Archive for the ‘stewardship’ Category

Christian Financial Counselors V. Tithing

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I’m sitting here right now trying to think of a way to transition all the thoughts going through my mind, so this post might get a little bumpy and random. I have Google tithing alerts sent to my email every day. Whenever someone in the news or on their blog mentions tithing, i receive an email of a list of those websites. I try as best as i can to visit as many blogs and news sites as i can to place comments that refute tithing, and support Spirit led giving.

I am somewhat picky about the blogs i will comment on. I try to comment on blogs that seem to get a little more traffic because i don’t have much time to comment in the first place, and wish to share my thoughts with as many as possible. There are certain types of blog posts that i  usually do not write on regardless of their website traffic – and that is blogs that give personal and emotional testimonies about tithing.

Trying to reason with someone about their personal experiences with tithing is like trying to take a child away from a mother who has carried for nine months and has given birth. You cannot take those experiences and emotions away from people. They will take those emotions to their grave. The best thing i’ve found is to state a few verses to counter-balance their emotions, plant a few seeds in forms of questions, and then be on your way. Side note about internet debating – you have no personal rapport with anybody. They don’t know you, so you aren’t going to change their mind anyway.

History proves over and over that you cannot persecute or beat ‘faith’ out of anyone. It only makes them more stubborn, stronger, or turns them into martyrs. Many people believe tithing out of emotional faith, and not because of reason. This is one of the reasons why I try to stay away from the tedious, long, relentless banters towards any ‘opponent’. If you stay in an argument too long, both you and your opponent will be going around in circles while placing more and more bricks on each of your castle walls.

(So here’s one of those weird transitions :| ) This is going to seem awkward to say but we need to take these emotional experiences away from people. I first was thinking about all this when i was reading Dave Ramsey’s website. On there it had someone’s testimony about tithing and then getting out of debt. It made me think that when they’ve gotten out of debt and the emotional relief they felt was all attributed to tithing. Unfortunately, this is false advertising for tithing because Dave Ramsey is a financial counselor not a tithing counselor. People have to change their buying and saving habits in order to get out of debt.

Tithing never got anyone out of debt, and yet you hear of thousands of testimonies every year who attribute financial success to tithing advice from a financial counselor. You will always hear a testimony such as this – ‘We were in up to our necks in debt. We met with a Christian financial counselor. Someone challenged us to tithe. In one year we paid off $20,000 in credit card debt.’ Even hearing the story, we get so caught up in the astronomical achievement that we don’t even wonder what tithing even has to do with spending, credit cards, and materialism?

(another awkward transition) Since i want to take the focus of financial success stories away from tithing, here’s the bottom line -  I wish to support Christian financial counseling ministries that does not support tithing. We need stories that include financial success while people gave freely without tithing.

Your Help is Needed

All of this encouraged me to go on a practical but seemingly unrealistic journey to find a Christian Financial Counseling Ministry that does not support tithing. My search has almost come up empty, so i am going to ask all of you if you are familiar with a christian financial ministry that does not support tithing in their counseling plans. I was fortunate to accidentally come across http://www.providentplan.com/.  They provide great Christian Financial Counseling services, but we need to find as many others as possible.

Crown and Dave Ramsey are great counseling tools but they both support tithing in their financial counseling plans. I am looking for a company that provides similar services, but I want to partner with or promote a Christian financial organization that does not support tithing. If we are to eliminate the false teaching through tithing, we need to promote organizations that do not teach tithing in their financial foundations. We need to create Christian financial success stories that show tithing is not a magical formula that gets you out of debt.

If we do not support the ministries that teach the right thing, then Dave Ramsey and Crown will still pump out people who will be permanently rooted in the tithing doctrine. If we can get people to see that it is sound financial principles that creates good stewardship, then there will be less and less work for us to do in the long run. We have to get people at the roots. Crown and Ramsey’s converts makes their pupils into tithers for life.

If we can all band together and promote a third financial ministry, one day it may turn out to be a huge competitor to crown and ramsey. This will be a great way to get the truth about tithing out there.Yes, I think my vision is somewhat idealistic, but we’ve gotta be realistic that every one that ramsey and crown covert to tithing will be near impossible to change back.

THE GOAL: Find financial counseling ministries that do not teach tithing and post them in your comments. I would like to compile a list of all these organizations in a blog post.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in stewardship | 4 Comments »

The Church is a Spoiled Brat

Monday, March 29th, 2010

“If everyone in the Church gave 10% of their income, the Church would have an additional 50 billion a year to do missions, feed the poor, provide clean water and medical supplies, etcetera . . . etcetera . . . etcetera.”

