Charles Spurgeon was invited by a man to help this man’s church raise money to pay off a debt. This wealthy man also told Spurgeon to feel free to stay in either his country house, his town house, or his seaside home. Spurgeon wrote him back and said, “Sell one of the places and pay off the debt yourself.” Sacrificial ...
Recently, I visited a tire store that was excellent in customer service. They had modern systems that keyed off my phone number and when I visited their store they were very efficient and excellent in all aspects of service. Organizations like this usually have great operationally minded people striving for excellence in most everything, but one area that may be ...
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 ...
Some businesses have a generous culture, and some are just plain cheap. I was reminded of that as Tom, my pastor, recently shared an incredible personal experience he had years ago. Before becoming a pastor, newly married, Tom and his wife were new to their church, so they jumped at the offer to have dinner in the home of another ...
While walking in downtown Springfield Illinois, Kathy and I were stopped by a very articulate man. He shared how he was on staff with a well-known ministry visiting Springfield for a conference with his family. This middle-aged man claimed that his keys were locked in his car, and that he was $11 short in paying the locksmith. Kathy recommended that ...
This week we’re discussing the spiritual struggle some have over building wealth. Sometimes wealth is passed on to people, such as when a family member takes over the family business. Years ago, I was speaking with a friend who was taking over his family’s business. In a candid moment, he told me, “I’m afraid that this wealth could draw me ...
This week we’re discussing the spiritual struggle some have over building wealth. Unfortunately, many believe to be a good Christian, you must be poor. This philosophy can hinder someone’s God-given ability to create wealth. Joseph was a God-fearing man that was given the gift of creating wealth, but it was wealth for a purpose. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph told his ...
This week we’re discussing the spiritual struggle some have over building wealth. Some point to the rich young ruler’s story as a mandate for us all to be poor. Jesus knew this rich young ruler’s heart. This young man’s love of money was blocking him from eternal life. Jesus’ call for him to sell his possessions was a specific call ...
This week we’re discussing the struggle some have over their business flourishing economically. A philosophy around since the first century claims that poverty is good for all. Material possessions were considered bad. Although some leaders are called to poverty, we cannot assume that to be true for all. Material possessions are not the problem. The motivations we have for acquiring ...
A friend is concerned that his business partner may leave their business soon, primarily because of his partner’s ingrained belief that building wealth is bad. His partner’s fears have surfaced due to rapid growth in their business. The belief that material possessions are bad has caused many to stumble since the first century church. Although the Bible can be used ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
