Are we facing a moral crisis in today's world? Perhaps so, judging by the daily headlines that parade the ethical failings of numerous public figures before us. It seems that more traditional role models, whether in the worlds of business, government, sports, or sadly, even the ministry, than ever are disappointing us and falling short of expectations and fostering cynicism rather than idealism. But these lapses are hardly limited to well-known people. Many surveys have made us aware of a cavalier approach to values in general, such as rampant cheating from term papers to tax returns.

So how can we arrest this decline and instill a greater sense of "character" in our lives? "Character" is an elusive term, but we usually use it to describe the quality of a person's inner being -- their "moral fiber." In this insightful set of meditations, E. Dale Click suggests that the way to develop character is to put God at the center of our lives. And, he points out, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes provide us with the blueprints to enjoying life. These essays illustrate that the timeless yet timely guides to living in God's laws (the commandments) and his declarations (the beatitudes) exemplify all the admirable characteristics of the godly, character-filled life.

Labeled the "architect" of the United Lutheran Church in America's church-wide evangelism mission, E. Dale Click practiced evangelism in his own pastorate in two suburban congregations and three central city churches. He has directed evangelism missions in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Argentina, teaching thousands of pastors and lay people the meaning of evangelism. The author of five books, Click continues to serve as a consultant to numerous congregations and universities in evangelism and development as well as lecturing and preaching across the United States.