In this series, we’re talking about lessons we can learn from the character of Bezalel in the book of Exodus. Bezalel was responsible for building the furnishings inside the tabernacle. God gave Moses the design for what and how He wanted His tabernacle created. Bezalel co-labored with God to produce excellent results. The outcome was a tabernacle that met God’s ...
Bill Gates once stated at a TED conference that his most fulfilling act has been to establish The Giving Pledge. Mr. Gates has encouraged at least 120 of the wealthiest people in the world to give away at least half of their wealth. These wealthy philanthropists are discovering causes to which they are pledging large sums of money. True generosity ...
One of the unconventional concepts in the Bible is generosity. Imagine when the Israelites first learned of God’s requirement to give the first ten percent of their harvest to God. I can imagine one of these farmers saying, “Let me get this right. I planted seeds, cultivated the ground and worked hard to harvest my crops and, now, that I’ve ...
My friend, Pete, shared recently at an event that when he turned 40, he realized he had become financially successful, but wasn’t internally fulfilled. He craved significance. So, he pledged to give away $10 million in his lifetime. Years later, someone challenged him to add another "0" on the end of his financial pledge. Pete soon realized that this higher ...
As a teenager, I worked summers on my uncle’s farm. Some land my uncle farmed was owned by others. They shared the profits 50/50 after direct expenses like fertilizer and seed. With that context, I found Joseph’s profit-sharing arrangement in Genesis 47:24 as peculiar. Joseph said to the sharecropping tenants, “But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it ...
Recently, I met with a retired businessman. While discussing his future this man shared, “I’ve made enough money to care for my wife and I, my kids, and my grandkids for their lifetime.” He continued, “God’s made it clear that He wants me to give away my excess to advance God’s kingdom.” Jesus told a parable about a rich man ...
In the 90s I owned a consulting practice. I often stayed late on New Year’s Eve because I wanted to tally up our final profit and loss numbers! It wasn’t to greedily examine my profits. Instead, it was to determine how much extra I could give to charity before the tax year ended. Joy would fill my heart as I ...
According to Mobilecause.com, 12% of total annual giving is done in the last three days of the year and 30% is done in the month of December. This begs the question, “Why?” Taxes is certainly a part of the answer, but as I work with many generous business leaders, I have realized that December is much like the harvest season ...
When my son was young, I watched Muppet’s Christmas Carol often. In the movie, Scrooge has a remarkable transformation from a greedy miser to a generous employer. Scrooge’s transformation came in part from being shown his miserly life through a different lens. I believe it also came from his sudden understanding of the value of generosity. When Scrooge realized that ...
When my son was young, I watched Muppet’s Christmas Carol more times than I can count. In the movie, Scrooge has a remarkable transformation from a greedy miser to a generous employer. If you’ve ever been an employer who has had to cover payroll, you can probably relate somewhat to Scrooge’s view on Christmas. Scrooge believed being forced to give ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
