Musing The Mysteries

Simplicity and generosity are symbiotic qualities and twin lifestyle choices. When talking about holiness we usually think of activities such as sexuality, speech, substances, and Sunday services. But the Bible speaks of our sanctification in terms generosity to the poor as much or more than all of these put together. I refer you to a fairly extensive list of Bible passages on the topic on musingthmysteries.wordpress.com under the same tile: "Simplicity and Generosity."

This is the final episode of my teaching from Luke 15 on Outer Circle Christians. I give a sort of out of the box interpretation of the Parable of the Lost Coin and exhort us to ask the Spirit to help us see and reach trashed yet treasured sons and daughters of God.

Instead of hiding where it’s safe and comfy, Jesus compels us outward, away from the center of our own little world. This is Part 2 of a 3 part “kitchen table talk” on how Jesus taught those who considered themselves the “inner circle” to care about the least, the last, and the lost; and to join him on his quest to heal a sick world.

This is a three part “kitchen table talk” on how Jesus taught those who considered themselves the “inner circle” to care about the least, the last, and the lost; and to join him on his quest to heal a sick world. While we tend to insulate ourselves by sequestering ourselves in the center where it’s safe, Jesus compels us outward, away from the center of our own little world.

“There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” G.K. Chesterton

For those at least moderately convinced by now that simplicity is biblical and a quality to be cultivated I offer some suggested simplifiers. Listen further…

What’s the question everyone asks when somebody wins the lottery? “What are you gonna do with the money?” Funny how that’s the same question God asks us basically about the stuff he puts in our hands. Part 2 is about who our stuff belongs to and what we’re supposed to do with it.

From where I sit, a lot of supposed disciples of the vagabond, homeless preacher named Jesus have confused their net worth with their self worth.

This is part 1 of 3 episodes on Simplicity and Stuff. You can find a blog post on this topic at https://barneywiget.com/2015/05/25/simplicity-and-stuff/.

Jesus made it clear and concise: “Be my disciples and make disciples.” This is a message I gave in our church in Santa Cruz in about 2005. It’s part of a series on being and making disciples based on the lives of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. I trust the Spirit to help you catch the vision!

A lot of people want to be “spiritual” but what does that mean exactly? In this teaching from a series I did on the Book of Colossians I pointed out three spiritual aberrations that Christians concoct in our quest to be more spiritual: legalism, mysticism, and ritualism. Our “isms” seem to be the same yesterday, today and forever – that is, until Jesus returns and sets us straight. Hope it helps you! Let me know if it does.

Simplicity, as I see it, is the way Jesus is, and the way he is in us. Two indispensable qualities of the simple life are "sincerity" and "spontaneity." Listen up!