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The Word Before Work — 311 episodes
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What C.S. Lewis said after landing his dream job
Jesus changed the world through culture, not politics. Here’s how you can too.
LEGO’s founder on how godly play—not just productivity—pleases God
When this woman walked out of a room, MLK followed
New Series: Five Mere Christians
Anxious? Try this life-changing practice for 7 days.
A biblical “mandate for reading Christian biography.”
Want to “shine among” lost co-workers? Do this.
New Series: Wisdom for Work from Philippians
Stop asking God about his will (and do this instead)
"Whatever choices we make become the will of God." Really?!
This may be why God hasn’t answered your prayer…
New Series: God's Will for Your Work
Why Paul didn’t exercise his “right” to be a “full-time missionary”
Biggie Smalls & the Apostle Paul on how to not slip into idleness
Why I hate this C.S. Lewis quote about embracing interruptions
What Jesus’s “working women” friends can teach us about our work today
New Series: Mere Christians of the Bible
5 questions to apply your faith to your work in 2025
What Jesus being the “seventh seven” means for your work this Christmas
Proof that God is working through your non-Christian co-workers today
New Series: Christmas Vocations Part III
7 biblical principles for resolving conflict at work
Check off these 5 things to address conflict graciously
How to bless before you blame in a conflict at work
How to produce a “Golden Result” in your conflicts with others
3 steps to decide if you should overlook or address an offense
Avoiding conflict at work? This biblical truth will lead you to peace…
New Series: 7 Biblical Principles for Resolving Conflict at Work
5 biblical truths about work on the New Earth
Got more ideas than time? This truth can change your life.
Walt Disney may have hurried less if he knew this biblical truth
Where do you see yourself in 5 million years? Seriously…
New Series: Work in Heaven
How to be content while striving for the next thing
3 ways to exude confidence AND humility at work today
Jesus would likely push back against “self-care” in this important way…
3 practices for planning for tomorrow without worrying about tomorrow
New Series: Double-Sided Wisdom
God showed me how this “best practice” was hurting the poor
How to get constructive and sanctifying feedback from others
Ignoring this proverb cost Yahoo more than $7 million
How to say “no” more frequently and “yes” less quickly
2 ways to avoid the sin of “shoddy work”
“Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.” Here’s how that leads to rest.
New Series: Wisdom for Work from Proverbs
An acronym for how to love your job without making it an idol
What it means to "set your mind on things above”
Enjoy work more—not less—to fight idolatry
New Series: Working Without Idolatry
Confessing my less than godly motives for this action
IF success comes from God, THEN inputs > outcomes
My “5 Minutes of Nothing” rule to dissent from the “Kingdom of Noise”
3 reasons why Anti-Bucket Lists > Bucket Lists
Swamped at work? Here’s a surprising reason to thank God.
I rarely cry. But I weep over this obscure passage.
New Series: Wisdom for Work from David
What the daytime darkness of Good Friday means for your work today
How you, me, and Barabbas pursue God’s mission without God’s methods
Jesus said he’s the “bread” of life. Not the “grain.” Here’s why that matters.
New Series: Easter Vocations Part II
A White House case study on mercy in the workplace
How to replace self-seeking with self-sacrifice at work
3 things Scripture encourages us to boast about
How Mr. Rogers’ dad showed kindness to thousands of employees
New Series: The Most Excellent Way
Here’s what The Unabridged Gospel means for your work today
The good news of the gospel is NOT that you go to heaven when you die
Jesus is loser rather than Lord if this popular saying is true
God doesn’t need a “Plan B” as many pastors suggest
Breaking down your First Commission this first day of 2024
New Series: The Unabridged Gospel
What kind of work is “not in vain”?
I’ve shared the gospel more in 2 years than in 10 prior. Here’s why.
Why we neglect these “non-soul” aspects of God’s kingdom
Problem #1 with treating the Great Commission as the only mission Jesus left us
New series: Beyond the Great Commission
2 reasons to trust that God is working everything for good
God is using your “mundane” work to do the miraculous—just like Joseph
How deflecting glory leads to bigger swings
Wisdom for work from Joseph’s highs and lows
New Series: Wisdom for Work from Joseph
One simple action to “rebrand” Christianity at work today
Working “as unto the Lord” ≠ blessings
That time I called out a pastor from the stage…
5 ideas for loving difficult people at work today
New Series: Common Grace & Uncommon Work
“The curse is God’s love in disguise.” Here’s why.
How to transform your frustrations into others’ blessings
What Jesus’s “crown of thorns” means for the “thorns” in your work
“Everyone I meet is my superior in some way.” Here’s why that’s a good thing.
