The Friday Update - Access

Happy Friday,

It's noteworthy that the disciples didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to multiply food, lead a revolution or walk on water. After observing him for years, they asked him to teach them how to pray.

Access

For 17 years, Warren Buffett raised money for charity by his auctioning away a lunch with himself. The winning bid in ’05 was $351K. In ’22—the last year the now 96-year-old held the auction—lunch went for $19M. Consider it the price of access. Consider also that we have free access to the Creator via Christ. (Actually, while it cost us nothing, it cost our Lord a lot.)  

Prayer Pt. 2

In Dynamics of Spiritual Life—the book Tim Keller recommended more than any other—Richard Lovelace argues that “bad prayer is better than no prayer.” I find that encouraging. Indeed, it motivates me to pray.

Without Comment

1) According to Gallup, nurses retain their “most ethical profession” honors for the 25th year (in a row). MDs are second, followed by pharmacists. Telemarketers and members of Congress populate the bottom.

2) While some now question the value of a college degree, those with one continue to earn significantly more than those without.

3) The percentage of U.S. residents opting for cremation is expected to climb from 60% today to 82% in 2045.

4) Per this study of 340K marriages, female same-sex couples divorce at the highest rate, followed by male same-sex couples. Opposite-sex couples have the lowest rate.

5) Per researchers from MIT, the average age of the founder of a high-growth tech company is 42.3 yrs.

6) South Korea has spent more than $200 billion since 2006 on programs to reward parenthood, with cash awards for the birth of a baby, parental leave that lasts a year, and subsidized childcare. Nothing has worked. (The Origin of Politics by Nicholas Wade)

7) 71% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 95% of Republicans say photo ID should be required to vote, according to Pew.

Translation

Kalshi—a “predictions market”—is reporting “over $1B in trading volume” on Super Bowl Sunday, a 2,700% increase over last year. Kalshi is named after the Arabic word for “everything,” reflecting its goal to offer predictive markets for…everything.

Quotes

1) “God doesn’t need our good works, but our neighbor does.” — Martin Luther

2) “One of the hardest things to do is to stop being the prodigal son without turning into the elder brother.” — John Ortberg

3) “We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ That diagnosis has already been given. We should rather ask, ‘What has happened to the salt and light?’” — John Stott

4) "If reading the Bible causes me to scrutinize others more than I scrutinize myself, I’m not reading it correctly." — Scott Sauls

5) "Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once, and He volunteered." — R.C. Sproul

Question

Based on your to-do list today, who are you becoming?

Overheard

1) We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.

2) Today’s discipleship needs to include a disciplined effort to slow down and make space for God to transform you.

3) Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.

4) We live in an age of opinions that are strongly held and weakly formed.

Reader Mail

1) I continue to receive several thoughts about anger. Some noting that there’s much in the world that should make us angry. Others emphasizing James 1:19 “…for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Both are right. 2) Some appreciated the Heschel quote about God being an earthquake. Others sent along similar quotes: "You thought God was an architect, now you know, He's something like a pipe bomb ready to blow." — Jason Isbell.

Z at Work

Per this 1/15/26 survey of 1K 18 – 23 yr olds: 1) 75% said a parent submitted job applications for them; 2) 51% had a parent in the room for in-person interviews; and 3) 2 in 3 said a parent has communicated with their manager to discuss their work schedule, promotions, and workplace accommodations.

WOTW

Honorable mention goes to mattering (as in the need for contributing to society which many feel is threatened by retirement, according to this recent article) and skimo (short hand for ski mountaineering). Full honors go to the ribbon of death (which means a dangerous, narrow ski trail ("white ribbon of death")).

Resources

1) Clear here for last week’s sermon on Revelation 19, which can be summed up in 9 words: Babylon will fall. The Lamb will win. Be encouraged.

Prayer

“Father, make us more like Jesus. Help us to bear difficulty, disappointment, pain and sorrow, knowing that in your perfect working and design you can use such bitter experiences to shape our characters and make us more like our Lord. We look with hope for that day when we shall be wholly like Christ, because we shall see him as he is. Amen.” (Ignatius of Antioch - c. 108)