Issue #158

Your weekly roundup of insights and resources to help you get more done for the glory of God.

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In Today’s Issue:

• The Gospel & Your Work
• Music for Holy Week
• Don't Give Up on Physical Bibles
• In Pursuit of Personal Revival​
• Book: Slow Productivity
• My New Notion Template

Dear steward,

Yesterday, I had the privilege of addressing a group of Christian professionals on the topic of having an eternal mindset about our work.

During the session, a question was raised that I believe many of us can relate to, "How do we cope with the guilt of not meeting our goals?"

My answer was simple: "Grace."

As we come to the end of Holy Week and reflect on our Lord's crucifixion and resurrection, we naturally meditate on God's grace demonstrated in sending the Son. We think of what this means for our eternal future. We have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of Jesus Christ (see Colossians 1:13).

But this gospel we meditate on this week also profoundly impacts how we live here and now. It should affect how we approach our goals.

The world of secular self-improvement emphasizes motivating yourself with self-flagellation, guilt, or selfish ambition. It's all about grit, determination, and self-motivation. But as blood-bought heirs of the King of Kings. We have the unique privilege of approaching productivity from a place of peace. We are under grace. We have been reconciled to God through the blood of His Son. We've got nothing to prove.

Praise God that our work is no longer driven by striving for the approval of God and men! Instead, we are motivated by the recognition that stewarding these lives for His glory is a privilege. We want to do that well. We want to be productive. But when we inevitably fall short, we can look back to the cross and say, "Thank you." Then, we get back up and keep going.

All because of grace.

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Music for Holy Week

I wanted to share some music recommendations you might enjoy this Easter weekend.

• Andrew Peterson’s Resurrection Letters—This three-album series powerfully reflects on the death and resurrection of our savior. Put it on repeat (Link).
• Holy Week Playlist—Yana, a member of our RPA community, put together this wonderful playlist of songs, readings, and spoken word for Holy Week. (YouTube | Spotify)

​Don’t Give Up on Physical Bibles (4 mins)

Chris Polski / The Gospel Coalition

This article offers several compelling benefits of using a physical Bible instead of just reading the text on your phone while in church.

Here are his main arguments for using a physical Bible:

1. Over time, you develop a visual index of where passages are on the page
2. Lets you easily flip around to different texts while listening to a sermon
3. Limits distractions from using a mobile device
4. Collates all your notes in one place
5. Signals Scripture's value to the next generation
6. Creates a spiritual keepsake

​Restore My Soul: In Pursuit of Personal Revival (6 mins)

Scott Hubbard / Desiring God

Helpful advice on how to rekindle the fire of affection for the Lord.

​

I’m an unabashed Cal Newport fanboy. His books Deep Work and Digital Minimalism, in particular, have transformed how I order my life and work.

So I was excited when my pre-order of his latest book, Slow Productivity, arrived earlier this month. I finally had a chance to sit down and read it last week.

In Slow Productivity, Newport compellingly argues that creating valuable and lasting work requires us to slow down rather than speed up. It is a call to reject the frenetic, anxious, and busyness that characterizes what he terms “pseudo productivity.” Instead, we ought to embrace a slower pace in our work that focuses on craftsmanship over efficiency.

Building on the principles of Deep Work, Slow Productivity offers a three-part formula for achieving this kind of depth:

1. Do fewer things
2. Work at a natural pace
3. Obsess over quality

Throughout, Newport reinforces his thesis with historical anecdotes and practical strategies for how modern knowledge workers might implement these principles.

P.S. Some of you have already found it, but earlier this week I quietly launched a massive Notion template designed for believers.

I’ll be sharing more about it next week, but you can learn more and pick up a copy right now at christianproductivity.com.

See you next Thursday!

Reagan Rose

I talk about personal productivity from a Christian perspective. Creator of ​Redeeming Productivity​.

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