Some Assembly Required

We all want to be a part of something bigger than us. Perhaps you’ve considered volunteering, but you just weren’t sure your small contribution could make a real difference. Rich Barrett shows us that every little bit, when assembled together with others, can make a tremendous impact that goes far beyond our individual contribution. February 14, 2021

Money Talks, part 3: Keep Track

It’s easier to keep track of something than to catch up with it. That’s especially true of our money. If our money could talk, it would say, “I’m easy to track, but lose track of me and you will lose your peace of mind.”

Regardless of our income, we should pay close attention to where our money goes. Not because we have to, but because it’s in our best interests to. If we don’t—to borrow a phrase from Jesus—we likely will fall into the rut of storing up for ourselves treasure on earth. And that could very well become a source of embarrassment later. We should all be knowin’ where our Master’s money is goin’. February 7, 2021

Money Talks, part 2: Send Me Away

Are you mastering your money or being mastered by it? Maybe it’s time to flip the script. Instead of striving to have enough money to satisfy a me-first appetite, Jesus encouraged his listeners to have an others-first approach.

Just like an appetite that will not be permanently satisfied, having a me-first mentality about money will always be a temptation. But when we have an others-first approach with our money, we practice self-control and self-denial. When we do that, we can find ourselves living in sync with our heavenly Father, who wants us to not be mastered by our money. So do you have money, or does money have you? January 31, 2021

Money Talks, part 1: I Mean Well

If our money could talk, what would it tell us? You might be shocked to find out that what our money would say is pretty close to what Jesus did say—and what we should still consider today. Does our money add meaning to our lives or is it the meaning of our lives?

If you choose to live for yourself, you’ll only have yourself to show for it. Spend some time wrestling with one thing that breaks your heart—something that perhaps you can be a means to helping. What step can you take to move in that direction. January 24, 2021

The Unsettling Solution for Just About Everything, part 3: Do You See What I See?

God’s grace to us is an invitation to be amazing. It’s our chance to extend to others what God has freely extended to us. But while most of us are full of something . . . it’s usually not grace. So what are you full of? And what would it take for you to give someone what they don’t expect? Or deserve? December 20, 2020

The Unsettling Solution for Just About Everything, part 2: Don’t Do The Math

The kingdom of God is characterized by unsettling generosity —the kind of generosity that gives the undeserving what they don’t deserve and regardless of how unright we’ve been, makes us right with God. So what do we do when we’re faced with this math that doesn’t add up? And how do we respond to this unfair, unsettling system that Jesus came to invite us into? December 13, 2020