The rich man in the Bible couldn't escape poverty. Hungry Lazarus at his gate was a constant reminder that not everyone enjoyed his luxurious lifestyle. Here in America it is different. We can live an entire lifetime without seeing real hunger, extreme poverty, or dogs licking open wounds. With the needs out of sight, it is easy to forget the millions of Lazaruses in our world.

In this book, Gary Miller challenges us to take a closer look at Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is easy to feel good in prosperous America about our lifestyle choices. We compare our lives to our affluent neighbors and make decisions based on our prosperous friends. But what if extreme poverty were just outside our door? How would it affect those choices?

How close do you get to people with real needs? Where is Lazarus in your life?

Table of Contents

• Introduction

Part One: There Was a Certain Rich Man...

• 1. Deception—The Thing That Happens to Others
• 2. A Disturbing Story
• 3. Those Critical Missing Details
• 4. Everything Told Him He Was Right!
• 5. Why?
• 6. When the Gospel—Isn't
• 7. Neither Will They Be Persuaded

Part Two: The Problem With Prosperity

• 8. God Gives at Great Risk
• 9. Prosperity—We Forget God
• 10. Prosperity—We Forget History
• 11. Prosperity—Neighbors Become Unnecessary
• 12. Prosperity—Everything Except Contentment
• 13. Prosperity Breeds Arrogance
• 14. Prosperity—We Forget Lazarus

Part Three: Prosperity—A Plain Predicament

• 15. The Quiet Shift to Plainly Prosperous
• 16. When the Outlet Is Ignored
• 17. Plain Pastimes and Pleasure
• 18. Only the Best Will Do
• 19. Plainly Overextended
• 20. Just Plain Busy

Part Four: Where Is Lazarus?

• 21. Where Is Lazarus Today?
• 22. The Power of Proximity
• 23. Lazarus-Free Zones
• 24. Where Do You Keep Him?

Part Five: Living It Out

• 25. How Big of a Deal Is This?
• 26. Beginning With Stewardship
• 27. Convenience, Contentment, and Opportunity Cost
• 28. Beyond Stewardship
• 29. The Joy of the Consecrated Life
• 30. Choosing to Repeat History
• 31. Living It Out
• Endnotes
• About the Author