The Stewardship Weekly
Welcome to The Stewardship Weekly! This new page will share weekly uplifting messages based on stewardship - serving Jesus through our gifts of time, talent, gifts, service and witness.
3/8/10:
Last Sunday (and in the March Lamplighter) we introduced a new stewardship idea – “Try the Tithe”. We are asking that on Sunday, March 21st everyone tithe the 10% that God has commanded in the Bible. In return, God has promised that we will be blessed with riches beyond compare. Please read the following…
“The Tithe Belongs to God”
by Dr. Dale A. Robbins
...God has chosen for us to personally return the tithe so that we can demonstrate our stewardship of his property. Stewardship is the faithful and responsible management of something that belongs to someone else. Tithing is a test of our stewardship over the property of God, a test of our honesty to return to God what is rightfully His, a test of our obedience to do what He told us to do, and a test of our love and desire to please Him with our lives. Tithing is a demonstration that we believe in God, and that we acknowledge that He is the provider of all material blessings...
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." - Luke 16:10-13
2/15/10:
“Doubting Thomas” or was it really “Truth Seeking Thomas”?
We have all had doubts in our lives. But there is a difference between truly doubting and seeking the truth. Below are a few examples of the disciple Thomas and how he got his name “Doubting Thomas”. But as we read about him, we learn that this was really a bad rap. Thomas was only seeking the truth!
John 14:5-7 –
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Between stubborn skepticism and honest questioning there is a huge gap, and the disciple named Thomas illustrates the difference. Popularly known as “Doubting Thomas”, this disciple stands out for his practical honesty, not for his disbelief.
When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, Thomas frankly showed his anxiety over the danger in going to Judea, along with his intense loyalty to Jesus: “Let us go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). At Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, he expressed the confusion that was surely on all the disciples’ minds (John 14:5). Thomas never pretended. If he didn’t understand something, he said so; if he felt discouraged, he acted like it.
Thomas got his reputation as a doubter primarily because of his reaction when told of Jesus’ resurrection. He simply insisted, “I need to see it for myself.” The implications of a risen Jesus were too great, he believed, to take someone else’s word for it. Jesus honored this honest doubt, and when he visited Thomas in person to offer proof, Thomas responded with the ultimate statement of faith: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). He was, in fact, the only disciple who specifically addressed Jesus as God.
Thomas’s questions led to faith because he expressed them sincerely and looked for answers. The last mention of him in the Bible shows Thomas no questioning but praying, waiting with the other disciples for the Holy Spirit to come (Acts 1:12-14).
Side lesson in The Student Bible (NIV)
02/08/10:
"Whom Shall I Send?" Can't you hear the choir singing that wonderful hymn of praise? One of the gospel lessons yesterday was from Isaiah chapter 6. God is calling each and every one of us. Though He may be calling us all to serve in slightly different capacities, He is asking us to serve in love.
Isaiah 6:8 - Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Being Christ's Witnesses
I thought that all we have to do is build a Church, preach the gospel, sing a few hymns, and then people will flock to us. We'll hold a tea and the neighborhood ladies will come. We'll serve ice cream and all the youth will come running. That's all we have to do. Pray, give, worship, and socialize. We can send out missionaries to other countries to convert the heathen for us. That is the traditional way. We have been doing it for years.
But I can't find anything in Your words to substantiate this, Jesus. Nothing. You never said people should come to us. You did say that we should go to them. You never told us anything about socials, but quite a bit about prayer. You never said others should become missionaries for us. You said we all have the privilege of being Your witnesses. Did You, in fact, ever tell me anything else but to pray and witness, and that You would be with me? Have I fallen so far into my comfortable churchy pattern that I cannot hear Your disturbing voice any more?
