The Stewardship of Pain
Read: Matthew 25:14-30 I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. (v. 25) A compelling nonfinancial interpretation of the parable of the talents comes from the pastor and writer Frederick Buechner in an essay called “The Stewardship of Pain.” Buechner says the parable asks, “How do we get the most out […]
Do Something!
Read: Matthew 25:14-30 Enter into the joy of your master. (v. 21) The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is one of the most often-used stewardship texts. I’ve heard of pastors who have given members of their congregation amounts of money and a limited time period to see what they can do for the kingdom […]
The God of Abundance
Read: Matthew 14:13-21 And they all ate and were satisfied. (v. 20) When it comes to how Christians should relate to their money, I’m uncomfortable with the word stewardship. That may sound surprising, since stewardship is the word Christians use most when talking about money. But I hear stewardship being used to justify stinginess. “I’m just […]
In What (or Whom) Do You Trust?
Read: Matthew 6:24-34 No one can serve two masters. (v. 24) On the way to church one Sunday morning, our six-year-old daughter said, “I need some money for the Sunday school offering.” Searching her purse, my wife asked our four-year-old son if he needed money for the offering too. “Nope,” he said. “They let me come […]
Retirement?
Read: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-17 Do not grow weary in doing good. (v. 13) The gospel calls us to endure to the end. It does not envision and cannot tolerate the idleness of the people Paul described in his letter. Some in Thessalonica thought receiving Christ meant they could take it easy and wait around for Jesus. […]
Full Speed Ahead
Read: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 That the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored. (v. 1) Sometimes the gospel runs fast, leading many to Christ in a single day, like the 3,000 on Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Sometimes the gospel crawls along with few believers, as Paul experienced in Athens (17:34). Sometimes it hardly seems […]
You Belong
Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 God chose you as the firstfruits. (v. 13) During the final round of the 2017 British Open, eventual winner Jordan Spieth was in big trouble on the 13th hole. As anxiety mounted over the next shot, a Golf Digest article reported, caddie Michael Greller proved helpful. Michael asked Jordan if he remembered […]
Shaken Minds
Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Let no one deceive you in any way. (v. 3) This text challenges us with Paul’s cryptic and prophetic messages that cannot be interpreted in a few words. It likely vexed the first readers as it has scholars through the centuries. Yet, Paul aims to provide confident hope in uncertain times. The […]
The Value of Suffering
Read: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 That our God may make you worthy of his calling . . . (v. 11) I have not suffered for being a Christian, but I know people who have. One Bhutanese believer was beaten severely before fleeing for his life. He endured pain and injustice, yet when I met him, his entire countenance radiated a […]