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It is sometimes argued (sadly) by Christians, “What’s wrong with buying a lottery ticket? What’s wrong with putting a few quarters into a slot machine?” The problem is that such spending supports and propagates an immoral, predatory and exploitative industry that destroys families and society. In the short term, such actions may not hurt the believer at all, but in the long run, it continues to feed a social evil that contributes to the destruction of society. This brings up an important observation on stewardship that is rarely discussed and taught to believers today.
John Fonville, “The Lottery: A Good or Bad Bet For North Carolina?” from Truth Talk Live (336) 896-0830,web site address (www.830wtru.com)
Definition of Stewardship. "Stewardship is the proper management of one’s resources for the glory of God."
The pastor of a church that didn’t have the reputation for being very generous with their giving decided that it was time to do something drastic in order to teach the congregation the importance of giving. He contacted an electrician and had all of the pews wired.
The next Sunday which was the first Sunday of the New Year, the time when the church had traditionally taken up pledges from the people the Pastor stood up and made the following announcement. "From now on instead of putting your pledges in sealed envelopes and turning them into the church office all pledges will be made publicly during the worship service." Then he said, so let’s get started. "All of you who will pledge to give ten dollars a week, please stand up." As soon as he said this he pushed a button that the electrician had installed in the pulpit and it sent a jolt of electricity through the wires and into the pews. Immediately about one half of the congregation jumped to their feet. The pastor reached down and adjusted a knob on the podium and then said, "All you who will pledge to give twenty dollars a week please stand." A second stronger volt of electricity caused several more people to rise to their feet. This whole process was repeated several times. Each time the pledge amount was raised along with the voltage. The ushers had to work fast just to record all of the names and pledges.
After the service the pastor and his staff were busy adding up the totals and congratulating themselves on the great success of the annual stewardship campaign—Their enthusiasm ended abruptly however, when one of the Deacons opened the door and announced that four church members had been electrocuted because they refused to stand up.
“Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?” Leviticus 19: 9-10 Key verse(s): 9: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.’”
“Is your generosity based on facts or faith?” I would imagine that most of us would answer that question, “Faith!” Demographer and pollster George Barna did a survey a number of years ago and discovered that generosity is something that over 93% of all Christians polled believe in and ascribe to. However, when he went on in his survey to refine the question by adding “Do you know the limits of your giving and, therefore, mark yourself as one who is a prudent in that giving, always with an eye on who might be benefiting unscrupulously or frivolously of your giving?” The vast majority of Christians polled chose this latter statement as most indicative of how they view their generosity. If you are like most Christians, qualifying your giving is an important part of what it means to be generous. It’s simply makes sense to limit the scope of our giving lest we become squanderers and fools in that giving. To most of us, this is what good stewardship is all about.
God instructed His children not only to be generous but to show that generosity in a way that was selfless and non-determining. He forbid His people from selecting targets for their generosity or limiting the scope of their generosity. Simply, generosity was something that should flow freely and without restrictions from a loving heart that was filled with gratitude to a gracious God whose supply of mercy and grace was never-ending. It sprang from a wellspring of love that could never be diminished or used up. Therefore, when they planted a field they planted that field not only with themselves in mind but also the weary traveler that might be journeying along that same field at the time of harvest. There were to be no distinctions as to whom that traveler might be. It may be their neighbor but it was more likely to be a stranger. It might even be an al...
Bruce Howell
IT WAS PENTECOST SUNDAY. As the congregation filed into church, the ushers handed each person a bright red carnation to symbolize the festive spirit of the day. The people listened attentively to the reading of the Pentecost story from the Book of Acts about how the disciples had heard “what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven”; about how the Holy Spirit had appeared “like tongues of fire.” Then came the sermon: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us,” the preacher began. “Like the powerful wind from heaven!” shouted a woman sitting in the first pew. Then she threw one of the red carnations toward the altar. The preacher began again: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us.” The same woman’s voce rang out again, “Like the tongues of fire, the tongues of fire!” Again, she threw a red carnation toward the altar. The preacher looked straight at her and said, “Now throw your pocketbook.” To which the woman replied, “Preacher, you have just calmed the wind and put out the fire.”
We laugh at stories like these, but the truth is, the whole issue of stewardship is no laughing matter, is it? This is serious business. Today, I want to approach the subject of giving from a positive perspective.
THE STEWARDSHIP OF LIFE
Elizabeth Dole, former Secretary of Transportation & Presidential candidate said: Life is not just a few years to spend on self-indulgence and career advancement. It is a privilege, a responsibility, and a stewardship to be lived according to a much higher calling.
i. Barton states, “Ultimately, any exercise in extravagant stewardship involves risk. In the Parable of the Talents, the bottom line for the wicked and unfaithful steward was that he was risk averse. This steward let his flesh, feelings, and unhealthy fears immobilize him (Matthew 25:24-25). Multiplying resources requires letting go.
"Stewardship is what a man does after he say...
Bumper sticker - Tithe if you love Jesus, any idiot can honk!
From Rodney Fry’s Sermon: Stewardship
We experience “full life” when we practice stewardship. To practice stewardship we must understand that Stewardship is totally about relationships.
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