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MarkupB      20Comment  @  @ #|x(r+$..      |X}SXX|XX}SXX|X}SEPSON Stylus CX6600 Series0(  Z6Times New Roman Regular|X77 7:i+00U z+!..      |XmXX|XXmXX|Xm  _      CEUS., |XXmWHATXmX|Ԁ|XXmISSTEWARDSHIPXmX|       Xr^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXr|XXm Jim: Bob,weagreedtotalkaboutstewardshiptoday,soIguess  thatyouwanttotellusthatourofferingsaredownandwe  ) needtodonatemore.Isthatright?  g  Bob :Well,JohnWeilhastoldmethatourofferingsareway U  down,andwedohavetodonatemoreorwewillendupvery   muchintheredthisyear.ButthatisntwhatIreally !  wantedtotalkabout.Ithinkthatmostofourcongregation _ believesthatstewardshipmeansbudgets,pledgecards, M money,and,bytheway,givemore.Butstewardshipisnt  justaboutmoney. Stewardshipisfaithfullivingnotjust  faithfulgiving . W    X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X 򀀀Jim: OK,thentellusjustwhatstewardshipis. E     X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X Bob :TheEvangelicalDeclarationoftheLutheranChurchsays: "  StewardshipisthewayoflivingthatrecognizesthatGod $  hasgivenuseverything(allourtalents,time,treasures).Our &O" taskthenistonurture,protect,andcareforallthatGod =)$! hasentrustedtous.Stewardshipimpliesprivilegedtruston {+&# behalfoftheowner.WearecaretakersofGodsCreation. - )% _ Jim :Youareupinthepulpitandsoundlikeyouarestartingto  preach.Howaboutjusttellinguswhatpractical > stewardshipisinplainlanguage. , |  Bob :OK.Thetraditionalexplanationofstewardshipis j  summarizedbythe5Tstime,talents,treasure,tissue,&   trash.(Repeat) 6     X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X 򀀀Jim: 󀀀Canyougiveusoneatatime? $t     X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X Bob :Sure.AndIllstartwithtime.Weallget24hoursaday.How b wechoosetospendthese24hoursisapersonaldecision.How  aboutgivingaportionofthatbacktoGod?Wealloweour . churchandourcommunitysomeofourtime.Timespent l workingforthechurchisagoodinvestment. Z  Jim: 󀀀IthinkthatImOKthere.Ispendagoodbitoftimeinchurch  Ѐ&communitywork.Butwhataboutthosewhosaytheydont !& Ѐhavetime? $d  Bob: Theanswertothemisthatthey do havetime24hoursa R&! day,justlikeusbutthey choose tospenditelsewhere.These (#  daystherearesomanypressuresonourtimethatweneedto *&" takeaseriouslookathowweallocateourtimeandour  -\($ spiritualduties.   Jim: IthinkthatPastorJeffandchurchcouncilwouldbe > interestedingettingalotmoreofthesepeopleusingsomeof , | theirtimeinchurchwork.SinceIvebeenonchurchcouncil,I j  havebecomeawareofjusthowmanylittlejobstherearein   thechurch.Thereiscertainlyajobortwofor everyone. 󀀀 6     X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X (   Whatisthenext T? $t     X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X Bob: Talents.Otherwisecalled gifts.Wehaveallbeengiven b giftsbyGodandthereforeshouldbeusingthesegiftsinour  church&communityjustlikethetimething.YouandIhave . beengivenatalentthatallowsustostandupherethis l morningandtalk.othersaregardeners,cooks,greeters,or Z abletodotheother101jobsaroundherethatneeddoing.   Jim :IthinkthatPastorandchurchcouncilwouldbeinterestedin !& gettingalotmoreofthesepeopleusingtheirtalentsin $d churchwork.Asyousaidjustlikethetimething. R&!  Bob: MaybeChurchCouncilneedstofindtasksandtheninvite (#  someonetodothem.Peoplefeelincludedwhentheyareasked *&" to_serve.  -\($    X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X 򀀀Jim :Iamafraidtoask,butistreasurethenext T.   P X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X 򀀀  Bob :Yes.Yourecatchingon.NowIgettotalkaboutmoney! You > knowabouttithing. , |   P Jim :Yes,itsthat10%commitmentfromtheOldTestamentthat j  theJewsweretoldtosetaside.    