Category: Practical

Can Work and Wealth Provide the Life We Desire?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical2 Comments

Building and Bridge in Downtown Savannah

Do you sense something is missing in your life? Do you feel like there is more for your to do, but you can’t seem to do enough to fill the void? The Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19 felt the same way. The void in his life drove him to ask Jesus what He must do to gain eternal life.

Jesus’ Response

Jesus answers, but not in the way the man was expecting. Jesus asks him to give it all away and follow Him. Jesus says,

“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mt 19:21)

When Jesus tells the man to give it all away, he wasn’t giving him another work to do. He was doing much more. He was exposing the man’s heart and teaching us salvation isn’t gained through our works.

Our Other gods

To the Rich Young Ruler, his possessions and accomplishments were his salvation, his comfort and protection, his identity – they were what made him.

Jesus tells him that if he wants salvation, if he wants eternal life, he has to repent. He has to quit using work and wealth as a means of salvation. He has to recognize that there is only One God and Savior.

You see, we can’t have two masters. We can’t have: Jesus and wealth, or Jesus and accomplishments, or Jesus and sex, or Jesus and power, or Jesus and success. No, we can’t divide our loyalty. It is has to be all Jesus. Our heart has to be all His.

So when Jesus tells the Rich Young Ruler to give it all away, He is telling him to give up his other gods. Give up the idea that your work and wealth provide salvation. Trust in God alone. Rely on God alone. If you do that, you will have eternal life. You will have treasure in heaven. You will have the life you desire.

The Same Goes For Us

The only way we will find eternal life is if we put away our other gods and follow Jesus. Find our identity in Jesus. Fully trust in and depend on Jesus.

No matter how hard we try, our work and wealth can’t provide the life we desire.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Can Christianity and wealth co-exist? In other words, can Christians be wealthy? Or should we sell everything and give it to the poor? Why or why not?
  2. If we are able to remain wealthy as Christians, how should we view our wealth? How can we use it for the kingdom?
  3. How can we deal with the idolatry of wealth? In other words, how can we keep ourselves from chasing after wealth?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon: Can Work and Wealth Provide the Life We Desire?

The Need for A Christian Worldview

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical2 Comments

Earth Space

In its most basic sense, a worldview is how we view the world. You can think of it like a lens that we look through out into the world. This lens is developed by teaching, life experience, and cultural influences.

Importance Of

Worldview is important because it influences how we think about and act on things in the world.

The Need for A Christian Worldview

Everyone has a worldview whether they know it or not. As Christians, we need to make sure our worldview is distinctly Christian. The way we develop a distinctly Christian worldview is by saturating ourselves in God’s Word.

Keep At It

I am sure some of my readers are already developing a Christian worldview. Even if that is the case, let me encourage you to keep at it. We face cultural influences everyday that chip away at our Christian worldview, which means we need to keep saturating ourselves in God’s Word and other resources that are distinctly Christian.

Question for Reflection

  1. Other than reading God’s Word, how are you developing a Christian Worldview?

Resource

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What Can We Do to Prevent Abortions?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical2 Comments

Newborn Baby

Yesterday was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It is a day to be reminded that life is important, valuable and has purpose. Among other things, it is a day to be reminded of the horrors of abortion.

Did you know that every day 2,000 women wake up with an unplanned pregnancy. Many will choose to keep their babies, while others will choose to abort them. Since the Roe vs Wade decision, 51 million babies have been aborted, which is roughly the equivalent of wiping out the populations of New York, Florida, and Illinois. The amount of babies that have been killed over the years is astounding.[1]

What Can We Do?

(1) Support your local pregnancy resource center.

Mine is Wise Choices PRC. I would encourage you to find one in your area and support it.

(2) Pray

Pray for those seeking an abortion, those pushing for abortion, and those who are apathetic to the fight. As well as pray for those who are currently serving at Pregnancy Resource Centers, our churches, and national leaders and legislatures.

(3) Support those who have an unplanned pregnancy.

Often those in the church look at unwed mother’s with disdain. Yes, they may have made a mistake. We should not condone sex outside of marriage, but we shouldn’t continue to hold it over them either, as if it is the unpardonable sin. God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness is available to all who repent. We should recognize that and reach out to these mothers, helping them in anyway we can.

Question for Reflection

  1. What other ways can we help to end abortion in our country?

Resource

[1] CareNet via SBCLife http://www.sbclife.org/Articles/2013/12/sla14.asp Accessed January 15, 2014.

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God’s Original Design for Marriage

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Family, Practical10 Comments

Marriage Ceremony

Marriage is under attack in this country. The attack isn’t just coming from the LGBT community, but from all fronts. The mainstream media often pictures marriage as something to dread, as a last resort, or something modern couples don’t need.

Marriage, however, isn’t something to dread. It isn’t a last resort, or something to shrug off. Marriage is a wonderful union instituted by God. One God designed to be a blessing.

What is God’s Original Design for Marriage?

In Matthew 19, Jesus tells us God’s original Design for Marriage. Jesus says,

“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (vs 4-6)

Jesus’ response is grounded in creation and it teaches us at least four things about God’s design for marriage.

