“If you have spent 40 years of your life working 40 hours a week, retirement isn’t just a financial consideration, writes a philosopher.” - RNS

In my five decades of attending Bible-preaching churches I’ve heard precisely one sermon series on work. It was my own, and was pretty weak.

It’s possible that the topic has been receiving systematic attention all over the place all these years, and I’ve just managed to miss nearly all of it. But I think not.

For whatever reason, work is a neglected subject, not only in topical preaching and teaching, but, in my experience, also in the applicational portions of expositional sermons. Often, when the workplace is referenced at all, the focus is solely on “being a witness” or “having a good testimony,” as though work couldn’t possibly have any other important purposes in a believer’s life.

“While I agree that the struggle in politics is ‘theological’… it is not merely a matter of the theology of left and right at odds with one another. The problem is that unless men submit themselves to the God who made all things, they can’t see the world properly.” - Don Johnson

“Trump and evangelicals made a deal in 2016…. Evangelicals delivered. Trump delivered. And now that the deal is done, Trump is no longer obligated to conservative evangelicals.” - Current

“For the time being, we continue to offer it as a help to those who are legitimately unable to attend church due to illness. However, to ensure it is being used for only that purpose, we put it behind a password.” - Challies

“We should recognize and live in accordance with our redeemed identity in Christ…. Yes, we are covered by the righteousness of Christ. We are His saints, His holy ones. But there are three tenses of salvation” - Randy Alcorn

“Jason Thacker, who directs the Research Institute at the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, described this latest revelation as ‘deeply disturbing.’” - The Baptist Paper

I recently made the decision to join the IFCA International as an individual, vocational member. It was not a commitment that I entered into lightly. And, quite frankly, I was not really looking for an organization to join! Yet I became convinced over time that this was simply the right and wisest thing to do.

“ ‘No Plato, No Scripture’—the second chapter of Hans Boersma’s Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew—is a clever title for continuing the Christian Platonist project. But how seriously should we take its underlying arguments?” - Christ Over All

You’re staring at the painting, pretending to appreciate it like those around you in the museum. Maybe they are pretending too? You’re not sure. What is this picture? Why do so many people like it? What’s the big deal? Maybe this is how you feel about the image of God. How does knowing you are an image bearer help you? What are the practical implications of bearing God’s image?

“These four posts will move from the more fixed and foundational things to the more practical and flexible—from theological foundations (Part 1) to liturgical rhythms (Part 2) to preparation of a Sunday gathering (Part 3) to tips for getting organized (Part 4).” - 9 Marks

“ ‘Parents Under Pressure’ attempts to address the mental health and well-being of moms and dads. The 35-page document acknowledges and elaborates on many of the challenges facing the typical American family—and then suggests what individuals and government institutions can do to help reduce the burden.” - Daily Citizen

“God does not simply call Himself Ehyeh (I AM). Instead, God gives Moses a new Hebrew word that appears to be a concatenation of syllables from three other words: Yihyeh – He will be; Hoveh – He was; Hayah – He is.” - P&D

“…gathered in Columbus, Ohio, for its quadrennial meeting … voted to continue its ban on same-sex marriage while a committee considers ways to guide the denomination concerning sexual ethics.” - RNS

“The Bible does speak of demons, and demonology is a proper subject of theology.2 If angels and demons exist and afflict God’s people as the Bible asserts, then their existence and methods are necessary for a Christian’s understanding of reality.” - Word by Word

“In the Scriptures, God describes three institutions He established for the good of humankind—the family, the church, and human government…. each is significant and essential for the prospering of the Christian in this life before heaven. This issue of FrontLine focuses on the third of these institutions, human government.” - P&D

“In the end, though, it may all come down to this: a vote for Trump is, more than anything, a vote against Harris. So, we can vote for Trump without being enamored by him, without being his defenders or apologists, and without being unrealistic in our expectations.” - Michael Brown

“What could be better than for Him to not only love us so much that He would die for us, but to actually call us His friends, and not just servants?… (John 15:15).” - Randy Alcorn

“None of this means that church strategy or mission statements are necessarily wrong-headed. But it does mean that if yours is to be faithful to Scripture, it will look pretty much the same as the strategy that every other gospel-preaching church in your city also has.” - 9 Marks

Someone or several people from your church want to attend the Great Banquet. Do you encourage them, discourage them, or stay aloof? Your thoughts and experiences appreciated.

This also applies to things like The Emmaus Walk or other such spiritual retreats within the Christian realm.

“The new indictment (or the “superseder”) was unsealed today after having been returned by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., where District Judge Tanya Chutkan is presiding over the case.” - National Review

Also, Jack Smith Reindicts Donald Trump - American Conservative

Read the series.

There’s one more thing we ought to take a look at in this series. Sometimes you need to change churches. The census bureau tells us that on average, 1 in 10 Americans change residences in any given year, and many of those moves will necessitate changing churches. Sometimes a church closes. Sometimes an opportunity arises, one you feel compelled to take. Sometimes you just have to leave.

How to proceed?

“Daniel Strange – Strange Times: The Tightrope of Teaching Typology… Kevin DeYoung – A Tale of Two Texts: How the Westminster Confession of Faith Was Changed by American Presbyterians… Joshua Bremerman – Wisdom Is Vindicated by Her Deeds: Ecclesiastes 3:1–15 in Matthew 11:16–19… Timothy E. Miller – Unbelieving Child and Qualified Elder: A Case for “Faithful” Children in Titus 1:6” and more. - Themelios

“Before reading Barna’s explanation of AI, over half of survey respondents (51%) describe AI as ‘concerning.’ After the explanation, this number reduces to 42 percent. Similarly, we see decreases in the number of people who say AI is scary, untrustworthy and disconnecting people” -Barna

“According to Deadline, the fast food giant has been working with a number of major production companies to create family-friendly shows, particularly in the unscripted genre. The company is also looking to license and acquire content.” - CPost

“They are, of course, free to believe in whatever values they like; the problem is those values don’t make sense when disconnected from the Christian faith that underpins them.” - TGC

“According to the annual State of the Church Compensation Survey by ChurchSalary, the average church increased their staff salaries and benefits more than they expected in 2024.” - MinistryWatch

Most of us have no trouble with women teaching or preaching the Bible or doctrine to other women or children. This poll is a survey of our views regarding whether women are allowed to teach or preach Bible to a mixed crowd consisted of men and women.

This obviously would not apply to a woman’s conference in which a handful of men were present, for example. How would you apply the restrictions of I Timothy 2:11-15 to this everyday issue?

“The analyst helps followers understand the present. The catalyst inspires followers to move towards the future. All effective leaders are both analysts and catalysts to a degree, but most tend to lean one way or the other.” - Church Answers

“In light of his recent book Wayward Children: Finding Peace, Keeping Hope, Stuart Scott, BJU Seminary professor of biblical counseling, spoke about the topic on the Truth in Love podcast, a resource from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).” - BJU Seminary