Years ago, during a challenging economic cycle, my friend Jeff and I discussed the impact of the economy on ministries. Jeff shared that he and his wife had decided to significantly increase their giving, due to the economy and many struggling ministries. A generous spirit is rare and refreshing. Paul highlighted the generous spirit of the Macedonian church in 2 ...
Over the years I’ve gotten to know many wealthy business leaders. I’ve wondered why some are generous, while others are not. One of the answers comes from a recent survey conducted by the American Bible Study. This study determined that 94% of people whom they call “scripture engaged” gave to charity a median amount of $2000 annually. This is in ...
In this series, we’re discussing seven keys to successful business startups. The final key to success is to be generous. One of the paradoxical concepts in the Bible is that if you generously give away money for God’s work, He, then, can trust you with more, sometimes replacing far more than you gave. Bob faithfully tithed from his personal paycheck ...
While many prepare for year-end festivities, many generous entrepreneurs are examining their estimated bottom-line profit for the past year. These men and women are making decisions on how to minimize taxes and how much to give to charity. Doublethedonation.com claims that 10% of annual charitable giving comes in the last three days of the year. Many business leaders now ...
It was just another night of tending sheep when the shepherds experienced an angel entering their presence, shining with God’s radiant glory. Imagine their likely wonder, doubt, skepticism, and curiosity as they traveled to discover if what the angel told them was true. That evening those shepherd boys experienced the unexpected gift of gazing upon the future Messiah of the ...
On Christmas Eve 1968 our nation was reeling from a very bad year. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated, and the Vietnam War raged on. But a bright spot surfaced as three brave astronauts orbited the moon. As the world observed Apollo 8, Astronaut Bill Anders read from the Bible. "In the beginning, God created the ...
As Hurricane Helene passed through Sarasota, Kathy and I were watching the 70 mph winds and rain pound outside our hotel. Amid this vast storm, truck after truck started rolling into the parking lot. Before long we watched dozens of linemen enter the lobby in their muddy clothes. Some were from Tennessee, others said Georgia. Neighboring states sent help to ...
In business, I’ve discovered that there are takers and there are givers. Those people who claim victimhood will often have their hands out looking for help, taking whatever they can from others. These people often borrow as much money as possible with little care about how they are going to repay the debt. On the other extreme are those who ...
Bob had faithfully tithed from his paycheck for many years but had never considered what God might want from his business. After attending a Business by the Book seminar, Bob was reminded that God owned Bob’s business as well as his paycheck. Bob had never considered that God may desire a tithe from his business profits. Bob loved God and ...
My friend, Jim, recently shared with me a new idea they have implemented in his company to encourage generosity. Jim uses a new app called Grateful for Giving. Jim’s company purchases gift cards to give to his employees or customers that entitle them to give to any charity of their choice. These cards direct the recipient to the app to ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
