Resources to combat fear and anxiety

The days of Covid-19 have done what pressures and trials are designed to do — they are revealing our hearts. This circumstance, which is the most unusual situation any of us has ever experienced, is revealing whether we are fearful of the situation, anxious about what might yet happen, content and confident in God to […]

Grab bag

“A Stunning Scale of Our Solar System, Drawn in the Dessert.” Then read Genesis 1 and Psalm 8. I’ve not seen the movie, “The Risen,” but here is a review that appears to be quite helpful. Samuel James posted “Some Thoughts on Christians, Movies, and Nudity.” And then some more thoughts. These are helpful and […]

God, please don’t give me too much (repost)

This blog was originally posted on June 11, 2010. The “fish story” is the poster-child for exaggeration. The longer the fish is dead, the bigger it grows. But fishermen are not the only ones who are prone to stretching the boundaries of a story. A 25-pound weight loss creeps up to 30, then 35 or […]

Principles of giving

In 2 Corinthians 8-9, the apostle Paul provides a number of principles about financial giving that honor the Lord. We are typically shy when talking about giving and the need for giving, but Paul wasn’t. From these two chapters, we have at least a dozen principles that should guide our giving: Give as an example […]

A giving heart

Matel Dawson, Jr. is an ordinary man who accomplished something extraordinary. At 76, he still worked for Ford Motor Company — the company that hired him out of high school — operating a forklift. It is unusual to work for one company for more than 57 years. Yet even more remarkably, over six years beginning […]

Jesus and money

Entertainer Sophie Tucker reputedly said, “From birth to age 18, a girl needs good parents, from 18 to 35 she needs good looks, from 35 to 55 she needs a good personality, and from 55 on she needs cash.” And on another occasion she suggested, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” But […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles seen recently: John Newton, writing his troubled friend William Cowper, notes the hardness of the Christian life — and the grace of Christ: “For every day shows us some new thing in the heart, or some new turn in the management of the war against us which we were not aware of; […]

Alcorn: How much to give? How much to save?

In this video, Randy Alcorn provides a very helpful answer to a tension faced by all believers: how do I know how much to give and how much to save? I want to be generous with others and not presumptive about the future. His answer is Biblical, gracious, and liberating. [Eternal Perspective Ministries. HT: Tim […]

Principles of giving

A preacher went to visit a farmer and during the course of that visit asked him, “If you had $200 would you give $100 to the Lord?” “I would, preacher.” “If you had two cows, would you give one to the Lord?” “Yes, I believe I would.” “If you had two pigs, would you give […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/1/10)

A letter to Dear Abby a number of years ago reveals the heart of what many believe about giving: Is it considered proper to make change from the offering plate when it’s passed at church? A member of our family says it’s not OK. I say, it’s better than not putting anything in. Your opinion […]

Grab bag

Al Mohler leaves the radio, but will begin a new podcast in September. Lessons learned… Is technism the solution to our problems? John Dyer says “no.” I agree. John Bloom is concerned about ministry and money. Not the use of the money, but the desire for it. He suggests that the grace of Christ we […]

God, please don’t give me too much

The “fish story” is the poster-child for exaggeration. The longer the fish is dead, the bigger it grows. But fishermen are not the only ones who are prone to stretching the boundaries of a story. A 25-pound weight loss creeps up to 30, then 35 or more. Salaries often “grow” even when there haven’t been […]

Determined to give

In 1874 Francis Ridley Havergal wrote the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be” and sent it to a friend and essentially forgot about — until she saw it in a magazine four years later. She read it again for the first time in four years and was caught by the stanza, “take my […]

The grace of giving

This morning as part of our Bible reading, we read 2 Corinthians 8-9 — the account of the sacrificial and gracious giving of the Philippians and the corresponding exhortations by Paul to the Corinthians to cultivate similar habits of grace giving. One writer has counted at least 16 principles of giving in these chapters. Let […]

Book Review: Splitting Heirs

Title: Splitting Heirs: Giving Your Money and Things to Your Children Without Ruining Their Lives Author: Ron Blue Publisher: Northfield Publishing, 2008; 224 pp. $14.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): You may have more money to leave to your heirs than you think. And leaving them less than they may think is equitable is probably better for […]