Church

Over one million people a year file for bankruptcy in the United States.  I wasn't a finance major in college, but I did stay at a Holiday Express one time -- so even I know that's a lot of people. But there's more to it than just numbers.  Behind the numbers are individual stories of dreams unfulfilled and families torn apart.  Perhaps a little shame and regret might be mixed in.  The ripples of bankruptcy extend to friends and neighbors, employees, and beyond. I've never filed for financial bankruptcy.  But I have been bankrupt.  Spiritually bankrupt. The people who are spiritually bankrupt far outnumber those who file for financial bankruptcy.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  They live in "super zip codes" and blue-collar neighborhoods.   They are doctors and dock workers.  The spiritually bankrupt often appear to be successful.  Their kids win awards.  From the outside, it's not…

When it comes to investing your money, Warren Buffet offers a basic rule of thumb: invest in what you use.  In other words, invest in things you understand and if you don't, make sure to get professional help from companies like SoFi so that you understand.  Invest in items that you are familiar with.  The trouble comes when we invest our money in businesses or funds that we don't understand.  We get enticed by the possibility of big return or get swept up in the buzz surrounding a company or a market. Take Buffet's principle and think about how it applies to stewardship. Are we investing in what we use?  If God has made a difference in your life ... if God has enabled you to overcome challenges ... if God has allowed you to have peace in the midst of trials ... if God's Word has provided you guidance…

Not every dollar we spend is equal in value. God forbid, but if I spend ten dollars at McDonald's on ten items from the dollar menu, the value of those dollars are different than if I spend ten dollars on a good book.  Penny-for-penny, each dollar bill is worth the same amount.  One hundred pennies equals one dollar. But the value of a dollar is more than pennies.  It is determined by what that dollar accomplishes. If you buy a candy bar, the value is a temporary sugar rush and pants that might not fit any more. If you invest that same dollar in kingdom work, the value could be ... A family that finds a place to worship together A child who hears the message that God created her and loves her and has a plan for her A missionary who is able to be God's voice in places…

"Jesus told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" -- Luke 10:2 I've been in full-time, vocational ministry for over twenty years.  I have lived on the left coast, in the South, and now at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  I have visited New England and spent several vacations in Seattle.  I've dipped my toe into Canada as well as Mexico and, most recently, Nepal. In every place, I've discovered the same thing: the problem is not with the harvest.  In other words, there is no lack of people who have been separated from God.  All around, there are plenty of people trying to discover (or rediscover) greater meaning in life.  Guilt and shame are not bound by boundaries.  The need for forgiveness transcends political parties, skin color, and accents. The…

Good poetry does more than just state facts.  Instead, it paints pictures, evokes feelings, and heightens our awareness of our surroundings.  A good poet is like a symphony conductor, drawing from multiples sources to create beautiful music. The last poem of David contained in the book of Psalm is like that.  In Psalm 145, David throws image after image at us, or as Lloyd Oglivie says, "An overload of synonyms." This weekend we will be exploring David's description of the love of God -- what a topic!  The rich, full, abounding love of God. The amazing part is ... it's not just reserved for stars and mountains.  The love of God is directed at his crowning creation: you and me.  It was St. Augustine who said, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." Read that again.