No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Luke 16:13
“Bountiful giving requires a willingness to talk about money–inside the church and from the pulpit. Daring to talk about money is one of the most challenging aspects of any successful stewardship program. Both pastors and lay leaders struggle to have open and honest conversations about this issue. Often, the pastor has been pressured to keep talk of money out of the pulpit, usually by people who don’t give, and has acquiesced. But when church leaders choose to keep silent about money, they allow money to hold their ministries hostage. Instead of addressing the topic head on, many churches back away, making money taboo and giving the issue an unhealthy measure of power. By talking about money and speaking clearly about its control of our lives, we can begin to put things back into perspective.”
Kristine Miller and Scott McKenzie in Bounty: Ten Ways To Increase Giving At Your Church (Nashville: Abingdon, 2013) 15. I shot this new header photo of the Central district of Hong Kong Island on our harbor cruise last night. The prominent building with the triangular white lights is the Bank of China Tower. This is the heart of the “Wall Street” in Asia, and a great place to preach about money from God’s Word!
I’d appreciate your prayers as I am preaching twice here on Sunday at Union Church and teaching through the Scriptures on generosity at Island Evangelical Community Church. I concur with Miller and Mckenzie that talking about money is vital. I plan to share truth with transparency from what I have learned in my own life. Pray with me for a fruitful response and for stamina as our long trip to Hong Kong nears its end.