Broadcasts – Christian Working Woman

Fran's company is requiring all employees to attend a training session on LGBTQ employees, what their rights are and how they are to be treated. Fran's good friend, Louise, seems to be very concerned about being required to attend this training, as she thinks it requires her as a Christ-follower to accept beliefs she does not agree with. Fran doesn't feel as strongly as Louise does because as Frans sees it, this training is just about treating LGBTQ people with respect and not discriminating against them—which Fran feels is right. They do it anyway. But Louise feels Fran doesn't see the whole picture. “Fran,” she says, “we have to stand for what we believe and not be intimidated by this culture. Every day you hear about new attacks on our Christian beliefs. They let boys—you know, transgender girls who were boys—compete in women's sports, and that's not fair.” “Well, I understand what you're saying, but that's not really what this training is about, is it?” Fran tries to stay calm. “Like I said, Fran, this is just step one. If we don't take a stand, who knows what will be next?” And with that, Louise leaves Fran's office. Whew, Fran thinks, Louise is really upset. I'll call her tonight and talk more. So, that evening after the kids are in bed, Fran calls Louise to continue their conversation. “Louise, I didn't mean to upset you today. Maybe I'm missing something here, but I just don't see the danger in this training.” “Fran, I talked with my friend at church tonight, and she agrees that if we don't take a stand now and let the company know our opposition to this kind of training, it will just keep going. So, I've decided to tell Ben I'm choosing not to go to this training because it is against my beliefs. I know they could fire me for it—who knows? But I think I must do it to stand true for Jesus.” Whoa, Fran thinks to herself. Louise is taking this much more seriously than I am. Is she right? She says, “Louise, can you tell me how you came to that decision? Maybe I'm missing something here.” “You are, Fran—like many other Christians, I think. Our culture is quickly becoming anti-Christian, and if we just sit back and do nothing, before you know it, we'll be told to approve of abortion, same-sex marriage, all the things that are against our Christian beliefs,” Louise tells Fran. It seems Fran and Louise have different takes on this particular training and their responsibility as Christ-followers. What do you think? Should Fran go along with Louise and refuse to go to this training?

I begin another episode of Fran and Jesus on the Job, my fictional story of a single mom who is learning to let Jesus guide her and use her as an ambassador for him in her working world. As she is working at her desk, her friend, Louise, a fellow believer, walks into her office and shuts the door behind her. “What is it, Louise?” Fran asks. “What's happened? You look like you've seen a ghost.” “Fran, have you read this latest memo from the home office? Listen to this,” Louise reads from her phone: In order to make certain our company provides adequate protection for all of our employees and is compliant with Federal and State guidelines, everyone is required to attend a training session addressing these concerns. These are two-hour sessions, which will be conducted by an outside organization, will focus on our individual responsibility to affirm and respect everyone in our company. Please select the day you can attend and sign up below. “I have not seen that,” Fran replies. “What do you think it's all about, Louise?” “Oh, I know what it's all about. I talked to Sandra in HR–you've met her.” “Yes, I know her—she is a fellow believer. I like her a lot,” Fran replies. “Well, she told me this training is to tell us how we are to treat LGBTQ people. She said they are making new policies on how we address them, especially transgender people, and stuff like that,” Louise says with anxiety in her voice. “I don't see a big problem with that, Louise. Do you?” Fran says. “Well, yeah, I do. They're trying to make us accept what is against our belief—our doctrine. This is the politically correct culture gone amuck, Fran. This is just step one; what will be next?” Louise is truly upset about it. Fran gives it some thought. “Louise, we already treat them like we treat anyone else, right? So, they're not going to make us do anything we don't do already. That's the way I see it. If they just want us to never discriminate and always treat them with respect, I can agree with that. That's what I think Jesus would do.” “You just don't get it, do you, Fran?” Louise asks with some frustration. Well, is Louise right? Does Fran just not get it? This should be an interesting discussion.

What has life taught you? I've known people who went through life and never ever seemed to learn life lessons. They just made the same mistakes over and over and never seemed to gain any wisdom. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5). Recognizing you lack the wisdom you need is step one, praying for wisdom is step two, and learning from your experiences, mistakes, journey, and from other people is step three in becoming a wise person. Here are some life lessons I'd like to pass along to you. Life Lesson No. 1: When you don't know what to do, just take the next small step. Life is full of turning points, small and large; times when you must make a decision but you're not sure about it. I'm not talking about black and white decisions, things that are clearly right or wrong. But other decisions like: Should I look for a new job? Should I offer to give this person some money? Is it time to sell my house? Of course, prayer is our first order of business when we're faced with decisions, and it's always helpful to seek advice from trusted advisors. But I've often found if I take the next small step and then see where that leads, I can usually tell whether it is the right thing or not. And sometimes I discover there really is no next small step; I would have to push and shove and maneuver to get to that next step. That's always a red flag for me that says, “Slow down; make sure this is a good step to take.” When I first believed God was leading me to begin this radio ministry, many years ago now, after praying about it for a few months, I remember thinking, “You've prayed about this for a long time now. Isn't it time for you to do something?” So, I made the first small step—a phone call that opened a door and began the process of beginning The Christian Working Woman program in August of 1984. As the Chinese proverb reminds us, every long journey begins with the first step. I think many people park-out at the starting line, thinking about what they might do, wanting to do something, but because of fear or double-mindedness, they never move. James says a double-minded person is unstable in all her ways (James 1:8). Double mindedness is that state of mind where you go back and forth and back and forth, but you never move forward! Reminds me of one of the Tater Family members. Dick Tater is the Father, but the one I'm thinking about is Hessie Tator. Hessie always intends to do something, but she hesitates and never takes the first step. You really don't want to be a Hessie Tater, so, don't be afraid to take that first step and see where it leads. Life Lesson No. 2: If you will live in today, rather than yesterday or tomorrow, you can make it! Jesus said, Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:30). Most of our stress and depression comes because we live either in the past, with regrets and anger, or we live in fear of the future. God gives us the strength to cope with today, but we keep adding on the past and the future and wonder why we can't make it! Yesterday is gone. You can't change it; you can't make it better. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:18-19). If you continually dwell on the past, you will miss the new thing God wants to do for you. Yesterday is over; let it go. Tomorrow never comes. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday! Fear of the future absolutely will stop you from the good things God has for you. Pray daily that you will live in today, and then you'll have the strength to make it through. It's a matter of changing your attitude and thought patterns. When we are worrying it's usually because our thoughts are out of control. I've written a book about that, called Think About What You Think About, because long ago I began to realize I had to learn to bring my thoughts under control. And I still have to consciously and intentionally monitor my thoughts and recognize when they're going where they shouldn't go—and then stop them! Change them! When you're living in yesterday or tomorrow, you're often allowing your thoughts to go where they shouldn't go. Life Lesson No. 3: Pay off your credit cards every month. Financial troubles affect every area of our lives, and most people's financial troubles begin with that plastic credit card. The credit card companies make it easier and easier for us to get a card and then they do everything to encourage us to use it, and then just pay the minimum each month. That is a recipe for financial disaster. No doubt some of you are in financial trouble now because you've got so much credit card debt. What do you do? First, stop using your credit card. If you're in credit card trouble, make yourself pay cash for what you buy, and you'll be amazed at how much more frugal you will be. We get so used to pulling out that credit card; it seems so easy—and then the bill comes at the end of the month, and our eyes pop out when we see how much we owe! Look at where your money is going and eliminate those things you don't absolutely have to have. Most of us have a very poor idea of just where our money goes. A good exercise is to keep track of every nickel you spend for a couple of weeks or a month. Just write it down and add it up. You may be really shocked to see how much you spend on stuff you don't have to have. Then stop buying things you really don't need until you have paid off those credit cards. And believe me, we all need a lot less than we think we do. Credit cards are convenient, especially for travel, but I've had a rule for years that I must pay off my credit card bill every month. I just refuse to pay any interest. That puts controls on what I spend. One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is to wipe out that credit card debt, and then pay it off in full every month. Life Lesson No. 4: Save something from every paycheck. Frankly, I have not followed this principle all my life; I wish I had. The secret is to have money taken out of your paycheck or your checking account every month—before you see it. I don't care how small it is, make yourself start the habit of saving some money out of every paycheck, and put that money in an account you don't touch. Just forget it's there. Financial experts tell us we should have six months of expenses saved up for emergencies. Now, I know it will take you a while to get there, but you'll never get there if you don't start. Make yourself begin with your next paycheck to save some money, and teach this principle to your children. Of course, giving to God is the first thing we should do with our paychecks. He should get the firstfruits of everything he has given to us. As my daddy used to tell me, “Honey, you can't out give God.” The Bible has more to say about money than almost any other topic. That's because where our money is indicates where our heart is! I promise you, if you will pray about this and get serious about getting your financial house in order, you are going to be so glad you did. It will take so much stress and strain out of your life. I encourage you to do it. Life Lesson No. 5: Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. I often remind myself people aren't thinking about me nearly as much as I think they're thinking about me! Isn't it true that we often put ourselves under unnecessary stress by just taking ourselves too seriously! We worry about what others will think of us and that can become an obsession. What others think about you is not your business, so let it go! Here's the secret: Make it your passion to care very much about what God thinks about you. Pray daily that God will grow you into the mature Christian he wants you to be. Let God's Word reveal areas in your life that need changing, and then by God's grace, work on them. Care very much about what God thinks about you. But stop worrying about what others think. Stop imagining what they're thinking or saying. First of all, you'll never please everyone, no matter how hard you try. And secondly, have you ever thought about how wrong it is to care more about what people think of you than you do about what God thinks about you? Remember, it's not all about you; it's all about God and what he wants to do with your life. Don't take yourself so seriously. Also, it's really important to learn to laugh at yourself. I've discovered when I can make a joke on myself, it relieves the tension in a situation. I remember once showing up for a speaking engagement with two different shoes on. Don't ask me how I did it; I have no idea, except they looked somewhat alike, but they were different colors and different shoes. I looked down and realized it just before I was introduced to speak, and my first reaction was to try to figure out how could I get another pair of shoes in time to avoid looking stupid. Of course, there wasn't time, so instead, I pointed out my mismatched shoes, made fun of myself, everybody laughed, it broke the ice, and everything was fine. I often find myself worrying about what I'm wearing. Did I wear this to church last Sunday? Does this look okay? And I simply remind myself if I can't remember what I wore, surely no one else can. And who cares if they do? Just let it go! There are five life lessons which I pass on to you, hoping you'll benefit from some of the things I've learned along life's way. I'll complete this next week with five more life lessons. There's a book in the Bible that is chocked full of life lessons—the book of Proverbs. I have often suggested you read a chapter a day, and since there are 31 chapters, you'll read it through every month by reading the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. Here are just a few nuggets from Proverbs you should pay attention to: A man of knowledge uses words with restraint (Proverbs 17:27a). Avoid a man who talks too much (Proverb 20:19b). Do not let your heart envy sinners (Proverbs 23:17a). Reckless words pierce like a sword (Proverbs 12:18a). These are just a few I picked at random from the book of Proverbs. Try reading a chapter a day. I promise it will give you life lessons that will benefit you greatly.

The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him (Proverbs 18:17). We're looking at Proverbs for business this week. This proverb is very good advice for us on our jobs. What it teaches us is to withhold judgment and opinions until we’ve heard both sides to any story. We shouldn’t be gullible, and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. This is a particularly difficult area for me, because I am very impulsive and very much an overreactor. And every time I do that, I regret it. I am by God’s grace focusing prayer and attention in my life on learning to wait until I hear both sides of any story, to make sure I’ve got my facts straight, to remember there may be something here I just don’t know yet. I remember coming into the office on a very busy day to find a message that irritated me at once. With only partial information, I thought this other person was doing something way out of line, and I overreacted. I went to the phone and started dialing the number to get things straightened out. Thankfully, she was not in, and I didn’t get to speak with her at that time. When she did return my call and explained the situation, I realized the message had not been complete, and if I had talked with her earlier, I would have overreacted and probably hurt her feelings. God protected me that time and reminded me how much I need to learn not to overreact. Wise Solomon warned us the first person to present their case can sound very convincing because we haven’t heard the other side of the story. We need to listen to people but not be too quick to agree or disagree with them until we’ve sorted out the facts and know what we’re dealing with. This is good advice for managers and employees alike. I want to encourage you to go to the Proverbs daily for guidance. There are 31 chapters, so you can read the one that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years, and many times God has used the Proverbs to give me clear guidance, especially on job-related issues.

I’m looking at Proverbs for business, because the book of Proverbs is wonderfully applicable to the situations we face in our working worlds. …you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this…to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself…Allow no sleep to your eyes…Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler (Proverbs 6:2-5). How many times have you wanted to crawl under a table because you said something you wished you hadn’t? Perhaps they were words spoken in anger or haste, or words of gossip, or judgmental words. Unkind, untruthful, harsh, unnecessary words that inflicted harm of some kind. What do you do? You can’t unsay them; you can’t delete them; you can’t erase them. Those words hang there in your memory and the memory of others. What can you do? Solomon says to go and humble yourself to the person your words harmed; go, confess to them, and do it immediately. Apologize and do all you can to free yourself from the damage of those words. Now, I know that’s not easy to do. But it’s a lot easier than not doing it! Once in a hotel on a business trip, I accused a hotel employee of neglecting to follow my instructions. I was certain I had given those instructions. Nicely, but directly, I said, “I’m sure it’s your fault; please correct it.” A few minutes later I came to realize I was the one who was wrong, not him. It was embarrassing; I wanted to run away. But I forced myself to go to the phone, call the young man and apologize to him. Even a simple apology like that wasn’t easy, but once I did it, I felt so free. And I could tell it made a big difference to him. He kept saying, “That’s so nice of you to call. Thank you.” It wasn’t nice of me; it was the right thing to do. If you’ve offended someone with words, don’t procrastinate. Go right now, today and apologize. That’s good advice from Proverbs.

Proverbs is a very practical book, one which we can easily apply to our everyday lives in the working world. I’m looking at Proverbs for business to see how some specific proverbs apply to our jobs. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning (Proverbs 9:9). One of the most important characteristics every Christian should have, in my opinion, is teachableness. A person who is teachable is a very wise and truly humble person who recognizes they don’t know it all, and there’s always something new to learn. As a manager, I can tell you it is a joy to have an employee who has a teachable spirit, who is willing to learn and looking for ways to improve. A manager will endure mistakes and learning cycles, a manager will hang in there with you much longer if he or she sees an attitude of teachableness—wanting to learn. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to work with a person who knows it all and has no desire to learn anything new. How about you? Are you teachable? How do you respond when you’re given helpful hints or suggestions? Do you resent them? Sometimes we can learn from younger people, people in the business shorter times than us, people below us in rank. But if you feel threatened when someone tries to teach you something, you’re likely to stagnate right where you are. It is very smart and mature to accept teaching, to listen to new ideas and suggestions. Managers need this quality as much—perhaps more—than anyone else. Many times, we managers fail to listen to our employees, who have very good ideas that could help us if we were more teachable. The day you get beyond being teachable, you’re in trouble, because that’s the day you’ll stop growing. And you don’t just stand still; you go backwards. How about it? Do you need to ask God to make you a teachable person? No matter how good and smart you are already, you can be wiser still, Proverbs says, and you can add to your learning and wisdom by allowing others to instruct you.

