Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Daniel Im

God is NOT Anti-System

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In 1995, astronomers thought there were were only 3000 galaxies.

Close to 10 years later, they realized there were 10,000. And now, through the Hubble telescope, they are estimating 100 billion!

Consider the vastness of our solar system, and how intricately connected it is to each other and to other systems in the universe. If the sun were to die out, it would blow away half of its mass, inflate itself, and swallow the earth. After that, this would push Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune way out and off their orbit. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…

Don’t you find it fascinating that one of the first things God created was in fact, a system? The solar system? The system of the universe?

This goes to show us that He is not anti-systems in anyway.

One of the first things God created was a system—the solar system.

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I recently came across another system that you might not have heard about…

I learnt about it from a TED talk on how trees talk to each other—the system is called a mycorrhizal network.

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Should Christians Have a Side Hustle?

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Though half of all working millennials are side hustling—according to a multi-year study on freelancing in the U.S.—this isn’t just a millennial thing.

Approximately a third of both Gen Xers and boomers are also hustling on the side.

Just think about the people you know. How many of your friends drive for Uber or Lyft? Rent out their place on Airbnb when going on a vacation? Or have ever sold something on Etsy or eBay?

They’re a part of the growing freelance or gig economy that 57.3 million Americans were a part of in 2017—that’s more people than the total combined population of Canada, Liberia, and Puerto Rico! In fact, based on trends, by 2027, more than half of all working Americans will be a part of the freelance economy.

Side hustles are the new normal

To continue reading, click here.

I wrote this article originally for Tithe.ly. It’s adapted from my book, You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love.

3 Must-Listen to Podcast Episodes

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If you’re like me, I have a never ending list of To-Dos.

So when I can redeem my time and knock out two things at once, I celebrate! That’s why I love podcasts and audiobooks. They keep me sharp, and I don’t need to be sitting down to listen to them.

As a result, when I’m commuting back and forth from work, vacuuming/mowing the lawn, and working out, I always have my bluetooth earbuds in, growing while doing.

Here are 3 episodes that I thought you might enjoy:

  1. Episode 300: A Glimpse Into the Lives of Ed Stetzer, Todd Adkins, and Daniel Im
    • For the 300th episode of the New Churches Q&A Podcast, I wanted to take it personal. So on this episode, you’ll hear our personal stories, fears, and prayers for the Church.
  2. Episode 23: Will Porn Ruin My Marriage?
    • In this episode of the IMbetween Podcast, my wife and I interview Dr. Simon Sheh about pornography, the reasons behind porn addiction, and what to do if you or your spouse is addicted to porn. This is actually the second episode that we did on porn. The first one was about how to talk to your kids about porn.
  3. Episode 265: Why People Leave Your Church
    • In this episode of the 5LQ podcast, Todd Adkins and I interview Scott McConnell on some fascinating research regarding why people leave churches.

Happy listening!

Why Do We Neglect the Bible? (and what to do about it)

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“The Bible ought not to be torn limb from limb, and its joints hung up like meat in the shambles.”

This last week, as I was writing a sermon on the end of Colossians, I came across these stark words from Charles Spurgeon, aka the Prince of Preachers. It’s from a sermon that he preached on December 14, 1873. Let’s keep on reading,

Beyond all other books it will bear dissection, for it is vital in every sentence and word. Since it is a mosaic of priceless gems, you will be enriched even if you extract a jewel here and there, but to behold its divine beauty you must contemplate the mosaic as a whole. No idea of the magnificent design of the entire Scriptures can enter the human mind by reading it in detached portions, especially if those separated passages are interpreted without reference to the run of the writer’s thoughts. Let Scripture be read according to the rules of common sense and that will necessitate our reading through a book and following its train of thought. Thus shall we be likely to arrive at the mind of the Holy Spirit. I say this because I may have to disturb your idea of the meaning of a passage of Scripture this morning, for a short time. But you need not be alarmed, for after I have disturbed, I shall, most probably, confirm it. I shall pull down to build up again.

The Bible is a wonderful gift from God. It’s His words to us. Simultaneously it’s history, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, and the Gospel. It’s not lacking in anyway, and does not have to be added to. It’s complete, never changing, and irreplaceable.

The Bible is a mosaic of priceless gems.

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So why is the Bible so neglected?

Why do almost nine out of ten American households own a Bible, but more than half have read little or none of it? Why do “less than a quarter of those who have ever read a Bible have a systematic plan for reading the Christian scriptures each day”? And why is it that “a third of Americans never pick it up on their own”?

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The WHY Behind Your Decisions

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Have you ever thought through the WHY behind your decisions?

In other words, why do you make the decisions you do? For example,

  • If you have a Saturday open on your schedule, do you play a round of golf with your buddies, or go to the swimming pool with your children?
  • If a meeting is cancelled, do you catch up with your email? Check social media? Or. read the news or a book?
  • When the kids go to bed, do you watch Netflix? Read a book? Work on a project? Or, talk with a friend or your spouse?

These decisions are often subconscious—they’re underneath the surface. We make them without thinking. They are our habits, our defaults, our normals, or our vices.

Many of our decisions are often subconscious—they’re underneath the surface.

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Whether you realize it or not, many of these kinds of decisions have already been made for you based on your values or principles. These are the very elements that set the status quo for us.

If this is true, wouldn’t it be worth your time to do a little introspection and uncover the why behind your decisions? Your values and principles?

A while back, I came across Amazon’s leadership principles. I like how they describe them,

Our Leadership Principles aren’t inspirational wall hanging. These Principles work hard, just like we do. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates.

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