Episode 20: Minimalism

Episode 24: The Last One! What to do about it (Part Four)

Welcome to the final episode! Not only of our four part “what to do about it” series, but also (for now!) to the podcast itself.  Today, we bring the last 23 episodes together to talk about setting a Rule of Life in the context of possessions, time, and living a lifestyle of justice and righteousness. I encourage you to sit with Jesus, pick a problem, and run to the pain - putting practical and real-life action to our Biblical mandate to care for the poor.  In all areas, our aim is the same: to not just have “a heart for the poor” but to get our hands (and lives) dirty in the process of building relationships with people, learning from them, and being a very real and tangible part of global good. We have one shot at living out our limited lives on earth to the best of our ability, in obedience to God, and for the advancement of His Kingdom. And so, let us give away our money, yes, but also our lives in the pursuit of biblical justice and the glory of God. Let us frame and live our lives with great purpose and intention. The solution to poverty is not simple, because human beings are not simple. We are whole, multi-faceted, and complicated beings, which means that our response to poverty must be the same. We simply cannot throw our riches at the poor and call it a job-well-done, and neither can we ignore the poor as an excuse to avoid dependency. Neither of these options work, and it’s not what we were designed for. Instead, we were and we are designed for lifestyles of justice, and to be a generous, sacrificial people as we follow and obey our holy King.  Thank you so much for being with me on this journey! Thank you for listening, caring, sharing, subscribing and supporting me. It has truly been an honor, a privilege and a pleasure. Thanks for being along for the ride!

Episode 23: What to do about it (Part Three)

What to do about it part three! This one is all about setting up a Rule of Life in regards to our finances. We talk about asking and answering the following questions as a means to put action to our faith, and align our lives to both the heart and the commands of God when it comes to financial giving:  1. Step one: Take an audit.  ·    What are your assets, debts, and earnings? ·    How much have you made in your lifetime? ·    What do you spend your money on? Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly? ·    How much money (if any) do you currently give away? To whom? 2. Step two: Set a rule. ·    What financial practices and philosophies make up your current rule of life? ·    What kind of person are you becoming because of them? ·    What financial and giving practices would you like to add, cut out, or change?   3. Step three: Test it. 4. Step four: Refine, and commit.

Episode 22: What to do about it (Part Two)

Today’s podcast is part two of our “what to do about it” series, and this  episode is all about setting what is called a Rule of Life. A Rule of Life is an intentional set of practices that are used to guard our habits and guide our lives;  structure upon which our greatest desires are brought into alignment with the practices and habits of our everyday existence.  In the episode today I reference John Mark Comer and his fantastic resources on the topic which can be found below: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry [https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually/dp/0525653090/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2NML2MJVMOXAG&keywords=the+ruthless+elimination+of+hurry+by+john+mark+comer&qid=1661807234&sprefix=the+ruthless+%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1] Note: The Rule of Life Workbook and sermon have been removed from the Bridgetown website, so unfortunately I can no longer link them here for you. I also reference the four-part Rule of Life process which is as follows: Step 1: Take an audit. * What practices and habits make up my current rule of life when it comes to (this topic)? What do I do hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and annually? And then,  * What kind of person am I becoming because of them?  Step 2: Set a Rule * What practices and habits would I like to add, cut out, or change from (this topic)?  * What kind of person do I desire to become because of them Step 3: Test it for one month and see how it feels. Step 4: Refine and commit.

Episode 21: What to do about it (Part One)

We are on the podcast home stretch! This episode is part one of four “what to do about it” episodes. This one is all about where we have come so far over the past 20 episodes (a long way!), and what I believe is the foundational ingredient to eradicating global poverty and being a part of positive, practical change, which (spoiler alert) is: getting upset and raising our expectations.  We all need to find a way to move forward from simply having a heart for the poor, and move instead into living a lifestyle of redemptive justice. This episode starts the process of unpacking what that can look like practically.

Episode 20: Minimalism

Today’s episode is the second half of the two-part series on materialism and minimalism.  Minimalism is the intentional choice to live with less. It is a set of deliberate life choices designed to to simplify our lives in order to magnify what really matters; including (but not limited to) the Kingdom of God, service, and relationships with others. We cover some practical tools for pairing down our possessions, and I recommend five resources to further assist on the journey to living an intentionally simplified life: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer [https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually/dp/0525653090/ref=sr_1_1?crid=T93A14RHIBWN&keywords=The+Ruthless+Elimination+of+Hurry+by+John+Mark+Comer&qid=1661554820&sprefix=the+ruthless+elimination+of+hurry+by+john+mark+comer%2Caps%2C76&sr=8-1] Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn [https://www.amazon.com/Money-Possessions-Eternity-Randy-Alcorn/dp/0842353607/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10J8ZXEY5S7M0&keywords=Money%2C+Possessions+and+Eternity+by+Randy+Alcorn&qid=1661554846&sprefix=money%2C+possessions+and+eternity+by+randy+alcorn%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1] Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things [https://www.amazon.com/Minimalism-Documentary-About-Important-Things/dp/B01KBDQ0FY]   Your Money or Your Life:9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin [https://www.amazon.com/Your-Money-Life-Transforming-Relationship/dp/0143115766/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6HZ21YY9V3EY&keywords=Your+Money+or+Your+Life%3A9+Steps+to+Transforming+Your+Relationship+with+Money+and+Achieving+Financial+Independence+by+Vicki+Robin&qid=1661554904&sprefix=your+money+or+your+life+9+steps+to+transforming+your+relationship+with+money+and+achieving+financial+independence+by+vicki+robin%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc]  Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver.  [https://www.amazon.com/Soulful-Simplicity-Living-Less-Lead/dp/0143130684/ref=sr_1_2?crid=XAWW97P2XWGM&keywords=Soulful+Simplicity%3A+How+Living+with+Less+Can+Lead+to+So+Much+More+by+Courtney+Carver.&qid=1661554924&sprefix=soulful+simplicity+how+living+with+less+can+lead+to+so+much+more+by+courtney+carver.+%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-2]