New Series: Thanks for Thorns and Thistles
5 ways to “glorify” God at work today
David’s logical flow of thankfulness, rest, and ambition
How God uses your work to answer prayers
Are the things on your to-do list on God’s?
Death is more taboo than sex. Here’s why that matters for you.
“The gospel isn’t the diving board into Christianity. It’s the pool itself.”
New Series: Wisdom for Work from the Psalms
God’s definition of success v. the world’s
Paul’s secret for escaping the comparison trap
This Waffle House murder can free you from jealousy
New Series: 4 Biblical Ways to Escape the Comparison Trap
Should you use the preferred gender pronouns of your co-workers?
When and how to disobey authorities in a God-honoring way
How could your co-workers discredit your witness?
Christians are called to insulate, not isolate. Here’s how.
New Series: Working in Exile
Why Jesus rose on a Sunday & what it means for your work
Don’t let your pastor tell you Peter was a “backsliding” Christian…
How much is your Christianity costing you at work?
New Series: Easter Vocations
Until you do this, you’ll never truly rest
When work becomes a pain-killer
The work beneath Taylor Swift’s (and my) work
New Series: The Work Beneath Your Work
Moses’s masterclass in delegation
3 lies that keep us from enjoying Sabbath rest
Why the “End Times industry” drives me crazy
How to “stand in for God” at work
2 excuses we make to not obey God at work
3 biblical responses to frustrating work
New Series: Wisdom for Work from the Exodus
What baby Jesus’s lack of vocation says about our own
Paul was “afraid” his work was “in vain”
5 signs Jesus is your consultant and not your King
New Series: Christmas Vocations Part II
C.S. Lewis’s Narnia v.s. JFK’s Camelot
3 defining traits of Lewis & Tolkien’s small group of “Inklings”
The 30+ year thorn in C.S. Lewis’s side
New Series: How God's Word Shaped C.S. Lewis's Work
3 reasons to unashamedly chase after eternal rewards
Audiobook excerpt of The Word Before Work daily devotional
Which work will physically survive God’s judgment?
Jesus’s scars—a “human work” that lasts for eternity
John & Isaiah’s visions of work that lasts for eternity
New Series: Work that Physically Lasts for Eternity
“For a Christian, there is no Plan B.”
2 words to speak over every plan
One of the worst mistakes I’ve ever made at work
New Series: A God-Honoring Approach to Planning
"The only Christian work is good work well done."
5 steps for confronting darkness at work
“Trust God and get going” v. “Let go and let God”
Why the word “spiritual” doesn’t appear in the OT
New Series: Wisdom for Work from Nehemiah
“There’s no such thing as scarcity when you are a child of God.”
How to “take pains to do what is right” at work
Are you “unequally yoked” at work?
Mister Rogers and the ministry of reconciliation
What does it mean to “fix our eyes” on what is “unseen”?
I bet Paul wished he could “unsend” this letter
New Series: 2 Corinthians on Work
Why the end of Scripture is just the beginning
Kingdoms have more than Sovereigns and subjects
Is Star Wars or Moana a better picture of the New Earth?
New Series: Half-Truths About Heaven
"The smile of God is the goal of your life."
What’s that gold doing in Eden?
You are called to Someone before something
Hacks and rip-off artists
New Series: The Creator in You
The First Commission, the call to create
The “purposeless” beauty of God’s work
Sabbath as a license for laziness?
Why God paced himself “in the beginning”
If it’s all going to “burn up,” why are you going to work today?
Before you ask “What’s next?” ask this question
New Series: 7 Ways God Worked "In the Beginning"
Would King Josiah trust you like this?
3 ways to help the poor post-pandemic
What Encanto can teach Christians about the Great Resignation
New Series: A Gospel Perspective on Work in a Post-Pandemic World
The Key to Extending Yourself Grace
Darth Vader and Elder Brothers
New Series: The Dark Side of Discipline
Shepherds and Religious Professionals
Is Parenting More Important Than Your Job?
The Pinnacle of Zechariah's Career
New Series: Christmas Vocations
One Final Way to Prepare the Share the Gospel with Your Co-Workers
From the Surface, to the Serious, to the Spiritual
3 simple ways to identify yourself as a Christian today
How my co-worker Tim invited me to share the gospel with him
New Series: 5 Ways to Prepare to Share the Gospel with Co-Workers
The difference between "busyness" and "hurry"
3 Rhythms of Counterintuitively Productive Rest
Omnipresent God, Unipresent Jesus
Jesus and "a purpose harder than steel"
Dissent from the Kingdom of Noise
Why the worst songs get stuck in your head
New Series: Redeeming Your Time
Reading the Gospels as Biographies
"A Christian is something before they do anything."
