Money Well Spent

Clive Calver

World missions can be critiqued for ineffective approaches; yet there's also a compelling testimony of how God is at work in 2nd and 3rd world countries. Calver ties in witnessed accounts of faithfulness worldwide to what he calls the Andrew Principle (lessons from Andrew's response to Jesus in the New Testament): 1) in the lowest parts of the planet is where you find Jesus; 2) when you find Jesus, the first thing you do is go and get your brother; and 3) like with the example of bread and fish, God can do a lot with the little you have to give.

Materialism and Indifference

John Perkins

Isaiah 61

John Perkins teaches on materialism in the context of trying to grow spiritually with too individualistic of a mindset. He expounds on what it means to participate in the love of Christ and how to be transformed into Christ's likeness within the context of fellowship. Citing Isaiah 61, he also imparts wisdom on the importance of intentionally serving the poor in order to reflect the kingdom of God.

Generosity

Gary DeLashmutt

Isaiah 61

God's wisdom suggests that we should be generous in light of God's generosity towards us. Rather than accepting the "American Dream" mentality and using God's resources towards self, God desires us to grow in our willingness to share and be generous with the resources we've received from Him. Christians who become increasingly generous store up for themselves rewards for eternity and reflect the generosity they have received through Jesus Christ paying for their moral debt.

Lessons from Corinth

Dennis McCallum

Acts 18

The ancient city of Corinth is introduced as the Apostle Paul travels from Athens to Corinth, in the middle of his second missionary journey. Because of the contention between Paul and his critics, Paul intentionally became a ?tent maker? to ensure no unnecessary boundary remained for Paul to share the Gospel. Biblical principles on money, sacrificial Christian service, and church finances are explored.\r\n

In the World, But Not Of the World

Dennis McCallum

John 17

Jesus knows that his departure is close at hand. In light of this, he prays to the Father, acknowledging that his disciples are not of the "kosmos" or system of the world, though they will be witnesses to the world. Other sections of scripture, 1 John 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 9:19 provide practical content on areas in which Christians should adopt the practices of the world/culture, and areas in which Christians should be different from the world and culture.

In the World, But Not Of the World

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 9:19

Jesus knows that his departure is close at hand. In light of this, he prays to the Father, acknowledging that his disciples are not of the "kosmos" or system of the world, though they will be witnesses to the world. Other sections of scripture, 1 John 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 9:19 provide practical content on areas in which Christians should adopt the practices of the world/culture, and areas in which Christians should be different from the world and culture.

Make Love Your Lifestyle

Jim Leffel

Galatians 6:6-10

As we grow in our love towards others, there are three principles for developing a loving lifestyle: 1) understanding that what we feed grows, whether we sow to the flesh or to the spirit; 2) the reward of enduring and doing good without losing heart; and 3) seizing the opportunities God places in our lives to do good to others. Living out a lifestyle of sacrificial love is rewarding not just in this life, but even more so in the next.

Leadership and Spirituality (Part 3)

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 6:19-34

Paul tells Timothy to raise up leaders who are free from the love of money. Loving God and loving money are mutually exclusive - it is impossible to pursue both! Material greed doesn't just change our value system away from what God values, but it actually warps our perception of what we need to be content and leads to constant worrying. But if we pursue God's kingdom instead of money, God says he will give us all that we need.

Loving Others with our Wallets

Dennis McCallum

1 John 3:16

Christians are called to love others in truth and deed, and this very much includes giving our money. We are stewards of what God has given us, and if we want to be dedicated givers we need to practice disciplined regular giving rather than only impulse giving. In this way we can heartily invest in God's work with the money He has blessed us with.