Category: . . . Money
My Gains Eaten Away
In Earnest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, the superstitious old man on his dilapidated skiff had no luck catching any big fish for a long time, but this day as he allowed the wind to carry him out much further than before, and after nearly...
Render to God the Things That Are God’s
The religious leaders in Jerusalem sent certain men to Jesus “to trap him in his talk” (Mark 12:13). They began by flattering him, falsely implying that they admired him as a man of integrity who always said what was right and true. Then they asked him...
Living Like Lula: Making Friends with Unrighteous Wealth
We always honked on the final turn as we left Fordyce, my birthplace, for Warren, Arkansas, my mother’s birthplace. “Miss Lula” lived in the neat little White House there—Miss Lula, “the giver.” She earned this reputation because of her lifelong generosity. That’s the way I’ll always...
Commanding the Ravens: God’s Unexpected Provision
If we’re honest, our view of God’s provision for us is pretty narrow. Following typical western assumptions, we think that if we work hard at a good job, or any job, we will see a good return and be provided for. That’s how God does it—through...
When the Money Runs Out: Six Lessons from John Stam
Financial stress is to the mind as nausea is to the stomach—uncomfortable and impossible to ignore. If you are a Christian, it can be even worse because you know that you’re supposed to trust God, and yet you instinctively worry, “What am I going to do?”...
Seven Principles of Finance for the Believer
One of the most recognizable differences in the believer and the world he lives in is his unusual relationship to money and possessions. However, even serious believers sometimes balk at the seeming extremities in the teaching and lifestyle of Christ and the leaders of the New...
Justifying Ourselves Before Men
The Kingdom of God is filled with men and women who were once self-justifiers. People are always seeking to vindicate themselves before God and others. And, apart from Christ, how you talk, what you wear, what you drive, where you travel and what you fight for...
Is There Any Sin in Trusting God?
A well-loved Christian conference speaker once posed this question to me after his message: “Is there any sin in trusting God?” Strange question, isn’t it? The answer has to be, “No.” I know that. You know that. The man who posed the question knew it also....
Have You Ever Noticed that “Love It” Rhymes with Covet?
How much time do you spend “window shopping”?—trying on clothes or shoes, browsing through catalogs or on the internet, admiring the latest car models, or loitering in the tool section of Sears or the hunting and fishing section of Wal-Mart? Now please don’t get mad or...
Eight Hundred Thirty-Three Dollars and Thirty-Three Cents
This figure, $833.33, represents an early encouragement from God . . . “early,” as in “early in our marriage.” It certainly WAS an encouragement that helped us think about God’s ability and desire to provide everything we need for our ministry and for our lives. Just...
