As another school year is upon us, it is our genuine desire to see our covenant children succeed and prosper in life. Prosperity, according to Webster, is a "successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects." People usually associate prosperity with temporal and material success. The measure of a successful man is often gauged "in financial respects," relative to things like jobs, money, stocks, houses, and cars. This is a generalization, but is not the idea of prosperity in our culture, more often than not, linked to one's economic condition?

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." (1 Tim. 4:9-10).

There is a phrase which we use when we want to emphasize the certainty of something. The phrase is, "you can take it to the bank." The idea is that when you make a deal and it is certain, then you can count on it.

How certain can you be about salvation and calling the lost to faith? Is it money in the bank? Is it something that you can plan about, work hard to be sure things go right, and keep your fingers crossed that in the end you will have it? Or can you have absolute certainty?

This is a very important question because it goes back to the fundamental issue of whom you rely on for salvation-yourself or God? Because there is so much emphasis on the individual these days, there is in fact a great deal of uncertainty about salvation.

Ah, Labor Day-picnics, parades, and a day off work. This holiday was designed to remember the laborer and the labor that he renders. Its origin is closely connected with the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, and grew out of the desire to unionize the nation's laborers in order to improve working conditions, much needed at the time.

On September 5, 1882, the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City. Twenty thousand left their work and marched in a parade up Broadway. They carried banners that read, "Labor Creates All Wealth," and "Eight Hours for Work, Eight Hours for Rest, Eight Hours for Recreation!" Within the next few years, the idea spread from coast to coast, and all states celebrated Labor Day. In 1894, Congress made it a federal holiday. But, should we honor the worker or the One who calls us to work?

Christians must have a biblical view of labor that is not totally centered on man or the achievements of man. The Christian is on earth to do the works of God. But what does that mean?