1. FINISHER
C. S. Lewis Institute Fellows Retreat
Sunday Morning
Joel S. Woodruff

2. What’s wrong with the world?
• Early in the 19th century, “The Times” of London
posed a question to its subscribers, “What is
wrong with the world?” One writer wrote the
following response,
“Dear Sir,
I am.
Yours faithfully,
G. K. Chesterton”

3. C. S. Lewis quote
"The Christian does not think God will love us
because we are good, but that God will make
us good because He loves us."

4. Cal Stoll – Coach of Tony Dungy
• “Success is uncommon, therefore not to be
enjoyed by the common man. I’m looking for
uncommon people.”

5. Path to real Change
- John Maxwell
AN EVENT A PROCESS
• Encourages decisions Encourages development
• Motivates people Matures people
• Is a calendar issue Is a culture issue
• Challenges people Changes people
• Is easy Is difficult

6. Maxwell quote
“If I need to be inspired to take steps forward,
then I’ll attend an event.
If I want to improve, then I’ll engage in a process
and stick with it.”

7. 1 Timothy 4:1-16
Paul says that we need to train ourselves to be
godly.
“Enemy-occupied territory – that is what the
world is.” (C. S. Lewis)

8. The Three S’s
• Sacrifice
• Strategy
• Success

9. 1) Sacrifice
It’s been said,
“Champions don’t become champions in the
ring, they are merely recognized there.”
What sacrifices will I need to make in order to
progress, defeat the enemies, and finish the
course?

10. Bobb Biehl maxim
“Every choice we make is the result of a process in
which we weigh the price of that choice against the
value that we perceive it brings.
VALUE PRICE
MOTIVATION
based on wants and needs

11. The question
“Is the value of godly training worth the price
or the sacrifice that you need to make to
complete the CS Lewis Fellows program?”

12. Winston Churchill quote
“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one
word: Victory –victory at all costs, victory in
spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard
the road may be; for without victory, there is no
survival.”

13. 2) Strategy
What strategies will I need to implement to
help me make measurable progress and finish
this training for godliness through the CS Lewis
Fellows Program?

14. You need a coach and teammates
• v. 15, train “so that everyone may see your
progress.”
• Coach in Fellows program – Your Mentor
• Teammates – Fellow Fellows

15. Donald Whitney quote
• “The spiritual disciplines definitely have some
nonpublic applications, but they were never
meant to be practiced apart from fellowship.
Christians in Western cultures find it easy to
forget the role played by fellowship in the
theology and practice of the spiritual
disciplines. One cause of that oversight is the
intense individualism touted in our do-your-
own-thing, be-your-own-boss, look-out-for-
number-one society.”

16. Individual Responsibility
Paul throws out this strategy when he writes, in
verse 16
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere
in them…”

17. “Think Beyond the Whole”
Max DePree
He told them not to settle for what a colleague
of his called, “running the ninety-five yard dash.”
For as you know, there is no 95 yard dash, only
the 100 yard dash. If you are running a 100 yard
dash and only completed 95 yards, then the race
is pointless…He explained that serious runners
think of it as a 110-yard-dash so that no one will
beat you in the last few yards. That completes
the idea nicely. Think beyond the whole.”

18. 3) SUCCESS
What will success look like when you finish the
CS Lewis Fellows program?
Paul wraps up his charge to Timothy in chapter 4
with a beautiful image of success,
“If you (persevere in whole hearted godly
training) you will save both yourself and your
hearers.”

19. FINISHER
• Marine Corps Marathon FINISHER! FINISHER!
You know, when you finish your lifelong training
in godliness, it won’t matter whether you were
1st or 4,218th. What will matter is that you
finished the race and your Creator said to you,
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

20. ABD’s & Churchill legend
77% of doctoral candidates never complete the
dissertation – they get an A.B.D. “All but
dissertation.”
Don’t settle for “All but…” in the Fellows
program
“Never Give Up” speech of Churchill