Issue #150

Your weekly roundup of insights and resources to help you become a more productive Christian.

​Read on the Web​

In Today’s Issue:

• Making the Most of Your Free Time
• Craft vs. Content
• Bible Study for Busy Moms
• An All-in-One Productivity App
• A Word About Patience

Dear steward,

There are a handful of sermons I can point to that were genuinely life-changing for me. And one of those wasn't a sermon I heard but a sermon I read 280 years after it was first delivered.

In my first semester of seminary, I was assigned the reading of Jonathan Edwards' sermon on Ephesians 5:16. It was entitled "The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It" and completely transformed the way I think about time and productivity.

I certainly already knew my life was brief, a vapor as the Scriptures put it (James 4:14). And I was fully convinced that living for Christ was the best investment in light of eternity. But Edwards forced me to stare at life's brevity, dwell on how short it really is, and to unblinkingly consider what the juxtaposition of the shortness of life with the length of eternity means for how I must live today.

The sermon's final section struck me afresh as I was re-reading it this week. And I wanted to share it with you, along with a few thoughts of my own. Here Edwards is sharing some application points for how to redeem the time better, and I found this third point most interesting.

This week, I wrote an essay reflecting on how we might better steward our leisure time in our age of ubiquitous digital entertainment.

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​Craft vs. Content: Resisting Mediocrity in a Dual-Existence Age (4 mins)

Brett & Kate McKay / The Art of Manliness

I thought this was an interesting way to frame our relationship with the internet.

Basically, he’s saying you can put your head down, work on your craft, and produce excellent quality things. Or you can put your attention on utilizing the internet to get a broad reach. You can go deep or wide.

The problem is we have limited time and attention. So it’s hard to go both deep and wide without sacrificing one or the other.

As a “content creator” who has left social media, I guess that means I’m putting all my chips on craft. I'm focussing on quality and entrusting the reach to the Lord.

​Bible Study Helps for Busy Moms (7 mins)

Marci Ferrell / Thankful Homemaker

A great roundup of resources to help you not just read, but study God’s Word, even if you have a busy schedule.

​Aime: A New Productivity App​

This very nicely designed app brings calendars, todos, and email together in one place.

​Redeem Your Free Time (5 mins)

Our leisure hours present a huge stewardship opportunity. Here are some ways to use this time well for God's glory.

Alrighty, I'll see you next week!

P.S. My new course, Optimize Your Week, is still on sale for 38% off the regular price. Just if you use the code "IDEALWEEK" at checkout.

It's also available (along with all our other courses) as part of a Redeeming Productivity Academy membership.

​

Reagan Rose

I talk about personal productivity from a Christian perspective. Creator of ​Redeeming Productivity​.

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