We're looking at Proverbs for business. Let's read a few verses from Proverbs 6: Go to the ant, you sluggard: consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provision in summer and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8). In the margin of my Bible by this verse I have written “self-motivated.” The ant is a self-motivated creature. Without anyone standing over all those ants and telling them what to do, they perform their jobs diligently and are prepared for what lies ahead. Self-motivation is a key factor in our business world today. It is sometimes rare to find people who have it. Too many people are just trying to get by with as little as possible. They don’t look beyond their noses to see what else could be done. They take no initiative and are not willing to go any extra miles. A Christian in the workplace should be like the ant: self-motivated, willing to dig in and get the work done without prompting or constant supervision. Does your manager trust you? Can she or he be assured you will do your job diligently whether anyone’s watching? Certainly, a Christian should produce that kind of reputation. Our witness in the world can never be effective if our lives aren’t different. If we have the “It’s not my job” attitude that is prevalent today, if we drag our feet and do only what we’re told to do, if we gripe and complain about doing anything above and beyond our job description, how will our coworkers and management know Christ makes a difference in our lives? They won’t, and our verbal witness, if there is one, will fall on deaf ears. Christians have a power far beyond self to help motivate us. We have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us to give us the strength we need to be self-motivated. And we should have an outstanding testimony on our jobs that we do our work, we do it whether anyone’s watching or not, we do it to the best of our ability, and we’re willing to go the extra mile. Go to the ant and consider its ways. We can learn wisdom and self-motivation from them.

I believe the book of Proverbs is the best management and employee relations book ever written. Let's explore five different proverbs and how they relate to our jobs. I encourage you to make Proverbs a daily reading habit. There are 31 chapters, so it’s easy to read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years and find the practical advice has been most beneficial in my life. Today let’s look at Proverbs 22:10. Drive out the mocker and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended (Proverbs 22:10). Another translation reads drive out the scoffer and contention will go out. Even strife and dishonor will cease. Have you ever worked with a person who was a mocker and a scoffer? That’s the person who makes fun of others, who ridicules people and organizations, who is arrogant and causes problems seemingly on purpose. When there’s a mocker in the group, the work environment can be pretty miserable. This proverb says by getting rid of a mocker, you get rid of strife. For those of you who are in management positions, it’s good to remember there are times when the best thing you can do is to get rid of an employee. Now, I hope that doesn’t sound cruel, but a person who is intent on offending others—and some people are—can have very detrimental effects on an organization. Of course, as Christians, we still must care about people regardless of how unlovable they are. And though we can never change people, the Holy Spirit can, so we shouldn’t give up praying for them. But that doesn’t mean we allow them to ruin the working environment for everyone else. Remember, the workplace is not a rehab center or a counseling office. We want to help people when possible, but you don't hire people to reform or change them; you hire them to do a job. Solomon said, in his wisdom, you’re better off to drive out the mocker and the scoffer, for by so doing, the strife and dishonor will stop, people will be able to work productively together, and everyone will benefit, including the person who is the troublemaker. Allowing him or her to continue to get by with that inappropriate behavior doesn’t help that individual. My experience in business tells me many managers need to bite some bullets for the good of the organization and drive out the mockers and scoffers who are disrupting the workplace. It’s some good advice found in Proverbs.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen The Oxford language dictionary defines evangelism as the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.[1] It is also defined as zealous advocacy of a cause. Merriam-webster.com defines evangelism as a winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ, and it's also defined as militant or crusading zeal.[2] An evangelist is, therefore, someone who spreads the gospel by preaching or personal witness, winning personal commitments to Christ—and, I would add, with zeal! There are three ways to consider evangelism: proclamation, incarnational/relational, and apologetic/intellectual. Proclamation evangelism is the preaching mentioned above. It is a direct telling of the gospel to others. You probably will not be deploying this tactic at work, unless you are a preacher! Incarnational/relational evangelism is the living it out—building relationships and sharing your faith at work, with a bit of apologetic/intellectual evangelism as well. Meaning, you will need to be able to explain why you are living it out. One of the most relevant definitions of evangelism I have read is this working definition presented by the Theology of Work project that says, “Evangelism is the organic process of intentionally engaging individuals in their spiritual journey, joining the Holy Spirit, watching for where he is already at work to help these individuals take one step closer to God and a new life in Christ, becoming the unique reflection of the image of Christ as the resurrected, glorified persons God intended.”[3] This punctuates that evangelism is focused on the individual, and not some large group of people. We certainly come across many individuals during our workday! But why evangelize? Isn't this for the well-trained and professionals? And, surely, we shouldn't do this at work—or should we? Studies show 90% of church going people who come to Christ as adults do so because of a relationship with one or more Christians outside of the four walls of the church. With many of these adults going to work, this makes our workplace evangelism key to God's plan for salvation! Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). Earlier in Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus tells his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. I want to remind you the disciples were not some well-studied priests of the time. And remember, Jesus was a humble carpenter before he began his ministry. God did not call the qualified, he qualified the called! Thinking about the disciples as fishermen and a tax collector and Jesus as a carpenter, helps me to feel more qualified in my calling to be an evangelist at work! Our purpose here at The Christian Working Woman is to encourage, equip, and empower Christians in the workplace to love Christ more, to live their daily lives by biblical principles, and to go to their jobs as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Rooted in the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20, which tells us we are Christ's ambassadors, we are here in ministry to help you grow as workplace evangelists. Clearly the word evangelism is rooted in our faith as followers of Jesus Christ. Are you zealous about it yet? Many women I encounter don't feel like they can share their faith at work. Whether it is feeling unqualified to share the gospel or simply fearing it will not be welcomed, there are more perceived obstacles than there are perceived open doors for Jesus at work. This is one of the reasons I like the working definition from the Theology of Work project mentioned earlier. The definition helps us frame the process of evangelism at work rather than simply telling us, “Hey, go proclaim Christ at work!” Evangelism is an organic process, specifically meaning it happens naturally. We don't need to get all worked up and plan it all out. Consider the examples we have in the Bible. First Jesus. Notice how he shared his good news with others. His evangelism was incarnational and relational in every way with a touch of apologetic wisdom! Even though I am sure Jesus divinely knew who he would encounter, he wasn't on a direct quest to find them, except for the disciples. They came to him. He encountered the woman at the well when he was thirsty, and he encountered the bleeding woman as he was going to heal another's child. Think about the healing of the demon possessed man when the evil spirits were cast into the pigs. This man was in Jesus's path as he arrived from crossing the sea. Think about the leper needing healing. He was also in Jesus's path. Finally, the criminal on the cross at the crucifixion. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). Now, I am not saying Jesus wasn't a preacher evangelist. We absolutely see Jesus speaking to great crowds and in the synagogue, but it happened organically. Evangelism at work can happen organically throughout the course of your day. It can be in a breakroom, or after a meeting. It could be grabbing a cup of coffee with a colleague you want to know better. If we pay attention to the example of Jesus, we also see he is intentional in how he engages each one of the people in his path. He engages individuals! Each one had a need, even before they knew they needed Jesus. Whether it was healing, food, or even a friend, Jesus met people where they were at. Being intentionally engaging with others was the next part of the definition I mentioned earlier. The Word is clear in Matthew 18:12. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off (Matthew 18:12)? How can you intentionally engage with others? How can you help with the search for the one? Before you share the gospel with someone, have you ever considered what you know about them? Jesus had a clear advantage in being all knowing, so we will need to be good listeners and good at asking questions! In James 1:19, the word tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listen to colleagues when they talk about what they did over the weekend or even after work. Listen when they talk about family, favorite hobbies, or holiday plans! Next, discern if you can come alongside them in any way. Again, thinking of Jesus. How are you serving those around you? …not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:4). How can you extend intentional kindness to someone? Is it an encouraging word or an expression of gratitude? Is it bringing someone a cup of coffee, or lunch? Perhaps it is simply the act of listening itself. These organic and intentional engagements can build trust and a connection to start naturally sharing about your faith when it fits into the conversation, of course making sure it isn't making the other person feel uncomfortable. Has someone expressed a feeling like sadness, anger, concern, or fear? Maybe you can relate and mention how your faith has helped you in a similar situation. Ultimately, you will need to be prepared to make a defense if anyone asks you for a reason for the hope you have. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to do this with gentleness and respect. I would encourage you to make a list of ways God has helped you. This way, examples will be top of mind if this ever comes up! As you are deploying this organic and intentional evangelism, be encouraged! You are not expected to evangelize alone. Jesus has given to us the power of the Holy Spirit to help guide every situation. The early church was filled with evangelists just like you and me! Acts 1:8 promised they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. And they would be Jesus's witnesses in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say (Luke 12: 11-12). It is less about the perfect words and more about the ability to be a witness of Jesus through your life. How are people seeing the incarnational and relational Jesus through you? Paul reminds us of this. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). Allow Christ to work through you! You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14). And remember you are not solely responsible for saving anyone! No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day (John 6:44). Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). You are merely the ambassador representative, a laborer in the harvest. While you may be a very important part of God's plan for someone's salvation, you simply are just that—one part. Paul beautifully states this. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). Jesus is the foundation of everything. Every interaction, every way you “build” into an individual's faith journey. Remember the statistic I spoke about as we stated our time today? 90% of adults making a decision for Christ are doing so because of interactions outside of the Church! Back to evangelizing at work. As you intentionally engage with others through the help of the Holy Spirt, take time to discern where God is working. Does someone show extra interest in your conversations about reading the Bible or joining a Bible study you are part of? Are they asking questions about why you are different when things seem to all be chaos around at work? These can be the promptings of the Holy Spirit drawing someone closer to Jesus! At your job, help people keep taking steps closer to God. Thinking of a builder placing one piece of a house at a time, place something simple each day and return. Perhaps you will be able to celebrate with someone that turns to a new life in Christ! Consider yourself and evangelist today! Pray about who will come organically into your path, intentionally engage them and lean in to how the Holy Spirit can move through you! [1] evangelism, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary. (2023). Oed.com. https://doi.org/10.1093//OED//6381426726 [2] Definition of EVANGELISM. (n.d.). Www.merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelism [3] Work, T. of. (2018). Evangelism – Sharing the Gospel at Work (Overview). Theology of Work. https://www.theologyofwork.org/key-topics/evangelism-sharing-the-gospel-at-work-overview

Presented by Julie Busteed Much of life is spent working—both in a job and in the ordinary daily tasks that keep life going. Scripture makes it clear that rest matters, yet the question remains: is rest truly practiced? Is there space to unplug, sit still, and be present? The fourth commandment speaks directly to both work and rest: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God… (Exodus 20:8–10). God did not only command rest; He modeled it. Genesis tells us, by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:2–3). What a gift this is. God gives meaningful work and purpose, and he also knows the human need for rest. That is why the Sabbath was given, blessed, and made holy. Is this model followed? In a culture that values constant activity, it is easy to stay busy—at work, at home, and even in good and meaningful pursuits. Worth can quietly become tied to how full the schedule is. Yet the truth remains: rest is necessary. Not only physical rest but mental and emotional rest as well—time for the mind and spirit to be renewed. Too often, the command to rest on the Sabbath is brushed aside. Stillness can feel uncomfortable. Being alone with one's thoughts may feel unfamiliar, or even unproductive. Rest can seem boring in a world that never slows down. But Sabbath does not mean doing nothing; it means resting from ordinary labor and setting the day apart for God. For many, Sunday serves as a Sabbath. Others who work on Sundays may need to choose a different day of the week to set aside. Even while Israel wandered in the desert, God established a rhythm of rest. Manna was gathered on the sixth day so that the seventh day could be devoted to rest and worship. Jesus declared himself Lord of the Sabbath. When the Pharisees accused him of working on the Sabbath, he explained that meeting basic needs and doing good—healing, helping, restoring—were never violations of God's intent. As Jesus said, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). May this rhythm of work and rest become a lived practice—one that brings freedom, restores the soul, and honors the gracious gift God has given.

Presented by Julie Busteed Work can be either overvalued or undervalued. When it is overvalued, it can quietly become an idol—an identity. So how do you keep that in check? What if you genuinely enjoy your job and want to succeed? You have goals—maybe to advance, earn a certain position, or work at a prestigious place. Is that wrong? Is work becoming too important? Has it begun to define your whole life? I believe it comes down to the posture of our hearts. King Solomon, a man who had more success and resources than most could imagine, reflects on this in Ecclesiastes. He writes: I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11). This sounds like striving and ambition to me. He was successful and achieved many things. But in the end King Solomon reflects and feels empty. He denied himself nothing yet nothing fulfilled him. He also writes in Psalms 127:1 that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Ambition and striving are not inherently something to be avoided. But if you are not putting your relationship with God at the center, relying on him, trusting in him, daily walking with him, then it's all in vain. The question is not whether we should work hard or pursue excellence or go after that next promotion, but who we are working for and why. When our work is surrendered to God, it becomes more than striving. It becomes stewardship. We can hold ambition with open hands, trusting that our worth is not found in what we achieve, but in whose we are. As we commit our work to the Lord, he gives it meaning, direction, and lasting purpose—far beyond what we could accomplish on our own. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3). I pray you think of your work—whatever it is—as unto the Lord, to be a good steward so others will see his light in your life.

Presented by Julie Busteed What does Scripture teach us about the meaning and purpose of our work? Let's look at some examples of how work can be an opportunity to use our God-given abilities to serve others. The story of Ruth the Moabite comes to mind when thinking about an example of working to serve others. This short, four-chapter book of the Bible is packed with so much to reflect on, but today I want to focus on how Ruth's work blessed others, specifically her mother-in-law Naomi. A fly over recap: Naomi was not only a widow, but she also lost both of her sons. There was no one to provide for her and she was living in a foreign land. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was also a widow who loved Naomi deeply and followed Naomi back to her homeland in Bethlehem. They arrived back in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Arriving empty handed and no way to feed themselves, Ruth said to Naomi, let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor (Ruth 2:2). God provided a way for the poor to feed themselves. He said, when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:9-10). Naomi was certainly poor, and Ruth was a foreigner. God's law made provision for this situation. But someone had to go out in the field and put in some effort to gather the leftover grain. There was work involved. This was physical work. Ruth may not have been accustomed to it, but it didn't keep her from attempting to provide for Naomi and herself. I imagine it was not creative work, and commentaries indicate it could have been dangerous even for her. But God provided for and protected her in this as well, since she “happened” to end up working in Boaz's field, a relative of Naomi's husband. And as the narrative goes, he became the kinsman redeemer, providing more than Naomi and Ruth could have imagined. All this to say, Ruth, through the unglamourous work of gleaning barley in the fields, not only provided temporary nourishment for Naomi, but also was the catalyst for providing a kinsman redeemer—someone to rescue them from poverty. In the end, Boaz married Ruth and had a son who carried on the name of Naomi's husband. Best of all, their son was the grandfather of King David and ultimately in the lineage of Christ as we read in Matthew chapter 1. I just love how God uses us where we are. No matter what work we are doing, however humble or elevated our jobs might be if we are working for him and doing our best, he can and will use us.

