“Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other.”           --John MacArthur

Jerry Bridges calls worry, the Christian’s “respectable sin.” That is saying it nicely considering most Christians don’t even recognize worry as a sin. We worry because we are under a delusion that we are in control of our lives, and that we can solve our own issues. The antithesis of trust in God is disbelief, which is what we are doing when we let worry control us. The appalling part of worry is that we become independent and self-sufficient, and in a sense become our own god.

Peeling away the layers of worry reveals the ugliness of a tolerated sin that needs to be repented of, like any other sin! Worry is a big deal that is often overlooked. God’s Word tells us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

Examine Yourself
Do you trust God in the midst of the life’s struggles or do you take matters into our own hands? Are you full of worry or strong in faith? What is your first reaction to tragedy, prayer or panic? Who are you really depending on?

If you're on Facebook, chances are you've seen Jefferson Bethke's video entitled, "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus." This video has inspired both Christians and non-Christians, but his statements have also caused quite a bit of controversy. We sat down to formulate our thoughts regarding this video and stumbled across a great review by Kevin DeYoung on the Gospel Coalition Blog. In his review, DeYoung lovingly confronts the message communicated by Bethke and shares some hard hitting criticism. The day after his review, DeYoung posted a follow-up in which he shares Bethke's response to his criticism. While we agree with DeYoung's stance on Bethke's video, it is the loving interaction between the two that we want to highlight. This is an excellent example of what the dialogue between Christians who disagree should look like.

To see the video and read the articles, please click the following links:
The video
DeYoung's Response
The Follow-up

by: Fred Mundie, Financial Counselor


Jesus Christ tells us to obey everything He has commanded. Matthew 28:20. When Abraham obeyed God, He told Abraham ". . . through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed . . . ." Genesis 23:18. God promised many blessings to His people after he led them out of Egypt if they obeyed him, but He warned against their disobedience. Leviticus 26. God is so adamant about obedience that He commanded parents to have their disobedient son’s stoned to death. Deuteronomy 21:18. With all of these and many more passages, why do we keep ignoring His Word? If we are obedient to God, He trusts us, and like any good parent, He will give us more rope and allow us to go a little further. Jesus was very clear in Luke 16, v. 10, when He said "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much."

Obedience is a behavior–it is something we have to set our mind to do and carry it out. Larry Burkett said financial planning is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge. I agree with Larry, and I also know from experience that with most people, their behavior is what gets them in trouble every time. It is not the big, bad bank, or even the fact that they lost their job. They THINK the world is against them, but that is not the case. Their behavior put them in a dire financial position, and a change in their behavior is the only thing that will bring them out.

If we would behave like Jesus, we would be obedient to God ALWAYS. If we would be obedient to God ALWAYS, we would listen to His sound financial advice contained in the Bible. So why don't we listen to Him and do what He tells us to do with the money we are entrusted with? Because we are conditioned from a very early age to misbehave financially. Did you know there are over 2,000 references to money in the Bible? I believe there are so many references to money because God knew we just would not "get it" when it comes to good stewardship. Why else would He talk about one subject so much?

How we can learn to behave in this area will be covered in future installments. For now, read the above passages, and find others on your own that relate to obedience to God, and begin to condition your mind to be obedient to the one and only true living God and his son, Jesus Christ. You have to walk before you can run; you have to float before you can swim; and you have to be obedient to God before you will find happiness and contentment in your financial situation.

As Christians, we are given the opportunity to reflect the Gospel in our homes, in the workplace, in the Church and throughout the world.  This is both a tremendous privilege and an incredibly daunting task.  In a world full of distractions, it is easy to allow ourselves to lose sight of this important responsibility.  In this message from Colossians 4:2-6, TJ Freeman highlights the teachings of the Apostle Paul who reminds us to put our Faith into action as we reflect Christ in all we do.