Your Favorite Theology of Work Resources from 2014

2014 has been a momentous year for the Theology of Work Project. We’re so thankful for the opportunity to serve you with new resources this year, including the free, online Theology of Work Bible Commentary. Covering all 66 books of the Bible, the commentary explores what the Bible has to say to us as we seek to faithfully follow Jesus in our everyday work. It includes the text you’d normally expect in a commentary, along with talks, sermons and video illustrations. Here were the 3 most popular talks, videos and sections of the commentary in 2014. Pick one, and enjoy!

Top 3 Audio Talks

1)  Introduction to the Theology of Work Project
with Haddon Robinson, Alice Matthews and Mart deHaan

2) Understanding God’s Call On Our Lives
with Haddon Robinson, Alice Matthews and Mart deHaan

3) Our Work and Our Character
by Tim Keller

Top 3 Videos

1) Theology of Work Bible Commentary Press Release

On June 12, 2014, pastors, professors, and parishioners welcomed a one-of-a-kind Bible resource, the Theology of Work Bible Commentary, which focuses on a single topic–people’s work.

2) Bob Walker: Looking to the Interests of Others

Bob Walker is the president of Walker Manufacturing Company in Fort Collins, CO. He says that Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,” helps him answer the question, “What should we do?” He and his brother, Dean Walker, run their company of 155 employees according to kingdom principles such as: love, excellence, and integrity. They like to say that “Instead of making lawnmowers, we make beautiful places.” Following these kingdom principles has helped them through tough economic times.

This video was made possible by the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University and produced by Small Business School. Used by permission.

3) Dr. Neil Clark Warren: eHarmony

A great way to find your calling is to pay attention to the needs of the world. What does the world need that goes to your heart? Dr. Neil Clark Warren grew concerned about the high divorce rate he was seeing in his clinical practice. He observed that, in many cases, the marriages that endured were composed of compatible people, while marriages that deteriorated often did so because the differences between the individuals became harder to resolve over time.

Here he describes how this concern led him, after three years of research and development, to identify the key dimensions of personality that predicted compatibility and the potential for long-term relationship success. Based on his research, he developed the system that eHarmony now uses to match members with compatible persons with whom they are likely to enjoy a long-term relationship.

This video was made possible by the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University and produced by Small Business School. Used by permission.

Top 3 Commentary Sections

1) “Blessed are the Meek, for They Will Inherit the Earth” (Matthew 5:5)

“The third beatitude puzzles many people in the workplace, in part because they don’t understand what it means to be meek. Many assume the term means weak, tame, or deficient in courage. But the biblical understanding of meekness is power under control.”

2) “The Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30)

“We are to use whatever talents we’ve been given to the best of our ability for God’s glory.”

3) Timeline of the Prophets

This table shows where in time the prophets fit within the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. 

Additional Resources

In addition to the TOW Commentary, we released the following resources in 2014:

• Free Resources About Calling
  • Our eBook, Calling: a Biblical Perspective, is available for free.
  • A new 14-day devotional, What Does the Bible Say About Calling?, is available for free.

• Bible Study Series: With Hendrickson Publishers, we’ve launched a bible study series. Each study is broken into 30 minute segments, designed to be done on your lunch break, during your personal devotion time, or with a small group. The first five in the series were published this year: Genesis 1-11, James, Luke, Philippians, Proverbs.

Happy New Year

Thanks for reading and growing with us in 2014. Whether your work is at school, in the home, in business, in government, in the service industry, in manufacturing–wherever you find yourself called–we pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better…that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:17-19), that you may “live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:4).” Happy 2015!