Serving Jesus in Partnership with You!
Not long ago, a friend went through his closet and gave away literally half of his clothes. Rather than missing the items, he said life felt less complicated. Instead of feeling deprived, he felt freed up. Similarly, Jane Hammerslough, author of Dematerializing: Taming the Power of Possessions, describes how a roof repair gone wrong forced her …
Continue reading "The Freedom of Simple Living by Matt Bell*"
Byย Joseph Slife perceived that there is nothing better for themthan to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil โthis is Godโs gift to man.(Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 ESV) The word "holiday" comes from the Old English word hฤligdรฆg, which means "holy …
Continue reading "Labor Day: Honoring Workers โ and the Creator God*"
He had wealth, power, and the rest of his life ahead of him. Though young, he had a significant amount of authority. People noticed when he entered the scene. Yet he was acutely aware that his life was lacking. From each Gospel account, we get a fact about who he is. Matthew tells us heโs young. Mark says heโs …
by John Rinehart* More money will satisfy you. Most toys and most money wins. Storing up a lot of money is wise. Anxiety about money is normal and reasonable. Money makes you secure. You can love God and money. We should play it safe with money. The love of money is not bad. God wants …
A taxi heads down a road in Madurai, India. Most of us know people who donโt believe in Jesus. Thatโs one reason churches exist and why we share our faith with friends and neighbors. But thereโs a second group of people who have never heard of Jesus, and neither has anyone they know. The first …
Continue reading "Your unique role in reaching the nations*"
by Matt Bell* <LISTEN> Our consumer culture promotes one overarching goal: More! In countless ways, both subtle and overt, weโre told we donโt have enough. We need a bigger house, a newer car, a nicer vacation, more money in savings, and on it goes. In the face of such a messaging onslaught, a small but …
<LISTEN> I worked for 15 years for Christian financial teacher Larry Burkett (1939-2003), the author of such best-selling books as Debt-Free Living and The Coming Economic Earthquake. (Larry also was instrumental in the founding of Sound Mind Investing.) One of Larry's political heroes was Grover Cleveland, the only U.S. president (up to that time) elected to non-consecutive terms. Cleveland, a Democrat, served from …
Continue reading "Another President Elected to Non-Conversative Terms*"
By Lauren Terrell * Eight hundred years ago, in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first recorded nativity scene. What compelled him to recreate the setting of Jesusโ birth for others to see was not pageantry and spectacle but a realization that many had lost the true spirit of Christmas. It is believed that St. …
by Joseph Slife* LISTEN> The Advent season (the weeks just before Christmas) is my favorite time of the year. With every strain of "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" and "O Come, O Come Emanuel," I'm reminded that God is working toward a good end, even amidst the world's trouble and turmoil. When the time is right, …
Life brings us plenty of reasons to not rejoice. I wear a wrist band that simply says, "God is Big Enough." When I feel confused or look at a situation that doesn't fit my box, I try to remember to look at my wrist. I don't always remember even though it is right there. We …
Continue reading "Rejoice. It is based on faith and it is not necessarily a feel."
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