Sound Familiar?

Why is it that every time you hear a challenge to tithe, you get slapped with the guilt that your current endowment efforts aren’t enough to give some clean water or even a band-aid? You begin to feel that as soon as everyone started giving a tithe, that we could solve the depravity of basic necessities in the world.

I wouldn’t dare question that we wouldn’t gain an additional 50 billion if we all tithed, but i do have to question if food, medical supplies, and clean water really would be administered with that 50 billion.

Why don’t we admit the truth – that if we gave 50 billion extra, we would spend the majority of it on ourselves for building projects, salaries, church events, and theatrics.

We don’t admit the truth because, the truth doesn’t guilt people as much as the lie does. Who could deny water, food, and shelter to anyone while i sit at home in my comfy house with central air, and a supermarket down the road? Seriously, what type of human being are you if could deny someone just the basic necessities for survival?

One thing you will never hear is that if all of us gave 10% of our income, the Church would actually spend about 80% of that 50 billion on internal operations.

“If only i had a little more money then i could tithe?”

Does that sound familiar? well that doesn’t sound too far from saying “If only we had 50 billion more, then we could . . .”. Can we say that the apple does not fall far from the tree?

Anyways, the point here is to expose the lie that frequently proceeds the tithing challenge. The truth is if we had 50 billion extra, we wouldn’t provide water, food or shelter. Let’s face it, our tendency has been to hoard it, so why would we change? In actuality, the Church takes in over 100 billion a year, but you won’t hear this number out of anyone’s mouth. The constant whine of what we don’t have as opposed to what we do have, is what i call a ‘Spoiled Brat’. Let’s not use crying babies and starving families as a ploy to get people to tithe unless our money is actually going towards them.

P.S. I don’t believe tithing is commanded anyway.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in stewardship | 4 Comments »

Bible Verses on Spirit Led Giving

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Because of my stand against the tithing mandate, many have asked me for bible verses that support Spirit led giving. So I’ve compiled a list of the more obvious bible verses that i believe support Spirit led giving as opposed to tithing. There are definitely other verses that may support Spirit Led giving in an indirect way, but i do not feel that they are as obvious as these bible verses below. I have included a monetary offer at the end to the best one who contributes an additional bible verse on Spirit led giving.

  1. Galatians 5:18
    But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
    Um, need i say more? Sure, because there are 10 more bible verses still to write about.
  2. Romans 12:6-8
    Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, [let us use them]: if prophecy, [let us] [prophesy] in proportion to our faith; or ministry, [let us use it] in [our] ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
    This just plainly states that our giving is a Spiritual gift, not an action that is determined by a numerical calculation.
  3. Matthew 10:8
    Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [fn] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
    With this verse in correlation with other spiritual gifts, such as healing, we should see that our freewill, spirit-led giving is a command and is a spiritual gift as well.
  4. Acts 1:8
    But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
    It is the law and sin that no longer has the authority and power over our lives, including our giving.
  5. Acts 5:3
    But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself
    In this passage Ananias disobeys the Spirit of God and convinces himself into believing a lie that he should keep back part of the price of land.  If the Holy Spirit was not responsible for instructing Ananias to give everything, then Ananias had no reason to hide part of the price. The guilty need no accusing. This is why i believe that Spirit led giving is not an easy way out of giving. There are direct consequences for disobeying the instructions of the Holy Spirit. With tithing in the Old Testament, you had some idea of what the consequences of not tithing were.  I would think that the worst part about some types of punishments is not knowing what the consequence would be.
  6. 1 Peter 4:10
    As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
    Many times we pray and plead for an opportunity to minister our gifts except when it comes time to minister our gifts of giving. It seems that we have the opportunity to bypass the intense pleading and praying part because the ministry of giving is calculated through tithing, not prayer.
  7. Acts 2:44-46
    Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
    This is not a verse that even mentions the Holy Spirit, but can we deny that the leading of the Holy Spirit is not upon them? Can we deny that the worries of possessions and materialism have faded into the gladness and simplicity of their communion?
  8. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 9:7
    Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
    So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us–see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.     . . .[So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity[law]; for God loves a cheerful giver.
    Yes, this is one of the more vague passages to support Spirit led giving, but in this whole passage about giving, i have underlined 2 phrases to summarize this passage on giving. After Paul’s admonishment on liberality and freewill giving, he states, “I speak not by commandment” and “not of necessity”. These phrases should strike a stake into the heart of all tithing supporters, and should make it clear that no standards or laws are a substitute for the Holy Spirit.
  9. Acts 11:28-30
    Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
    Here we have a man/woman who revealed through the Holy Spirit that a great famine was going to come. And because of what the Holy Spirit had revealed, the early Church was able to prepare relief for those who would be most effected by this famine. The Spirit led gift of giving many times is not so much the ability to give, but more or less the ability for one to see a financial need that should be filled.
  10. Luke 4:1
    And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
    Do we see giving mentioned in here, no. But we do see the Holy Spirit as a leader, and a guide.
  11. John 16:13
    Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
    I think we need to realize that Holy Spirit isn’t just this being that puts a permanent smile on our face. Many people believe that Spirit led giving is just simply performing the action of being cheerful. This is not the truth. We not only should be Spirit filled with our giving, but also Spirit led. The Holy Spirit is an instructor, and brings revelation for our lives.
  12. 2 Corinthians 9:7
    [So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

