Work

Jesus and Our Jobs

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1 Peter 2:18-25 – Our jobs will be difficult, but we don’t have to make them extra complex by misaligned behavior. Look to Christ as the guide for responding to challenging work environments.

Don’t Die Before Living

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Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 – None of us can escape that our lives will end, but we can do something about how we take advantage of the opportunities given. Don’t overlook God’s gifts along the way.

The Spirit Fills Us to Work and Rest

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Exodus 31:1-18 – At the beginning of the tabernacle’s construction, God showed that He had filled specific individuals with His Spirit to complete the design and assembly. God gives each of us skills to do His work and wisdom to experience His rest so that we never confuse the One deserving of credit.

4 Things All Employees Need from Their Bosses

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Many people grow weary of a leader not due to a character flaw but a competency flaw. If you are a supervisor to anyone, I would ask that you consider what could be done through your church if you took this aspect of your job seriously.

Your 9 to 5 for the Kingdom of God

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1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 – Even in light of Christ’s imminent return, we should not quit our jobs and cease providing value to our communities. God expects us to remain productive and ensure that our jobs are an outlet for ministry rather than an obstruction.

Leaving Your Work (At Work)

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With the rise of technology, we have learned that you never really have to leave work. You are a simple laptop away from robust apps or a phone away from your emails or a cloud away from all your files. But with the inability to clock out, our souls and families suffer. It’s time to go the second mile in leaving your work at work.

Restoring the Dignity of Work

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God has designed us to use our gifts to accomplish good things for the benefit of our families and others around us. To see all people succeed, we need to restore the dignity of work in our lives and the lives of others.

Being Faithfully Productive from a Home Office

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As we each grasp with learning how to function during an international pandemic, we have to innovate among restrictions. We all have stuff we still have to do, and we want to be used in a purposeful way, but everything is different now. If you want to faithfully productive, we must go the 2nd mile while working at home.

The Lamentable Legacy of Laziness

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While laziness seems to be an accepted cultural disposition, it significantly lessens an individual’s overall opportunities. God’s Word highlights both the blessings and the benefits of hard work. Excuses When you blame laziness on your personality, you covertly attempt to blame God for your lack of effort. Laziness is not a disease or a dysfunction but a decision. Laziness leads …

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How to Be a Kingdom-Minded Employee

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While we are much more than what we do, a significant portion of our lives will be spent in the 9-5 realm.  That’s why how we approach work is so vital to our overall outlook in life. Have you ever considered your work as it relates to your walk? It’s time to go the 2nd mile as a kingdom-minded employee.

How to Work as Worship

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While jobs can bring stress, weariness, and drama, it can also provide Kingdom opportunities. Learn how to reinstate your work as a platform for worship and mission. Relearn Work isn’t a consequence of sin – frustration with work is (Gen. 3:17-19). God is a Creator, and He desires us to cultivate that Creation for good things. We should pray that …

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Work as Worship

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Most people see work as…well, work. You might even be reading this article while at work trying to avoid work. Why is that? Is work evil? It can’t be. It is important to rethink of your work as being a part of your worship. RELEARN Work isn’t a consequence of sin – frustration with work is. Too many people wrongly …

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Four-Types of Work-Related Exhaustion

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Most people talk about their jobs relating to how tired they are.  We almost wear busyness and stress as a badge of honor.  With the growing level of technology, we were supposed to experience more margin and less work but quite the opposite has happened. What causes work-related exhaustion?  I think before you realize what you need to do with …

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3 Vital Components of a Staff Member

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An effective job has so much to do with what we do, how we do it, and who we do it with. While we are much more than what we do, a significant portion of our lives will be spent in the 9-5 realm.  That’s why how we approach work is so vital to our overall outlook in life.  Most …

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Disciples in the Workplace

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Colossians 3:22-4:1 Disciples in the Workplace A disciple can never clock out of Kingdom work.  Even in the workplace, Christian bosses and workers must display a different level of intentionality and productivity for the sake of discipleship. Instructions for Employees (Col. 3:22) Since you claim to follow a faithful Savior, be a faithful worker. Four Types of Employees: Justified Rebel …