Presented by Julie Busteed Do you realize God created and modeled work for you and me? I looked at one word used for work, which focused on the aspect of creativity. Let's look at another Hebrew word used for work—avodah. And it carries the idea of purpose. It is also translated as service, worship, and even slavery. The common thread, it describes work done by one person for the benefit of another. In Genesis 2, this word appears twice. In verse 5, we read there was no one to work the ground. Then in verse 15, God places the man in the garden to work it and take care of it. From the beginning, work is clearly presented as a gift given to humanity by God, part of his good creation plan. Then in Genesis 3, after the fall, work itself is not introduced as a curse, but it is affected by the curse. The ground is cursed because of sin, and work becomes difficult and toilsome. Thorns and thistles now grow in the garden, and provision comes through pain and sweat. Work is not the punishment for sin; rather, sin distorts work, just as it distorts every part of creation. As a result, work now includes struggle, frustration, and hardship. There are thorns and thistles, and at times it will be demanding and exhausting. Considering this, how do you and I show up to work each day in a way that honors and reflects God? I find thinking of work as a gift from God—something he created me to do—helps maintain perspective. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:17 to do everything with all our hearts, as working for the Lord and not for human masters. That truth reframes even the menial, boring, or difficult tasks every job includes. Those tasks matter, and you and I are called to do them with excellence—for his glory. Work is also necessary. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life… to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). The Thessalonians had fallen into idleness, relying on others for support. Paul encourages them to work—not only to provide for themselves—but as a way of living out their faith. Your work matters not only to pay the bills and sustain a living for you and your family, but as a witness to others. Let's go to work and remember who we really work for.[1] — [1] Some content used with permission by Tim Vickers and IFES Graduate Impact.

Presented by Julie Busteed When you hear the word work or think about your work, what comes to mind first? Do you think about work primarily as something that you have to do to pay the bills? Is it a source of boredom, frustration, and drudgery? Or maybe you enjoy your work, and it is a space where you can be creative and challenged and satisfied. Probably for most, it's some combination of both. So, let's look at how God created work and how you and I can undervalue or overvalue it. The word “work” first appears in the Bible in Genesis 2 after the creation story in Genesis 1 and before the fall in Genesis 3. Work is not a result of sin entering the world. Work is affected by it, but God's original purpose for work was for our good. In Hebrew there are two different words which are translated into “work.” The first one is in Genesis 2:2-3. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:2-3). This indicates work is something God does. So work is good. To see how God works, we go back to Genesis one and look for all the action verbs and the work characteristic that it goes with: God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). This displays his authority. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:4). God separated, which shows organization expertise. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night” (Genesis 1:5). God names things, which provides order and administration. Throughout much of the creation account God speaks things into existence indicating his creativity, authority, and communication. At the end of his work God saw that it was good. God saw all he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31). He reviewed and evaluated all that he had done. Another important skill used in work. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Since you and I are made in his image, we are made to do good work, to do amazing and wonderful things. It is God's gift allowing you to express your identity through your creativity.[1] — [1] Some content used with permission by Tim Vickers and IFES Graduate Impact.

I read an article in a Christian magazine entitled “Three Marketplace Worldviews: The secular marketplace view, the non-biblical compromised Christian view, and the biblical marketplace view.” This article really caught my attention, and I want to share with you some further good information from it. A worldview is simply the way we look at things, the paradigm through which we see our world. A marketplace view is the way you look at your job, career, or business. It's part of your worldview, but it could be very different from other parts of your worldview. Basically, your marketplace view is the way you think about the whole issue of work, careers, and your particular job. The Bible tells us as we think in our hearts, so we are, so your marketplace view has a very strong influence on why you get up and go to work each day, how you perform once you get there, and what you hope to achieve as a result. Let's look at some further differences between these three marketplace views. How does a secular marketplace view understand the moral foundation and guidelines for business? That view says, “The ends justify the means.” A secular view rejects the Bible as truth and considers it irrelevant to business. They would consider anyone with a biblical marketplace view as a bit weird, certainly radical. You'll find a wide variety of behavior among those who hold a secular marketplace view. Many are just out for themselves, using whatever means necessary to achieve their aims. They are into office politics, underhanded deals, deceitful sales pitches, or tweaking numbers—whatever it takes to reach their goals of more money, more success, more promotions. Others, on the other hand, will recognize there is merit in being honest and helpful. People who are not believers in Jesus Christ can still benefit greatly when they choose to live by biblical principles. I know people who would never call themselves Christians, but who also would never be dishonest in their business dealings. I read an article about a man who got a tax refund that was grossly in error. Instead of a small amount, the check was for over two million dollars. Knowing he had no right to the money, even though he had the check in his hands, he returned it because it was the right thing to do. Even a non-believer can operate out of right principles, but they still hold a secular marketplace view and are in the job to get the most they can for themselves. What is the non-biblical compromised Christian view of the moral foundation and guidelines for business? This person thinks, “God is more concerned about our church than my job or my business.” He is not sure the Bible has much to say about how to do business. After all, it was written too long ago. He may think it impossible to live by Christian principles on the job because nobody else does, and it's a dog-eat-dog world. He or she sees his or her work as a separate from life and faith. Why do far-too-many Christians have this compromised view of their jobs—this unbiblical attitude toward work? Because they don't know the Bible well enough. Because they don't spend time truly searching God's word and applying it to their lives. Because they've never heard a message like this, challenging them to have a biblical view of their work. Because they so easily fall into the world's mold and are not willing to pay the price of living for Jesus on their jobs. There are many reasons. We have an enemy of our soul who is going to use every tactic possible to keep Christians from being effective witnesses for Jesus Christ, and this is certainly one weapon he uses. He deceives us into thinking incorrectly—after all, lying is his specialty—and once we think wrongly, we act wrongly. How wonderful it is to find a Christian with a Biblical marketplace view. This person understands God's principles and precepts for business and is committed to doing business God's way. This person truly studies and applies what the Bible teaches regarding business and money. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, a biblical marketplace view causes this person to see her job as part of her mission in this world, even if persecution and suffering may result from doing business God's way. I have a friend whose family owns a successful business, begun by his father and now being passed on to his sons. This business is based on biblical principles, and everyone who works there knows it. There are many employees, and though it is not required for an employee to be a Christian, the owners are not hesitant to make it known that the business belongs to God and is operated to bring him glory. I've been there to give a brief Bible study at lunchtime, and the employees I met love to work there. It's really a testimony to what it means to have a biblical marketplace view. I have a friend who is a very successful attorney, and he has frequently told me operating by biblical principles as an attorney has been a great benefit to him, not a handicap. My brother owned a business and over the years he established a reputation for honesty. Others could rely on his word, and his honesty was known throughout his industry. That's because he ran his business by Christian principles. Another friend and one of our board members has a high-level career as a patent attorney. She sees her job as the place God has put her, and she prays daily about all her encounters with her coworkers, clients, and anyone she interacts with. She not only prays for wisdom and success, but more importantly, she prays that with every interaction, she will show the love of Jesus to others—in the way she conducts her business, in the tone of her voice, in her care and concern for others. She has a biblical perspective of her workplace. Do you see your job as your mission field? A person with a secular marketplace view wouldn't even know what that means. A person with a non-biblical compromised Christian view might be fearful of trying to combine their faith with their business or career. After all, they might get sued for mentioning God in the workplace—right? Or their employees or coworkers might get upset with bringing God into the business. But a biblical marketplace view understands a Christian should be called to their life's work, should know they are doing what God has intended for them to do. Therefore, their business and career are part of their ministry—a big part. Their workplace is their mission field, and they see their financial success as a way to fund kingdom ministries. I served on the Board of Trustees for LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas for about 12 years. This school was begun by Mr. R. G. LeTourneau, who was a very successful inventor and entrepreneur in earth-moving equipment. Mr. R. G. believed God gave him success to help others, and he donated 90% of his earnings to God's work, keeping only 10% for himself. The good he did for the Kingdom of Christ is incalculable. He has left a heritage of good things, including this wonderful university which is training Christians to go into the work world with a biblical marketplace view. You may be thinking that incorporating a biblical marketplace view could be costly. You're right. Jesus told us when we follow him, there can be a price to pay. I know situations where Christians have lost their jobs because they refused to compromise their Christian principles on the job. I have a friend who knows she is treated unfairly in some ways because of her Christian principles; she's not one of the “in-crowd,” so to speak. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name…So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:14-16, 19). Truly suffering for the name of Christ should be a cause for rejoicing that you are considered worthy. It is a badge of honor, not one of shame. Certainly, suffering is not something we seek or desire, but fear of it should not keep us from living by biblical principles. Let me encourage you to pray about your own perspective of your job. Do you see it as a drudgery or a necessity or maybe as your own road to success as you climb the ladder? Or do you recognize as a follower of Jesus Christ, you report ultimately to him? Therefore, you are working to bring honor and glory to him. When you have a biblical view of your job, it truly makes it so much easier to get up and go to work! It won't always be fun or full of what the world calls success. There are truly hard days, but a biblical perspective will give you great satisfaction and contentment to know you work for Jesus. What you do each day matters to him.

I've been hoping to inspire you to ask God to give you a vision—so you rise above mediocrity and soar to the heights for which God created you. What does a vision look like? Here are five signs to help you identify your God-given vision: Sign Number 1 – It won't go away. As you pray about it, it gets stronger, not weaker. Sign Number 2 – There is a need for it. Sign Number 3 – God will open doors for you. You will see some small and/or large miracles as God opens these doors. You will be amazed, frightened, awestruck, and excited. Sign Number 4 – Your spiritual leader(s) will encourage you. Sign Number 5 – God will give you the right people to help you. Elsy Riungu was my friend in Nairobi, Kenya. Many years ago, at our conference there I spoke on the topic of asking God for a vision. As always, Elsy took to heart what she heard. She prayed about it and then began a ministry to help save marriages. She rented a venue near her home—with money she didn't have to spare—and started a monthly meeting for couples. She got speakers, planned the programs, advertised and invited, and for several years she continued this ministry. After she began, she wrote: “Couples ministry is running well, as we meet once a month. It is exciting to minister to mostly young couples. I have had three separate marriages, and after counselling, two of them are restored and enjoying their union. My desire this year is to reach families in the rural areas, where the need is enormous. Pray for me.” She had no money, no support system backing her up. God gave her a vision, and she was obedient to it. And she was filled with joy to be doing what God called her to do. Are you willing to ask for a vision? It begins with prayer, but at some point, you must put feet to your prayer. Start walking through open doors and just keep taking the next right step. Remember, when it comes to pursuing your vision: If you don't go for it, it will fade, and you'll miss the blessing. Use it or lose it. The more you pursue God's vision for you, the more ability and gifts you will have to do it. God will stretch you and gift you like you've never dreamed. But this won't happen until you take the first step.

What is your excuse for not asking God to give you a vision—a new beginning, a new passion for pursuing all he wants to do with you and through you? We're looking at some of the common excuses that keep us from the abundant life Jesus wants to give us. Here's one of those excuses: I've made too many mistakes; there is too much baggage from my past for me to do anything great for God. If God only used people with perfect track records, there would be no one to use. God takes us where we are and tells us to put our past behind us and move forward to the good things he wants to do for us. Isaiah wrote: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19). There may be other excuses you have for your lack of vision, but could it be that you don't have a vision of what God wants to do through you because you've never asked for a vision? James wrote you do not have, because you do not ask God (James 4:2). Jesus told us Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8). How do we recognize God's vision? Are you willing to ask God for a vision? You say, “I'm not sure I would know one if I saw it!” Good question—how do we know God's vision for us? A vision from God will be born in love—love of God, love of the Lord Jesus, and love of others. A God-given vision will not depend upon your giftedness, your hard work, or your promotional abilities, though your gifts will be used and you will work hard. But the success of your vision will be a God-thing that can only be explained by his power working in you. And it will always be in harmony with God's Word. I urge you to consider seriously whether you need to ask God to give you a vision, to help you step out by faith and realize the potential he has created in you, and the joy that comes when you walk by faith and not by sight.

Are you a visionary? Do you ask God to give you a vision of what he wants you to do and be, and then fearlessly step out on faith and do it? Many times, we fail to soar like an eagle because we're afraid to take any risks. Here's another excuse that can keep you mired in mediocrity. I don't have the talent, abilities, or experience it takes to be a visionary. Maybe you're thinking: People who take risks are gifted in some way or another. I don't have any special gifts. I'm just an ordinary person, who can do ordinary things in an ordinary way. If this is your excuse, you are without excuse. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). How many examples do you want of how God uses ordinary people? Start with Peter, James, and John—uneducated fishermen. Consider Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba—all great-grandmothers in the lineage of Jesus Christ—and all totally unqualified for the job. The Bible and church history are replete with examples of people who were used mightily by God in small and large ways, even though they didn't have the right credentials, the right education, or the right skills and abilities. That way, God gets the glory. I'm too old to ask for a vision. Are you thinking: If I were in my twenties, then I could do something great for the Lord. But it's too late now. Consider Caleb, who after 40 years of wandering in the desert, is allowed to go into the Promised Land. So, now 85 years old, Caleb goes to Joshua and says, I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day (Joshua 14:11-12). If you've been using age or some disability as your excuse for not asking God for a vision, pray “God, give me this hill—give me a vision of what you want to do with me now at this age in this time.”

Have you ever asked God to give you a vision of what he wants you to do? Living without God's vision for your life is missing the abundant life Jesus came to give you. It is living in mediocrity. It is settling for so much less than God intends for you. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. God has a vision for each of us who are born from above and have been made part of his family. He has prepared this vision for us—these good works he wants us to do. Here is one of the most common reasons we don't seek God's vision for our lives: We're not willing to take a risk. Ron Hutchcraft tells the story of being invited to go hiking with some friends to see a breathtaking waterfall. So, as they hiked up the mountain, they came to a large stream they needed to cross to get to the waterfall. Not seeing a bridge, he said to his companions, “How do we get across here?” “Oh,” they said, “you have to walk across the pipe there.” Ron looked at the pipe and saw it was small; it was wet; it was dangerous. And his first reaction was, “Thanks but no thanks. I’ll stay here.” But his friends urged him, “Come on. The view is on the other side. Come on; walk across the pipe.” Ron had a decision to make. Either stay where he was and miss the view or walk across the pipe. He decided to take the risky way, and he said, “I wouldn’t have missed that view for anything. But I had to walk the pipe to get there.” Is Jesus calling you to walk across a pipe, but you are afraid to take the risk? Psalm 18:36 says, You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. When we start across the pipe that looks risky, as soon as you set foot on it, the pipe becomes a broad path, and your ankles don’t turn! Walk across the pipe today. Ask God for a vision. When he gives you one that looks risky, go by faith and prove he can do more than you can ask or think.

