Author: David Ellis

Don: What does God say about work? What does God want us to know about work? How does work fit into the life of the spirit? When it comes to work, what are we actually called to do? It is clear that work was part of God’s plan for Mankind right from the start: Then…

What Are “Works”? Jay: What are “works? And what is “rest” following work—the Sabbath? Here are some passages from scripture that might shed some light: Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16: 3) Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify…

Don: In the parable of the vineyard workers, the demonstration of grace is couched in the context of work. It’s ironic that work is important in some context while in the end the rewards passed out to the laborers totally negate their work effort. Both the early, diligent workers and the late, dilatory workers were…

Don: In the parable of the vineyard workers we have been discussing, the vineyard owner (God) addressed one of the early workers, who were disgruntled to receive the same pay as the late workers, as “Friend”: But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not…

Don: The parable of the vineyard workers reflects poor labor policy and a bad business model. It is utterly contrary to the principle of cause and effect and the concept of fairness, which is so important to us in Western civilization. It is certain that the parable is linked to the question posed by the…

Kiran: From our study of the stories of the Rich Young Ruler, Zaccheus, and others, we have concluded that eternal life is not something we can earn: It is the gift of God. In return, he asks our obedience. What exactly is that? At the conclusion of the story of the RYR Jesus made his…

Don: It is a primary focus of all the great religions to answer three existential questions: Where do I come from? Why am I here? And: Where will I go after death? They are in essence questions of creation, revelation, and salvation. Most religions teach that the afterlife is a reward—or a punishment—for the life…

Don: We have studied the stories of the Rich Young Ruler and the lawyer, both of whom asked Jesus how they could inherit eternal life. Other scriptural stories—the Pharisee and the Publican, the blind man on the road to Jericho, and Zaccheus the tax collector—provide additional insight regarding the answer to that question: And [Jesus]…