Afleveringen
-
In this first essay of a 3-part series, Roseanne Bauman speaks from her personal experience about teaching an ethnically diverse group of students. While Roseanne was the teacher, she quickly realized that she was also a student. In this post, you will read about the many valuable lessons that Roseanne learned from her students.
-
Many faithful believers rejected the sword and positions of earthly rule because they were convinced from the Scriptures that these were not part of Godâs design, whether in the Garden of Eden or in the establishment of Christâs church. If we choose to depart from Godâs ways, we become like killdeer birds suddenly deciding to nest in the trees. It seems, then, that we have two traditions to choose from: the true, original design God created, or pervasive, normalized evil.
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
A business person should steward his business abilities and roles. Stewardship is not limited to managing profits that may be gained through business. Marlin Sommers reflects on job creation, business investment in general, and concludes with a few words about the steward mindset in business.
-
We want the entire world to understand who Jesus is. But what are we to be doing and how is this message supposed to spread? Is serving the poor part of Jesusâ commission to the church? Or is humanitarian aid a second-class ministry or, even worse, a distraction from our real mission? Gary Miller reminds us that God wants people to flourish, both physically and spiritually, and that this should be our desire as well. Like Jesus, we are representatives of the character of God. Like Jesus, we should be known for doing good.
-
What does it mean to be a steward of business giftings and abilities, and of business roles and opportunities? Marlin Sommers explores some biblical points, focusing on business applications, and encouraging business people to recognize themselves as servant-managers of both a set of giftings and abilities and of certain roles and opportunities.
-
âOur own attentive openness to the world around us and the generations before us is what prepares us to educate. If we are not attentive, humble, and learning, we are left either neglecting education or simply trying to pass on what we think we know.â
-
When my wife and I got married and moved into an apartment complex in Sacramento, CA, my neighbors began to give me an education. Several years after this education began, I was reading the Bible and read the story Jesus told in Matthew 25 about the king and the servants who were given talents. It struck me how much I am like these servants and how I also have decisions to make regarding my talents.
Growing up, I never worried about my father coming home from work. Now I work with boys whose parents never came back to pick them up from daycare.I took for granted that family gatherings are a fun time with my cousins until I talked with my neighbor and discovered that she wonât go to a family gathering for fear her uncle would try to harm her. I didnât know I had a safety net around me until my neighbor was evicted because her child was taken away by Child Protective Services, and she no longer had child support to pay for her apartment. Right now, I have dozens of people I could call, and they would send me $1,000 with almost no questions asked, if I had a legitimate need.
I grew up enjoying acapella 4-part harmony singing. I come from a musically inclined family and singing came almost naturally for me. Now I go visit elderly friends with a group to sing and they canât believe how we âsing like angelsâ. When my neighborâs car wouldnât start, I pulled jumper cables out of my trunk and helped them out. How did I learn that? Iâm not really sure. I think I was born knowing how to do that. My neighbor asked me, âWhy do you work so hard? You donât have to. Thatâs what the government is for.â But I know a secret. Work not only provides income, it also changes how I feel emotionally, physically, and in some ways spiritually. But I only know that because I was taught to work hard.
One of the first questions many Anabaptist people ask me is, âIs it safe to live where you live?â I have learned that safety is of the Lord. But it surely helps that I donât do drugs or sleep around or drink or wander aimlessly at 3:00 AM. Those are personal decisions I make, but they are greatly influenced by my Anabaptist heritage. When my wife and I were going out on our first date, no one had to take my wife aside and make sure she had pepper spray in case she needed it. It had never occurred to either of us that assaults are not unusual on first dates. Sometimes when I travel to speak or go to a conference, I stay at a complete strangerâs house. I might even arrive after they are in bed. But they trust me because of my family or someone I know or their pastor. That is not normal!
My neighbors would line up down the sidewalk for my wifeâs homemade cookies. One of our neighbors said, âWhen you start a bakery, I will come every day for a cinnamon roll!â Why does Rosanna know how to bake like that? She was taught by her mother. Recently there was a knock on our door. When I opened it, there was a neighbor with a jacket. She wondered if Miss Rosanna would be able to sew extra patches on it since Rosanna sews her own clothes.
One of my Muslim neighbors is afraid something bad happened to her son because he went under a tree after dark. All the Muslims in my neighborhood know that demons are in the trees after dark. And so, she lives in fear. I am so thankful I donât have to fear superstitions! Several years ago, my phone rang. It was Life Matters, a ministry that works with people in apartments. We work with them in doing our kidâs club. The person on the other end asked if I knew how to garden. Well, I donât really have a green thumb, but I know what a garden looks like and my parents had a garden. That is enough. The person says, âYou and Rosanna seem like that kind of people.â So, now we are in charge of a community garden for anyone in Logan Park Apartments where we...