I'd like you to imagine this scene. It's time for your annual evaluation by your boss, and you're confident it will be a good result because you've met all the requirements of your job description. In addition, you've only had two sick days, and you're almost always on time. You're expecting a good evaluation and hopefully a good raise. Your boss agrees you've done an adequate job and met all the minimum requirements, and after that brief comment, he asks if you have any questions. You're puzzled; is that all he's going to say? You expected some credit for meeting the requirements. You ask if you are going to get a raise. Your boss then explains that raises are given for people who do more than the job description requires, and since you've only met the requirements, you are not qualified for a raise. Would you be shocked at that evaluation? Well, basically that's what Jesus was teaching his disciples in this parable in Luke 17: Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So, you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' (Luke 17:7-10). Does that seem harsh to you? Jesus was trying to teach his disciples that just getting by, doing what you're supposed to do is not enough for commendation. He wants his disciples to have a passion for doing more than their mere duty. He wants his disciples to have a vision for all they could do and be because of Jesus. The Bible says without a vision, people perish. I'm not talking about some miraculous sign you receive, or an out-of-body experience or a dream. No, the vision I'm talking about is being able to see what God wants to do in and through you. And without this kind of vision, you perish, you fail to live up to your God-given potential. I want to encourage you to ask God to give you a vision, so you aren't just doing the bare minimum, but you're soaring like an eagle, way above the ordinary. That's the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

I found a brief article in a Christian professional magazine entitled “Three Marketplace Worldviews,” taken from truthnetwork.org, and I want to talk about those three marketplace worldviews. Hopefully you realize your worldview has a great influence on your life. If you view your world through an incorrect paradigm, it will cause you to make wrong decisions and poor choices and lead you down wrong paths. It is extremely important we scrutinize our own worldviews and make certain they are accurate. As Christians, our challenge is to make certain we have a biblical worldview as the foundation for our attitudes, opinions, and approach to life. That means, of course, we need to know the Word of God and continually study it so we know truth, which sets us free. Over the many years I've been broadcasting this program, it has become clear that far too many Christians do not have a biblical view of their jobs. That means they often approach their work incorrectly, for the wrong reasons and with the wrong motives. That, in turn, means a great portion of their life is spent with an unbiblical worldview, and this can only mean trouble! It interferes with their fellowship with God and with other believers. It causes a disconnect in their spirit and may cause them to lead a double life, as it were: One person on their job and another person at church and with other believers. For ten years of my career, this is exactly what I did. I was one person Monday through Friday and another one on Sunday. I had a selfish and greedy approach to my job, and soon I was swallowed up by the world's culture and found myself operating in my job like most everyone else—looking out for number one and for personal success. …the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do (James 1:6 – 8). When we, as true believers, have a conflicting worldview not in agreement with God's word, we become double-minded, tossed back and forth like waves on the sea, and unstable in all we do. Have you ever thought your instability on your job, your inability to find the right job, or your unhappiness in the job you have could be because you have become double-minded? Your lack of a biblical marketplace view could indeed be the root cause of your struggles. Let's look at these three marketplace views, and as we do, ask yourself which one most represents your own view of your job or career. These three views are categorized as secular, non-biblical, which is described as a compromised Christian view, and biblical. First, what is your view of the origin and purpose of business? In the article, the author states the secular view is “Business is something man created, to serve man, and its ultimate purpose is to serve the interest of man. If there is a God, he certainly would not have any concern with business and how it is done.” Now, admittedly, that's how most of your non-believing friends and coworkers view their jobs. They are there to make as much money as possible, achieve as much success as possible, prove their worth, and help them realize their dreams and goals, etc., etc., etc. In other words, their view of their job is it's all about them—making them successful, happy, financially secure and fulfilled. They most likely have never even thought about connecting God or his principles to their jobs. It's like separation of church and state; it's almost a constitutional divide; your job and religion are two different things. That's the secular marketplace view. What is the non-biblical compromised Christian view of the origin and purpose of business? That view says, “Work is a ‘necessary evil' and I cannot wait until retirement. Once I have enough money to retire, I will serve God ‘full time.'” In this non-biblical marketplace view, ministry is not done at work. It could be done at church or somewhere else, but not at work. This compromised Christian view intends to do things right, but if the rules must be bent once in a while, so be it. They may view their jobs as a means for them to earn money, which they can give to their church and missions—after all, those are the real ministries. If it were possible to take an accurate survey of true Christians in the secular marketplace, I wonder how many would fall into this non-biblical marketplace view. I fear it would be greater than fifty percent. Frankly, this is why I began this ministry, to challenge Christians to see their jobs as their mission fields, to see themselves as ambassadors for Christ on their jobs. And what is that view of the origin and purpose of business and work? Based on biblical truth, that view is “Work is a God-ordained activity.” Christians with this worldview agree that God has ordained them to serve him in the marketplace. The biblical marketplace view recognizes work was given to man before sin entered the world, but it became hard as a result of sin. Adam was given what we would call a secular job description by God. But it wasn't secular because God gave it to him. For a Christian there is no secular/sacred category divide. Everything in our lives is sacred and should be viewed from a biblical perspective. The Christian who has a biblical marketplace view sees every aspect of her work as an opportunity to glorify Jesus Christ. He or she actively seeks to work and live by biblical principles on the job and sees his or her work as an extension of God's work on earth. Now I ask you, if Christians who regularly go to a secular workplace did so with a biblical workplace view, would it make a difference in the way they perform? It would have to! Would it make a difference in their attitude? No question about it. Would it make a difference in how they treat people? Absolutely. On the other hand, if you view your job as simply a way to pay your bills, a necessary evil, as it were, will that not have a negative impact on your behavior and attitude? You see, what you think is what you are, as we are told in the Bible. If your thinking is wrong, your behavior and attitudes will be wrong, and they will be harmful to you and to others. Looking further into these three marketplace views, this article identified the differences in how we view the source and ownership of business and wealth. The secular marketplace view is, “Man owns what he can build, buy, or take by force. The one with the most toys at the end wins. It is the survival of the fittest.” Those with mindset see themselves as the owner of what they have earned. The non-biblical compromised Christian view is, “God owns everything, but he really doesn't care about business or how I minister in it.” This Christian makes their career plans and expects God to bless them. They haven't prayed for guidance in selecting a job or career, because they don't see this as part of their sacred life. Whatever success they achieve is viewed as their just rewards from their hard work. And because they see themselves as the owner of their finances, they may struggle with how much of it they really must give to God's work. One of the best gifts you can give yourself is to understand the truth that as a believer, you are not your own. You've been bought with a price, and everything you have is simply on loan to you from God, given for you to use in his service. Simply put, you own nothing. Richard Foster talks about being possessionless and positionless, and once we can acknowledge that we truly own nothing and everything we have is God's gift to us for temporary use in his kingdom, then it takes a huge monkey off our backs. The biblical workplace view is, “God owns my business, career, and resources.” This view causes you to pray for God's clear guidance in what job to take and how to conduct yourself there. This view recognizes you are a steward of God's blessings, and you will be held accountable for how you've used God's resources. It causes you to see how much you can give to God's work, rather than how little. What is your marketplace worldview? Is it biblical or secular or non-biblical? Search your heart and ask yourself this question: What are you typically thinking when you head out to your job each day? Are you often truly aware that you are the representative of God in your workplace, or do you subconsciously leave God out of the picture when you're at work? Now I know work is work, and there are hard things that must be done on your job. I'm not asking if you go to work singing, “Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.” But I am asking if you truly see your job as a calling—a mission. Do you pray about your testimony on your job? Do you consistently take seriously your opportunity to be an ambassador for Christ where you work? What is your view of your job—your career? Remember the three options: Secular Non-Biblical, which is described as a compromised Christian view Biblical Give it some serious thought because how you view your job really makes a difference—in your attitude, your motivation, and your contentment.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen With all this talk about how important work is to God and for the kingdom, it may feel like a heavy burden as a follower of Jesus. But you are not called to doing good works and making disciples alone! We should work, yoked with Jesus, walking with him and considering his ways. Christ gives us a clear example of how to love others well. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you (Psalm 89:14). Think about the people Jesus loved in the Gospels. They were never perfect, and neither are you and I! Think about how Jesus took time to see people. Whether it was Zaccheus, the tax man of small stature up in a tree, or the bleeding woman crawling down in the dirt to just touch Jesus's robe. Are there people you need to take time to see? Jesus was very good at seeing one person at a time. In the busyness of our work, it is easy to forget the people involved as we move from meeting to meeting and project to project. Just like you and me, they have feelings about work, and things happening in life we may or may not know about. Pause for a moment and think of your workplace. What would change if you thought about your boss or colleagues like Jesus would? What do you see? Righteousness, justice, steadfast love and faithfulness: while we can never measure up to the perfect Jesus Christ, we can choose to reflect his love better every day at work. Maybe this feels heavy, and you don't know where to start. Thinking about making disciples at work may be new to you and that is alright! In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus calls us in our work to come to him when we are weary and heavy laden; he can give us rest. He tells us to take his yoke upon us and to learn from him. He is gentle and lowly in heart. In Jesus, we find rest for our souls. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Turn to Jesus as you consider God's plans for your work. He wants to come alongside you and guide you!

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Love your neighbor as yourself. Sometimes work is difficult. But what is our work anyways? I mean the work God has for us. If you are working today feeling like your job has no purpose for God, think again! Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). I want to stir you up to consider that God's work is multiplied though you. What are some things you can do today to bring glory to God? Does your job feel unimportant? I assure you it is not. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23–24). Think about working for God, and the rewards he has for you. How do you reflect the love of Jesus Christ? Do people wonder what makes you different? And what is the point anyways? Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus wants us to make disciples! And we can start by thinking about good works at work! An easy way to consider good works is to think about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Perhaps you have this list memorized—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is there a way you can display more patience with someone at work? Can you choose gentler words when delivering feedback? Perhaps you can extend kindness to a colleague by affirming their work or even encouraging them when they are overwhelmed. Do you work in an environment full of strife? How can you bring the peace? What about goodness? Do you choose to do what is right when perhaps you are faced with a scenario which may challenge your ethics? We often get caught up in thinking about our position, more than we think about the way we work. Foundationally, the way we work, as to the Lord and not to men, is what can leave people asking why we are different and ultimately make disciples!

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Sometimes the mention of work doesn't elicit happy and joyous feelings. And, knowing God created us in his image for good works which he prepared beforehand makes us sigh as we think, is my workday over yet?! All jokes about TGIF, working for the weekend, and anything else related to not being at work feels real for all of us at some point. What can we do when we don't feel like work is a gift from God? I recently had a sister in Christ tell me she was working to not curse what blesses her. This has not left my mind. Don't curse what is blessing you. In other words, when thinking about your work, think about the blessings. Think about the beautiful things that bring glory to God. All the other broken things, pray about them. Sometimes our mindset about work needs to shift. If you are alone laboring for some sort of achievement or purely from envying what someone else has, it is hard to consider that work is a gift to us from the Lord. The book of Ecclesiastes is full of examples of how working to be the greatest and have the most never yield the warm and happy feelings about work that we would expect. In fact, they yield the opposite. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:11). How can we consider the gift of work? And, what about the good works God prepared for us beforehand? For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, we are called to the greatest commandment of love. I we are working for vain achievement, it's no wonder we will never be satisfied in our work. If you find yourself watching the hours on the clock to see when your day will end or longing for a weekend, I challenge you to start with a simple list. First, how is your job blessing you today? It may be as basic as I am receiving a paycheck to provide for my family. Perhaps you have made a friend at work. Rejoice in this blessing! Now, what do you perceive as broken? Remember, God is in the work of redeeming all things, and God calls you to be part of this by loving your neighbor as yourself. Are you in a bad culture or dealing with a difficult boss or colleague? Reframe your work with these things. How can you do good works to bring God glory today?

Presented by Lauren Stibgen God chose to create men and women in his image! God created us to work and tend all the creation he had made both before the original sin of Adam and Eve and after. You and I are living in the after, and the good work we do for the kingdom today matters for eternity and for the promise of a new heaven and new earth! Starting to view your work in this light may take some time. If you find yourself questioning your work or why God has you in a certain role or company, pause and consider this, …for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:5). As you consider these verses, know God has a plan for you, and it is for his will and pleasure. But what is his will and pleasure? God created, man sinned, and now, God is redeeming his kingdom! You may be wondering how God is using you to redeem his kingdom at work. God has created everything so his glory could be revealed, including you! One of the best embodiments of this is Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Take heart and consider, you are God's workmanship, his glorious creation. Pause for a moment and think about this. God's work made you! Something about this makes me feel very special. God made me to display his glory! God also made you to do good works which he prepared beforehand. As you work today, consider this. He planned this moment. God planned for you to be right where you are. Again, he did this for his glory! And this is the best part. We just need to walk in these good works. He doesn't call us to strive, stress, or fret. He calls us to walk. Somehow, everything God has set before you at work today is part of his great plan to bring glory to himself and to redeem his kingdom.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen We are made for work. Think about this: Has there ever been a day you woke up not thinking about doing something? The answer may be a quick yes! If I am honest, I have had days when I wake up dreaming of doing absolutely nothing—being idle, quiet, enjoying leisure—but this quickly fades. Even when we daydream about what we'd rather be doing than going to work, the daydream will typically result in some sort of creation! God's work started in Genesis and is still active today. And as followers of Jesus Christ, each one of us plays a part of this work. Even though God's first perfect work of creation was stained by the fall, God is working still on the redemption of everything that is his. We are often so involved with our career work we forget to think about God's big plan for his kingdom and how we are a very important part of it. Reading Genesis 1, we see God created the heavens and the earth. These creation verses are filled with action! Let there be light, let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place and let dry land appear, let the earth sprout vegetation, let there be lights in the expanse, let the waters swarm with living creatures, let the earth bring forth living creatures. And finally, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Genesis 1:26). After doing a lot of work in the creation, God created man in his image. And he immediately set man to work! He put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28). After the fall when Adam and Eve ate from the tree God told them not to, they still had to work, but God sent them outside of the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which they were taken (Genesis 3:23). Even with sin, we are still created in the image of God, a working God. No wonder we think about working so much!