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On the Clock

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On the Clock (Titus 2:9-10) – While we are on the clock vocationally, we are also on the clock missionally.  Even if your job isn’t in the ministry, you are in the ministry.   The concept of slavery in biblical times is extremely different from slavery in modern times. Old Testament teaching regarding the positive treatment of slaves was countercultural at the time. During the time of …

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My New Job

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I woke up at my normal time today.  I walked into the same office.  But I have a very different job. Today, I started my job as Family and Worship Pastor at North Side Baptist Church in Greenwood, SC. We made the announcement yesterday of some major changes in the coming days with our church.  One of those was concerning …

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What’s “Worse” Than an Unbeliever?

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“Blessed are the breadwinners. As men, we should consider it an honor to embrace our role as the primary providers of our families. This is part of our manhood and calling as representatives of God the Father — the One who established work as part of His creation and is still ‘working‘ (John 5:17) as an example for us to follow, continually providing for our daily needs” (From The Resolution, page 157).

Whether you love your job or hate your job, God desires that you embrace the blessed opportunity to provide for your family through your vocation. Unfortunately, many men find themselves unemployed and unable to provide for their families. Many different reasons exist for unemployment. Some men are unemployed for no wrongdoing on their part, but economic times have caused their jobs to be discarded. Some men are unemployed due to their bad attitude or lazy work ethic. Other men are unemployed because they quit because they thought they deserved more than their current job.

Your reasoning for unemployment will determine your method for finding a job.

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How “Low” Would You Go for a Job?

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My friend Jonathan never pictured himself unemployed. Obtaining a bachelor’s and masters degree in his field, he was a great candidate for many jobs. Working during his time at school, upon graduation, he was able to receive a great job with a good salary with benefits.

After a few years in this job, he took a stand for something he was right and it cost him. Unwilling to back down from his convictions, he was forced out of his job in a hard economic time. He sent out resumes all over town. Due to family situations, he was unable to look for unemployment outside of the city. For all of his job hunting, he came up empty.

The only place that was hiring was a job that was way below his education or his prior pay scale. It would also be a job where he would be visible and a reminder of his previous job termination.

He had a choice: humbly provide for his family or worry about his reputation?

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Why Many Student Ministries Are Failing

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Since the inception of student ministry (not that many years ago), the growing belief is that parents should aid and assist the student pastor to evangelize and disciple the students.  By serving in either assistant teaching roles or crowd control, parents are expected to help the student pastor in his ministerial work focused on their children.  I cannot begin to tell you how many parents describe that situation and say that the student pastor spiritually “raised my child.”

If we were to follow the biblical example, we would reverse the trend.  Parents should not aid and assist the student pastor.  The student pastor should aid and assist the parent to evangelize and disciple one’s own child.

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Your Job

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Great day at North Side as we are nearing the end of Ephesians.  Today’s big idea: Your Job (Eph. 6:5-9) – For most people, a job is something you endure rather than enjoy.  When we choose to see our performance in our job as an act of worship to God, it not only changes our perspective but probably our level …

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“When I Get to Heaven, I’m Going to Ask…”

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“When I get to heaven, I’m going to ask…” (responses below submitted by my friends on Facebook) “Why were my parents not alive?” “Why couldn’t we stop bad people from doing bad things to children or others in this world?” “How did prayer work?  Did our prayers actually work?” “Why did I get into that wreck on my way to …

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Volatile Work Environments

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Have you ever worked in a volatile work environment? I recently talked with a friend who was in this situation.  How do you handle it?  You can’t be responsible for what others do, but you can be responsible for how your respond. I strive to maintain consistency within my personal relationships, because I have been close to people whose personalities …

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Why 30-Year-Olds Hate Their Jobs

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This post is the result of a study I have been doing lately.  It seems like that many people around the age of 30 are miserable in their jobs, state of life, status, acquired wealth, etc.  I recently had a discussion with some friends about this issue, and I have come up with some conclusions that might help some of …

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