Quest Ministries: Our Eternal Retirement Account

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Our Eternal Retirement Account

Here's the Call to Worship we read in our worship service this morning. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. Our inheritance is kept in heaven for us, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5 -- adapted from the NIV)

It occurred to me that the meaning of this passage is clarified and intensified by the recent downturn in the stock market. Indeed, we have an inheritance in heaven that can never perish, spoil or fade. It is kept there for us, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of our salvation.

It is encouraging to continue to meditate on that passage. What a contrast to our changing IRAs and 401Ks in this world.

No comments:

Post a Comment

PROFILE

Contact Information:

Experience:

For over forty years Stan has developed people and organizations through preaching, teaching, organizing, writing, motivating, and listening. He especially enjoys interacting with people in one-to-one and group settings.

Stan has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell. In 2012, he completed a certificate program in spiritual direction from Selah (http://leadershiptransformations.org/selah.htm).

Stan also loves to help people navigate life’s challenges by discussing popular stories. Fiction written by C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and a host of others help us understand how God’s Story interacts with our own.

Specialty Skills:

Organizing people, events, and projects

Analyzing challenges, and proposing and implementing solutions

Creative writing

Conversant with computer software and the Internet

Video-conferencing via Skype and other software

Accomplishments:

Stan led an organization that was on the brink of disbanding. Through his leadership it became a more vibrant cohesive group, optimistic about its future. He led its members in group activities. He also worked with its leaders to evaluate and update the organization's purpose, financial health, and organizational structure. As a result, the group became healthier, larger, and more outward focused and welcoming.

He led a group in a ten-week discussion of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The majority of the participants read 100 pages per week to prepare for their sessions. He met with the group for two hours each week to discuss the contents, truths, and applications of this beautiful piece of literature.

For several years Stan led a multi-week training course for an organization. The purpose of the training was to help members understand and communicate the organization's core values with potential members. He recruited people to be part of the training, taught them how to clearly express the principles, and provided the means for them to be in touch with potential members. Leaders emerged from this training program, confident in their ability to communicate.