Wendy McMahan

PU 009: Learning from the Life of Christ

Five ways we can learn from Jesus’ posture in caring for the poor.

Walking with God – Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 22:39
Identifying with People – John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11
Humility – Matthew 11:29
Loving people and appreciating culture – John 4:4-26
Serving in the periphery, advocating in the center

Get your church involved on this journey with Food for the Hungry!

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This episode, “Learning from the Life of Christ,” is the final episode in the Theology of Poverty series. So what’s next? Listen to the most recent episode, or check out our four-week curriculum for groups.

PU 008: Dependency

Today we look at how we can minister to the poor without taking over their lives, their communities, and their goals. There is a line between healthy reliance on other people (Galatians 6:2) and unhealthy dependency. Handouts send messages beyond the goal of charity. Playing God in the lives of the poor leads to a misunderstanding of who God really is.

More listening options:
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Ready for the next episode in the Theology of Poverty series? Go to the menu here.

Today we look at how we can minister to the poor without taking over their lives, their communities, and their goals.

–The line between healthy reliance on other people (Galatians 6:2) and unhealthy dependency

–Handouts send messages

–Playing God in the lives of the poor

More listening options:
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PU 007: Made in the Image of God

The poor are image-bearers of God, but well-meaning Christians sometimes send a different message.

Scripture tells us that God made all people, rich and poor (Prov. 22:2). We also know from Scripture that all people were created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26, 27). More than a nice idea, this truth should impact our interactions with the poor. By virtue of being image-bearers of God, the poor are:

innately valuable
creative
relational
capable of loving
capable of responsibility for themselves
charged with dominion

Christians are responsible for communicating these truths to the poor. This episode explores how we do—and don’t—fulfill this responsibility.

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Ready for the next episode in the Theology of Poverty series? Go to the menu here.

PU 006: Why People Stay Poor

Why is it so hard for people to pull themselves out of poverty? In this episode we consider how people change and what keeps them from changing. Conclusions are drawn for charitable giving.

The change process:

Life experience, followed by…
Reflection, followed by…
Decision, followed by…
Action, followed by a new life experience.

Obstacles to change:

Lack of knowledge
Lack of resources
Human sinfulness
Satanic deception
Lack of supportive people
Presence of opposition

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Ready for the next episode in the Theology of Poverty series? Go to the menu here.

PU 005: The Transformation Toolkit

Four simple tools that facilitate holistic development.

This episode features four tools to facilitate holistic development. These approaches are practical methods based on the foundational material from previous episodes. They can be used on a daily basis anywhere from villages in Peru to housing projects in Chicago.

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Ready for the next episode in the Theology of Poverty series? Go to the menu here.

PU 004: Ideas Have Consequences

Worldview is the key for solving poverty. What is worldview? Explore resources available from Disciple Nations Alliance. In this episode we talk about Gnosticism and Animism, HIV/AIDS, the American myth of being happy, and symptoms of poverty vs. causes of poverty.

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Ready for the next episode in the Theology of Poverty series? Go to the menu here.