Tiny Gestures

   Ali McGraw is known as an actress. She is also known for her exercise tapes and her artistic ability. What is little known about this gifted person is that she also sets aside time to serve the poorest of the poor. Every so often, she journeys to Guatemala to work with poverty-stricken children who are known as "the children of the dump."

   The children and their parents try to eke out an existence by sifting through garbage dumps hoping to find something of value which they can sell to get money for food. Imagine the lift they get when someone of substance and concern comes to their aid.

Stewardship Thought

   Stewardship is a way of life. It is a fully Christ—oriented life. Christ must share in every phase of our existence.

   In the true spirit of stewardship, we find a great joy in sharing with God. Our return of Time, Talent and Treasure is an external demonstration of our faith, love and devotion.

   Love gives, and if you have never experienced the happiness and satisfaction of really sharing your life with Christ, you must try it and find rich blessings waiting.

Trinity Sunday

The Source of Money

   My job is not the source of my income this week. Rather, God is the source and my job is merely a channel He uses to supply my needs. Yes, I work hard, and my employer owes me reasonable pay for my labor. But where did I get the ability to do the work? It's easy to forget, just like the Israelites forgot where their wealth and good fortune came from after they entered the Promised Land. So God had to keep reminding them to remember. This word "remember" is appropriate in developing gratitude because the word thanksgiving comes from the root word "to think." We have to consciously think about the source of all we have to be thankful.

Mammon Illness

   Rev. John Haugher spoke to a gathering of church leaders some time ago about the "Holy Use of Money," taken from the title of a book he authored in 1986. He described what he called "mammon illness," that is so pervasive in our consumer oriented culture.

What is “mammon?”

How To Be Rich

   Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl put to death by the Nazis, said many wise things in her diary. "No one," she wrote, "has ever become poor by giving." That may seem strange, but it is quite true. We actually find that we become rich when we give.

   Jesus Himself said: "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap." (Luke 6:38) How can it be so?

   First of all, God honors the good steward. God is not about to neglect His servant who uses his or her talents and resources in a wise and generous manner.