Jesus' Economy

Psalm 23 captures our imagination as children and does so today. We read it at weddings and funerals alike. Why? Because we all want to to be pursued with a love that is beyond comprehension. This is what Psalm 23 keys in on. But it's hard to see the love of God in a world that feels surrounded by death. But we've all seen it. A loyal love like God's is perhaps nowhere more seen than in the sacrificial mothers we've known. I think of my great-grandmother, Ma Murphy, who raised my mother. Her table was always open to the homeless, pregnant teenage girls, and children in need of a home. Ma Murphy's love also pursued prodigal children. It was a loyal love, loyal beyond all reason, like the kind of love we see from God. John D. Barry (Founder of Jesus' Economy) delivered this sermon at Faith Reformed Church in Lynden, WA on May 12, 2019 (Mother's Day). This sermon was prepared in collaboration with James (J.D.) Elgin.

If you only had three years to do a monumental project, what would you do? Chance has it that you would clear the deck, ignore most people, and just focus on that singular initiative. You would have little time for people and their random problems. But Jesus had an entirely different approach. In this sermon, John D. Barry draws on his field research for his book, "Jesus' Economy: A Biblical View of Poverty, the Currency of Love, and a Pattern for Lasting Change" as he expounds upon a scene of Jesus healing a man in Luke 18:35–43. This sermon was originally delivered at Third Christian Reformed Church in Lynden, WA on March 31, 2019.

We all know our world is broken and hurting. We’re left wondering, what can I do about such big problems? How can I make the world a better place? We find Jesus’ response in Luke 4:16–21, which records a scene from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus shows us that his gospel is about our whole lives. In this sermon, John D. Barry examines Luke 4:16–21. In the process of doing so, he utilizes research from his book, Jesus' Economy, and stories from the work of pioneering church planters in Northeast India. This sermon was originally delivered at Faith Reformed Church in Lynden, WA on February 3, 2019.

Our world is full of barriers. There are social, economic, racial, and gender barriers. As Christians, we have often shied away from addressing such issues, yet the gospel calls us to break down social barriers. This is profoundly seen in Paul's letter to Philemon. In this sermon, John D. Barry (Founder of Jesus' Economy) examines closely the book of Philemon. This sermon was originally delivered at Faith Reformed Church in Lynden, WA on October 7, 2018.

Our world is more interconnected than ever before. With the power of modern technology, we could reasonably bring the good news of Jesus to the last unreached people groups in our lifetimes. Imagine a world where indigenous church planters were connected to global mentors and donors. Imagine connecting developing world entrepreneurs to international commerce. Imagine alleviating poverty and bringing the gospel to the unreached in a creative, technology-driven fashion. Imagine what could be. These are the opportunities in front of us. Here's how we leverage these opportunities, biblically. John D. Barry (Founder of Jesus' Economy) delivered this talk at Bethel Grove Bible Church in Ithaca, NY on April 20, 2017. This talk is based on John's research for his book, Jesus' Economy: A Biblical View of Poverty, the Currency of Love, and a Pattern for Lasting Change.

Faith weaves together all of our lives, as does love. Love and religion should go hand in hand. But, as we well know, religion is often used for hate rather than love. How can we make love the center of our religious lives again? For Jesus of Nazareth, religion meant self-sacrificial love. God is love. This talk was delivered on April 22, 2017 (Earth Day) in Ithaca, NY at the "Believe in Love" Conference. John D. Barry, CEO of Jesus' Economy, was invited to speak on the topic of "Love and Religion."

We live in a generation that likes the idea of solving global poverty and reaching the unreached more than the actual act of doing so. Social media has given us more opportunities to solve the world's problems than ever before, but in the process we've become apathetic. Here's how we can lead by example to fight apathy and make the world a better place. John D. Barry delivered this talk to the leadership of Cru at Cornell in Ithaca, NY on April 25, 2017.