Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

• Does Every Christian Do Kingdom Work? Peter Orr writes “We’ll see that while Paul does affirm the theological and eschatological value of all work that Christians do, he nevertheless also distinguishes between two different types of work. All work done by a Christian can and should be done to God, but only some work is done for the kingdom of God.”
• What Makes Christian Leadership ‘Christian’? Season 2 of the You’re Not Crazypodcast launches with a conversation between Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry as they discuss what makes Christian leadership distinctly “Christian.”
• How Do I Handle a Job That Requires Overtime? Russ Gehrlein responds to the question “How can I handle a job that demands overtime/making an idol of success in my work?”
• What Does It Mean to Be Called? “Calling” is a term that is commonly used in Christian life. But what does it actually mean to have a calling? Join Joanna Meyer and Brian Gray on this episode of the Denver Institute for Faith & Work podcast, as they discuss this important topic with Daniel Steiner, a leadership coach with over 20 years of experience as a pastor, professor, and speaker; and with William Klein, Professor Emeritus of New Testament Interpretation at Denver Seminary. Together they have co-authored What Is My Calling?: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of Christian Identity.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More links to interesting articles
• The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
• My Review of God Loves Your Work: Discover Why He Sends You to Do What You Do by Larry Peabody
• Snippets from the book You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly Kapic

• Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).
• The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. In an ever-changing world, it’s essential to ask questions, maintain an open mind, remain flexible, and be willing to reexamine our positions and decisions based on the new information we discover. On this episode of the Andy Stanley Leadership podcast, Stanley and Adam Grant to discuss this concept and his recent book, Think Again.
• Kingdom-Transcendent Work is Better than Self-Transcendent ‘Purpose’. Hugh Whelchel writes “Purpose-driven work is not about what we do but about why we do it.”
• Time Management. On this episode of the Minute with Maxwell podcast, John Maxwell tells us that we don’t need to do time management, what we need to do is priority management. We need to maximize our time by doing the things most important to do at the time.
• Self-Leadership, Part 2. On this episode of the Andy Stanley Leadership podcast, Stanley concludes his discussion about why successful leadership begins with self-leadership.
• Debunking the ‘Work-Life Balance’ Myth. Denise Yohn shares the best advice she has received about balancing work and life.
• 10 Ways to Enjoy Work Now. Dan Rockwell (aka the Leadership Freak) shares these ten helpful ways to enjoy work now.
• Tony Bancroft, Animator: Godly Entertainment. Tony Bancroft is the animator and directory who has brought you some of your favorite childhood characters like Pumba and Kronk! On this episode of the Working with Dan Doriani podcast, Dan and Tony talk Disney, disappointment, and seeing God, even in the midst of your failure.
• The 4 Letter Word Leaders Need to Use More Often at Work. Randy Conley writes “I believe servant leadership is love in action. And if love is the answer, perhaps the question is, “What do servant leaders lead with?”
• The Advantages of the Professional Christian Woman. Denise Yohn responds to the question “How should Christian professionals—especially women—balance representing Christ and professionalism?”

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• The life of faith is all about rest and work. We rest in God’s presence and constant care (vertical), and we toil with our hands, busy at the work we have been commanded to do (horizontal). We rest in our work and work in our rest. Paul Tripp
• When we abide in God’s presence, He blesses us, which in turn will bless those we work for, causing God to be glorified. Russ Gehrlein
• Discipled leaders ought to be the same people on Sunday morning as they are on Monday afternoon. There is no sacred-secular divide. There is only being a disciple and leading others toward Christ and discipleship—every day. Preston Poore
• No matter what you do, your job has inherent purpose and meaning because you are doing it ultimately for the King. Who you work for is more important than what you do. Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger
• There is a calling designed just for you. Pursue it with all your heart and when you find it, you will find a purpose that stirs your soul. Dee Ann Turner
• When we are fulfilling our daily callings that contribute to the common good, when we care for our children or elderly parents, work as volunteers for a women’s shelter, render pro bono legal advice, we are the “masks” that God wears to love and serve our neighbors. Michael Horton
• Your job is not mere drudgery; it is a calling, a noble vocation if you choose to see it that way. Jeff Goins
• Living the mission of Jesus means taking your faith into your work and your life and praying for it to change people’s hearts toward God. Tim Keller
• If God exists then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling can matter forever. Tim Keller

