Does Your Faith Make a Difference, MMM Feb 21, 2011

DOES YOUR FAITH MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Monday Morning Message, February 21, 2011

Speaker’s messages and the fellowship of the seventh annual conference of the Kingdom Advisors are still fresh in my mind.  It was a continuation for me to see this year’s events advance the call to all who attended to move to new levels of commitment in our work to God’s calling in our lives.  The theme of “Journey Forward” was achieved in every speaker, breakout session, and vendor who was part of the event.  For those of you who think I have lost my brains since leaving Merrill Lynch more than five years ago, yes I actually do love attending conferences when the information is so vital and central to my faith in Jesus Christ.

It felt like I was back home in Cleveland when Alistair Begg took the podium and “begged” each of us to consider going “all in” with our lives and commitment just as the poker stars do when they push all the chips to the middle of the table.  That’s a gamble that even a BRI advocate such as I am could endorse!  I will never forget the dialogue between our Ron Blue and Randy Alcorn that provided some of the most candid and thought provoking ideas of the week.  Another highlight was to meet Dr Finny Kuruvilla, son of missionaries to India; Harvard Medical School grad; and top money manager of the Eventide Funds.  Like so many others, his witness was a quiet humble but responsible believer who has felt the call to serve others in the ghetto we call Wall Street. 

One young woman named Nancy embodies what I believe Kingdom Advisors is all about.  She is not very long in length of service or experience, but she is so open to God’s will in working in her life.  She has just experienced the joy of seeing God help her to complete her first few years in the business and cross the hurdles set by her firm.  She is soaking up how others have used God’s Word to help them understand how the Lord can also work thru a young advisor.  Seeing her return to learn more and trust even more was worth it for me to be there.  This is also where I see many of the older and more mature advisors are so giving about sharing their wealth of ideas to all who would listen.

The work that has been done for so many years by people interested in Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) was also on display at the conference.  Dan Hardt was his usual giving self in both the work he has done, but also in his method of sharing it.  All of the sessions he conducted were well done and of great value to anyone who attended them.  How great to see this idea taking on important consideration for many advisors who are looking to catch up with their client’s wishes to offer BRI alternatives.  If you want my recommendation for the best book that I saw at the conference, make sure you add Randy Alcorn’s newest called, managing GOD’S money. 

Philippians 2:13-15 (RSV) “for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world,…”