-- H.S. Vigeveno in Jesus the Revolutionary
From Sound Bites Ministry
02/02/10:
Don't Be Blind To The Light Of Jesus
You've heard "blinded by the light". Well, today, the groundhog didn't see its shadow - at least not in LeRoy, IL. So I don't think we have to worry about being blinded by sunshine. What if our world was all dark? And maybe parts of it are. But Jesus is the light of the world. Let us not turn away from the light or be blind to it. Today I am going to share with you the story of a family that we know from showing cattle. Cramer Schneider is blind. This story will amaze you as it has amazed me. The Schneider family is not afraid to be witnesses as they quote:
John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
They also are living examples of being stewards of God's gift - in this case their blind son. Here is a link to their story. This video is airing right now on RFD TV:
01/26/10:
One of the ways that we can be stewards for God is by serving as witnesses for God. Recently, I read a book called "Into the Deep" by Robert Rogers. The story is a gripping recollection of the tragic loss of his family and through it all his sustaining, and even strengthening, faith in God. The weekend of February 19-21st we will have the opportunity to listen and learn from Mike Rayson during our "Speaking the Truth in Love" spiritual reflection and growth weekend. Rev. Rayson has also experience great loss in his life. This got me thinking...
Why do we allow ourselves to measure our life by what we don't have as opposed to by what we do have? Admittedly, I am there. Here we have two examples in Mike Rayson and Robert Rogers who have lost the most precious things in their lives, yet they go out and seek people to tell of God's Glory and God's Grace and God's Greatness. I am looking forward to our weekend with Mike Rayson. I have a lot to learn about being a witness for God. If you have not gone and looked yet, here is his website:
If you would like to take a look at the story of Robert Rogers and his book "Into the Deep" go to:
Robert's book is filled with scripture, one being from Phillippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
01/11/10:
We love to have breakfast for dinner at our house, just like in the story below. Our family favorite is biscuits and gravy. But gravy can be fickle and sometimes biscuits get burned. However, if we love one another as God commands and as the story suggest, “burnt biscuits isn’t a deal-breaker”.
1 John 2:17 – The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Burnt Biscuits
When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults - and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! Author Unknown
01/04/10:
New Year Pop Quiz!
Happy New Year! We turned our calendars over to January 2010. But wait...one last look back to 2009 and even (way) prior to that. As Christians, we made a commitment to God and to our church. On the local church level, we agreed to some core Christian responsibilities. We made the commitment to give of our time, talents, gifts, service and witness. This is where the pop quiz comes into play and ultimately, it should not be looked at as multiple choice. Yes, these are all variables of discipleship but which will put us on track for spiritual maturation as disciples?
A. Giving of our time
B. Giving of our talents
C. Giving of our income
D. Giving of our service
E. Giving of our witness
F. ALL OF THE ABOVE!
Joshua 24:15 - But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."
Resolution for the New Year: Individually, we all know our own deficiencies. But imagine what we could accomplish if we collectively worked on our commitments…
12/29/09:
Do You Have Room in Your Inn?
Now that the busiest part of Christmas is over, let's stop and think. Did we see the star? Did we hear the heavenly angels sing? Have we journeyed to Bethlehem? Have we found the true meaning of Christmas? Have we made the decision to make room in our Inn? Let us open our hearts and be filled with the peace that only Jesus can bring.
In Search of Our Kneeling Places
In each heart lies a Bethlehem,
an inn where we must ultimately answer
whether there is room or not.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we experience our own advent in His.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we can no longer look the other way
conveniently not seeing stars
not hearing angel voices.
We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily
tending our sheep or our kingdoms.
This Advent let's go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us.
In the midst of shopping sprees
let's ponder in our hearts the Gift of Gifts.
Through the tinsel
let's look for the gold of the Christmas Star.
In the excitement and confusion, in the merry chaos,
let's listen for the brush of angels' wings.
This Advent, let's go to Bethlehem
and find our kneeling places.
By Anne Weems, Kneeling in Bethlehem
12/21/09:
A Prayer for Peace for the Prince of Peace
"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me". Once we are each filled with the peace that only the Holy Spirit can bring, we can go out in peace and serve. As we await the celebration of Jesus' birth and anticipate the return of the Prince of Peace, let us come together in a unified prayer for peace. Peace within our own hearts, peace within our families, peace within our congregation, peace within our community, peace within our nation and peace within our world.
