Further Study:
How are we to understand the whole question of stewardship and accountability to God in the context of salvation by faith alone? Are we saved by what good stewards we are? Or does our stewardship reveal the reality of our faith? And even if we make mistakes here, why should we not give up in despair? 
What's wrong with what's been dubbed the "health and wealth gospel," the idea that if you live right, God will give you lots of money and good health? How is this a perversion of true principles of stewardship? 
Discuss the following statement: "The greatest, most gifted people are useless if they don't make themselves available to be used by God. In short, availability is more important than ability."—Mike Nappa, The Courage to Be a Christian (West Monroe, La.: Howard Publishing Co., 2001), p. 164. 
What advice do you give to a church member who, struggling through hard financial times, says that he or she just can't afford to pay tithe, much less give offerings? What various approaches could or should be taken with this person? Summary:
| We all have been given one or more talents. We have been entrusted with resources. As stewards we are expected to "manage" these resources to the best of our ability, in grateful recognition that all we have, in fact, comes from God. Stewardship should not be a hard duty but a joyful prioritizing in all aspects of our lives. |
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| From Shopkeeper to Shepherd Told to JOHN K. MCGHEE by RAM* I am Ram.* I live in the Himalayan region of northern India. I was doing pretty well running a little shop in the mountains. I earned enough money to keep my parents fed. But I sensed that something was missing from my life. I was sure that there was more to life than working, eating, and sleeping. I looked forward to the day when I would marry and have children, but often I wondered, Will a family fill the void in my life? I love to read, and I've studied the mystics and various philosophies, try-ing to understand the cosmos. But I sensed that I was missing something. Then one day I bought a book that cost just four rupees (about 10 cents US). As I read it, I discovered it was the most valuable book in my library. The book was full of exciting stories and told me how the world began. It described a God unlike any I had ever known. I told friends about this marvelous book, the Bible. But few had ever heard of it. However, some of my more educated friends urged me to stop reading it immediately. "It's a book for foreigners," they said. "They try to force people to change religions." Curious, I decided to find out for myself if their accusations were true. I asked around and learned that no missionaries lived in our town. Then one day some strangers walked past my store. I asked one if he was a mis-sionary. "Yes, I am," he replied. He introduced himself as Pastor Ravi.* I told him that I was searching for the truth about reality. And although he lived in another mountain valley several miles away, he offered to return so we could talk about the truth. Pastor Ravi came often to see me and soon became my teacher and my friend. I was eager to share with others what Pastor Ravi was teaching me, so as soon as I could I closed my shop and shared what I was learning with my family and neighbors. I told Pastor Ravi that I wished I could share the wonderful truths he was teaching me with others. He has provided me with a small stipend so I can close my shop and learn how to make disciples for my new friend Jesus. I am now shepherding a small group of new believers in a nearby village. Your mission offerings have brought God's Word to my village. Thank you! Now I share that wonderful message with everyone I meet. *Names have been changed.
DR. JOHN K. MCGHEE is vice president for Community Health and Lifestyle Medicine of the Adventist hospital system in the Southern Asia Division (India and Nepal). | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
No comments:
Post a Comment