Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Life

What’s Wrong With This Statement? “I want to do great things for God”

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“I want to make my life count. I want to do big things for the kingdom. I only want to do things that have an eternal significance.”

Have you ever prayed such prayers? I know I definitely have.

In fact, when I was getting serious about my relationship with Christ, this is what I regularly prayed for because I wanted my life to count. I wanted to make a difference in this world. I didn’t want to live for what was temporal—my fame and my glory—but for what was eternal.

I wanted to be like the great missionary, William Carey, who famously said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”

If I wanted to see great things from God, I figured that there was only one way to get there—by doing “great” things for God. Not small and insignificant things, but rather, big, significant, and influential things.

“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” – William Carey

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My intentions were right; the only problem was my heart—my prideful and self-centered heart.

I judged doing “great” things for God and kingdom significance according to size. Here’s what I thought:

  • Pastoring at a small church = Small impact
  • Speaking at a small conference = Not significant
  • Having a small platform = Lack of the right gifting

So to do “great” things for God, I had to do. I had to be the pastor. I had to be the speaker. I had to be the preacher. I had to be the hero.

I wonder what would’ve happened if I knew earlier that God wanted me to be a hero-maker, rather than the hero? I wonder if I would’ve gone through as much heart break and sorrow?

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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

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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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Just One More

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There’s a fun little children’s book entitled Just One More by Jennifer Hansen Rolli where a little girl named Ruby continues to ask for just one more thing…

It’s cute because after continually asking for just one more minute of sleep, one more push on the swing, and one more scoop on her cone, she realizes that maybe one more is just too much.

How many of us live the same way?

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