Prayer for Peace
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart,
and a fruit upon the tree of humility. Amen.
From Souledout.org
Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
12/14/09:
Wait...
Sorry this is a bit late, but I had to "wait" for my internet service to be functioning again. Waiting can be hard (even for grownups)! I wrapped a few presents and put them under the tree thinking they would help build a little excitement (not that we needed any extra). Boy did I (the Mom) find out how hard waiting can be when you have to listen to the begging by those waiting. Hmmm, I wonder what God feels like? The following excerpt is from "Sound Bites". Enjoy the story and enjoy the wait!
Waiting on the Lord requires patient trust. Will I trust that God has good reasons for saying "wait"? Will I remember that things look different to God because He views things from an eternal perspective? . . .
The story goes that an economist once read these words and got very excited. "Lord - - is it true that a thousand years for us is just like a minute to you?"
"Yes."
"Then a million dollars to us must just be a penny to you."
"Yes."
"Lord, would you give me one of those pennies?"
"All right. Wait here a minute."
Too often we want God's resources, but we do not want His timing. We want the penny, but not the minute. We forget that His work in us while we wait is as important as what it is we think we are waiting for. Waiting means that we give God the benefit of the doubt that God knows what He is doing.
It may be patient trust -- trust that is willing to wait again and again day after day.
-- John Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat
12/07/09:
Malachi 3:1-4: "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
This passage tells us three things:
1. God is tremendously concerned that the people of God be as fit and as holy as they can be, so concerned that God will send someone to get them ready for worship and for offering gifts to God…
2. The passage tells us that we cannot simply anticipate and look forward to what God will do on our behalf. We are not mere spectators in this drama of salvation and the coming of Jesus Christ to this world… We are called to go to the core of our faith, especially during this season of preparation, and to ask for help in refining and purifying our lives, in living our lives as righteous and acceptable to God…
3. In all of this talk about preparation and refining, we must infer from Malachi's words that, indeed, God is coming. We would have no reason to go through all the work of getting ready if there would not be a day in which we would enter into the presence of God in worship and offering. God is coming to us, so let us prepare properly for that coming.
(From Sound Bites Ministry)-- Randy Cross in Born to Save: An Advent Study Based on the Revised Common Lectionary
11/30/09:
A Steaming Cup of Anticipation:
My Mom’s favorite coffee cup bluntly says, “Don’t take life so seriously, it’s not permanent”. And when questioned about the saying, my Mom simply said “Because of the promise that we have in heaven with God. It is so much greater than this temporary life.” The time of advent is all about anticipation. Waiting to savor holiday treats and festivities. Joyous time spent with family and friends. Celebrating the birth of our Savior and anticipating His return. But just like we busily prepare for the holidays, we should also be busily preparing our lives for the return of our Lord.
So go ahead and pour yourself a steaming cup of anticipation. Sit back and savor the wonderful feelings that the anticipation brings to you. But don’t dally too long, these are busy times and you will certainly want to be ready for all the wonderful things to come when the Lord does return.
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 NIV
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
11/15/09:
For those of you on church council, sorry for the repeat. I used this as my devotional at church council this past week, but felt it was worthy of a repeat…
“REACT LIKE A CHRISTIAN”
In my experience, it is much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one. Most of us are good actors -- we can play the part. But our reactions reveal who we really are. And maybe that is why Jesus focused so much of His teaching on reconditioning reflexes.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you.
If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
What is the natural reaction when someone slaps you? You feel like slapping him back, right? But supernatural reaction is both counterintuitive and counter reactive. Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek. Think of it as a spiritual aikido. We absorb the sinful energy of others and convert it into a righteous response. So persecution becomes a catalyst for prayer. Hatred inspires love. And we convert curses into blessings.