-
In his essay "Schism is Heresy", Frank Reed exhorts the church of Jesus Christ to be unified as a body, not falling prey to the many divisions of the world. In clear and simple language, he shares principle truths from Scripture regarding how the body of believers should view unity. "Principles transcend policies. If we are led by the same Spirit, we will walk the path together. If we allow personal preferences to divide us, we are not part of the body of Christ. "
-
Loving your enemies can be hard. Many people do not understand how it is possible to love even when being attacked. Even though it is hard, Jesus gives his followers the answers for this subject. Marlin Sommers wrote this blog about a conversation that he had with his college students, and he discusses the reasons that followers of Jesus should love their enemies.
Essay originally published 07/2020. Audio narration just released.
Subscribe to receive new essays by email!
-
Many Anabaptists have been more scared of education than money. Brian Martin calls us to examine that assumption and approach both with fear and trembling (and wisdom and courage). We must not forget the biblical call to wisdom and knowledge and the avenues of service that can be opened by study.
-
It is not always easy to invest your time into another person. However, as Keeshon Wasington expressed in his lifeâs story, he is very grateful and thankful to God that someone took the time for him. Are we willing to let God use us to help those in need?
To read more of Keeshonâs writing, check out his blog at: https://urbanitemusingskw.wordpress.com/
Essay originally published 12/2020. Audio narration just released.
Subscribe to receive new essays by email!
-
Is an investment a gamble? Does it matter? In this essay, Marlin Sommers seeks to clearly differentiate between gambling and investing, to call us to a positive moral ethos for investing, and to give some tools for how to think about borderline cases.
Stephen Russellâs episodes on Usury and Distributism
How Should We Then Money?
Usury and the Historic Church
Marlinâs two-part essay on Business as Stewardship
Business People among Godâs âServant-Managersâ
Entrepreneurs as Servant-Managers
-
Life is not always easy, but having kind friends that are ready and willing to help and be there for you always makes those rough bumps easier. Keeshon continues writing his experiences in getting beat up, forgiving those guys and ultimately giving his life to Jesus.
To read more of Keeshonâs writing, check out his blog at: https://urbanitemusingskw.wordpress.com/
Essay originally published 12/2020. Audio narration just released.
Subscribe to receive new essays by email!
-
âWe know we should sing, but what kind of song is most appropriate in public worship?â James S. Martin helps us think about five main questions that have plagued discussions about congregational singing over the centuries. He does not attempt to build theological bulwarks around a particular singing style. âIf the musicians among us drink deeply and work with integrity and discipline, new songs will arise in wonderful offerings of sound and senseâ
-
A little kindness will go a long way. Doing good to others is always worth it. Keeshon Washington experienced the receiving side of this as he continues telling us his story in his four-part series.
To read more of Keeshonâs writing, check out his blog at: https://urbanitemusingskw.wordpress.com/.
Essay originally published 12/2020. Audio narration just released.
Subscribe to receive new essays by email!
-
Confusion around assurance of salvation often stems from inadequate understandings of faith and works. Milo Zehr explains how people who want to emphasize either the importance of good works or the unimportance of good works often make overstatements that fail to take all scripture into account. Milo contrasts these inadequate views with scriptural teaching.
-
Keeshon Washington takes us on his journey from being a little boy going to Vacation Bible School to his years as being a teacher himself.
To read more of Keeshonâs writing, check out his blog at: https://urbanitemusingskw.wordpress.com/.
Essay originally published 11/2020. Audio narration just released.
Subscribe to receive new essays by email!
-
Paulâs letter to the Ephesians calls believers to submit to each other, to love each other, and to treat each other as members of the same body. The letter then takes these commands for all believers and specifically applies self-giving love to husbands and reverent submission to wives. How are we to understand this? Do wives not need to love their husbands? Do husbands not need to submit to their wives? Marlin Sommers explores biblical submission in order to apply a robustly Christian understanding of submission to this text on marriage.
-
Are you guilty of doing nothing? Has the Way become so easy that you find yourself with one foot in the world and one in the church? Today, we are making history. Men will know by our fruits. Will we be known as âgood men who did nothingâ or as âgood men who turned the world upside-downâ?
Essay originally published 08/2020. Audio narration just released.
Subscribe to receive new essays by email!
-
How can we have a joyful, confident relationship with God amidst suffering and the threats of shame, guilt, and condemnation? In this essay, based on Romans 8:12-39, Milo Zehr calls us to see the foundational reality that God has called us and that we are made His children by the Spirit, and joint-heirs with Jesus, even as we share the suffering of Jesus. Throughout this life, suffering continues; but God makes it part of His process of glorifying us. While full redemption lies ahead, we are now in Christ. We now walk in the Spirit as Godâs children. We can live in freedom from the devil and in joyful belonging to God.
- Laat meer zien