We conclude this five-part series studying Ezekiel 7 with the final element of the antidote to economic idolatry, as taught by John Wesley: “Give all you can.” If you are earning, and if you saving, as we learned in the previous post, you will have the ability to give generously. Living simply and practicing generosityContinue reading “God doesn’t want you to tithe – Ezekiel 7, Part 5”
Tag Archives: wealth
The surprising antidote to economic idolatry – Ezekiel 7, Part 4
What is the antidote to economic idolatry? Sometimes I think to myself, “I hate money.” What I mean is that it can seem like life is one long travail of trying earn money. Do you ever long for financial independence, so that you don’t have to think about whether or not you have enough money?Continue reading “The surprising antidote to economic idolatry – Ezekiel 7, Part 4”
Doge Coin, NFTs, GameStop and the end of the world! – Ezekiel 7, Part 1
Economists look back over the last year or so reporting that, in addition to Covid, it has been a unique financial year in other ways. For example, have you heard of Doge Coin? It is a cryptocurrency, a digital form of money, which I don’t have the time or knowledge to try to explain. ThereContinue reading “Doge Coin, NFTs, GameStop and the end of the world! – Ezekiel 7, Part 1”
The ancient mystery is revealed! – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 8
All week long we have been learning about a mystery, starting here! In Colossians 1, verse 27, Paul tells us that the mystery has glorious riches. Glory refers to the concept of splendor, of remarkable appearance. The second word, riches, refers to abundant riches. In fact, the particular word Paul uses for “riches” often hasContinue reading “The ancient mystery is revealed! – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 8”
What to do when money keeps you up at night – Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12, Part 2
I never used to understand how people could struggle with restless nights. I understand now. For a number of years, I’ve battled anxiety and panic, and one of my triggers is money. Will there be enough? Are we saving enough for retirement? Can we do a better job with spending? How can we pay offContinue reading “What to do when money keeps you up at night – Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12, Part 2”
Are the rich getting richer, while the poor get poorer? – Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12, Part 1
What are you looking forward to? How would you fill in the blank in the following phrase: “I can’t wait for _______”? Here are some that I’ve heard recently, from myself and others. I can’t wait until we have a vaccine for Covid, so we can get back to normal. I can’t wait until thisContinue reading “Are the rich getting richer, while the poor get poorer? – Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12, Part 1”
Do Americans need to repent? – Current Events 2020 Q1 – Affordable Housing, Part 4
Are Americans like the Israelites in Amos’ day? Are we wealthy? Are we a religious people? And yet are we oppressing others? First, let’s consider our wealth. The Israelites in Amos day were riding a wave of wealth. When you compare Americans with so many places around the world, we are wealthy. For the mostContinue reading “Do Americans need to repent? – Current Events 2020 Q1 – Affordable Housing, Part 4”
Does God hate your church’s worship (and how to find out) – Current Events Q1 2020 – Affordable Housing, Part 3
Has your church ever evaluated your worship services? How do you know what is good worship and what is not? What metrics do you use? Quality? Excellence? Professionalism? Attendance? Growth? Better yet, what metrics would God want you to use? As we continue our study this week on affordable housing, surprisingly perhaps, one Old TestamentContinue reading “Does God hate your church’s worship (and how to find out) – Current Events Q1 2020 – Affordable Housing, Part 3”
What’s holding you back from following Jesus? Luke 18:18-43
Sometimes choices are hard to make. I talked about that last week, referring to Luke 18:18-43. In that story, Jesus met a guy and asked him to make a very hard choice. This guy wanted to follow Jesus. He had a bunch of money, and Jesus told him “sell everything you have, give it toContinue reading “What’s holding you back from following Jesus? Luke 18:18-43”
Jesus’ bizarre depiction of heaven and hell – Luke 16:19-31
Do pastors lie at funerals? Though we sound confident, usually that the deceased is in heaven, do we really know that? You can read my thoughts on that in the intro post. The question I asked in that post is: “So, what happens when we die? Is it possible that we can know now whatContinue reading “Jesus’ bizarre depiction of heaven and hell – Luke 16:19-31”
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