Summer is when we all take a big long break. But there is one thing that we never get to take a break from – can you guess what it is? Yep, it’s being a minister of the gospel! 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not….” So, how do we turn our summers into opportunities for ministry? Read along with me today as we explore some ways to use the dog days of summer as an opportunity to expand the influence of Jesus in your neighborhood!

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergJune 2, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, transformation, love god love people, love your neighbor, the great commission, the great commandment, community, summer

Is it Nuclear or Heaven on Earth?

When we take just one of the directions from God and ignore the others, things fall apart and what we end up with is a culture that is ignorant of Jesus, ignorant of God, self-centered, and falling apart. However, when you combine The Cultural Mandate with The Great Commandment in The Great Commission, you will see a nation humbled before God, with love flowing to all of our neighbors, flourishing in every neighborhood, and with millions hearing about Jesus because of Christ-followers living out their faith at work.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergMay 26, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, transformation, the cultural mandate, flourishing, love god love people, love your neighbor, the great commission, the great commandment

Called to Make Disciples

As Jesus-Followers, our calling is to teach others what we know about Jesus; sometimes, that’s other Christians and sometimes other pre-believers. The bottom line is the commission is for all of us. This doesn’t just apply to pastors and missionaries; it applies to workplace believers, the “carpenters” of today. The Great Commission is for everyone.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergMay 19, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, transformation, the cultural mandate, flourishing, love god love people, love your neighbor, the great commission, the great commandment

Called to Love

God created humans because of love. He caused them to multiply because of love. He gave them work because of love. In fact, 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” So, it makes sense that the way people would know that you love God is when you love people.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergMay 12, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, transformation, the cultural mandate, flourishing, love god love people, love your neighbor, the great commission, the great commandment

Called to Flourish

Right after God created Adam and Eve, he gave them The Cultural Mandate to fill, govern, and develop the earth (Genesis 1:28). God gave Adam and Eve a job before sin ever entered the world. So often, we think that work is the result of sin. But nothing could be further from the truth! God gave us work as a gift.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergMay 5, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, transformation, the cultural mandate, flourishing

Living with a Transformed Mindset

Romans 12:2 says DON'T copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you by CHANGING the way you think. When you change the way you think, you change the way you act. When you change the way you act, the world will be impacted because you will be loving God and loving people. In 2006, when I realized that my behavior matched the customs of this world, I knew I had a problem. How would I ever attract anyone to Jesus if I looked just like any old joe in business?

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergApril 28, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, integrated life, holy spirit, the work of the holy spirit, love your neighbor, love god love people, transformation

Building Spiritual Muscle

I like to think of loving the Lord with all your strength as loving the Lord with all the things that make you strong or stable in life: your accomplishments, your influence, your paycheck, your talents, your time, etc.—in other words, using these things for God's glory. However, if you are like me, sometimes your strength gets tired, or sick, or depressed, or wounded, and we don't love God very well, or we only love Him with a part of ourselves. When this happens, we favor some "spiritual muscles" over others, which leaves us with a lopsided life.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergApril 21, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, integrated life, holy spirit, spiritual gifts, the work of the holy spirit

Serving Alongside the Holy Spirit

When we leave our homes to go to work, or you leave your bedroom to walk to your office, the Holy Spirit comes with you. He wants to help you love your neighbors as you go. Our Father created each of them in His image, and as an image-bearer, He wants to be in a relationship with them.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergApril 14, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, integrated life, love your neighbor, love God love others, holy spirit

Love on Display

As a Jesus Follower, everything about you should be changing, and everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not. When our behavior is subpar or just "meets expectations," there is nothing to draw people to the conclusion that something about us is different. The way we sweep the floors, take out the garbage, act in the pick-up line at school, talk on the phone, send out emails, etc. - every one of these actions, and the rest I didn't list - should reflect our love and appreciation for our Lord and Savior.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergApril 7, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, integrated life, love your neighbor, love God love others

Who Do You Work For?

Everything about our work should display and demonstrate the very work that God is doing in our hearts, minds, and souls. I like to see it this way: as a Jesus Followers, everything about you should be changing, and everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not.

iWork4Him, FaithJim BrangenbergMarch 31, 2022faith and work, gospel, inspirational, integrated life, body of Christ, spiritual gifts

Thoughts & Resources for Workplace Believers

Short, practical blog posts that encourage and equip believers at work