(1) Marriage is between a man and a woman 

Genesis 1 and 2 tells us God created Adam and Eve in the beginning. Eve was created as a helper for Adam, to complement and assist him in his God given job.

God’s choice and design of Adam’s helper is significant. God didn’t created another man to help Adam. He created a woman. A woman with different gifts to complement and help Adam. A woman who was able to bear children so they could fulfill God’s command to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). So from the beginning God’s design for marriage has always been between a man and woman.

This idea is not popular today. The LGBT community would have you believe marriage is for anyone in a committed and loving relationship. That, however, is not how God designed it. Again, from the beginning, God’s design for marriage has always been between a man and a woman.

(2) Marriage is between one man and one woman

God didn’t create several wives for Adam. He created him one helper, one wife.

I know what you are thinking: What about Abraham, Jacob, Elkanah, or Solomon? They all had several wives. They all were blessed by God. So why can’t we?

I think that brings up a good point. Just because something is in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s the best practice, it doesn’t mean it is permissible. Before you brand me as a heretic, let me explain.

The Bible is designed to teach us. Sometimes God teaches us through commands, while other times He teaches us through life examples. When we look at the lives of those who had multiple wives, the Bible teaches us it’s not for the best. On the surface, it might seem like a good idea, but it’s not. It just creates an atmosphere of jealousy, deceit, lies, and competition. All things that aren’t good.

If you want a modern day example of polygamy and its negative affects, the show Sister Wives is a good one. The show chronicles the lives of the Brown family. They are a part of a fundamentalist Mormon group that believes in polygamy. Kody, the husband, has four wives and 17 kids.

After watching a couple of episodes, its evident polygamous marriages aren’t the best marriage environment. We understand why, when we realize God created the institution of marriage to be between one man and one woman.

(3) Marriage creates a one flesh union 

When two people are married, they are literally joined together by God. They become one flesh.

The word picture evokes that of a welder. When a welder takes two pieces of metal and welds them together, those two pieces become one piece. That’s the point Jesus is making here. When two people are married, they are welded together so that they become one.

(4) Marriage is for life

Go back to our welding illustration. When two pieces of metal are welded together, they aren’t easily separated, if that can even happen. That is the same thing that is supposed to happen in a marriage relationship. Once a one flesh union is created, it’s not supposed to be separated. It is to remain as one unit for life, just like those two pieces of metal that are welded together.

Of course, this is not a popular idea today. Over 50% of marriages now end in divorce. From the beginning, however, that was not God’s intent. Instead He designed marriage as a one flesh union between one man and one woman for life.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you agree with Jesus’ teaching? Why or why not?

Resource

For more teaching, listen to my latest sermon Jesus’ Teaching on Marriage, Divorce, and Singleness.

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6 Arguments to Defeat Worry

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical1 Comment

Worry

Worry, we all do it from time to time. It seems to be a natural part of our human makeup, so much so that we can’t help but worry. The Bible, however, tells us we shouldn’t worry. In fact, according to the Bible worrying is a sin because worrying means we fail to trust in and submit our lives to God.

How do we deal with worry? Last night, while reading through an old Bible of mine, I found a note I had taken written in the margin entitled “6 arguments to help us battle worry“. I don’t know who I was reading or listening to at the time, so I don’t know to whom to attribute the note, but I thought it was too good not to share.

6 Arguments to Help Us Battle Worry

Note: All six arguments are derived from Matthew 6:25-34.

(1) Our priorities shouldn’t be concerned with those things that are temporary, but with the immortal

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25, ESV)

(2) God’s providence over lesser creatures should serve as comfort for those who have a personal relationship with God. 

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?… And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:26;28-30, ESV)

(3) Common sense tells us that worry doesn’t do us any good.

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:27, ESV)

(4) Worry is a pagan way of thinking. The way non-believers deal with life.

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:32, ESV)

(5) God is our Father. He is a personal God who knows His children’s needs.

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:32, ESV)

(6) Common sense tells us that we do not know what tomorrow will bring. We can’t look into the future, so we shouldn’t worry about it.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34, ESV)

Question for Reflection

  1. What other scriptural arguments help you deal with worry from a Christian perspective?

Resource

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Read the Bible in the New Year

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Books, Discipleship, Practical4 Comments

Bible

Happy New Year! 2014 is here. With a new year comes a new set of resolutions. One popular resolution Christians make is to read the Bible all the way through in a year.

Reading Plans

If you are looking for a reading plan to help you get through the Bible this year, I would recommend you take a look at Justin Taylor’s recent blog post. He offers an extensive list.

Some Advice

For years, I have been trying to finish a yearly reading plan, but haven’t had any success. I have read the entire Bible, but I have never done it in a systematic fashion like one would do with a reading plan.

Even though I haven’t finished a plan, this year I am still jumping on the read the Bible in a year bandwagon. I am, however, not jumping on alone. I have an accountability partner – my wife. We are tackling the Bible together this year.

I would encourage you to do the same. Grab an accountability partner, decide on a reading plan (ours is Table Talk Magazine), and get reading.

Question for Reflection

  1. What has helped you stick to a yearly reading plan in the past?

Resource

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