“Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.” J. Wesley
Through his ministry, Jesus frequently taught on the Kingdom of God, describing and then demonstrating the kingdom to the people around him. He also gave his followers the authority to do what he was doing as representatives of the kingdom in his name. This essay will describe this author’s view of the Kingdom of God with emphasis on the meaning of the kingdom theologically as well as in ministerial, personal, and ecclesiastical applications.
Stewards of the Kingdom provides a theology not just on money and giving, but, as the subtitle suggests, A Theology of Life in All Its Fullness. The fact that money and fundraising do not appear in the book in substance until the last half of the last chapter demonstrates that Rodin is providing a theology that demonstrates the full nature of the steward, which is an authentic life lived in devotion to Christ (11).
As with any Jack Hayford book, Glory on Your House is dense with lessons learned. These lessons are not esoteric principles, but practical applications of how God’s glory can permeate the life of the believer as well as their church and community. The book provides a framework for me to take these principles and apply them to my everyday life and ministry.
Niebuhr, in his book Christ and Culture, describes a problem with a dual demand on Christians from their faith and from the culture they live (2). Niebuhr observes that a Christian loves with agape love, hope, obedience to Christ, faith, and humility (28). Culture has its own traits that focus on the social (32), human achievements (33), as well as temporal, material, and conserved values (36-37). To answer this problem, Niebuhr provides five answers (40-43). These answers have two polar extremes and three median solutions. This essay will evaluate Niebuhr’s answers to the problem of Christ and culture and evaluate where they may fit in different cultural applications.
The scenario: Murray went to a very busy Costco. As he unloaded his shopping basket into his car, he knew he was late picking up his daughter from soccer. Murray realized he had a bottle of Italian Seasoning that he had not paid for. Should he go back and pay for it, or go and pick up his daughter?
The Wandering Wesleyan 