The Price of a Soul
Read: Matthew 16:24-28 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (v. 26) There is a devastatingly beautiful scene at the end of the movie Schindler’s List when Oskar Schindler is racked with guilt for not saving more Jews during the Holocaust. He looks at his wristwatch, ring, […]
The Floor or the Ceiling?
Read: Leviticus 27:30-33 Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s. (v. 30) Tithing was common practice in Israel, commanded here and also commented on in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. It is mentioned early in the Bible, in the story […]
Gratitude and Joy!
Read: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 God loves a cheerful giver. (v. 7) I keep this quote from the theologian Karl Barth on my desk: “Gratitude follows grace like thunder lightning.” Everything I do as a fundraiser comes from gratitude. Gratitude is the fuel of the fire of giving. At its heart, giving is a response. Our life, […]
Give like the Macedonians
Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. (v. 4 NLT) I once had a wealthy person tell me that two different fundraisers had asked her for money by complaining about people who didn’t fulfill pledges they had made. She hadn’t […]
Leave Something Behind
Read: Deuteronomy 24:19-22 You shall not go back to get it. (v. 19) My wife and I have been married for more than 30 years, and I suppose for any couple to have been married that long requires agreement on most things. Yet there is one area where we constantly disagree: we disagree over the definition […]
Send It Ahead
Read: Matthew 6:19-34 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. (v. 19) My wife and I lived in the Netherlands from 2009 to 2010. When we decided to return to the United States, we did a number of things anyone in our position would have done. We evaluated which of our possessions we would […]
The Man Who Couldn’t Let Go
Read: Mark 10:17-31 Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. (v. 21) One of the problems with possessions is that we can become enslaved to them. Think of how differently you behave after putting new carpet in a room. Shoes, pets, food, […]
The Last Cent
Read: Mark 12:38-44 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins. (v. 42) Context is crucial when interpreting Scripture, and I’ve included a few verses preceding the story of the widow’s offering to help place it into context. Many commentators believe that Jesus was criticizing a corrupt religious system for taking this poor […]
What is Money For?
Read: Luke 16:1-10 Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth. (v. 9) I pay special attention to every sermon I hear on this text, and without fail the pastor inevitably says, “It’s hard to say exactly what this parable is about.” Challenges arise because on the surface it appears that Jesus is praising dishonesty. […]