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FAITH AND WORK BOOK REVIEW:

God Loves Your Work: Discover Why He Sends You to Do What You Do by Larry Peabody. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 194 pages. 2022
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This helpful book is written by Larry Peabody, who for the past eight years has taught classes through the Bakke Graduate University on what God has revealed about our work. The book helps the reader to begin to build a biblical foundation for the work you do between Sundays and helps you to discover a whole new level of motivation for whatever it is you do.
At the end of each of the relatively brief chapters, the author includes a helpful “Discussion” section with questions that make this a good book to read and discuss with others. In addition, at the end of each chapter is a “For more” notation that offers a reading suggestion that will provide further material on the subject.
Throughout the book, the author gives us many reasons for Christians to get up and go to work. He tells us that the discovery that God has many purposes for sending us to work makes getting up and going to work a great deal easier. Among the many subjects that the author addresses in the book are that from the beginning of the Bible we see that God reveals himself to be a worker, work carries honor and dignity, seeing your work as an offering, resting from our work, workaholism, calling, serving as God’s property manager, shining God’s light in our workplaces, the blessing of work, work as a way to obey God, the so called “sacred-secular divide”, workplace ethics, money, and providing for others.
This is an easy-to-read helpful introduction to the value of our work and how to integrate our faith with our work, no matter what that work is.
Below are 10 of my favorite quotes from the book:

• All legitimate work, whether with hands or head, paid or unpaid, carries honor and dignity.
• God will use our work to form us spiritually.
• Work blesses those who do it. And they in turn bless others through their work.
• For most people, the perception of God’s calling comes through a growing understanding of who and where they are.
• Our primary reason for getting up and going to work—paid or unpaid—will be to obey him.
• Neither in the Old Testament nor the New Testament does Scripture even suggest that some work is “secular” in the sense that it has little or no significance to God.
• Only if Christians see their work as carrying God’s agenda will they see the kingdom importance of what they do and the way they do it.
• Have you ever thought of your ordinary, daily work as an offering? As an activity that can be offered in worship God gladly accepts?
• Obsessive workaholism turns work into an idol.
• Sin robbed joy from work.

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Faith and Work Book Club – Won’t you read along with us?

We are reading through You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly Kapic. The list of demands on our time seems to be never ending. It can leave you feeling a little guilty–like you should always be doing one more thing.
Rather than sharing better time-management tips to squeeze more hours out of the day, Kelly Kapic takes a different approach in You’re Only Human. He offers a better way to make peace with the fact that God didn’t create us to do it all.
Kapic explores the theology behind seeing our human limitations as a gift rather than a deficiency. He lays out a path to holistic living with healthy self-understanding, life-giving relationships, and meaningful contributions to the world. He frees us from confusing our limitations with sin and instead invites us to rest in the joy and relief of knowing that God can use our limitations to foster freedom, joy, growth, and community.
Readers will emerge better equipped to cultivate a life that fosters gratitude, rest, and faithful service to God.

This week we look at Chapter 2 Does God Love . . . Me? Crucified . . . but I Still Live. Here are a few quotes from the chapter:

• In light of the cross we happily see that Christ, not our sin, defines us!
• God’s goal is not for all of us to end up looking, sounding, and being the same. That confuses sameness with godliness.
• Your Christian identity needs to be shaped by the fact that God in Christ loved “you,” and gave himself for you—you!
• God delights in you as you use the particular gifts he has given.
• God wants you to flourish as the particular you that you are, to enjoy his creation and to enjoy him. That is your calling and privilege as a particular human creature he made and delights in.