fortunately, Keller has all of the necessary attributes.

This book gives an engaging, Biblical view of God's intent for work. It is full of relevant (rather than merely entertaining) stories that bring home the principles. You will find it to be pragmatic and realistic - this isn't easy stuff to live out - but also full of hope and inspiration. I'm convinced no Christian could read this book and fail to come out with a higher, more meaningful understanding of their work, no matter what it is.

If you're going to buy just one book on faith and work (and I've bought quite a few), then buy this one.
1 people found this helpful
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Tim Keller's Best So Far...

That's really saying something considering that this is the author of "The Reason for God" and "The Prodigal God," two of the most important and satisfying Christian-themed books of recent years. Keller is a C.S. Lewis for our time; his work is apologetic without being condescending or simple-minded. He uses modern references and vernacular to express his points, which illuminate the wonder of Grace and the inestimable value of a Christian worldview in today's society. Rooted in the theological wisdom of Augustine, Calvin, Edwards and many others, Keller nevertheless takes the state of the art in new and incredibly relevant directions.

In "Every Good Endeavor" (which gets its title from an album liner note by John Coltrane), Keller examines how to integrate faith and work in the modern world. Keller draws from Biblical resources to explain the foundational aspect of work in human culture, and along the way analyzes comments on the subject from thinkers as diverse as Tolstoy, Peter Shaffer and J.R.R. Tolkien, to name just a few. Through it all, he examines diverse motivating factors in structuring a Christ-centered work life, and how to balance them in perfect harmony.

I predict that "Every Good Endeavor" will be remembered as one of the great motivational and Christian works of this era. I give it my highest personal recommendation.
1 people found this helpful
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Must read

Best Christian book written on the purpose of work and how God is intricately and magnificently woven into every aspect of our lives, especially in our work.
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Five Stars

Great book, Love Tim Keller's stuff.
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Must Read

One of our all time favorites...have read it multiple times myself, given as gift. Wonderful encourageing inspiring insights.
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I can simply and honestly say this book has changed ...

I can simply and honestly say this book has changed the course of my life in the past four years. Thank you John Coltrane, and thank you Tim Keller.

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