Most of us genuinely believe in the power of the gospel. We have experienced it. We have watched it touch parts of our lives that no self-help book ever could. Some of us can even point to the exact moment Jesus interrupted our story. But believing the gospel and...
Back when I began this whole Missional Marketplace journey, I attended a faith and work conference in New York. The event drew attendees from all over the country and from a wide variety of faith backgrounds and denominational affiliations. The conference was...
We were grilling a feast of teriyaki chicken by the pool, with a pot of rice and enough watermelon to feed an army. It was starting to become our routine—overcooking food, that is, not necessarily the teriyaki—though we did love that sweet, tangy glaze over a...
I was at a missions meeting recently with the new Executive Director of the agency we have worked with for decades. He said something sobering I have been chewing on for a month now. I’ll paraphrase: “I have a short window here in this job. Really, we all have...
What does your work really mean to God? At the Christian Business Breakfast, Erik Cooper unpacks the third pillar of the Missional Marketplace framework: Work and the Great Commandment. Too often we look to our careers for identity, security, and fulfillment—turning...
So I decided to lean in. I discovered her favorite drink and occasionally blessed her with it. I jumped in to carry packages when the pile threatened to topple over. I made sure her boss knew when she quietly went above and beyond. And when the stress finally spilled...
Back in 2006, I worked in international finance. Yes, right at the beginning of the economic collapse. And yes, at a company you would recognize. (It’s gone now. That tells you everything you need to know.) Company culture was hypercharged, mostly due to the...
I sat behind a young couple at church this week—missionaries I’ve known for nearly a decade. They serve in one of the darkest, most difficult corners of the world. And they don’t go alone. They’re raising a crew of kids in this difficult field! Yet not one of...
I’m Not a Crook I was twelve when I picked up All the President’s Men. Two reporters. A break-in at the Watergate Hotel. A secret source. The President of the United States on the other end of the trail. I was hooked. Maybe it was all those Scooby-Doo reruns....
https://www.thestonetable.org/wp-content/uploads/ai-text-to-speech/post-27285-eV-the-switchbacks-of-life-finding-gods-purpose-in-the-detours.mp3 A younger couple I’ve known since they were teens bought a horse farm in Colorado. When I pulled up the first time, I...
Discover how one bold conversation about tithing sparks a ripple effect that reaches thousands, and why your obedience always matters.
There is a moment that happens in a lot of Christian lives, usually around age sixteen, usually at a summer camp, usually during a service designed to stir something up. Everyone prays. Everyone waits. And some people walk out of that room certain that God has spoken....
The Mission Field You Walk Into Every Monday Most of us think of missions as something that happens over there. Far away. Across an ocean, behind a visa wall, in a language we don't speak. It belongs to the professionals, the people who went to Bible college and...