How can Christians Respond to the Election At Their Christmas Gatherings?
Well, we survived the 2024 US presidential election! But many people still feel anxiety as we head into the Christmas and New Year holidays. How can Christians prepare for a holiday season when politics will likely arise?
A round table discussion about Romans 14
Chris Staron is joined by Karl Klemmer, Nick Staron, and Ray McDaniel at First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY to discuss these issues and more. Plus Chris talks about his own anger as a pedestrian as drivers have come close to hitting him. How do Christians respond when they are wronged? We also spend a lot of time talking about Romans 14 which encourages believers to love their brothers and sisters who struggle in their faith or who have convictions different than our own. Can verses about food sacrificed to idols teach us something about dealing with loved ones who are different than us?
Sources:
Romans 12-15 (mixed translations)
Discussion Questions:
Why is it important to come to a complete stop at stop signs?
Has anyone ever wronged you on the road? How did that feel? How did you react?
Do you get upset about things you can’t change? What are some examples?
How can you adjust to not beat yourself up over things you can’t change?
What are other examples of non-mission critical things we can give grace on (like food sacrificed to idols)?
Are there political issues that are mission-critical? Which ones are not? What are some that you can let slide in a conversation?
How do you prepare yourself to enter a stressful environment?
Jesse Eisinger on why the ultra-wealthy barely pay any tax at all
How do ultra-wealthy people avoid paying taxes? It seems like a strange subject to bring up when discussing why some evangelicals are drawn to the Republican Party. But many of the ties between evangelicals and the GOP have to do with money. So, let’s take a little side trip and explore the tax loopholes of today. More importantly, let’s try to understand why so many Americans are tax-averse. Could it possibly be because we, deep down, know that someone else is getting a better deal than us?
Buy, Borrow, Die
One tactic used by the ultra-wealthy is “buy, borrow, die”. They avoid “income”, instead opting for assets like stock and real estate they can borrow against. Borrowed money is not taxed. Then they either pay back those loans with other loans (often with interest rates that are much lower than their tax rates would be) or they fail to pay back the loans. Then… they die.
Jesse Eisinger is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with Pro Publica. Chris first heard about him from his book (pardon the language) The Chickenshit Club and met him when he appeared at a live event in Jackson, WY hosted by the Teton County Library, the Center for the Arts, and the Jackson Hole News and Guide.
