Great to Good

SOLA Network's Asian American Book Awards Honorable Mention

Greatness is overrated.

People tend to measure success by worldly standards. We assume that greatness comes from charisma, influence, and followers. But God cares more about our character than about what people around us think of our reputations.

Pastor Jae Hoon Lee challenges us not to pursue greatness but to grow in goodness. Jesus called his followers to cultivate character of goodness, not to aspire to positions of power. The faithful Christian life is one that seeks to become good. These reflections and meditations on the good Christian life unpack what it means for the church to live in obedience and faith, to strip away ambitious self-glorification, and to instead live humble lives of goodness and love.



Jae Hoon Lee (DMin, Gordon-Conwell) is the senior pastor at Onnuri Church and chair of The Gospel Coalition Korea and Handong Global University. He is chair of the Korea Lausanne Committee and served as cochair of the host committee for the Seoul2024 Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. His books include Great to Good, and he and his family live in Seoul, Korea.



Introduction

Part One: In Search of a Good Christian



1. Cultivate a Good Conscience



2. It's Morality, Stupid



3. Pain Is a Part of Joy



4. Torn from Evil and Set Apart for Good



5. A Christian Without Following Christ?



6. We Represent a God of Love



7. Justice Comes from Love



8. Strip Away Your Facades



9. True Blessings of Christ-Followers



10. Goodness Shines

Part Two: A Good Leader Builds Christ's Church



11. Be the Best Man, Not the Bridegroom



12. Signs of Judas's Betrayal



13. Fools for Christ



14. Why Is the Church Weak?



15. Happiness Comes When We Come Back



16. The Spirituality of Simplicity



17. Seek Wisdom



18. Rely on Teamwork



19. Not the Authority but a Steward



20. Your Best May Not Be God's Best

Part Three: Choose Truth, Even When It's Painful



21. Making the Right Decisions



22. The Right Mentality



23. Why Do Humans Want to Be Gods?



24. Truths Everyone Must Accept



25. Finding Your Place in Life During Disaster



26. The Key Is Always the Gospel



27. Truth Cannot Be Divided into Public and Private



28. Lives Are More Important Than Rights



29. Truth with a Gentle Embrace



30. True Authority Leads to True Freedom

Part Four: Deny Yourself and Take Up Your Cross



31. Have You Lost Your Humility?



32. Only Shepherds Answered the Call



33. The True Leader Steps Up in the Storm



34. Embracing Conflict



35. Look to the Self, Then the Situation



36. Real Change



37. Know Thyself



38. Faith or Stubbornness?



39. Time for Job's Repentance



40. God Loves Cities of Sinners

Part Five: Live Out Your Good Life



41. The Christian Life Is a Syntropy Drama



42. Your Mission Is to Go Beyond Your Backyard



43. Unlock the Future with Faith



44. A Calling Requires Courage



45. God Will Guide Us



46. Love Has Many Hues



47. A Bucket List Is a Calling List



48. When Duty Transforms into Joy



49. A Friend Who Will Never Leave



50. Not Success but Service!



Acknowledgments