Who doesn't want to be liked? Who doesn't want to be thought of as wonderfully winsome and radically relevant by all people? It's a temptation for the church today, and it's been a temptation in the past as well. So, Jesus warns his disciples of it. What might it mean if everyone speaks well of you? Jesus compares this situation to the false prophets that went before, and he pronounces his "woe" upon them. But how does this square with things like the expectation that pastors are to "be well thought of by outsiders" (1 Corinthians 9:22) or Paul's method of becoming "all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" (1 Timothy 3:7)? In this episode of Bible Thoughts, Pastor Rusten looks at Jesus' warning and considers these questions.
Bible Thoughts - E30 - "Woe to You, When All People Speak Well of You" - Luke 6:26
October 5, 2021 • Pastor Rusten Harris • Luke 6:26
Bible Thoughts - E41 - Man and Woman and the Roles of Co-laborers - Genesis 2:18–25
April 26, 2022 • Pastor Rusten Harris • Genesis 2:18–25
In this episode of Bible Thoughts, Pastor Rusten continues looking at Bible passages on labor, work, wealth, and economics. In the opening pages of Genesis, God forms the original and foundational economic unit: the household. Pastor Rusten explores the particular roles of men and women in the household.
Bible Thoughts - E40 - The Commandment to Work and Rest - Exodus 20:8–11
March 15, 2022 • Pastor Rusten Harris • Exodus 20:8–11
We often think about the fourth commandment only as a command to rest on the Sabbath day, but it is much more than that. It completely reshapes our understanding of why we work and what our work is for. In this episode of Bible Thoughts, Pastor Rusten explores how this commandment to rest is also a commandment to work.
Bible Thoughts - E39 - The Dominion Mandate and the Workweek - Genesis 1:26–28
March 8, 2022 • Pastor Rusten Harris • Genesis 1:26–28
Does the Bible have anything to say about my career and my workweek? In this episode of Bible Thoughts, Pastor Rusten looks at the beginning of the Bible story when God first creates humanity in his image. At that point, God gave them a vocation that fit that image, what many theologians call "the cultural mandate" or "the dominion mandate." This has profound implications for our careers and labors.