We need more verses that support Spirit led giving, SO PLEASE ADD SOME SPIRIT LED GIVING VERSES IN THE COMMENTS. I would definitely love old or new testament verses. There are lots of bible verses on giving in the new testament but it’s hard to really pinpoint that a spiritual gift is being used or that the Holy Spirit is guiding someone. So take that into consideration if you wish to add a verse. Also, please add your own little commentary to the verse as well, so i can add your explanation. I don’t want my voice to be the sole interpreter of scripture on this blog. I will send $15 through paypal to the best new verse and explanation of Spirit led giving.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in stewardship | 1 Comment »

Is Church Marketing Right or Wrong?

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

In my opinion, Church advertising is one of those gray areas. depending on which angle you look at the way some churches advertise, you can make a case for unethical practices or just poor stewardship. The hard part is figuring out if there is a line to draw or even if there should be any boundaries at all. It’s hard for me to determine at what point do we treat the church like a business, or treat it like a family? I mention four questions below that i believe could help us determine some boundaries.

Do we rely on it too much?

How much is too much? Truthfully, I don’t know. I believe that God gave us resources to use as tools to reach people. So, I’m not one of those who believes that we shouldn’t advertise or build church buildings just because you can’t find a verse for it in the New Testament.

I am worried that we rely too much on our advertising to attract others to the city on the hill instead of using the light to attract. What i mean is that our actions should shine a light that reflects Jesus Christ onto the world. Advertising is not bad as long as those who come get some light when they show up. If you use advertising to bring people there, and promos to keep people there, then that’s when i believe we rely on it too much.

Wood, hay, and stubble make can make a lot of light when they are burned, but the fire only lasts for a few moments. On the other hand – gold, silver, & precious stones emit an everlasting glow, and do not decay. How much light would your fellowship have once the flare, and blazes of your promotions burned out? If i say it more directly. . . how much light does your fellowship once the flare of the Sunday performance ends?

Do we spend too much on it?

I realize there is no price limit on how much we should spend to gain 1 soul. But the opposing truth is that if all we had to do was spend money, then i think we would be a lot more successful then we have been. As stewards of God’s kingdom, i think there’s one word to sum up our role – investors. A steward is much more than a person who can keep his master’s possessions safe. A good steward uses wisdom to multiply his master’s wealth.

This is my opinion, but i believe we spend too much money on those who we think are going to deserve God’s grace. We love investing in the middle-class American. If we had to advertise to the poor, then our advertising would be most effective through charitable actions. Advertising to the poor takes a lot of humility, time, and has very little recursive benefits.

One of our struggles as humans is to see the potential that some earthly investments have over others in heaven. That’s why I think most of us are complacent with putting more  money in advertising dollars than in humanitarian efforts. The truth be told, if we wish to advertise Jesus the Christ, find out how Jesus asked us to advertise. And then advertise your advertisement. Make sense? :)

Is Marketing Evanglism?

I don’t think that advertisements need to have a gospel presentation embedded in it. So, maybe this is one of those gray areas. I think the bottom line with advertising is that we should be seeking the lost, or those who need Christian fellowship and accountability. It seems that some churches really lose site of that.

Some churches think their advertising campaign is a PR tool to promote their popularity. It says nothing about Jesus Christ, and when you go to their advertised events, still nothing is said about Jesus Christ. More or less, it’s either a self help seminar, a warm and fuzzy message, or a concert. I think my statement above applies well to this. Find out what Jesus asked us to advertise, then advertise that.

