Reagan's Roundup: October 22, 2024

Your weekly roundup of insights and resources to help you get more done for the glory of God.

In Today’s Issue:

How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?
New Amazon Kindles
What Pastoral Productivity Can't Do
My Favorite Budgeting App
Quote on Giving

Dear steward,

The Scriptures often speak about the principle of “firstfruits.” The idea is that God expected His people to offer Him the first and best of their productivity. “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God” (Ex. 34:26).

Whether you were growing grain (Lev. 2:14) or raising livestock (Deut. 12:6), whether you were rich or poor (Num. 12:20), God’s people were to give Him the firstfruits of their labor. “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce” (Prov. 3:9).

By giving God the first and best of what you had produced, you were acknowledging that it all belongs to Him anyway.

That's how we should approach each day, giving the Lord the first and best of our efforts. Because all of our lives belong to Him.

Now, let's dive into this week's link roundup!

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Redeeming Productivity Academy

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THE ROUNDUP

The best links I found this week

How Much Money Do I Need to Retire? (7 mins)

John Piper / Desiring God

Some helpful principles to keep in mind when thinking about the tension between giving and saving for the future.

The New Amazon Kindles (5 mins)

David Phelan / Forbes

Ebook readers, rejoice. You just got a bunch of new options from Amazon. Now, maybe you’ll finally read those books you bought on sale from Tim Challies’s Kindle Deals for Christians.

Amazon has just announced four new Kindles in an unprecedented shake-up of its ebook readers and in the 24 hours that have followed, new details have emerged. The updated range includes new versions of the entry-level model (in a punchy new color), the fastest Kindle ever in the new Paperwhite, a stylishly redesigned Scribe and the first-ever Kindle with a color screen.

What Pastoral Productivity Can and Cannot Do For You (3 mins)

David Kaywood / Pastors & Productivity

Although productivity can help you fulfill your purpose, productivity should not be your purpose. Our purpose is rooted in the Triune God, not in completing tasks.

Create Custom Apps from Notion Databases

Softr

Here’s a cool app for my fellow Notion users.

Softr is a no-code tool for building custom apps and interfaces like a staff directory, custom dashboard, client portal, or application form. They just released an update that lets you use Notion as a data source.

SOMETHING I LIKE

You Need a Budget

Part of faithful Christian living is taking seriously the stewardship of our finances. And one of the most essential tools for this is a budget.

I've used You Need a Budget (YNAB) daily since 2012. Yes, 12 years! I've tried the other budgeting apps, but I always returned to the perfect blend of simplicity and intentionality that YNAB has.

So, if you're looking for a way to monitor your finances more closely, I encourage you to give YNAB a spin.

Try YNAB for Free

WHATS NEW ON

Redeeming Productivity

The Procrastination Spiral (18 mins)

Have you ever felt trapped by a lack of motivation? You may be stuck in the procrastination spiral. Thankfully, there is a way out.

Read, Watch, or Listen

A DOSE OF WISDOM

Quote of the Week

We can’t help but give, because of what Christ has given to us.

Daniel Darling

FINAL WORD

Thanks for reading!

It's my honor to write this newsletter each week. One of my favorite parts is the correspondence I've been privileged to have with readers over the years.

If you have feedback, a question, a link you think would be interesting to share in a future edition, or want to say "hi," you can always write to me at reagan@redeemingproductivity.com.

Reagan Rose