Why God Doesn't Need You to Finish Your To-Do List
The Truth About Our Never-Ending To-Do Lists
New Series: 5 Biblical Truths About Time and Productivity
3 ways to hustle less and trust more
The absurdity of "letting go and letting God"
Which "chariots" and "horses" are you trusting in at work today?
New Series: The Faithful and The Fruitful
Lewis, Tolkien, and The Fellowship of the Inklings
Is it wrong for Christians to be discontent in their work?
Did God finish Niggle's painting?
New Series: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Work That Lasts Forever
What Bodily Resurrection Means for Our Work
Home Runs and Hard Work
Meet the Parents and the Dignity of Work
Why Paul Refused to Be a "Full-Time Missionary"
Will God consider your work "gold" or "hay"?
New Series: 1 Corinthians on Work
The Ultimate Incentive for Your Work Today
How Our Work Reveals Jesus's Kingship
Jesus's Inauguration Day
New Series: What Easter Means for Our Work
Brewers, Bankers, and "Guinnesses for God"
How Christians Lifted Dublin Out of the Slums
Gin, Stout, and Guinness's 9,000 Year Lease
New Series: Arthur Guinness and the Call to Create
Daniel and The Keeper Test
Daniel's Faith in the Face of Impossible Work
The Ministry of 10X Excellence
New Series: Daniel and the Ministry of 10X Excellence
"Be strong and courageous"
A God Who Risks
New Series: The Courage to Create
Your Eternal Reward
Time Redeemers
Paul: Do Something "Useful"
Small Prayers for Our Work
The Gospel: Our Source of Rest and Ambition
New Series: Ephesians on Work
Vote AND Create for Change
The Poet & The Parliamentarian
"The only way to change culture is to create more of it"
New Series: The Poet Who Ended Slavery
Why There's No "Plan B" for Christians
Do you need God to approve your plans?
Stop Waiting for a "Sense of Peace"
New Series: Into the Unknown
Deflected Glory and Unfinished Symphonies
Wilberforce's List of "Launchers"
God doesn't need you, me, or William Wilberforce
The "Great Change" in Wilberforce's Time Management
New Series: William Wilberforce and the Fight to End Slavery
Save the World, Save the Cheerleader
C.S. Lewis's "Transient Epiphany"
Your Work = The "Glory of the Nations"?
New Series: Beyond Saving Souls
One Last Thing
Bezalel, Harry Potter, and our need to create in community
Grace and Grit
New Series: Bezalel and the Creative Spirit of God
How We "Proclaim the Excellencies" of God at Work
The 3 Keys to Mastery
Divine Multiplication in Our Work
Jesus: "Few things are needed—indeed only one"
New Series: Master of One
The Final Advent
Jesus the Gardener
Christmas at the Carpenter's
New Series: Jesus the Creator, Carpenter, Gardener, and King
Mutual Submission at Work
What does it mean to "set your mind on things above"?
Paul's Insane Energy
New Series: Colossians on Work
Fred Rogers's Daily Routine
How to Make Goodness Attractive
Choosing Between Two Pulpits
New Series: Mister Rogers and the Call to Create
The Margin in Jesus's Schedule
When Jesus Said "Yes" to Something Better
When Everything Looks Important
New Series: When Jesus Said "No"
How I Sabbath
Debunking "Sabbath"
New Series: Restless
Paul's Model for Our Work
Where Christ is Not Known
How Paul won "the respect of outsiders"
New Series: Paul and the Call to Create
James 5: Living in Luxury
James 4: "Evil" Planning
James 3: The Alternative to Selfish Ambition
James 2: Modern Day Favoritism
New Series: James on Work
Welcome to The Word Before Work
Mediocrity: A Failure of Love
How we "proclaim the excellencies of God"
New Series: The Ministry of Excellence
How to Create with Boldness, Not Fear
What It Means to "Cast" Our Anxieties
New Series: Anxiety at Work
85% of Jesus's Career
Bezalel, the Holy Spirit, and the Call to Create
New Series: The First Entrepreneur
Our True Ambition
Covering Up With Accomplishments
New Series: Gospel Driven Ambition
The Cure for Restlessness
Rise and Hustle
Solomon on Trusting God in Our Work
New Series: Trust, Hustle, and Rest
The Boldest Entrepreneurs on the Planet
Hope in Times of Failure
New Series: Responding to Failure
As You Are Going...Make Disciples
The Laughable Myth of Missions
The Call to Cultural Creation
New Series: Every Christian is a "Full-Time Missionary"