Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

money

Golden Handcuffs

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The story of “The Rich Young Ruler” is one of the best-known parables told by Christ (Luke 18:18-23). For years, scholars and laypeople alike have debated its meaning and application. What are the implications for a 21st-century audience? Should we all sell everything we have, give to the poor, and follow Jesus? Perhaps, but at the risk of executing somewhat of a bait and switch, such will not be the topic of this post. Instead, I want to focus on the lesser discussed conversation Jesus had next with his followers.

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In that conversation, Jesus stated it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it was for a rich man to enter Heaven (Luke 18:24-27). In other words, it was virtually impossible. Why did He say this, and what implications does it have for those of us who are incredibly wealthy by historical standards?

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Spend Our Time

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I recently came across a concept which resonated deeply with me. The thought, in a nutshell, is to realize we never spend money, only time. What a revolutionary way to think! Most of us work jobs where we spend our time in exchange for money. Every dollar we recirculate is the result of the time we spent beforehand. Charles Spezzano was the originator of this philosophy. He said: “People don’t pay for things with money; they pay for them with time.

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If you say to yourself, ‘In five years, I’ll have put away enough to buy that vacation house’, then what you are really saying is that the house will cost you five years – one-twelfth of your adult life.” Wow. What if we weighed all our purchases in what they cost us in time? In fact, let’s make it even more personal in how it relates to how we spend our lives for God.

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Follow the Money

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Do you want to know what’s really most important to you? Follow the money. Are you curious how close you are following the Lord? Follow the money. If you are wondering if your priorities are in order, well, you guessed it… follow the money. It’s easy to say we believe in something or hold some value important, but actions never lie. Neither does where we spend the money God has entrusted to our care.

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How we spend our money always tells the truth about who we are. Your bank account has no hidden agenda; it only has the mission you give to it. As pastor Aaron Brockett recently said, “Your heart will follow your money so send your money where you want your heart to be.”

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Your Money Perspective

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Money is a tremendous tool when used appropriately. God blesses us so that we in turn will bless others. When we use what we have been given for His glory and to further His Kingdom, money is a great blessing. We are blessed with it by God so that we can bless others for God, which in turn brings glory to God. This is the proper use of what we have been entrusted to manage. It’s all about what we do with money that counts. In and of itself, money is useless, just bits of paper and metal. Put to proper use, it becomes amazingly powerful and good. There is, of course, a dark side to money as well.

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How Big is Too Big?

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I want to start with a disclaimer: I currently attend a large church (4,000+ attendees each week). Perhaps it is because of this that I have recently been pondering if perhaps the so-called megachurches of our day are hindering the spread of the Gospel. Hang with me here, because I’m only stopping to consider some questions that have been troubling me.

Large Church

This is not an indictment of any church based solely on their size. I know of many good things being done by large churches across the world. As I study the New Testament model for churches however, I am struck by how far we have deviated from that original design. [Read more…] about How Big is Too Big?