He’s supplied us with everything we have

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Gratitude, Stewardship

One day a father decided to take his son to McDonalds for some French fries, because he knew how much his young son loved French fries. The boy was elated at his father’s offer, and so they drove to McDonalds. As they placed their order, the young son was surprised when his father told the lady behind the counter to super-size those fries, giving the boy the largest size of fries available.

When they sat down in their booth and began enjoying the food, the boy’s father reached out to help himself to one of his son’s French fries, and the boy blocked his father’s hand, saying, “These fries are mine, not yours.”

How incredulous is that! Think about it for a moment…
Whose suggestion was it to go get some fries? The Dad’s. Whose car did they drive to the restaurant and who paid for the gas in the car? The Dad. Who offered to get the super-size of fries, and then who paid for them? The Dad. Yes, the father then gave them to the son, but whose were they to begin with? The Dad’s.

I wonder if that’s not how God feels sometimes. I wonder if that’s not the attitude and actions we sometimes display toward God. Who has supplied us with everything we are and everything we have? God has. And then when God asks that we give some back or allow Him to take some away, what is our reaction?

I’ll let you answer that question for yourself
–Excerpted and adapted from a sermon by David Owens, entitled, “The Joyful Givers,”http://bit.ly/1LdOY3X

How the substitute became the regular organist

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Humor, Stewardship

How The Substitute Became The Regular Organist

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to, after the worship service, ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building.

Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play.  “Here’s a copy of the service,” he said impatiently. “But you’ll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances.”

During the service, the minister paused and said, “Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more.  Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up.”

At that moment, the substitute organist played “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

I’m Glad My Church Needs Money!

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Stewardship

I’m Glad My Church Needs Money!
If it didn’t, it would mean it wasn’t supporting missionaries and preaching the Gospel in other places and had no missionary zeal.
If it didn’t it would mean it wasn’t doing anything to support the needy and had no compassion.
If it didn’t, it would mean it wasn’t interested in expanding into other areas of service and had no vision.
If it didn’t, it would mean it wasn’t interested in providing wholesome activities for our children and teens.
If it didn’t, it would mean it wasn’t providing a place where Christians could find fellowship, study the Bible and opportunities for service.
If it didn’t it would mean that the church did not care about obeying the Great Commission

The fact that it does need money means it has not forfeited its zeal, compassion, vision, concern, evangelism and future. My church needs my gifts and I’m glad. I wouldn’t want to be a member of any other church.

Stewardship

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Clovis Chappell, Stewardship

Burning The Cargo

Clovis Chappell, a great preacher of a previous generation, used to tell the story of two paddleboat steamers. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, crew members made disparaging remarks about the slowness of the other boat. Challenging words and taunts were exchanged back and forth, until finally it was decided the two boats would race each other down the river.

However, with an inadequate supply of fuel, one of the boats soon fell behind There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, one crew member took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. Their boat began to catch up, so they made fuel out of more and more cargo. They finally won the race, but in the process they burned their cargo, the very material they had been hired to transport.

We are stewards of what God has given us; are we responsible stewards? Are we squandering the “cargo” God has entrusted to us?