In our post-modern society where we are bombarded with motivational messages of self belief and self worth, we seem to say that there is a whole lot of “I” involved in overcoming the odds in life. The concept of surrender and submission has been touted to be an idea of shame and defeat.

It is not often that we see a movement telling people to “get over yourself” but this is what I AM SECOND is all about; getting over yourself and start living for God and others.

I AM SECOND is a multimedia movement that aims to inspire people from all walks of life. Its website, www.iamsecond.com, is filled with inspiring stories of a wide variety of people, who share earnestly about how they failed time and again, how they tried to take control of their own lives, and how things turned around when they ultimately put Jesus first.

Who’s first?

The beautiful and powerful element about this movement is its simplicity in its purpose, message, and delivery. The campaign cleverly disposes us as the first priority of our lives, making it inevitable for us to ask: “If I am second, then who’s first?”

I AM SECOND aims to encourage and inspire a new generation through testimonies from people who found solace and unimaginable grace, despite their weaknesses and struggles, when they let go and let God – a powerful message of personal surrender that will take most of us a lifetime to learn.

The simplicity in the message clearly resonates with many as about a quarter of a million members of the public are participating in their programs and following them on their social media platforms.

When I came across some of the video testimonies from I AM SECOND, I was moved by their authenticity and honesty. Their heartfelt words gave viewers different perspectives of how we ought to live our lives hand in hand with the Bible. Every person has his or her “kryptonite” and things he or she struggles with. What the testimonies offer is the hope and comfort that those who face difficult circumstances can come through when they decide to put God first.

From celebrities to ordinary folks, many have lent their names, stories, and voices to witness to the world that whatever the challenge we face, we will overcome not by might, nor by power, but by His spirit.

Started as a conviction by Norm Miller in his heart to “Lift Christ up so that He might draw the people of his city to Jesus,” he partnered with others to turn this idea into a reality. Since its launch in December 2008, the movement has gone viral with more than 5 million visits and 20 million page views from 217 countries and regions on its website.

The supporters of I AM SECOND call themselves “seconds” and the movement opens up many avenues that the “seconds” can participate in. Interested parties can volunteer at their various events, join a street team, start a “Second Group” at their local church or workplace or even participate in expeditions. The team behind the movement has put together a comprehensive package of materials and collaterals to assist in the process as well.

Although I AM SECOND is started in the United States and its activities are pretty much centered there, the appeal and impact of the testimonies have found a global audience. Its goal is to “take Jesus to the world” and “bring real world solutions to poverty and suffering” and I am quietly confident that such a message might just go the distance.

At a time where we are inundated with so much negativity from the media and encouraged to be increasingly individualistic and competitive to survive, it is refreshing to be reminded that surrendering is actually the solution and that the second place can also be the place for true success over life’s challenges.

Daniel is currently an aspiring entrepreneur who enjoys good company whether online or offline. He was the Conference Director of the Eagles Leadership Conference 2011 and is now in charge of marketing in the Eagles VantagePoint team.

I am quite certain that most, if not all of us have come across the term “guilty pleasure.” The way we perceive acceptable levels of pleasure differs from one individual to another as it depends on our upbringing and understanding of the concept of biblical stewardship.

Some of us might not give a second thought about spending $10 on a cup of coffee while catching up with our friends; others might feel that the money could have been better used to further the work in mission fields. Many Christians tend to either regard anything that resembles “earthly pleasure” as something to be embraced freely or avoided altogether.

In this book, Thomas defends neither views but instead pleads with Christians who have tipped too far in either direction. He presents them with a God who is portrayed by the Bible as delighting and sharing in the pleasure that His people enjoy when they approach life with thanksgiving.

He encourages the readers to embrace pleasure with sophistication as it is a gift from God and argues that we have been designed to receive pleasure in many different ways and are in fact, being prepared for an eternity of pleasure with Him.

He cautions us to always remember that our first and foremost pleasure should be to delight in Christ and warns that if we are to allow anything other than delighting God first, it would end up competing against our love for God.

Personally, I have always been cautious about books and materials which defend only a certain aspect of the Christian life while ignoring everything else. However, Thomas paid special effort to provide, in my view, the most balanced perspective on what is the proper role of pleasure in a Christian’s life. If you have never thought that enjoying “earthly pleasures” could be positive in your life, I would highly recommend that you read this book and allow Thomas to show you what it takes to live a balanced Christian life.