Is there anybody in your life who brings out the worst in you? When you're around her, you react in ways you later regret. Or maybe it's someone who gets on your nerves or under your skin. Here's my advice: pray for them! Nothing reconditions our spiritual reflexes like prayer. Start praying for the difficult people in your life, and it will change the way you feel about them. (Taken from -- Mark Batterson in Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God)
Ephesians 4:25-32 - Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
11/9/09 -
I would like to share with you a stewardship article sent to me by Doug Etherton (thanks!). However, the article is too long to include on this page, so I am giving you the cliff notes and a link. Here are the basics from the article "Stewardship Lessons from Passing Generations" by David S. Bell:
1. Power and prestige are not gained by accumulating more. Generations before us understood this and practiced the differences between having enough and having enough to share.
2. We are now a society of extravagant consumption, not extravagant generosity. Generations before us understood the difference between want and need.
3. We have lost sight of the basic truth that God loves us. Generations before us knew, "that the sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross is God’s living example of stewardship and extravagant generosity. God frees all who believe in God’s redemptive love to be Christian stewards on Earth."
To read the entire article (well worth your time), click on this link:
http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/article.asp?id=47734
11/2/09 -
November already? Yes it is. With the start of November we have kicked off our fall stewardship program - The Pony Express. Remember, our goal is to reach each church household in person. As we prepare our hearts and minds for sharing or receiving information about stewardship, please consider that each of us (by God's design) is a disciple. Never underestimate the power of our own personal testimony. We never know when we might make a difference in someone's life. Mack (from "The Shack”) had that realization that I shared with you last week. The Samaritan women in the book of John had the same affect on people in her community:
John 4:39-41 – Many of the Samaritans from the town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
Maybe we can do the same. And since it is God calling, it’s worth a try!
10/26/09 -
We just participated in our Faith in Action Sunday. The quotes below talk about the reason that we go out in service - "...my purposes are accomplished". Let's keep this in mind and continually put our faith into action.
Sarayu (The Holy Spirit) interrupted him. "Mack, if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again."
"Okay,” Mack said with finality. "Then I'll go back. I don't think anyone will ever believe my story, but if I go back I know I can make a difference, no matter how little that difference might be. There are a few things I need, uh, want to do anyway. He paused and looked from one to the next, then grinned. "You know..."
They all laughed.
"And I really do believe that you will never leave me or abandon me, so I am not afraid to go back. Well, maybe a little."
"That," said Papa (God) "is a very good choice." He beamed at him setting down next to him.
This was another savory excerpt from "The Shack" which Pastor Mary Louise will give a special sermon on this coming Sunday.
10/18/09 -
Following up on Steve Ward's message, "Whatever!", in worship today we learned that "whatever" means all, everything, total. If we simply look at the word whatever by this new meaning, then there is a whole new meaning in this:
Colossians 3:23 & 24 - "Whatever you do, work at it with your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
In the book "The Shack", the word "whatever" is present as well:
"...Does freedom mean that you are allowed to do whatever you want to do? Or we could talk about all the limiting influences in your life that actively work against your freedom."...Gently reaching out, she (God, Papa) took Mack's hands in hers, flour-covered and all, and looking him straight in the eyes, she continued, "Mackenzie, the truth shall set you free and the truth has a name; he's over in the woodshop right now covered in sawdust. Everything is about him. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him."
Looking at this, we can learn that whatever = everything = Jesus.
10/2/09 -
As mentioned above we serve Jesus through the gifts that he has bestowed on us. Those being time, talent, gifts, service and witness. One of those five involve returning our gifts to God, who has given them to us. Are you giving? Are you taking a step closer to tithing? Are you tithing? Or are you preparing to take a step beyond tithing? Below is a link to an interactive tithing calculator. Take a look...
Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
In The Student Bible (NIV) there is a side note further explaining Malachi 3:10, "Like a salesman offering a free sample, God urges the Israilites to test him out. If they bring their tithes to the temple, they will see how God blesses them, opening the 'floodgates of heaven' to pour out an abundance. The 'tithe' was at least a tenth of their income, used to feed the priests, pay temple expenses, and help the poor."