Spiritual hunger is growing: how do we respond?

Barna Group has been doing research for about four decades. In a recent survey, they speak about the Rising Spiritual Openness in America. While relatively recent evangelical Christianity has created a tight formula for how to become a Christ-follower, Jesus was broad in his description of the “how to” while very clear on the fact that he is the “who to.” The apparent decline in people of faith in recent decades is reversing. Today there is frustration with cantankerous politics, social polarization, and the dissipating of civil discourse. At the same time, there is hope that the future can be different and a hunger for spiritual reality.

In case you think this is the old folks back home on a spiritual quest, the positive data skews toward younger generations. “Overwhelmingly, Christian teens today say that Jesus still matters to them; 76 percent say “Jesus speaks to me in a way that is relevant to...

Why “hear and obey” trumps “understand then do.”

We are privileged to live in a world where we can google anything, question everything and become knowledgeable on topics quickly. But can this data-at-our-fingertips lifestyle prevent us from truly experiencing fulfillment in life? Jesus said, “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man…” It sounds so simple, like a line from a children’s song: “hear and obey.” Have we surpassed this? Since we generate more YouTube content in a day than what Jesus put out in his life, since we have amassed knowledge, since we now have science… does “hear and obey” actually stand up to modern standards?

I made a short list of why “hear and obey” is greater than “know and do.” There are self-help industries (that make people helpless) and social media influencers and university systems that grease the wheels of their...

 How should we rethink our ordering of businesses?

God is infinite and personal, so we do well to personalize this God-man connection. Jesus came to earth and talked more about a new kingdom than anything else, a realm where his will is done, no matter the old modus operandi or political climate of the day. This practically spiritual “shadow government” where people pray daily “Your kingdom come, your will be done” is a better way of thinking and living, a way of obedience and surrender rather than grabbing and power. Also, Jesus said, “follow me” not “do this and that” and kingdom of God people seek to emulate his strategy: “I only do what I see the Father doing.” This is easier said than done, of course, and we would be up the creek called Great Aspirations or Impossible Dreams BUT…

Jesus knew then and knows now that emulating his life without his fuel source is impossible. To make this upside kingdom a...

I have been reading John’s account of the death of Jesus. We rightly understand from scripture that the death of Jesus secured the eternal life of every person on the planet, past, present, and future; all we must do is believe in Jesus. This personal interpretation is correct, but it is not the only thing that the death and resurrection of Jesus was intended to accomplish.

John chapter 19:31-34 records (with a few sections emphasized):

Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water...

I am delighted to hear of the careful and orderly ways you conduct your affairs, and impressed with the solid substance of your faith in Christ.

Colossians 2:5 

God is not a God of disorder. I, however, am often disorderly. In extreme situations, I could blame it on God for making me a disorderly person, or explain it as creativity or spontaneity. No matter what my excuses may be, disorder dilutes the deposits of God. It pokes holes in the wine barrel, it makes the balance sheet leak, and it drains impact. 

There are many things that eat away at order, but I will focus on just a handful:

• An untutored mind. Order springs from knowledge and such knowledge is obtained both by discipline and by the Spirit.
  
  
• Self-sabotage. Fearing the responsibility of success or the pride of self, we self-sabotage.
  
  
• Refusing to grow up. “That’s just me” isn’t a good explanation to give to a Senior Partner who is intent on our growth.
  
  
• A weak will. Jesus “set his...

We live in a world with loads of information, mounds of data, and many, many choices. Are we so bombarded with short bursts of information that our grid for sifting the important from the mundane gets shredded, let alone clogged? Does this dull us to the key inflection points in life?

And, to compound matters, we are spoiled for choice. We can educate ourselves through social media, free classes online, access to interesting topics and the best minds on podcasts, and more. Daily we make choices about what to bring into our lives and feel we are the masters of our own destiny. Good choices get easily infiltrated by reels and memes and clickbait, the junk food of our inner life. If we don’t recognize the difference between an everyday decision and an inflection point we will be so satiated by junk food that we miss the big meals of life. Putting it another way, if we treat inflection points as we treat routine decisions, we will fail to take strategic advantage of them.

What is...

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ.
Colossians 4:2,3 (The Message)

Be “watchful.” We don’t use the word every day in our speech, so it is worth meditating on “watchful.” If you were heading out on a military assignment and were instructed to “be watchful” you would ask your commander what you should be looking for. First, I do not think that Paul is advocating a frenzy of paranoia. 

“Always be watchful and thankful.” Watchfulness is about good things and potentially bad things. “Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.” I believe that while we need to be alert for both good and bad, coupling alertness with thankfulness affirms the sovereignty of God. We should also be alert to internal and external factors too. Perhaps the greatest internal hazard for the household of God is...

and delight to see how orderly you are

Colossians 2:5

Order is a sign of wholeness and maturity. It is present in the lives of the mature believer, and the mature business. There is a huge difference between control, in a negative sense, and order. Too often we avoid order because we don’t want to be “control freaks” or process police. My contention is that we know instinctively when something is out of order, and we usually don’t like it. 

I was flying back from a Venture and reflected on those clients who made cohesive, clear presentations, and those who were somewhat chaotic. A strong discontent against the disorder that is symptomatic of Satan’s plan to “steal, kill and destroy” rose within my spirit. God has plans for our lives and organizations, and we let them get thwarted by chaos, be it internal or external.

To appreciate and nurture order, we need to acknowledge certain truths:

• Order is a sign of having a “complete...

as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope
1 Thessalonians 1:3 

I get tired of people questioning the motives of businesspeople. Those who do so assume that the only thing on the mind of a businessperson is the bottom line. While it is true that businesses need profits to be viable, this critique of businesspeople is ill-informed; it is also not Biblical, because “love expects the best.” Paul, on the other hand, thanks God for the Thessalonians’ “work of faith,” and acknowledges that the motive for doing that work was love… your “labor of love.” You know that work is tough. Scripture doesn’t present just a portion of the picture to us: there are three parts to this equation—work, labor, and patience. You may have determined to work by faith, surrendering your business or career to God, and daily drawing on him for help. The next thing that happens is kopos which is defined as:...

As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. Luke 19:36

I meet well-meaning business people who give their businesses to Jesus and then enter a passive mode. “Whatever he wants to happen will happen. I’ve given it to God.” They surrender the donkey, then trail behind it, rather than going ahead. In this passage, however, the good spot to be was in front of the donkey, not behind it. Luke tells the story of Jesus sending his disciples to get the colt needed for the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. When Jesus took over the use of this business asset—the donkey—it was surrendered to him by the owner. He then put it to a new use. It seems that events began with two things: an action by the apostles, and surrender by the business leader. Thereafter it includes a series of proactive steps that are anything but passive. What could this mean to the business owner?

• Expect apostles to come along who will challenge you to yield your assets for greater...