Let's review four differences between work and jobs. First, your job may employ none of your gifts; your work employs all your gifts. Second, your job will inevitably result in income; your work may never result in income. Third, there is always someone else who can do your job; there is never anyone else who can do your work. And fourth, your job may sometimes produce frustration; your work will most often produce fruit. But now, let’s consider two other differences in your job and your work. Your job will end in retirement; your work will not end until death. Jobs come to an end. Either you retire, walk away from the job, or the job is eliminated. If your self-worth is linked to your job, then the loss or end of a job can be devastating, and it is to many people. Work, however, has no termination age. There’s no 65-year cut-off point for your work. Retirement from work is retirement from life, and it is not scheduled by men but by God. Your work may and most likely will take some turns and changes as you progress through life. But I think of elderly Christians who are no longer physically able to do many of the things they did for the Lord earlier in their lives. Their work has changed, and now they are marvelous prayer warriors, doing the most important of all work. Your work may never become your job; your job could never replace your work. Many think the ultimate in life would be to have a job that becomes our work, so what we do every day to enable us to earn a living is the same thing God has called us to do and gifted us to do for his glory. But let me tell you, that rarely happens, and that's because it doesn’t fit into God’s plan for reaching the world. He’s left us in this world to be his salt and light, and that means we need to mingle in the marketplace where the people are. That means we need jobs to get us in there, so we can do the work God has called us to do, in many cases. Most of us will find it necessary to continue committing large portions of our lives to a job that does not fully define or fulfill us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be successful at our work. Our jobs and our work don’t have to be in competition. In fact, when we’re in right relationship with God’s plan for our lives, they will not be in competition. Now, you may be thinking, “You mean, I can’t expect to find a job I really love?” No, that’s not what I mean. If we’re smart, we’ll educate ourselves and do everything we can to match our jobs with our talents and strengths, so that they are not working against our gifts. For example, my last business job was to make training presentations. Not only do I enjoy making presentations, but in the process of doing my job, I was trained to do my work better. I enjoyed my job, though I would not have voluntarily done it if there was not a need to make money. However, that job was a tool in God’s hands to prepare me for my work and to touch other lives I would never have touched otherwise. And then the other great truth of Scripture is when we are walking with Jesus, everything we do can be done for his glory. No matter what job we have, as Christians we can do it to God’s glory, and it becomes meaningful and purposeful. I think of one of my listeners who used to work in a large bakery, doing rather repetitive work, which could be described as unchallenging and unfulfilling. But this woman viewed her place of employment as her Jerusalem where she was to take God’s good news. And God gave her incredible opportunities to witness to many people, including executives in the company. I never knew her to complain about the lack of fulfillment in her job, though I’m sure there were days she got bored with the routine. She went to work each morning to see what exciting thing God would do through her that day, and she didn’t occupy her mind with the mundaneness of the job itself. You can know fulfillment amid a routine job if you know Jesus, and you’re doing your work for his glory. We are in a win-win situation when we know Jesus. He gives us meaningful work, and then he says even our jobs, which are not our work, can be done to his glory if our attitude is right. Either way—whether you’re doing your job or your work, you are working for Jesus, and it counts for eternity. Now, if you understand the difference between your job and your work, then lots of puzzles start to clear up for you. Your ultimate objectives should be: To achieve harmony between your job and your work. That’s going to take different forms for different people. But isn’t it great and wonderful to know it doesn’t matter whether we’re gifted for some great job success. We are gifted for success in our work, and if we do the work God has called us to do, we will be successful in his eyes. To do as much work as possible while doing your job. Our challenge is to know what our work is and then prioritize our lives so we have time to do our work. And is that ever a challenge! Please keep in your mind the ever-present vision of standing before Jesus to give an account of how you’ve used your time here on earth. If you get so involved in your job or anything else so you don’t do your work, you will be very embarrassed when accounting time comes. We’re told in 1 Corinthians 3 our work will be shown for what it is at the Day of Judgment. And we will have wood, hay, or straw, or we’ll have gold, silver, and costly stones. Then the fire at the Judgment Seat will reveal the quality of our work. Now, wood, hay, and stubble take up a lot more space than gold, silver, and costly stones, right? And we get fooled sometimes by volume. If I had a million dollars I could buy a bunch of wood, hay, and straw, and it would take up space. But if I brought a million dollars of gold, silver, and costly stones, I could hold them in my hand or at most a small bag. You might not notice it, and it wouldn’t take up much room. If we don’t understand the difference, we might opt for the wood, hay, and straw because it looks bigger. But that stuff burns fast when you strike a match to it, whereas the gold, silver, and costly stones will survive any fire you put them through. Do you get the picture here? Sometimes, with poor earthly eyesight, we spend our lives doing things that burn up. They look important here because they take up space and time. But in eternity, they are worthless. It is super important to get the priorities of our lives in line with God's word and do the important things, not just the urgent ones. We must look for ways for our jobs to encompass more of our work. Recognizing we spend a large portion of our lives at our jobs, of necessity, and knowing only our work counts for eternity, we need to find ways to incorporate our work into our job. That might mean looking for another job—one that maybe doesn’t pay as much—in order to have more time for our work or to do our work with our job. Here are some good things to consider when evaluating whether you’re in the right job: A good job is one that: plays to your personal strengths. Look for a job that uses your gifts and allows you to polish and perfect your gifts. meets a legitimate need. Even though our jobs are earth-bound, there are jobs which certainly meet legitimate needs, and those are more satisfying than others. There are simply some jobs Christians should not hold, because they don’t contribute to any good in our society. doesn’t compromise your core values or biblical principles. finances your lifestyle and your work. allows you to contribute to ministry. Many people are called by God to jobs so they have money to contribute to ministry. You may have the gift of giving and therefore your job is important to your work. gives you a platform for credible witness. This is one major reason we have jobs, because it gets our feet in the doors where otherwise we would never go. provides contact with people you can impact. People are the most important thing to God. There's a song written by Steve Green, and the words are right on. He wrote, “People need the Lord, at the end of broken dreams, he's the open door. We are called to take his light to a world where wrong seems right. They must hear the words of life only we can share. People need the Lord. When will we realize that people need the Lord.” Wherever your job takes you, there are people. And since no one is in your life by accident, people are in your life to give you an opportunity in some way—brief or small as it may be—to tell them you have found what they are unconsciously looking for—Jesus. That's one way the job you have can be transformed into the work God has given you to do. Just introduce people to Jesus. I hope these thoughts on your job versus your work have been thought provoking for you. I think we could see some significant attitude changes toward our jobs if every Christian had this clear worldview.

I've been talking this week about God's promises and his faithfulness to keep his promises. A promise is only as good as the one who promised, right? We've had far too many examples of politicians who promise so much and deliver so little, so that now in general we just don't trust politicians. The Pew Research Center reports only 20% of Americans today say they can trust the government to do what is right. It may be true that because you have been sorely disappointed in what others have promised you, you have difficulty trusting God. I just want to encourage you today that, no matter how much you've been disappointed or let down by others, you can trust God, because he is trustworthy. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22–23). Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 119:89–90). God is faithful and therefore his eternal Word is faithful. We learn to trust God by getting to know his character. And we get to know his character through his Word and through our own history of his faithfulness to us. Have you forgotten God's faithfulness to you in the past? Sometimes when you're in the midst of a troubling situation, you just forget how God has helped you in the past; how he has proved himself true. I encourage you right now to recite out loud God's faithfulness to you in the past. By remembering his past faithfulness, you will learn to trust his future faithfulness. Here is one last promise as this new year begins, from our trustworthy God. It's a go-to promise for you for the entire year, from Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

I can well remember as a child singing the great gospel song, “Standing on the Promises”. Maybe you sang it, too. I remember the words well: Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Through eternal ages let his praises ring; Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God. It's not a song we sing much anymore, but the message is still relevant. As Christ-followers, we can stand on the promises given to us through God's Word. What does that mean—to stand on the promises of God? Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). Promises are as reliable as the one who makes them. God has made many promises to us, and he never forgets any of them. He is a trustworthy and faithful God. Standing on the promises of God is confident assurance in what God has promised us. That means you keep standing, even when your faith is weak. Hebrews 10:36 exhorts us to keep on patiently doing the Lord's will so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. If your faith is starting to waiver, if you haven't yet seen God's answer to your need, I encourage you to keep standing—keep on doing the Lord's will, and you will receive what he has promised. Ephesians 6:13 says after you have done everything, to stand. Just keep standing on the promises of God. Stand when you're tired; stand when you want to quit and run away; stand when your faith is weak. After you have done everything, keep standing on the promises of God, for he who promised is faithful.

As you begin this new year, are you wondering what lies ahead? Does the future seem confusing or unclear? Are you trying to determine what your next steps should be? God's Word has some great and precious promises to help you. For example, Isaiah 30:21 is a great promise: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). God promises guidance for you. He wants you to walk in the right way and make the right decisions even more than you want to. If you have ears to hear, there will be a voice behind you, showing you the way. That “voice” can come in many different ways—through God's Word, through a trusted advisor, through some unusual circumstance. But if it's God's voice, you will know. It's that “ears to hear” thing that causes problems—right? There was a time in my life when I only wanted God to tell me what I wanted to hear, so I just didn't have ears to hear. This verse from Jeremiah 6 warns us about shutting our ears to God's voice: This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it' (Jeremiah 6:16). If that's where you are today—standing at the crossroads—are you ready and willing to hear God's voice showing you where the good way is? Or are you saying in your heart, “My way, God, not yours”? Sometimes we mouth the words, “I want to know God's way,” but when he shows it to us, we decide it's not exactly what we had planned, so we say, in some words or other, “I will not walk in it.” But here's the good news—when you walk in God's way, you will find rest for your soul. I remember well when I finally came to the end of my way and told God I was ready to walk in his way, and my words to God were, “Please give me peace.” I desperately wanted rest for my soul, and that's when I began to walk in the good way. I'm so very thankful I did. Let me encourage you today to choose God's way—to listen to that voice behind you. You will never regret it. I promise!

This is program number 10,092 of The Christian Working Woman daily edition. That means for over 2000 weeks I have been broadcasting the good news that God's Word is relevant to our lives. For over 41 years God has sustained this ministry so we can encourage you to put God's Word into practice in your life; to live out your faith on your job and everywhere else. And we've made it all these weeks and months and years because God has kept his promise to me. When I was presented with the opportunity to enlarge our ministry from one station in Chicago, I knew this was bigger than me, and I needed assurance God would see me through. I asked God to give me a promise from his Word that I could cling to—that would assure me of his guidance. My reading that day took me to Isaiah chapter 50, and from that chapter God gave me two verses which have become my “go to” assurance verses of God's promise to me. Here is that promise: The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary…Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame (Isaiah 50:4-7) I couldn't count the many times I've said to the Lord, “God, you promised I will not be disgraced; I will not be put to shame, and I claim your provision and your promise now today.” Another promise from Joshua 23:14 assures us not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. I can testify that God's promises are reliable. Could it be you need a promise today? Something to help you face your future with hope and peace? There's one in the Bible just for you. Just take time to sit down with your Bible, pray for guidance, and ask God for his promise for you. It's there—I promise!

It's a new year! This is a good time to focus our minds on God's promises to us for the new year. The Bible gives us hundreds of promises, yet we often don't avail ourselves of the comfort, strength, and guidance there for us. I want to remind you of some of God's promises for you in 2026. In 2 Peter 1, we are told, His divine power has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:3-4). Peter tells us God's promises are great and precious: Great because they are powerful, and precious because of God's great love for us. And through these promises we are encouraged and equipped to become more like Jesus, to live a life of glory to God. Here are some important promises to focus on today—this fifth day of 2026: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Is there a more important promise than this? Just to know you have forgiveness—forgiveness for all the stuff you've done, all the sin in your life, all your unrighteousness. He is faithful and just and will always forgive you when you confess. This promise is absolutely essential—because without forgiveness we have no hope of eternal life. But God has promised us eternal life when we have received his forgiveness and been made a new creation in Christ. In the same book of 1 John, we read: And this is what he promised us—eternal life (1 John 2:25). As you begin this new year, make it a regular practice to remember this promise—he has forgiven your sins and cleansed you from all unrighteousness, and he will always do so. It's a great and precious promise just for you.

Let's start with some basic definitions between our job and our work: Our job is what we do day-in and day-out to bring in income. It is the duties we perform, most often for an employer, sometimes as our own employer, for which we receive money. A company’s job descriptions are written for whoever happens to have the job. Once the job description is written, the search begins to find a person who will do the job well. Our work, on the other hand, is what God has designed us to do. It is our purpose for being here, what we are uniquely created for. It is distinctly linked to the gifts, talents, passions, and assets we have been given by God. While many people may have identical jobs, no two people have the same work, because each of us has a unique plan for our lives. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Those works God has prepared for each of us to do—that is our work. We must understand the difference. When this is not clear to us, we can encounter many difficulties. For example, one of our most common mistakes is to expect our job to fulfill us. In the past Americans seemed to have a love affair with their careers, but have you sensed how is changing now and changing rapidly? We see industries shuffling, companies downsizing, and management levels reducing in almost every company and industry. People no longer expect to work for one employer throughout their career and build a family relationship as we have in the past. This passion we’ve had for our careers is becoming more like a fatal attraction. Yet, because we’ve seen our jobs as our work, many people continue to look to the workplace to find meaning and purpose in their lives. If you don’t know the difference between your job and your work, you can see how frightening and disillusioning this could be for some people. They lose their job, and they lose their identity. Now, here we are as Christians in the workplace, and we need a biblical perspective of our jobs, don’t we? Let me ask you: As a Christian, is it essential for you to have a job which is personally fulfilling? Is that your right? Should that have a high priority in your life? I have a feeling if that is true, many of you would stand up right now and say, “My job is not fulfilling,” and we would have to conclude your life is in shambles. But the good news is, you may be able to say, “My job is not terribly fulfilling, but my life is fulfilled because I know the work God has given me to do. That fills my life with meaningful activity.” Let’s consider some significant differences in our job and our work: Your job may employ none of your gifts; your work employs all your gifts. Now, first, do you know what your gifts are? Do you know the spiritual gifts you’ve been endowed with by God? We all have at least one spiritual gift, and many times we have several. Let’s look briefly at Romans 12 to learn a bit about these gifts. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Romans 12:6-8). And again in 1 Corinthians 12, we read: Now to each one (that means everyone who is a believer) the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). The manifestation of the Spirit is your gift or gifts. If you have been born from above, you have blessed with a gift, and the reason you’ve been given a gift is so you can bless others with it. The neat thing about our gifts is we love to do it, and it doesn’t come hard for us. God is an incredibly smart manager of his human resources. He knows if I love to do what I have to do, I’m going to do it much better. Therefore, not only does he give me gifts to use for the common good of the Body of Christ and to bring glory to his name, but he also gives me a love and joy in doing it. It’s a joy to exercise your gifts, isn’t it? Now that doesn’t mean you never grow tired or weary or that you don't want to run away occasionally. But I know, as you do, a few days away from doing my work, and I’m restless. I’m ready to go back. Not true with what used to be my job. I traveled around the country doing business seminars. I looked forward to the weeks I didn’t have to travel and had to do some strong positive thinking to keep from getting a little depressed when a trip was coming up. When I made the decision to give up that job so I didn't have to travel like that again, I did not shed one tear. That was my job. If you told me I could never use these gifts God has given me, I would feel empty. Life would be tasteless. My gifts are the things that bring meaning and purpose in my life, because they come from God to be used for him. Your job will inevitably result in income; your work may never result in income. We all are willing to go to our jobs each day primarily because we get a salary or compensation at regular intervals for performing that job. I traveled around doing the same seminar over and over because they sent me a check, and I needed that check to pay my bills. If they had said to me, “Mary, we’ve decided we can no longer pay you for doing these seminars, but we sure hope you’ll keep doing them. You’re good at them, and we like what you do,” I would have said, “Well, thanks, but you won’t see me around anymore. I do my job for money.” I’m not saying you can’t enjoy doing your job or there aren’t other motivational factors and rewards involved. But I’d be very surprised to find anybody who would continue going to their job each day without compensation. Your work may never pay you a dollar, but it will pay benefits that cannot be valued in earthly terms. When you are doing your work, what God has called you to do, you’re putting deposits in God’s heavenly bank, where thieves don’t break in and steal and rust cannot destroy your investment. It’s not that you are without compensation; it’s simply deposited in a different bank and held as a long-term investment. In our society where people are valued by the size of their salaries and bank accounts, this is a totally different perspective and one we adjust to. This is one of those areas where we must fight not to allow the world to shove us into its mold, into its way of thinking. You and I need to get in our minds a picture of God’s bank in heaven. Now, we are judged and valued by the size of our accounts in God’s bank. What have you been sending on ahead to deposit? Our work—doing what God has called and gifted us to do—puts money in the heavenly bank, whereas our jobs usually just put money in the earthly bank. Big difference in the two. There is always someone else who can do your job; there is no one else who can do your work. If you called your employer on Monday and said, “I’m not coming back; you won’t see me again,” guess what? They would survive. It might cause some temporary problems, but somebody soon would move into your shoes, learn your job, and do it. The world would keep on revolving with hardly a blip. We all like to think we’re indispensable, but in our jobs, we’re not. However, you are indispensable when it comes to your work. If you don’t do the work God has called you to do, it will go undone. Nobody else can do it. Now, that’s a frightening thought and quite frankly, it should frighten us to think we could miss the work God has called us to do. Your corner of the world is where you have been sent. The people you interact with every day are your special people group. If you don’t use your gifts to do God’s work for the people in your world, nobody else will fill in the gap. It will go undone. Your job may sometimes produce frustration; your work will most often produce fruit. Jobs carry no guarantee of inner tranquility or accomplishment. You can work as hard as possible and never feel like you’ve done a whole lot. You may never get appropriate recognition for the job you do, and indeed others may take credit for what you have done. You may discover the harder you work at your job, the more frustrating it is. Often our jobs bring a great deal of frustration into our lives, for all kinds of reasons. On the other hand, your work will energize you, because you know you’re doing something eternally significant. Your work will bring satisfaction. You surely can grow weary in doing your work, but you won’t grow weary of the work. You may experience some short-term frustrations associated with your work, but it always leads to something fruitful in your life.

