13Oct
Yesterday’s lesson on “What Christians Do in an Economic Crisis” was timely, considering the gloomy economic news Americans have been getting over the last several weeks. It’s going to take awhile for us to recover, so the points I shared yesterday bear repeating.
What do Christians do in the face of financial trouble?
- They don’t panic.
- They learn the end of greed.
- They don’t lose their priorities.
- They manage their money.
- They seize opportunities.
As the stock market plummets, housing prices dive, the dollar slides, and failures occur in investment banking, Christians ought to show the world what faith can do in trying times. By conducting ourselves in a Christian manner, we will get the world’s attention and give glory to God (Matt. 5:16).
Money management is a biblical concept (Prov. 13:18; 27:23-24). It has never been easier to access financial resources now that so much has been made available on the Internet. Need help making a budget? Download a “Quickie Budget” and start today. Looking for a one-stop resource for tips, interest and mortgage rates, stock values, advice, and commentary? Go to www.bankrate.com.
08Oct
My apologies for being a little late on this week’s Sermon Encore. Last Sunday morning I delivered a lesson entitled “Reviving Parenthood.” Here are some statistics related to fathers that I didn’t have time to share in the lesson:
For three decades America has increased her fatherless homes to the point that 23,000,000 children will be sleeping in fatherless homes tonight. And what are the results? Single-mother families are five times more likely to be poor, ten times more likely to go to fail, and three times more likely to have children as teenagers. While only 24% of children come from fatherless homes, 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. 85% of youths in prisons grew up without a father.
The moral, dads, is this: If you want to change the world, stay home!
29Sep
Yesterday morning’s lesson was entitled “Guarding Your Deposit.” In light of our nation’s recent economic crisis, the theme seemed appropriate.
In 2 Timothy 1, Paul describes the gospel as the Christian’s deposit, saying to Timothy, “Guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (v. 14). Thinking of the gospel as a “deposit” should sober us to the seriousness of our responsibility as Christians who have been entrusted with the message of Christ. Continue reading »
23Sep
The Sermon Encore is a new feature of the Ashville Road Church of Christ web site. Every Monday, notes on Sunday’s sermons will be posted to promote further study. Sermons typically have a short lifespan–they die on the Monday following the Sunday they were preached. The Sermon Encore is a work that is intended make Sunday’s sermon last through Sunday, into the rest of the week, and hopefully for a long time after that. We hope you benefit from this deeper study. Continue reading »