Maybe it’s OK that our goals are strictly for social reasons instead of Gospel reasons? Maybe we can advertise concerts just to break down social barriers – so that people know Christians can have fun as well? Must we always be on the offensive as Christians? I know I am asking a lot of questions, but like i said, there can be a lot of gray areas when it comes to this topic. I don’t think i have this all figured out yet.

What are the pros and cons?

The Pros

1. It spreads awareness – There’s nothing wrong with telling people – this is what we do, and this is where we stand.

2. It nags people – The consistent reminder here and there wouldn’t hurt.

3. You can focus on certain demographics – Targeting age groups and certain cultures is an effective way to communicate that visitors  will feel welcome and comfortable around those who are like them.

The Cons

1. It costs money – According to Center for Church Communication in 2005 “80% of churches spend less than $10,000 on marketing and promotions each year (includes bulletins, newsletters, web sites, mailings, etc.)”. That figure seems lower than i expected. Don’t know how they come up with their numbers.

2. It’s used as bait – Usually you are not going to advertise the penalty of sin, and that we all deserve to burn in hell. More than likely you are going to advertise a concert, some self help sermons, or a pot-luck dinner or something.

Conclusion

I don’t think I’ve come to any solid conclusions here. Like i said, i have questions, and i see a lot of gray areas. I think this is partly because i don’t believe that Church is an event that occurs on Sundays. So, why should we judge how we prepare for that day different than we would any other day. The important thing is that we are a family, but there’s no laws against using business techniques. Bottom line- Christians have a job to do,- we have the liberty to use resources to get the message out- and we should be wise stewards.

Do you have any Pros or Cons that you wish to add to churches spending money on marketing? Do you think i was wrong with my analysis anywhere?

Tags: , , ,
Posted in stewardship | 7 Comments »

5 Reasons Why we Need a Recession

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

recession road sign

Can you think of anything positive about this recession we are in? I guess it’s kind of hard to have that “glass is half full” mentality when people are losing their jobs and losing their homes. Over the plenteous years, we’ve developed laziness, complacency, greed, and pride. It is due time for a good depression to detox our lives from the poisons that prosperity seems to bring. Here are five areas of our life that a good recession will help us with.

I. Creativity

In Family

I have seen with my own life that when times get tougher, my mind seems to work faster, clearer, and more creatively. I think of new, better, and creative ways to, save money, and help others.

One aspect of my life that involves my creativity is my family. I don’t have the money anymore to just throw at my family to make them happy. Now i  have to think of cheap and creative ways to do with things with my family. I come up with picnics, a walk on the beach, activities at the park, or even some time to sit and read a book.

If you are currently unemployed, and receiving unemployment, take this rare opportunity to bond with your family. Create memories that will last more than your unemployment check will. You will never regret this time.

In Business

Creativity also helps with new business ideas. Many people are receiving unemployment, but those benefits will run out one day. As the expiration date gets closer your mind begins thinking about business ideas that could make money. I started my own business when i was out of work. What better time will you have in the future? In the future, you won’t have this kind of time nor reason to think of ideas to start a business. Experts have always said, that the greatest time to start your own business is in a recession.

I could tell you, that it’s rough for any large or small business now. If you are employed take some extra time to start a side business as a safe guard against loosing your job. Maybe it will take off. . . maybe it won’t.

Psalms 104:24
“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

II. Work Ethic

Your work ethic is the accomplishing force behind the creativity. Think of it as a basic survival instinct. Most unemployed realize that if you don’t do something soon, you are gonna be begging on the street. Some of you may not think that a work ethic applies to those who are only employed, well, i’d beg to differ. Now’s the time to get that honey do-list, or that tree house finished.You don’t have to have a job to exercise your work ethic.

With your job on the line or no job at all, we all learn to appreciate the ability we have to work. Before, we took our ability for granted. We had no drive to survive, no desire to prove your worth, but now that you have no job, or your job is on the line, you learn to appreciate the responsibility that God has given everyone.

I’m looking forward to retirement myself, not for a long time, but that’s besides the point. I don’t believe that true retirement is what God intended for us. Getting through this depression is not going to be easy. For some of us, working hard may mean getting out of debt.

