the small stuff
How has your ministry been able to thrive in these tough economic times?” someone asked the leader of a nonprofit organization. “It’s because of the small gifts,” he said without hesitation. “The big gifts dry up when things get tough. But we have a lot of people who make small donations, and they give faithfully out of what they have.”…
autocorrect?
Ben Zimmer, linguist, lexicographer, and language columnist for The New York Times, recently wrote an article about how incorrect the autocorrect text feature on our smart phones can be. He told how Hannah had received a text message from her father, which read: “Your mother and I are going to divorce next month.” No sooner than Hannah received this seismic…
tale of two rich men
Many of us are familiar with the story of Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” (as the Sunday school song goes) who climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus passing by. However, Luke sets Zacchaeus’ story in close context to the story of another rich man—a young and wealthy leader who visited Jesus. The proximity of the two narratives highlights…
having it all
New York City is known as “the city that never sleeps,” and for a time Scott Harrison was partly to blame. As one of the top nightclub promoters on the planet, his nocturnal dealings brought him notoriety, success, and wealth. In addition to his business proceeds, companies paid him thousands of dollars to endorse their stuff. But, during a luxury…
here's a tip
How does the after-church crowd tip?” I asked the waitress. If my question lacked subtlety, her response possessed even less. “They’re the worst!” she said emphatically. “None of us wants to work the lunch shift on Sunday.”
That dialog helped me understand my pastor’s comment as he dismissed us following a service. “You are now entering the mission field,” he…
only a penny . . .
James 4:13-15: Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought…
amplified
Despite the recent economic meltdown, most people would agree that free markets have improved the lives of billions of people. Many people today are living longer and wealthier than anyone ever has, in large part because free markets incentivize us to create products that other people want to buy. Entrepreneurs who knew that they would profit from their efforts invented…
it's only money
Grigori Perelman won the Millennium Prize from the Clay Mathematics Institute for solving a problem that had stumped mathematicians for a century. When told that the prize came with a $1 million award, Grigori, a reclusive genius who lives with his elderly mother in Russia, said that he would need to think about whether to accept the money.
Grigori may…
be on guard
Last year on Christmas Eve, a New York cab driver found more than $21,000 in cash and jewelry left in his cab by an Italian tourist. He drove more than 50 miles to return the possessions to an address he found in the purse. The woman wasn’t home, so he left a note that contained his phone number. The tourist…
rich
Their fatigue and discomfort blended with the barren landscape as the group walked through the dirt streets. Trash littered what could hardly be considered front yards. This arid area of Choluteca known as “The New City” exists in denial of its name. Unclothed children, wild dogs, and a few large pigs ran through the streets with little purpose or focus…
too proud to receive
Shaina attends a service for 20-somethings at her church. The group is small but growing, and they’re starting to reach out in innovative ways to their community.
In the past year, nearly 30 people in the church have lost their jobs. So her group decided to get donations of food from individuals and businesses. They were amazed at the generosity.…
faking your features
Paul warns Timothy that some people use religion or "godly acts" (in the original Greek) to get rich. How so? Well, godly acts are good things, and all good things have value. So godly acts will always have buyers. But they should never have sellers.
Paul's concern? Virtuous Christians are tempted sometimes to skip the discipline that developed their character…
beware
David Wayne Sharpton, 54, has won the Georgia lottery three times—raking in $350,000 in 2004, $1 million in 2005, and $2.5 million in 2007. The repeat winner continues to work at his job as a restaurant-oven repairman, even though his winnings have provided more than enough money for him to retire. "Am I the luckiest man alive?" he asks. "I…
giving to grasshoppers
Aesop's fable tells the story of a busy ant that slaved all summer to store up food for winter while a fun-loving grasshopper played in the sun. When winter came, the panicked grasshopper came to borrow food from the ant, but the ant replied that if the grasshopper wanted to eat now, he should have worked hard then.
I remember…