Joke Books Volume 13-32
by George Ong

Most Christian joke books usually comprise stale jokes about “talking bushes.” However, these joke books by Rev George Ong are nothing like that.

Rev Ong has extensive experience ministering across denominations and has preached in over 150 churches in Singapore to date. As a firm believer of creative presentation, this former army officer has been using jokes and humorous illustrations to help drive home his points as he feels that humor, like cosmetics, can turn something plain into something phenomenal.
It is through this vast ministry that has enabled him to compile various quotations and jokes. These not only brought out a smile when I read them; they were also a form of instruction for me as he paid special attention to deliberately inject either a teaching or a moral value after each segment.

Having these teachings (which are often conveyed in an overly serious manner) makes the jokes and illustrations more meaningful and helps the lessons which he has cleverly concealed, to sink in even deeper after I have read them.

Having just released another series of twenty joke books to add to his collection of 12, Volume 32 is the last book in this series and it touches on the issues that married couples face. The other issues in this series cover a variety of topics from romance to classroom humor.

Terrence Quah manages the marketing and communications at SKS Books but spends most of his time helping churches develop their Bible study curriculum. He spends his free time playing basketball and reading anything he can get his hands on and would love the chance to see the aurora borealis one day.

At the start of this book, Baab begins by exploring the many aspects of modern day friendships from a Christian perspective before focusing on how the various social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have caused friendships to be affected both positively and negatively, depending on a user’s communication preferences.

In my opinion, what makes Friending so distinct from other books on communication is that instead of focusing on the positive and negative effects of the changes in communication, Baab helps readers identify the different communication preferences which might have developed in their formative years and pointed out that what is one’s primary choice of communication might not be aligned with those whom they are trying to maintain a relationship with.

In the middle chapters, Baab focuses on our friendship with God and how that relationship translates into practical acts directed toward those around us. The acts of sharing, caring, choosing, accepting, and forgiving are brought into the spotlight as she touches on what makes friendship work and how we can better cultivate healthy friendships despite obstacles such as distance and personal commitments which will cause a friendship to wilt if it is not given due consideration and properly addressed.

In these middle chapters, Baab’s enthusiasm towards building healthy relationships through active cultivation is prominently seen as she continually refers to personal experiences and interviews with a large and widely diverse group of people from different age groups to show just how rewarding relationships can be. To back it up, she refers in particular to Colossians 3 and 1 Corinthians 13 in the Scriptures as the ideal framework upon which we should base our relationships and shows how the faith which comes from God can be seen in our daily interactions with those around us.

Apart from the wealth of knowledge and wisdom gleaned through experience and from the interviewees, Baab’s style of writing offers inspiration and is never more prominent than when she touches on the topic of taking initiative. She observes in chapter seven that “Love carries its own reward. When we act in love, when we take initiative to show kindness and compassion, we are mirroring the character of God as shown to us in Christ Jesus. Every time we do that, we are participating in God’s work of transformation in us. Even if our act of kindness is not received very enthusiastically, we will be blessed if we trust that God’s love is shaping us into the people we were created to be.”

In the closing chapters of the book, Baab refers liberally to a study contained in the book titled Friendship Matters by William K Rawlins, which explores contrasting components of a relationship such as instrumentality and affection, or independence and dependence.

In one section, she compares Rawlins’ belief “that a friendship with a strong component of affection will be stronger than a friendship focused primarily on function” against a point made by C S Lewis “that shared interests can function as a foundation for friendship.” This together with the helpful questions for reflection, journaling, discussion, and action at the end of each chapter provided me with interesting points of exploration together with friends or in a small group setting. The appendix at the end, including more of such questions on topics not covered in the book is an unexpected bonus for me.
My only disappointment is that while this book is not an exhaustive treatise on the subject, it could have provided some insight on how to make and maintain friendships when many people today are becoming more stratified and tend to only associate with those whom they consider to be like-minded individuals.

All things considered, Friending is a helpful guide and a good discussion tool for anyone who is interested in nurturing healthy friendships in our society today.

Terrence Quah manages the marketing and communications at SKS Books but spends most of his time helping churches develop their Bible study curriculum. He spends his free time playing basketball and reading anything he can get his hands on and would love the chance to see the aurora borealis one day.