Bottom line is that we’ve become lazy. The ninety’s were a prosperous time, but we’ve become lazy. it’s time for a depression to wake us out of our laziness, and back into a work ethic that made us strong to begin with. I’ve heard it said that stress is the fertilizer for creativity. So take your work ethic along with creativity and you’ll be using the most effective combo punch to get you through this round of the recession.

Proverbs 6:6-8
“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

III. Humility

We’ve become cocky and selfish with our time and possessions. our prosperity for the past 15 years has boosted our ego so high that we’ve forgotten how we became prosperous in the first place. We need a dose of humility to bring us back to the level that God wants us at.

Because I live in the U.S., this point is especially true for Americans. The dollar is falling, the Chinese are buying all our debt; they even beat us in the Olympics. Our economy is no longer the superior driving force in the world. Not that this was all bad before, but it’s been bad for us because we’ve put ourselves on a pedastool that’s about to fall hard. We think America is indestructible. We think our creativity and work ethic is what has made America great. We forgot about God. More or less, it’s not that we’ve even forgot about Him because we’ve been literally pushing him out for quite some time.

America has lost the ability to acknowledge it’s weakness and see a need for God. Our pride is more devastating to this economy than laziness ever could be. Acquiring some humility is probably the fastest way that we can get through this depression. We are sorely mistaken if we think the value of the dollar, yen, or euro has more weight than the value of our spiritual heart.

Proverbs 16:18-19
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”

IV. Materialism

Plain and simple, we have too much. In the past we could no longer decipher between our needs and our wants. I tell you what, when you are going through your house looking for change to pay for groceries, you soon begin to realize the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

I remember when our trash can in our house had cracked and we had to get a new one. Well, our house had stainless steel appliances, so i figured that nice stainless steel trash-can would compliment. When i went to the store, i found a nice stainless steel trash can for $100. Yes! $100. I was this close to buying a stinkin trashcan for $100. A TRASHCAN, are you kidding me!? Luckily, i settled for one for around $15. What was i thinking when i wanted a $100 trash-can?

If there’s one mental disorder that we have not diagnosed yet, i would say that it’s materialism. Our greed has become out of control. Most of us have heard of and seen poverty on TV, but most of us, it’s never hit home. Now, friends and family are filing for bankruptcy, losing their jobs and their homes. Once depravity hits close to us, we begin to see things in a new light. That new car doesn’t seem so fantastic when our friends and family can’t pay for a place to live, or even buy groceries.

It’s a sad thing to see when i look back at the things i have bought. I don’t know about you, but i need a new perspective on the things of this earth. I’ve been hearing that voice in my head more and more when i’m at the store, “do you really “NEED” that?”

A good depression is a fine cure for materialism.

Luke 12:15
“And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

V. Responsibility

This point is directed towards the Church. We have lost our responsibility toward God’s people. I don’t necessarily mean our spiritual responsibility.

It’s time for the Church to step up to the plate. Forget about trying to have the biggest TV, biggest performance, or flashy youth group. This is about survival. People have needs that need to be met. They don’t need a new drum set or big screen TV. The best way for us to reach others for Christ is to provide for their needs.

In a good economy, social problems used to be hard to find and therefore, easier to ignore. Now that they are more prevalent, it’s getting harder and harder to look the other way. This means that leaders are going to have to put aside the architectural plans, and break out the plans to invest in the community, and invest in those who need even the  basic necessities, such as food and shelter.

At one point, we might have pushed for government to take on more social responsibility. We think that they can provide schooling, healthcare, housing, and jobs. If government can provide all that, who need a local fellowship of believers to come in contact with? But, it seems that government is going broke as well, so we can’t rely on government to bail us out.

We’ve got small groups,  help groups,  and youth groups galore, so I think the Church has done a good job over the past decade to encourage  relational evangelism. But what about practical evangelism that will serve that cold cup of water? I agree that providing the venue to cultivate relationships in small group is a good mission for Church growth; but we cannot neglect the mission of the Church to train servants. The truth is that we’re afraid to “Go” into the world and serve.

Most of us feel safe giving our money to a good church that looks nice, has a nice white steeple, and has a pastor in a finely pressed suit and tie . The bizarre thing is that when we see someone without food, clothes and shelter we think that the nice church needs it more? That’s the problem when we stopped worrying about the soul and became concerned about the sanctuary. I’ve seen just as many souls touched by buying groceries and giving clothes as i have by hearing a month’s worth of sermons. Shouldn’t there be a red flag when it’s clearly our flesh that is reluctant to give anything to the bum on the street?

