jarridwilson | Faithlife Blog

January 1, 2014 By jarridwilson | 12 Comments

What God Meant: “The Love of Money is a Root of All Kinds of Evils”

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” —1 Timothy 6:10

What did Paul mean when he said, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils . . . ”?

Many people view this verse in a way that depicts all money to be evil and not of Jesus, but this isn’t really the case at all. Jesus states that “the love of money” is where we will find evil, and to not find ourselves loving and idolizing it.

Is money wrong? Of course not. Money helps pay our bills, feed our families, and even fund our schooling. But does this mean we should put money-making on a pedestal above God? Nope, not even close. There is nothing wrong with having nice things, eating nice food, or even buying a nice house. The problem is when we begin finding our identity in the stuff money can buy us instead of finding our identity in Christ alone. This is where the evil comes in. Remember, all the money you have comes from God in the first place. What you do with that money says a lot about your character, your relationship with God, and where your priorities fall.

Money might be a great resource, but it’s going to make a horrible god.

Relax. It’s OK to work hard and earn a paycheck. This verse reminds us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. God has called us to be mature when it comes to our finances, and to not let our love for worldy things take over our love for him and his promises.

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October 29, 2013 By jarridwilson | 3 Comments

Love Is

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:4–7

Love is one of those things that seems a little cliché, but in reality it’s a foundation that God has called us to construct our lives upon. Not only are we called to love our Lord Jesus Christ, but we’re also called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Trust me, I know what some of you are thinking: “But you haven’t met my neighbors. They’re crazy!”

And although this might be hard to do sometimes, we need to remember that it wasn’t a request—it was a command.

“We love because he first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

Let’s focus on God’s love today

Are you loving the way Jesus loved?
Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?
Are you reflecting an image of love in your everyday actions?
On a scale of one to 10, where do you rank on the showing-love meter?

Be an example of love. Show those around you how much you care.

October 10, 2013 By jarridwilson | Leave a Comment

John 3:16 Isn’t Enough

John 3:16 is probably the most talked-about verse in the entire Bible—and one of the most memorized verses in the entire world. We’ve encountered it painted on the face of famous athletes, written on the walls of national monuments, and even yelled from megaphones.

In biblical times, Jewish males were required to study the Torah (Deuteronomy 5:1). When they did so diligently, they often learned large portions by heart.

In comparison, from the first day a child enters Sunday school, they’re trained and encouraged to memorize stand-alone verses that go along with the teacher’s lessons. Although powerful verses like John 3:16 are packed with biblical truth, they alone aren’t enough to sustain our faith in Jesus over a lifetime.

I say this to encourage you to memorize as much Scripture as you can, allowing it to resonate transformatively in your mind. Although memorization alone won’t magically make you a better Christian, the process will definitely help you throughout your spiritual journey.

Having a mental file cabinet of Scripture will not only help you reference Jesus’ teachings in conversation—it’ll allow you to engage in deeper conversations with believers and nonbelievers alike.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

I recommend that you try to memorize three to four Bible verses per month. Not sure where to start? Use the Faithlife Study Bible to search by topic.

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The Faithlife Study Bible makes it easy to explore all that the Bible has to offer.
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October 10, 2013 By jarridwilson | 2 Comments

Studying Your Bible:
Where to Start & What to Do Next

Studying the Bible isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Our faith encourages us to seek a deeper relationship with God, but what does that look like in terms of reading the Bible? That’s the big question that needs to be answered.

It’s easy to become confused and frustrated when flipping through the 3,000-year-old writings—not because of the words themselves, but because nobody knows where to start let alone what do to after they start.

Here are some tips to help you become familiar with Bible study:

1. Start in the New Testament

The New Testament is a good place to start for anyone new to the Bible. Not only will the New Testament provide a great overview of who Jesus is, but also what he did on our behalf. Start with one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). All of these books tell the same story, but are written by four different people with four different perspectives.

2. Journal, journal, journal

If you’re planning on retaining any of the information you will be reading, I recommend you write down all notes and questions in a journal or smartphone app. The Faithlife Study Bible provides a notes feature within the app that will be most helpful while you’re reading. Having these notes not only allows you to look back at previous readings, but also comes in handy if you ever want to review the passage with friends or family.

3. Uncover, relate, and apply

This is my secret sauce. I have used this tactic for all my Bible studies the last seven years. I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to do it, but this is one that I’d recommend due to its simplicity. First, you will begin to uncover the Scripture—in other words, read it. After reading the Scripture, make comparisons relating the text to your own life. The final step is to apply what you’ve just read to your current life situations and write down the points and realities that you felt were important.

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