Money is necessary for life. It is what we use to get the food, clothes, shelter, transportation, and everything else that we need for life. Because of its prevalence in our lives most of us have done something dumb with our money. It is easy to do. The reality is most Americans are lost financially. We have too much debt and too many obligations which lead to experiencing significant financial pressure each month. We need help when it comes to money. The Bible says too much about money for us to be lost financially. God cares about how we use our money, which means that money is a spiritual issue. The first step in getting unlost financially is to discover where we are. We need to understand that everything belongs to God and that we are His stewards managing His resources. When we remember this truth everything else begins to fall into place. Text: Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 16:10-13 Big Idea: Christians are to be good stewards of their finances. Challenge: Figure out how much money comes into your bank account and where it goes each month.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Monday, January 16, 2023
Our Purpose and Our Healing
God created humans to bear His image. To bear God's image means that we are to demonstrate God's character: His love, grace, mercy, and kindness in the world around us.
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40; CSB)
It is logical that our purpose is wrapped up in serving others, but it doesn't make sense that our healing is too?
One of the reasons why our healing is found in serving is because we are are broken by our sin and selfishness, which leads to broken relationships. Our sin has led to a damaged relationship with God which leads to a damaged relationship with other people. Since we are created to live in relationships, to have damaged relationships means we cannot be the people God created us to be.
So how do we build relationships?
Matthew 5:23-24 (CSB)“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”
Galatians 5:13-15 (CSB)For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Progress Not Perfection
One of the things that I would like to share on the blog are my sermons, since they are the result of a significant amount of pondering each week.
This is the sermon that I preached on January 1, 2023.
A new year brings with it a hope of a new start. All of us have at least one area in our lives that we would like to see changed.The issue we face is that we have failed in the past and we don’t know why now would be any different. Our hope of a new start quickly turns into discouragement.
Thankfully, God isn’t after our perfection, but our progress. Our faithfulness to Jesus is seen in our continual transformation day by day and year by year.
Text: Philippians 3:12-14
Bottom Line: Our faith helps us make progress in our journey to become more like Jesus.
Challenge: Write down one goal for your spiritual formation and think of the step needed to accomplish it.
Friday, January 13, 2023
Is That the Real Reason for Deconstruction?
Ever since Donald Trump’s election as president, and especially since the pandemic, deconstruction has been a topic of conversation within Christian circles.
Deconstruction, according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, “is the analytic examination of something (such as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy.”Friday, January 6, 2023
Spirit-Guided Sexuality
Yesterday I listened to episode 1038 of Theology in the Raw: Good Sex, Bad Sex, and Marriage with Dr. Juli Slattery. The discussion Preston Sprinkle had with Dr. Slattery reminded me of a post I had written back in 2010. I thought this would be a good excuse to update it and repost it.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Take Care Of Your Health
This Sunday I am starting a new sermon series on finances called LO$T. Many people feel lost when it comes to handling money, they have a great deal of stress around their personal finances.
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Take Time To Study
Christians are people of the Book. By that I mean Christians are guided, first and foremost, by the Bible. We believe that the Bible contains the wisdom and truth God wants His people to know.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. — Romans 12:2 (CSB)
We Need the Holy Spirit
"The immediate and continual inspiration of the Holy Spirit is absolutely needed in your life." — Andrew Murray, Daily in His Pr...
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I began Paul’s Ponderings in 2004. Twenty years ago, I was an unmarried youth pastor who read a wide variety of books. I used this blog as ...
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Dear Jesus, I love you. I worship you. I trust you. I want to bear the image of God in this world and I come to you, Jesus, so my connecti...