Mark 10:40-42
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Conclusion

The poisons of prosperity have absorbed into our bloodstream like a bad drug addiction. Stop looking at the glass as half full and start rejoicing at the opportunity God gave us to rely on his grace.

James 1:2-4
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Tags: , , ,
Posted in stewardship | 7 Comments »

Testimony from Rory Moore

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

At times when i hear something good from others, i think it is great to publish it here on the blog. This testimony comes from Rory Moore, the author of “The Tithe That Binds”. His website is called, Prepare His Way. I have Rory’s book in my office and on my “to do” list, but here is a quote that i recently read from him. Thought he said some powerful things about Christian stewardship.

“As a former leader, assistant pastor, board member, I am all too familiar with the disregard and disrespect aimed at the “non-committed” brethren.

Too many times we saw people of success, business people, well-salaried people catered to, favored, and sought after for their membership and support.

We had one man who did especially well at offering time who was “gifted and anointed” to take up the weekly collection. We listened as pastors discussed the success or failure of the Sunday show and income at the mid-week staff meeting.

We saw and participated in leaders banquets, church-bought meals after service, and the entertaining of visiting ministers.

We saw the poor and down-trodden ignored and disdained. We saw them shuffled off to a benevolent fund minister or the food pantry minister.

We saw pastors family eat out virtually every day at least once and sometimes 3x a day.

We saw as people tithed big and who could care less about meeting the needs of the needy. They were well-trained to feed the offering plate rather than their brethren.

We saw the unpaid laborers of the church work and scramble to fundraise, sell all sorts of stuff to support the “ministry” of our church.

We were part of it for 24 years and even though we left 5 years ago, it still bothers me that we were such sorry excuses for Christians.”

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in stewardship | 2 Comments »

Could More Money be the Answer?

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

earth

Most people think that more money enables us to reach more of the world for God. We think that with more money, we can do more, and go further than before. But how true is this statement? Don’t get me wrong, i know that money is needed.  I know that Jesus’ “needs” were taken care of by the gifts of others. As a side note, Jesus received support for his basic necessities not to operate a ministry.

This is not a discussion about whether building programs or church building projects are evil. Obviously, God left these resources at our disposal. So,  the underlying questions is can we blame the lack of money as one of the reasons why the gospel has been hindered?

There are two objectives we want to reach with evangelism. One, is to take the gospel as far as we can. Two, is to take it to as many people as possible. Let’s look at a hypothetical situation for each of our objectives.

First, we want to take the gospel to the darkest parts of the world. We want the gospel to reach as far as the east is from the west. Well, let’s look at the operating cost of the world’s #1 travel agency- NASA. NASA’s yearly operating budget is around 18 billion dollars.(stats)

Hypothetically speaking, if Nasa had the budget of the Church, they could create 5 more space agencies with their own shuttle launches that could take the gospel all the way to the moon and back every year. This is because Giving statistics state that the church revenues are around 103 billion dollars a year.

Second, we want the gospel to reach the unknown of the unknown. We don’t want a single soul left out. Let’s look at the operating costs of the world’s most visited public place – Google! Google’s annual operating income is about 7 billion a year(stats)

Hypothetically speaking, with Google receiving over113 million visitors a month(stats), the Church’s budget could attract one-and-a-half trillion visitors a year! That means we could take the world population, around 7 billion, and give them the gospel over 193times a year!

I’m starting to wonder if money really is the answer? If we take 30 billion out of the 103 billion a year in Church revenue, we could erase world hunger(stats) and still find the time to spread the gospel far and wide.

It is kind of frustrating to see that we have money to compete with the outreach of NASA and Google, and yet we cry “foul” because we don’t think we have enough money to accomplish what God has us doing.

More Money be the Answer

Tags: ,
Posted in stewardship | No Comments »

Subversive1 Blog Post

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

Came across a great blog post today/tonight (it’s 1:30am). Check it out here: Subversive1. Here’s a little excerpt to give you an idea of what it mentions. Other than this, you’ll have to go to the link to read the rest. I’m right on board with what he’s talking about. Oh yeah, as a heads up, make sure you read the whole post before you come to any conclusions.

We’ve earned the right to collect as many hundreds of thousands of dollars as we like in the name of Jesus and it should be totally up to us how we spend that money. Especially if it’s for our OWN NEEDS, WANTS AND DESIRES.

Just because we’re not really involved in the needs of the poor around us, the Church SHOULDN’T BE PUNISHED IN THIS WAY.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in stewardship | No Comments »

Page 1 of 512345