I've been talking about the loneliness epidemic, which is growing in our culture. If you are struggling with loneliness, remember first it's part of being human. And yes, Christians are vulnerable to feelings of loneliness, and it is not necessarily a spiritual issue. Loneliness is a human condition common to everyone at some time in their life. However, if you deal with loneliness in the wrong way, it could lead you to form harmful and inappropriate relationships, to go places and do things you know are not right just to try to find companionship and stop those feelings of loneliness. We all need friends and a support system, but the wrong friends will do you far more harm than good. And keep this in mind: If you try to fill up that lonely place in your heart with people, before looking first to Jesus Christ, you are setting yourself up for further disappointment and it could simply make your loneliness worse rather than better. I had to learn this some years ago, when I had to make a choice to first seek the presence of Christ, to get to know him better, to allow his love to become more real and more powerful in my life, instead of trying to solve my loneliness by looking for a meaningful relationship. A sure-fire way to combat feelings of loneliness is to quote Scripture and fill your mind with truth that can set you free. In verse 5 of Psalm 42, we read, my soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you…. Now this is a very good technique and habit. When you feel lonely, you should then force yourself to remember and recite out loud God’s goodness to you in times past. Are you having a tough time today, feeling alone and lonely? Then, stop right now and talk to yourself; find some place where you can say something like, “Look, Mary, what is your problem? The God of all the Universe loves you and cares for you; he’s met your need time and again. Remember, Jesus will never leave you or forsake you, and you have a wonderful Friend in Jesus.” Just recite, out loud if possible, what you know to be true. Finding relief from loneliness is often a choice we make to replace wrong thoughts with right thoughts and decide to live in the truth of God's Word.

I’ve been sharing some thoughts on the loneliness epidemic. It’s amazing how many people are very lonely. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity. Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land (Psalm 68:6). I have found this verse to be exactly true in my life. As I have allowed God to make a home for me and to accept his presence as sufficient in my life, I have been set free from the awful heaviness of loneliness. That verse says only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. When we refuse to allow God to be our cure for loneliness, when we continue to try to do it our way and fill the empty void with people and activities, we’ll continue to find loneliness our companion. Your feelings of loneliness may be because you are still rebelling against God’s answers. Maybe it's because you don’t like the idea of learning to let him fill up your empty time and change your lonely feelings. Of course, there's no doubt God created us for fellowship and companionship, and we need people in our lives. When Jesus was facing crucifixion, he took his three closest companions with him while he prayed. He needed God's presence, and he needed their presence and support. The Apostle Paul spoke of his need to be with his companions and his encouragers. If you are lonely because you don't have a good friend or friends, or they're not nearby, I would remind you that to have friends, you have to reach out to others and be a friend. Ask yourself what you could do for someone else to be their friend, to meet their need, instead of waiting for someone to be your friend. We reap what we sow—that's a biblical principle. If you want friendships, sow friendships; become a friend to others. Loneliness can be very crippling, but you can take positive steps—by God's grace—to overcome those depressing feelings of loneliness. Of course, the most important step to take is to spend time developing your relationship with Jesus through Bible study and prayer. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and believe me, he can fill the lonely space inside of you.

Are you a lonely person? We’re talking about the loneliness epidemic. With the presence of Christ in our lives, we need not be lonely, no matter how alone we may be. Why, then, are so many Christians lonely? Because they don’t practice the presence of Christ in their lives. You “practice” his presence—you develop the habit of calling on him, talking to him, inviting him to be a part of your life at all times. Could it be you're not practicing his presence because there is some sin that keeps you from sweet, intimate fellowship with God? If you’re living in disobedience to God and you know it, that could be the cause of your loneliness since it’s destroying the sense of God’s presence in your life. Many Christians don’t know God’s presence because they don’t spend enough time with him. You can't practice his presence very well if you’re not saturating your life with God’s Word and prayer. Not long after I had come back to God and made him Lord of my life, I was sitting in my office one Wednesday when it occurred to me, I was facing a weekend with no plans! For singles, that can be seen as the worst of all fates, and in a slight panic I reached for my phone to start calling friends. As I started to dial, the Holy Spirit quietly said to me, “Can’t you trust me? The weekends are in my control just as much as the other days. You can make a weekend alone—with me!” My somewhat fearful response was, “Okay, Lord, I’ll prove you are God of the weekends, too.” So, I made plans to be alone with God for those two weekend evenings. There were some tense moments when I again found myself thinking, “Something must be wrong with me, or I wouldn’t be by myself on a Saturday evening.” But I took my Bible, sat down and asked God to again show me he was God, even of the weekends. I ran to God as my refuge, and I was free. Free from the need to have someone around all the time; free from those self-pitying, self-centered feelings of loneliness. Though it’s a lesson I have had to re-learn from time to time, I can tell you it became a treat to have some quiet Saturday nights by myself. It was a turning point for me, dispelling the fear of being alone. If that is more or less where you are, God wants to do the same for you.

I’m talking about loneliness. Not just missing someone you love, but the invasive sense of loneliness that controls the lives of so many people. Indeed, we find ourselves in a loneliness epidemic today, with more and more people feeling alone, left out, and isolated. It's important to understand that activity, people, marriage are not the cures for loneliness. If they are, then we are doomed to a roller-coaster life, because none of those things are guaranteed to us. Activities ebb and flow, people come in and out of our lives, the most wonderful marriage in the world can be severed through death. If you’re lonely today, are you willing to let God change your thinking about being alone? That’s where we begin. But it takes more than that. God recognized our need for companionship, our need to be loved and to feel secure. And he has provided for that need completely. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). If you will apply this incredible promise to your life, it can be the beginning of knowing freedom from those awful feelings of loneliness. Please believe what I’m telling you. It's not a cliché; it's truth! That lonely place inside you can be filled when you learn to live in the knowledge that Jesus is the ever-present Lord. That is his gift to you when you are born from above. Let me share with you a poem by an anonymous writer which says this so well: There is a mystery in human hearts;                                 And though we be encircled by a host Of those who love us well, and are beloved, To every one of us, from time to time, There comes a sense of utter loneliness: Our dearest friend is stranger to our joy, And cannot realize our bitterness.   So when we feel this loneliness, it is The voice of Jesus saying, “Come to me”; And every time we are “not understood,” It is a call to us to come again; For Christ alone can satisfy the soul, And those who walk with him from day to day, Can never have a “solitary way.”   And would you know the reason why this is? It is because the Lord desires our love: In every heart he wishes to be first. He therefore keeps the secret key himself, To open all its chambers and to bless With perfect sympathy and holy peace, Each solitary soul that comes to him. With Christ you don’t have to feel that ever-abiding despair of being lonely. He has come to abolish it, and he is totally capable of doing just that, if you will allow him to.

Did you realize loneliness is at epidemic levels? If you google “loneliness epidemic,” you will find pages of articles on the effect of loneliness. We have more and easier ways of communicating than ever before, and yet indeed our technological advances are part of the cause for this loneliness epidemic, because we are more isolated than ever. Loneliness is that empty spot in the pit of your stomach that makes life seem meaningless and makes you feel worthless. All of us experience loneliness at times, and when it is a fleeting emotion, it doesn't usually impact your life significantly. However, persistent and pervasive feelings of loneliness are indeed harmful to your health. Normal Cousins has been attributed to saying, “All man's history is an endeavor to shatter his loneliness.” We are designed by God for fellowship, for companionship and when it is missing, it affects our motivation, our self-respect, our happiness—almost every part of our lives. However, we must recognize loneliness and aloneness are two different things. You can be lonely in a crowd or a group of friends or with a mate or friend right there with you. Or you can be all by yourself for extended periods yet not be lonely. Loneliness is a feeling, not a set of circumstances. A single woman in her late twenties shared an experience with me which points out our society’s attitude about aloneness. Since her church had no class for singles, she joined in with the young couples group. One Sunday, she didn’t make it to Sunday school, and her teacher said to her, “I’m so sorry you weren’t at Sunday school today. I was counting on you being there because I knew you’d have lots of good input for our discussion, since we were talking about loneliness today.” People automatically assume being single means you’re lonely because being alone is often seen as the worst thing in the world. This mistaken notion about aloneness causes people to do the most incredible things to avoid being by themselves. I know, because I’ve done some of them. I’ve gone to places I should never have gone to. I’ve been with people I should never have been with. I’ve spent money I never should have spent, just to avoid being alone.

Mary had an accepting heart, one that remained simple and uncomplicated. And she had a trusting heart, because she had obviously been well trained in the Word of God and knew its promises and prophecies. When this incredible message came to her from Gabriel that she would bear this miracle baby, she was prepared to trust because she knew God’s Word. Let’s look further at this story to get a better understanding of the heart of Mary. When the angel left her, she went to the one person with whom she could share the news, the one person she knew would understand, her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was bearing a miracle baby, too—a child given to her in old age, beyond child-bearing years. It’s interesting to note how Zacharias, Elizabeth’s husband, reacted when the angel told him that his wife would have a special baby. He said: “How shall I know this for certain?” He focused on the facts as he saw them: his body was old, his wife’s body was old, and they could not have children. He doubted the angel’s message and asked for a further sign. Because of his lack of faith, he became speechless and remained that way until his son was born. I’m afraid Zacharias’ reaction is more like what mine would have been, how about you? He considers the circumstances and loses sight of the power of God to change circumstances, and he does a foolish thing—he fails to trust God. Let’s learn a lesson from Zacharias and set our hearts to trust God no matter what. Don’t look at the circumstances when God gives you a promise. God is never limited by any physical circumstances. Gabriel said it to Mary, very succinctly: For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37). When Mary comes into Elizabeth’s presence, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately recognized Mary’s news even before Mary could tell her. She calls Mary blessed, and Mary answers with one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture. It is commonly called The Magnificat, and I encourage you to read it anew this Christmas season, as found in Luke 1:46-55. It is beautiful poetry, but far beyond its literary beauty is its content. Remember, Mary was a young girl, with probably no formal education. But she had obviously been taught the Scriptures, for as she recites her praise to God, she draws from several Old Testament sources. Again, we get a look at the heart of Mary. It is an accepting heart, a trusting heart, and it is a heart of praise. Many women would have focused on the negatives of this situation. Many would have run into Elizabeth and said: “Oh, Elizabeth, what am I going to do? What will I tell people? Will you shelter me? What will Joseph say?  Help me, please Elizabeth.” But Mary had an eternal point of view and a total trust in God, so that she was able to see the real importance of her position and was able to thank and praise God for his eternal purposes, though her life on earth was very difficult. What a wonderful role model this simple lady is for us today. Do you have a heart of praise? That’s what you need to find favor with God, as Mary did. How much time do you spend each day simply praising him for who he is and what he has done for you? Have you ever analyzed your prayer time? How much is just sheer praising the Lord? Notice that Mary used Scripture to recite back to the Lord in praise. That’s a wonderful way to praise God, by reciting Scripture. You could use this wonderful Magnificat for your own personal praise time. I think we also have to take a look at Joseph. I’m sure he was chosen of God for his part in this, as much as Mary was. He could have easily refused to marry Mary. Most men would have done that, under the circumstances. By agreeing to marry her and support her through this birth, he took on a heavy responsibility. Can you picture that trip to Bethlehem? It's almost a hundred miles, so it took days. It must have been a tiring trip for a pregnant woman. We aren't told what manner of transportation they had—perhaps a donkey or a cart or they just walked. But any way you look at it, it's not a trip a very pregnant woman would want to take in those days. But Mary did it and Joseph gently and carefully took care of her. Joseph must have felt great frustration when he realized Mary was going to deliver there, away from home and friends and people to help with Mary and the baby. No doubt God provided for their needs, but it was a very humble birthplace—especially for the one and only one born as a King. But with Mary in hard labor, he finds a place where she can deliver. Of course, life doesn’t get any easier for Joseph. Soon he has to take his wife and this child and flee his country. He has to leave his home and his business and take her to Egypt. Never could he have thought that this would be required of him. But when the angel gives him these instructions, he obeys. Joseph had a very obedient heart and a non-complaining spirit. His love for the Lord and for Mary must have been enormous. And having delivered this little miracle baby, I’m sure he felt a very real sense of responsibility as well as privilege to be able to take care of this God-child for a few years. Mary must have thanked God for Joseph time and again. If you knew, as Mary did, that you were bearing the Son of God, how would you feel when you realized that your delivery room was to be so dismal? After all, Mary knew this child within her was of the Holy Spirit. Everyone else had to take it by faith, but Mary knew that she had never known a man, and yet here she was ready to give birth to a child. How could God allow his Son to be born in such a degrading manner? She must have been puzzled. And then, almost adding insult to injury, while they’re still in this terrible situation, just having given birth, in come these lowly shepherds to find this baby. We don’t know how many there were, but they invade Mary’s delivery room, and come in upon a weary mother and child. Not exactly what you would plan for the reception committee of the King of kings and Lord or lords, right? But Mary allows them in, and we are told she “pondered all these things in her heart.” Instead of questioning or rebelling, instead of being discouraged or disheartened, Mary pondered on everything that had happened, and treasured it up in her heart. In addition to an accepting heart and a praising heart, Mary had a meditative heart. She thought a lot more than she spoke. She remembered what God had said and what he had done, and she stored up the truths and treasures. We need to have hearts that treasure up God’s goodness and God’s promises to us, and hearts that meditate on those things. Then the day came when Jesus left his home and his mother to pursue the ministry God had planned for him, a brief ministry, ending in a crucifixion. He leaves her to become the Savior of the world, and indeed to become her Savior as well, for she was in need of redemption like everyone else. She watched him suffer and die. I can imagine that Mary must have found it difficult to believe at this point that she was “blessed above all women.” Here she is, probably a widow with her beloved Joseph gone, and her precious treasure, her miracle baby, gone as well. Crucified, of all things. If you ever think you’ve got it tough, think about Mary. How could she hold up under this incredible load of suffering and confusion and emotional pressures she endured? She was chosen for this because her heart was right: She had an accepting heart. She kept things very simple and didn’t ask “why’s” and “how’s.” She accepted and she trusted. She had a praising heart, that saw the positive and not the negative. And she praised God from a heart that had been filled with the Word of God. And she had a meditative heart, that treasured up God’s goodness and God’s promises. As we close our thoughts about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, I want to share a chapter from Max Lucado’s book God Came Near. Max does an incredible job of helping us see the incarnation of God becoming Man in new and marvelous ways. This chapter is entitled “Twenty-five Questions for Mary.” Imagine sitting with Mary and asking her: “What was it like watching him pray? How did he respond when he saw other kids giggling during the service at the synagogue? When he saw a rainbow, did he ever mention a flood? Did you ever feel awkward teaching him how he created the world? When he saw a lamb being led to the slaughter, did he act differently? Did you ever see him with a distant look on his face as if he were listening to someone you couldn’t hear? “How did he act at funerals? Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was asleep under your own roof? Did you ever try to count the stars with him. . . and succeed? Did he ever come home with a black eye? How did he act when he got his first haircut? Did he have any friends by the name of Judas? “Did he do well in school? Did you ever scold him? Did he ever have to ask a question about Scripture? What do you think he thought when he saw a prostitute offering to the highest bidder the body he made? “Did he ever get angry when someone was dishonest with him? Did you ever catch him pensively looking at the flesh on his own arm while holding a clod of dirt? Did he ever wake up afraid? When someone referred to Satan, how did he act? “Who was his best friend? Did you ever accidentally call him Father? What did he and his cousin John talk about as kids? Did his other brothers and sisters understand what was happening? Did you ever think, ‘That’s God eating my soup’?” It is an incredible truth God became flesh and dwelt among us, and for his earthly mother, we can only imagine the joy and the amazement she knew as she watched this miracle baby grow, and the pain she knew because of his sufferings. It will be good in heaven someday to hear her answer some of these questions.