Bob: Thatsright.ButasChristians,letsthinkintermsofgiving 6  inproportiontoourincomeasPaulsaidin1Corinthians16:2 $t  USCE.,Onthefirstdayofeveryweek,eachoneofyoushouldsetasidea b sumofmoneyinkeepingwithhisincome.TheNewTestament  doesntsayanythingabouttithing butIamsureitisnot . sinfultotithe. IwillnotforgetthearticleintheEastern l SynodLutheranacoupleofyearsagothatsaidthat Z Lutheransarecheap!Ichallengeeveryoneinthe  congregationtoincreasetheirmonthlyofferingby12% !& startinginOctober.Theywontevennoticethedifference $d  butthechurch will_! _ Then,increaseitagainby1or2%in R&! January.Theystillwontnoticethedifference. butthe (#  churchwill_! _ Ifeveryonedoesntincreasetheirofferings *&" everyyear,thenthechurchsincomewillfallbehindexpenses  -\($ justbecauseofinflation,nevermindtryingtoaddanew  program,orpurchasesomethingnew.Ithinkthatmostofthe > congregationneedstohaveabetterunderstandingofthe , | incomeandexpenses.Mostwouldbeflabbergastedtoknow j  thatourchurchneedstotakein$13,000eachmonthtomeet   thebudget_! _ԀMaybewecanworkonthat.remember2 6  Corinthians9:7_" _....Godlovesacheerful_giver" _.Youarenot $t  reallygivingtogoduntilyouenjoyit. oops, IguessIhave b fallenintotheusualtrapofturningatalkabout  stewardshipintoatalkaboutbudgetsandmoney. . Unfortunately,itcantbeavoidedentirely. l    X^X(` hp x $#(#'0*,.8135@8:<H?A X(X$#(#'X Jim :Letsgetonwiththeother Ts. Z ex[e e m u%}- "#(#)=,.0E357M:<>UA X(X$#(#'X Bob :OK.Thenextoneistissue.Soundsabithokeybutweuseitto  Ѐmakethe5_" T's" _ԀThetissueisourbody.itmeansthatwehave !& Ѐtolookafterourselves.Godgaveuslifeandweneedtokeep $d Ѐourselvesingoodhealthphysically,mentally,emotionally, R&! Ѐandspiritually.Thisrequiresspendingsomeofthat24hours (#  Ѐadaygettingenoughrest,eatingproperly,gettingsome *&" Ѐexercise,praying,payingattentiontohowwefeel.Itisnot  -\($ x x@@ x  рthatweshouldfocusonlyonourselvesbutwedoneedto @ Ѐpayattentiontoalloftheabove. ~>    Jim: Ihadntthoughtaboutthatbeingoneofthe5 Tsbutour  | Ѐlife is partofallthatGodhasgivenus.Whatisthelast T.    Bob: Thefifth Tisfortrash.Thatmeansthatweneedtotake 8 Ѐcareoftheenvironmentandnottrashtheworld. v6   򀀀Jim: YoumeanwhatAlGoretalksabout? t  [e e m u%}- "$#(#)=,.0E357M:<>UAe eX#(#)X 򀀀Bob :AlGorehasdoneagoodjobinraisingawarenessabout  ̀globalwarming.AndIbelievethatglobalwarmingisthe 0 ̀biggestthreattoourworldatpresent.Buttakingcareof n. ̀theenvironmentmeansmore.Weallwantcheapfood,sothe l ̀farmerneedstoincreaseproductiontokeeppricesdown.He  ̀doesthatinpartbyusingalotoffertilizerandchemicalsto (! ̀killweeds.Thentherunofffromthesegetsintoourwater f#& ̀andwedrinksomeofit,asdothecattleandsheepthat %d ̀subsequentlybecomeamealforus.Thereissomethingto '! ̀besaidfororganiccropsandcattle.Wealsopolluteour  *#   ?+$! Ѐworldwithplasticintheformofbottledwater,bags, @ Ѐ _ Ѐpackaging,machineparts,andsoon.Actually,thenational ~> Ѐ  ] Ѐchurchhasastewardshipofcreationinitiativethrough  | ̀whichourchurchwillbegintogreenourministryandwork   ̀tobegoodstewardsofgod'screation.d   8 ̀Bob: Icouldblitheronforquiteawhileaboutthisbutyouget v6  ̀theidea. t     Jim: 󀀀YesIdo.NowIcanseethatstewardshipmeansalotmore  ̀thanjustmoneytopaythepastorandthechurchexpenses. 0 ̀Soagain,the5 Tsaretime,talents,treasure,tissue,and n. Ѐ M Ѐtrash. l CEUS., Bob: 󀀀Yes,Ithinkyouvegotit! Stewardshipisfaithfulliving,not  ̀justfaithfulgiving.ButIamgoingtothrowinasixth_" T" _Ԁ (! ̀forthismorning. f#&    Jim: Takeiteasyonme. %d    Bob: Thesixth Tisfortest.MaybeyouandIcanstandatthe '! ̀doorattheendoftheserviceandtesteveryonetoseeifthey  *#   ?+$! Ѐknowthe5 Ts. @    Jim :Notabadidea.I'llgetsomeonetolockthesidedoorsothat ~> ̀nooneavoidsthetest.  |   Bob: Amen     USCE.,XmX|W.ee m u%}- "e eX$#(#)XW