I hope your celebration of Christmas yesterday was full of joy with friends and family. This week I've been focusing on all the blessings we have because of that first Christmas. I want to quote today from the Advent book, Joy to the World, by John Piper. He writes: My favorite Christmas text centers on humility. . . Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus' humility was a conscious act of putting himself in a lowly, servant role for the good of others. His humility did not arise from being finite or fallible or sinful…Jesus' humility did not arise from any sense of defect in himself, but from a sense of fullness in himself put at the disposal of others for their good. It was a voluntary lowering of himself to make the height of his glory available for sinners to enjoy.[1] Did you ever think about the fact that Jesus humbled himself? But he wasn't humble for the same reasons we are—or should be. He was willing to take on human flesh, leave his glory in Heaven with the Father, and endure the humiliation of death on a cross. “The way that Jesus accomplished our gracious salvation was through voluntary, conscious self-lowering in servant-like obedience to the point of death (Piper, 2018).” All for you and me! I close this Christmas week with a verse from the carol “Once in David's Royal City:” And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; For that child so dear and gentle, is our Lord in heaven above, And he leads his children on, to the place where he is gone. — [1] Piper, J. (2018). Joy to the World.

Merry Christmas! I pray your celebration of Christmas today will be blessed. What part of the Christmas story is your favorite? Is it the incredible birth of Jesus to a young virgin girl? Her role in life was anything but easy, but Scripture says she was blessed among women. Or you could choose the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds. What a sight that must have been! I keep imagining how frightened those shepherds were at first. And we know after they saw the baby Jesus, they told everyone all about it. I wonder if their friends and family believed them? I wonder if it just seemed like a foolish tale to those who heard it? But have you ever thought about the mothers of the baby boys who were slaughtered by Herod because of his paranoia? When he heard from the wise men that a king of the Jews was born, he wanted to make sure no one would ever threaten his reign as King of Judea, and so he insanely ordered all baby boys under two years old in the Bethlehem region to be slaughtered. What about the mother who gets a loud knock on her door—or her door busted down—as Roman soldiers come in and snatch her baby boy from her? Maybe he was just beginning to walk; maybe it was her first child; maybe she had been barren for a long time and finally this baby was born to her. And now, she watches helplessly as he is ruthlessly taken from her and slaughtered. Why? Because there was some remote chance he might be the king Herod heard about. Was she given any explanation? I doubt it. Had she even heard the Christ-child had been born in Bethlehem? Probably not. What reason was there to kill her baby because of this unknown king baby? All she is left with are questions and grief and empty arms. The prophet Jeremiah predicted it: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more (Matthew 2:18). It was a high price paid by many mothers that first Christmas. Yet the baby Jesus was born to die and his mother watched him die about 34 years later, perishing on a cross, paying the debt for your sins and mine. Think anew this Christmas about all that took place that first Christmas, so that you and I could have forgiveness and peace through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Did you ever wonder what happened to all the gold, frankincense, and myrrh the wisemen gave to baby Jesus? I'm looking at some unusual things about the Christmas story you may never have thought of before. We don't know how many wisemen followed the star to Jesus or how long it took them, but we know they somehow heard about it, for they asked, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” I'm wondering how they knew a baby was to be born king of the Jews, when it seems the Jewish people themselves had no idea their Messiah was born that night in Bethlehem. And furthermore, they came this long distance from a foreign land to worship him. It took weeks, probably months, to get there. What about those gifts? No doubt they were worth more money than Joseph or Mary had ever seen at one time in their life. What did they do with those riches? Well, we know soon after the wise men left, Herod determined to kill all the baby boys two years and under in Bethlehem because he wanted no rival king in his kingdom. That's when an angel told Joseph to take Mary and the baby and get out of Bethlehem. Go to Egypt to save Jesus from being killed. For an extended time, they lived in Egypt, a foreign land, with no relatives and no job. What did they live on? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh, don't you think? God no doubt sent those wise men with those expensive gifts to find Jesus and provide for the support of this young family while they were in exile. The story of the wise men is fascinating in many respects. They were not Jewish, yet they came to worship a Jewish king. They recognized him as the king of the Jews, yet John 1 tells us Jesus came unto his own and his own received him not. Thankfully, it doesn't stop there, for then John says, Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). That would include the wisemen, right? And it includes you and me as well—those who have received the one born to die for us and rise again to conquer death. When you personally know Jesus as your Savior by grace through faith, then every day is a celebration—right? Christmas 2025 gives us many reasons to be joyful and celebrate.

Christmas 2025 is almost here. Let's use this as a time to focus on the Christmas account of the birth of the Christ-child and discover unique facts about Christmas we may not have ever considered. For example, how about those shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night (Luke 2:8). Who were these guys anyway? All we know about them is they were shepherds in Bethlehem. This means most likely the sheep they were watching that first Christmas night were sheep destined to become sacrificial lambs at the Temple in Jerusalem. Bethlehem is close to Jerusalem. If you travel it today, it takes less than half an hour—about 5 and 1/2 miles. In that day, a little longer of course, but certainly doable in a few hours. These shepherds in that field that night were raising sacrificial lambs for the Temple, and then suddenly, the visit of the angels tells them the Lamb of God has been born in Bethlehem. Once they recover from the fright of this visitation, they decide to go see the Lamb of God, born to take away the sin of the world. Leaving their sheep behind—which was very unusual for shepherds to do—they travel to find the baby with Mary and Joseph, and they worship him. Then they spread the word, telling everyone what they had seen and who they had seen! Reminds me of a wonderful verse from the wonderful song, A Cradle in the Shadow of the Cross. Talking about the shepherds looking at Baby Jesus—listen to this verse: The shepherd lads were bending the knee, and how the little lambs were all trying to see, the Passover Lamb, born in a manager, just to give his life for lost sheep like me. A baby born to be a lamb—the Lamb of God for you and me. We have much to celebrate this Christmas! Jesus was born in a manger to become a man—the God-Man, the only qualified Savior who gave his life for lost sheep like me and you. Think about that today; it's a great way to prepare your heart for Christmas day.

It's Christmas week—a week filled with meaning for those of us who follow Christ. Each day during this special week, I'll focus on one part of the Christmas story—perhaps a part you've never paused to consider before. My hope is we will spend this week centered on the true person of Christmas, Jesus Christ, and celebrate him with joy. Think about Mary's remarkable journey with Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was no short stroll or comfortable trip—roughly 90 miles over rugged terrain. In that day this certainly wasn't a one-day journey. Scripture doesn't tell us how long the trip took, but here's something we often overlook: Mary wasn't required to go. The census required men to return to their birth town to register, but the women were not obligated to accompany them. Yet, Mary goes with Joseph. Why? We're not told. But it's easy to imagine Joseph wanting to protect and care for her. A young woman—unmarried at the time she became pregnant—would likely have faced social rejection, suspicion, and perhaps even disbelief within her own family. We don't know whether her own family believed her story of the Holy Spirit's miraculous work. This young girl traveled miles from home under difficult circumstances, and while in Bethlehem, she gave birth—exactly fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Micah 5:2. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (Micah 5:2). I often wonder if Mary knew this prophecy—that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. From what is referred to as Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1, we see she had a strong grasp of Scripture, likely more than most women of her day. Today, reflect on Mary—her long journey, her courage, and her quiet, trusting submission to God's will. It was not easy for her to respond to Gabriel's message with such faith. Yet she said: I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled (Luke 1:38). Those are good words for us to say as well.

For those of us who are personally acquainted with the Savior who was born that first Christmas day, Christmas holds particular significance. However, we’ve romanticized the story of Christmas to the place that the manger scene and the people involved seem like actors in a play. We rarely stop to think that they were real people, in anything but a romantic setting. That's why I’d like to bring a little reality to the Christmas story. I want to talk about the most blessed woman who ever lived. And I want to focus on the heart of Mary. What was it about this lady that qualified her for this incredible privilege of bearing the Savior of the world? What was in her heart? Let me begin by pointing out that nowhere in Scripture are we given any indication that Mary is to be worshipped. If she were here, I think Mary would be the first to tell us that she was just a woman, a very simple young lady, chosen by God for a special purpose. But like all of the rest of mankind, she was born of Adam’s race—born according to man—and she inherited the same sin nature that all of us have. When I speak of Mary’s heart, I’m not elevating her to some divine place of sinless perfection. We'd have a hard time relating to her if that were true. But in fact, it is because Mary was just like us—a  regular lady—that we can look at her heart and can identify with her and learn from her. Try to erase all those images of Mary with a halo over her head, and see instead a lady with a wash bucket and children, a small, poor home, with few luxuries or conveniences, and a very special heart. Though Mary came from the line of David, she was a humble lady from a very small, insignificant town, Nazareth. We don’t know anything about her parents, except that they must have been godly people because Mary had a very good knowledge of Old Testament Scripture. We begin to get an idea of the heart of Mary when we think about Gabriel’s announcement to her that she had been chosen to bear the Messiah. Let’s look at that passage in Luke 1:28-38: Gabriel said to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:28-38). Certainly, Scripture makes it clear time and again that Mary was then a virgin and remained a virgin until after the birth of Jesus. Not many people who will be celebrating Christmas this year really believe that Jesus was born of a virgin. Why is it so terribly important that we believe and accept that Mary was indeed a virgin until after Jesus’ birth? Because we know from Scripture that sin entered the world through the seed of man. Had Jesus been conceived through an earthly man’s seed, he could not have escaped the sin nature that is born into all of us. And if Jesus were not sinless, he could never become the sacrifice demanded by God’s righteousness. The virgin birth is not an optional theology. Your whole destiny—and mine—depends upon whether or not it is true. We are acceptable to God when we accept the redemption and forgiveness of our sins made possible because the perfect sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ, paid the debt for our sins. And Jesus Christ was perfect because there was no sin in him passed on to him by the seed of man. He was born of a virgin; the only man who has ever been born of the seed of a woman. That is critical. Can you imagine what Gabriel’s words meant to a little Jewish girl, probably only 15 or 16 years old, of the humblest means, who has heard all her life about David, his kingdom, his reign as King of Israel? And now, she is told her son is going to take David’s place and reign forever. I’m sure Mary had often heard the prophecies of the coming Messiah. But surely she never seriously thought she would be selected as his mother. Can you put yourselves in her shoes, and think of how you might have reacted? It was an incredible declaration requiring enormous faith on Mary’s part. Would you have accepted such a statement face value? How does Mary react? She asks a very simple question, not a question of doubt, not a challenge to the truth of the angel’s statement, but a question of curiosity and logic. To paraphrase she asked: “How can I have a baby, when I’ve never known a man? If you’re not going to use an earthly man for this, how are you going to do it?” To a simple, honest question, Gabriel gives a simple answer: The Holy Spirit will cause this child to be impregnated in your womb, Mary. Therefore, he will be the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Mary’s acceptance of this announcement is absolutely remarkable. Once Gabriel answers her simple question, in the same simple faith and openness, she accepts. Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38). Instead of plying Gabriel with hundreds of questions, instead of giving place to all the doubts and fears and insecurities that she must have felt at that time, Mary accepts. Let’s think of some of the normal, natural questions and objections that Mary could have legitimately raised at that point. She could have said: What will I tell my friends and relatives? No one will believe that I have not slept with some man. What will happen to my reputation? What will I tell Joseph? He probably won’t want to marry me now. And if Joseph doesn’t marry me, what will I do to support myself and this baby? I will be an outcast. Worse still, Gabriel, if Joseph so desires he could divorce me or he could have me stoned to death for adultery. Why don’t you, Gabriel, tell everyone else what you have told me? I would appreciate you doing that. Then maybe they will believe me. At least tell everyone in Nazareth, please. Wouldn’t you have asked some of these questions or made some other requests of Gabriel? I’m sure I would have. But not this Mary. Her immediate, unquestioning response is be it done to me according to your word. Now we’re beginning to see the heart of this special lady. An accepting heart. What is required of us in order to have an accepting heart? First, we must stay very simple, and by that I mean uncomplicated. Mary didn’t try to see exactly how everything was going to work out before she accepted. She didn’t let her imagination run wild with all the “what if’s” or “why’s”, as many of us tend to do. She kept it very simple. She accepted from God’s hand what he had asked of her. Do you keep your heart simple? Or do you waste emotions and time and effort in complicating issues? When you know what God wants you to do, do you get all tied up in knots, trying to see every possibility and make sure you know every step of the way before you do anything? You’ll save yourself a lot of grief if you can ask God to give you a simple heart, to help you learn how to un-complicate decisions and situations by simply accepting. Another thing required for an accepting heart is trust. Mary believed with unwavering faith. Can you appreciate the enormity of what she was asked to accept by faith? She was asked to believe that she would become pregnant without ever having relations with any man. And Mary believed. Why do you think Mary so readily believed what Gabriel told her? Do you think it’s possible to just have that kind of trust and faith without any preparation? Was she just born that way? I don’t think so. We know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We know from what Mary says later to Elizabeth, her cousin, that Mary knew the Word of God. She had established her faith in God’s Word, so when Gabriel brought this further Word of God to her, she was accustomed to trusting it, and it wasn’t difficult for her to trust it once more. May I say again what I know I’ve said time and again: You’re never going to be able to trust God until you spend consistent, quality and quantity time in his Word. If some great thing comes on you which requires a lot of trust and faith on your part, and you are unprepared because you don’t consistently saturate yourself with God’s Word, don’t be surprised to discover that your faith falters, and you fail the test. You won’t be able to muster up tons of faith on the spur of the moment if you don’t make trusting God a part of your everyday life. And that comes by knowing him through his Word. Are you in the midst of some testing now? Are you under some stress or pressure that requires faith on your part? I hope you’ve been staying in the Word of God, because that’s where that instant faith comes from at those unexpected times when you need it. You need to know the Word of God to have the kind of trust that Mary had. How marvelous it is that, as Paul says in Galatians 4:4: But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. I pray that you have become a child of God through placing your trust in his Son, the One who was willing to come and be born of a woman so that you and I could be redeemed from the curse of the law and sin. If not, you can have that right now by confessing your sin and allowing that One born in a manger to cleanse you and give to you the full rights as his child. Until you have done that, you can never really understand what Christmas is all about.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen We have been exploring fasting from things that keep us from the abundance we can have in a close relationship with Jesus! I am asking you to deeply consider how certain habits can take you farther from this abundance than you realize. Earlier this week we talked about social media specifically, but what about devices in general? From your phone to laptops and TVs, there are so many different devices that occupy your time. I checked my screen time just now on my phone. I have picked it up 56 times today. Let that sink in. Since rising this morning until just after lunch, I have touched my phone to look at it 56 times. This time included a face-to-face meeting with a colleague, which means I surely picked up my phone while we were together. Being completely honest with you, I don't even recall why. We take work everywhere these days. Not only on our phones but on laptops. How easily do we open up work when we are with our family on the weekend or in the evenings? This was not always the case. These days, we need to be intentional about not using all the digital tools we have available that may be breaking our connections. God created you to be in a relationship with him and to be in relationship with others. If your face is always looking at a screen, how can you build a deeper and more abundant relationship with Jesus and others around you? My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you (John 15:12). God never takes his eyes from you. In fact, God knew you before you were born! You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). He knows you so well he keeps track of how many hairs are on your head (Matthew 10:29-30). Fellow believer, he knows you by name (Exodus 33:12). God knows your heart and your thoughts (Matthew 5:8, 2 Corinthians 10:5). If God knows your thoughts, he also knows your worries (Matthew 6:24-25). He even knows your actions, and words and weaknesses (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Matthew 12:36, Proverbs 16:9). Jesus loves you so much and is commanding you to love others as he has loved you! If you are constantly taking your eyes off those around you, this becomes significantly less possible. How can you fast from this digital world and keep your eyes on loving others well? This includes being at work. Taking time to set boundaries can help you spend more time in gratitude for the love God has for you and help you love others.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble (Proverbs 21:23). This short verse is a good summary of why I want you to consider true fasting from both gossip and complaining! Neither of these habits are very lifegiving, and complaining can become very prevalent in our lives when we don't feel like we have abundance in one area or another. Considering your tongue, more specifically what you are saying, can be a good start not to only “fasting” from gossip and complaining but eliminating this from your life completely as a follower of Jesus Christ. Neither bear fruit, and gossip and complaining grieve the Holy Spirit! Both gossip and complaining are common when it comes to the workplace, and it is easy to get “sucked in” to both patterns depending on your office culture. Draw a line and truly fast from these behaviors until they disappear! First gossip. Exodus 23:1 begins by reminding us to not spread false reports. While not all gossip is false information, it is easy to perpetuate a rumor, especially about someone else. You know how this happens at work. It can be something related to another person's work quality or something very personal. I can hear it now. Did you know so and so failed to meet their quota? Did you hear she is filing for divorce? Any form of information coming to you about someone else in the form of a question should be examined. Is the discussion necessary to do your job? With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape (Proverbs 11:9). What about complaining? Philippians 2:14 tells us to do all things without grumbling or disputing that we may be blameless and innocent. What are you prone to grumble about at work? Is it a specific task? Another person? Do you often complain about your job? I had a sweet sister in Christ tell me she was trying not to curse what blesses her. Boy did that sit heavy on my heart. How can you “fast” from gossip and complaining? Take a minute to pause before you speak or respond to anything coming your way. If someone tries to engage you in gossip, redirect the conversation. I always like to ask another question in return. Are you sure? Have you talked to so and so directly about that? Or a statement like, we really shouldn't be talking about so and so's job performance. If you find yourself wanting to complain, pray! Pray for God to change your heart or view of the situation. I tried to keep a little log for a week. I would place a mark each time I complained or engaged in gossip. Seeing this really challenged me to quit these two bad habits and repent to God when I find myself slipping back into them.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Let's think about how to find our true inner abundance in Jesus and consider how fasting from common worldly things we seek can help us draw closer to our relationship with him. As we consider fasting, one of the most common things to fast from is food. Our health crazed society has given us many takes on fasting from food from a water fast to intermittent fasting based on your body type, but all of this has more to do with your physical body. Biblical fasting from food, certain foods or drinks is focused on drawing the believer closer in their relationship to God to discern guidance or even expressing repentance or humility before God. Abundance in the form of food is a local and global subject. It is political and economic. And it is all wrapped in an inner feeling of abundance. If you have never been in a position where you don't know where your next meal is coming from, you already have abundance. However, with prices rising, perhaps you do feel less abundant in what foods you are able to put on the table these days. Food not only nourishes our bodies, but sharing meals with others can be a big social focus, especially during holidays and special occasions. Food can present a struggle for some in the form of an idol. Whether it is overeating or not eating enough, thinking about food can be a big part of our lives, and we don't even realize it. If you do struggle with food, I suggest seeking professional medical guidance before starting a fast. Fasting from food can sharpen our focus on Jesus as the Bread of Life. Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4). In God's word, we learn abundance in the form of food is something we should care about as followers of Jesus Christ. Simply, we are called to give to the poor and needy. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink (Matthew 25:35). Jesus tells his disciples whatever was done for the least of these was done, in turn, to him. Fasting from food, or certain foods can help bring your focus to discerning God's will. I recently had someone tell me to try a Daniel fast. Basically, only eating as Daniel did in the Bible for a period in obedience to the Lord. You can read about this in Daniel, Chapters 1 and 10. If you decide to fast from food, it can be a wonderful time to reflect on God's goodness and abundant provision in your life in the form of food and a time to repent of any unhealthy habits you may have with food. You should also reflect on what God cares about in giving to those less fortunate.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Abundance. A state of more than enough of something. I would argue our access to viewing social media can lead us to very distorted views of what abundance truly is! In fact, social media has proven to foster a constant state of social comparison. Likes, comments, and shares are a proven dopamine-driven reward system. What do I mean? Your brain gets sucked into a pattern of needing to see all this online! It really doesn't matter what platform we spend time on. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and even LinkedIn can fuel these feelings of comparison. Inner peace and gratitude fly out the window as we look at the personal and professional lives of others online. And these can be both people we know or people we don't! Are you thinking about how you can acquire something someone else has? Maybe it is something simple like clothing or décor in their home, but maybe it isn't simple. Perhaps it is a new car, or a bigger house. If you are spending time on LinkedIn, is it a new job title or someone's new business? Maybe you aren't comparing yourself to what someone has, but you feel pressure to post on platforms yourself! When you start to aspire to be like someone online and lose focus, feelings of abundance start to fade. And this can show up in how you “show-up” at work! Is social media taking time away from your day job? As followers of Jesus Christ, we should focus on our abundance in relationship to him! If you are finding yourself with these feelings from social media, I would recommend a scheduled fast from the platforms you use the most. Breaking free from the instant gratification of a like, comment, or from simply seeing the things you may not have will allow you more time to seek Jesus. Only you can decide what this “fast” looks like. Do you need to institute daily time limits for each platform? Perhaps you need to delete the social media applications from your device all together for a period. During this fast, I would recommend digging into your identity in Jesus Christ. What does Jesus say about you? As a follower of Jesus, what should your “social identity” look like and how can you show up with this identity to work? I would challenge you to check your phone for the amount of time you spend on social media applications and replace this with time in God's word. Write down some key verses during this time that can help you stay rooted in your abundant identity in Jesus!

Presented by Lauren Stibgen How do you define abundance? A quick search will tell you abundance in life is experiencing a state of more than enough in all aspects which includes but is not limited to wealth, relationships, health, joy, and fulfillment. Further defined as a mindset, abundance in living focuses on feelings of inner peace and gratitude regardless of external circumstances. Now, this is an AI overview based on a basic google search, and I would argue this isn't a far-off definition from what we are to expect from an abundant life through our salvation in Jesus Christ. True abundance isn't external at all. It is an inner feeling. Paul knew this feeling well. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11-13). In these verses, Paul points to this inner abundance that isn't reliant on a state of experiencing more than enough. His secret? Paul's deep abiding and faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, later in Philippians 4, Paul states, And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Jesus himself gave us many examples of how abundance in the world meant much less than a relationship with him. If we consider the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, we can see how Judas's worldly seeking never led to abundance at all. In John 12:1- 8, we read the account of Mary taking expensive ointment and anointing Jesus' feet, wiping his feet with her hair. Judas confronted Jesus and asked why the ointment had been wasted and not sold to give money to the poor. He said this not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to whatever was put in it (John 12:6). Knowing Judas' heart, Jesus tells him to leave Mary alone since he will not always be with them. We all know Judas then betrays Jesus for a bag of 30 pieces of silver that he later tries to give back realizing what he had done. He ultimately takes his own life. This need for monetary abundance cost Judas his life.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen Abundance means having a very large quantity or supply of something, more than enough, or overflowing fullness. Let's make this tangible. How many times have you turned this definition into something you wanted more of? Or maybe you perceived if you had more of a thing your life would be better? Have you ever caught yourself thinking if I only had X amount more money, I could do Y with it? Or I wish I had a new car! A bigger house. Or maybe you really want to go on that great vacation or buy a new handbag. Social media has really fueled this culture of comparison making things seem like needs as opposed to wants. We live in a world that largely spends more than it makes. According to debt.org, 90% of American households hold debt that totals the staggering amount of $18.2 trillion dollars. And, statistically, the more education someone has directly correlates with the amount of debt they hold. The average debt for someone with a high school diploma is $50,401 verses someone with an undergraduate degree at $115,456. Most of the debt is a mortgage, followed by auto loans, school debt, and credit cards. Roughly 44-57% of working Americans earning greater than $60,000 annually hold credit card debt. With delinquencies in all categories rising, 39% of women say their debt is unmanageable. But how did we get here? While economic implications are surely a factor in our borrow-now-pay-later society, we need to look at the heart implications of our increasing need for more. Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10). We possess what we think we need and then simply want more. Are you jealous of something someone else has? Are you coveting a relationship? Maybe you feel like having something will earn you status or entry into another social group. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's (Exodus 20:17). Coveting is to desire something belonging to someone else—something you are craving that is not yours. This can be a possession or even a relationship. When did this start for you? Far before I knew Jesus, I certainly knew what Air Jordan shoes were. Growing up in an affluent area, I was the kid who took the city bus and had clothes from a big box store. We certainly could not afford those shoes. Feelings of shame and embarrassment were common as I could not keep up with other kids because of how I was dressed. What did my parents do for Christmas? They borrowed. They bought me a few pieces they shouldn't have. I not only coveted what the other kids had but wanted the relationships too. My relationship with borrowing started before I could do it myself and then came college and credit cards. Borrowing to get ahead. Some of the borrowing like school loans propelled me forward, but some of the credit for things I coveted put me in debt. Have you ever heard someone say everyone has a God-sized hole in their heart? That is because all the money, possessions, and friendships we want more of can never give us more abundance than the love of our Lord through his son Jesus Christ. Those clothes may have made me more popular and gained me a few friends, but they never filled this hole. The only thing that can give us true abundance is Jesus. As we talk about this holy abundance, let's consider the pitfalls of seeking worldly abundance. I want to stress I am not suggesting a life of poverty, but when is enough, enough? Having an abundance of worldly things makes it difficult to experience the filling of that God-sized hole in your heart through Jesus. God's Word is clear. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts (1 Samuel 2:7). If you think wealth equals abundance, remember, wealth comes from God, and it's so much more than money. The Bible is clear about wealth, and the sooner we orient ourselves to this view on abundance, the closer we can get to true abundant living with Jesus! We already talked about coveting, but what about greed? Jesus warns, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Greed is an intense, selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Jesus warns of this and tells us our life is not tied to these possessions. Greed for power we believe can lead to wealth can certainly show up at work. Are you seeking that next promotion? This alone is not a bad thing! But checking your heart and intentions about the “why” is critical. Are there feelings of coveting or an intensity to feel worldly gain? Remember that God-sized hole? This underlying feeling will not fill it. God's word teaches us to hold loosely to our abundance, which is quite the opposite of greed. If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them (Deuteronomy 15:7). Being tightfisted is another reference to greed. Are you holding on too tightly to anything? Clearly, God wants us to give to those in need. Not only does God want us to give to the poor, he wants us to return to him in praise. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest (Proverbs 3:9). What about all the borrowing I mentioned as we started our time together today? What does God have to say about this? Clearly, wealth and possessions come from the Lord, and he wants us to honor him and give to others. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none (Deuteronomy 28:12). Lend, but don't borrow. Considering 90% of all Americans have debt, we can assume Christ-followers are included in this statistic! Aside from traditional lending, loans, and credit cards, what about when you lend money to family? God does not want us to charge interest. If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest (Exodus 22:25). God's Word has a lot to say about money! It isn't all doom and gloom if we keep a right mind about it. What is a right mind about money you ask? Considering what we just talked about a simple summary is: Acknowledge that everything comes from the Lord. All wealth. All possessions. Hold these things loosely. Don't be greedy or covet what others have. Honor the Lord with our first fruits. Lend but don't borrow. Give to the poor. These verses from 1 Timothy sum it up well, Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Our abundance is from the Lord—everything we have! What happens when we don't keep a right mind about money? Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf (Proverbs 11:28). Better a little with righteousness than great income with injustice (Proverbs 16:8). Trusting in our worldly wealth and not handling it with care has consequences! Trust in wealth and you will fall! No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). Simply, the more you are focused on money, the more your mind will be far from God. Does this unhealthy view on money and wealth as abundance keep you far from a relationship with Jesus Christ? What worldly possessions are you thinking about right now? Think about things that God cares about that cost you little to nothing? Remember the greatest commandment is to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. How can you do this today? Perhaps you can shift your mindset from striving for wealth to striving for time with loved ones and friends! Perhaps you can take time to serve with a local charity. Stop to pray for a friend. Take a walk in nature and meditate on God's word. Sing a song of praise and thanksgiving to our Lord. Write a note or letter to someone who could use some encouragement. Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). Are you treasuring the things God cares about and views as abundant, or are you fixated on what the world says abundance is? Do you worry more about how someone feels when they are with you or what they think of what you are wearing or what your house looks like? God cares that you are living abundantly from the inside out! If you are ready today and find yourself a little too focused on worldly abundance or maybe you are among the 90% of people in America who hold debt, have hope and run to Jesus! Remember why we need him. All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. God knows we are not perfect like Jesus, and he lavished us with his mercy that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I don't know about you, but this feels beyond abundant! Breaking free from habits of seeking worldly abundance starts with repenting if you aren't walking in a right-minded way about money as we read about in 1 Timothy 6. Do you covet? Are you greedy? Do you withhold from giving to those in need? Perhaps you are in debt. Bring all of this to the feet of Jesus in prayer and talk to someone who can hold you accountable to changing your ways. There are many programs that can help you find a right relationship with money, keeping you in order of serving God first! Turn your eyes from social media and from looking at what everyone else has! Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you (Hebrews 13:5). God will never leave you or abandon you! He is the only one who can fill the space in your heart like nothing in this world can.