Tag: Money

The Offering Plate is Half Empty – Now What?

Hey.
It’s Sunday morning.
The worship band just landed on that last sustained chord, the one that makes everyone feel like the roof lifted off for a second and maybe goosebumps have appeared on your arms.
But now, here comes the part nobody asked for on the original tour bus of Christianity: the offering.
The ushers start their slow walk down the aisle.
Baskets. Plates. Little velvet bags on sticks (Our church has the boxes in the back and we give afterwards).
Whatever your tradition calls it, it shows up like clockwork.
And lately, maybe you’ve noticed—like I have—that the plates (or in our case the Offering Box) looks…lighter.
Not dramatically empty, not yet, but definitely not overflowing.
Half empty, maybe even a little less than half.
And here’s the thing: nobody says it out loud, but everybody feels it. The pastor (me, in this case) feels it when the finance report lands in my email inbox before our next board meeting.

The treasurer feels it when the mortgage and other bills are due.
The single mom feels it when she drops in a twenty and wonders if it’s enough.
The guy in the back row feels it when he pretends to check his phone so he can let the plate pass by without anyone noticing.

So let’s just talk about it.

No announcements.
No guilt slides.
No Malachi proof-texts dropped like grenades.
Just us.

The offering plate is half empty—now what?

First, can we admit that tithing can feel like the last surviving relic of rule-based religion?
Ten percent.
The word itself sounds like it was invented by an accountant who moonlights as a Puritan right?!
And somewhere along the way we turned a wild, ancient practice of trust into a spiritual report card.

You didn’t hit 10%?
F minus in faith, see me after class.
No wonder there’s resistance.
No wonder there’s guilt.
No wonder some of us just… pass the plate. I’ve been on both sides of this.
I’ve been the broke twenty-something who genuinely had $11 in the bank and felt like a failure when the plate came.
I’ve been the pastor who stood up front and said “God loves a cheerful giver” while secretly scanning the room to see who looked cheerful and who just looked constipated.

Here’s what I’m learning—slowly, painfully, wonderfully: The goal was never to fill the plate.
The goal was to free the heart.

In the Old Testament, people brought crops, animals, oil, flour—stuff they actually lived on.
Handing it over was a way of saying out loud, “I can’t make the sun come up tomorrow, but You can.
Here’s my trust, in grain form.”

Jesus sits down opposite the treasury one day and watches the river of coins clinking in.
Rich people tossing in heavy bags—impressive, loud, tax-deductible.
Then a widow drops in two tiny coins worth almost nothing.
And Jesus loses His mind (in a good way).
He calls His disciples over like He just saw the Grand Canyon of faith.
“She put in more than all the rest.” Not because the budget was suddenly balanced.
But because her heart was suddenly free.

If I’m honest – that story wrecks me, because I want my giving to be about freedom, not fear.
I don’t want to give because I’m afraid God will take something if I don’t.
I don’t want to give because I’m afraid the church lights will go out.
I don’t want to give because I’m afraid of what people think when the plate passes by my row (or I pass by the box in the back).

I want to give because I’m stunned again that everything I have is borrowed anyway.
I want to give because I walked into this building carrying wounds and walked out carrying hope, and somebody paid for that hope.
I want to give the way I want my kids to see their dad give—eyes wide open, grinning, no arm-twisting required.

So if the plate is half empty right now, maybe it’s not a crisis.
Maybe it’s just an invitation.
An invitation to ask better questions than “Am I hitting 10%?”

Questions like:
What would it look like to move from guilt to gratitude?
From obligation to overflow?
From resistance to release?

Start anywhere.
Five bucks. Fifty. Five hundred. Zero.
Just make it honest.
Make it a moment where you look up—literally or figuratively—and say,
“This is me trusting You with what feels impossible to let go of.”

Because here’s the secret nobody tells you in stewardship season: the plate is not a tax.
It’s a testimony. Every coin, every crumpled bill, every direct deposit, or online payment is a little postcard that says,
“I was afraid, but I did it anyway.”
“I was broke, but I’m not broken.”
“I thought I needed this more than God did… turns out I was wrong.”

So yeah.

The offering plate is half empty.
Maybe that just means there’s room for something new to be poured in.

Your move.

-Grace and peace,
Pastor Scott

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Untangling the 3 AM Knot: God, Fear, and Your Bank Account.

Alright, friends, happy Wednesday!
Let’s talk about that knot in your stomach. Yeah, that one. The one that starts small, maybe a little flutter, and then BAM! It’s full-blown, industrial-strength worry leading into the spiral that is anxiety.
It’s the kind that keeps you up at 3 AM, staring at the ceiling, wondering if you’re ever going to catch a break.

We’ve all been there, right?
The bills pile up, the job situation gets shaky, and the future looks like a blurry, anxiety-inducing mess.
And fear? Oh, fear loves to whisper those “what ifs” into your ear, painting worst-case scenarios like a twisted Picasso.
It’s like your brain is running full-speed into its own horror movie, and you’re the star, and not in a good way.

Now, here’s the thing. We live in a world that sells us solutions.
“Just work harder!” “Invest smarter!”
“Manifest your dreams!” And sure, there’s some truth in taking action, in being responsible.
But what about when you’ve done all you can, and the weight still feels crushing?
When you’re running on empty, you have blisters on the palms of your hands from holding on so tightly and doing all that you can, but it’s just not enough? What about these times?
We’ve all been here in this place, right? It’s a very unsettling place to live, let alone linger because you have no other choice.

That’s where we get to the heart of it.
That’s where we get to the wild, beautiful, utterly disruptive message of Jesus.

See, the ancient Hebrew word for “worry” is related to the word for “divided.”
Think about that.
When we’re caught in the spin cycle of worry, our attention is split.
We’re pulled in a million directions, our focus fractured, our peace shattered. We experience that unsettling place some of us call ‘limbo’ and we’re living in a state of internal civil war.


I hope that as you read this, you’re not experiencing anxiety symptoms because let me share with you the cure.
It’s not a one-shot-one-cure, it’s a gradual thing. It’s a prescription that will help to pull us back from whatever ledge we find ourselves standing on in those limbo moments. So here it is:

Jesus invites us to something different. He says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34). Now, he’s not saying we should be irresponsible. He’s not saying we should ignore our problems. He’s pointing to something deeper, something more fundamental.

He’s saying, “Pay attention. Look around. See the birds of the air? See the lilies of the field? They don’t toil or spin, yet your heavenly Father feeds and clothes them. And aren’t you worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26, 28-30).

I’ve written about this topic before, and I have to admit this is still hard for me…how about you?

This isn’t about some simplistic, “just have faith” platitude. It’s not some sort of stupid mantra about “if you just pray harder…” It’s about recognizing the reality of God’s presence, the reality of God’s care.
It’s about shifting our gaze from the swirling chaos in that limbo space where we’re just treading water…shifting our gaze to the steady, unwavering love that surrounds us.

Think of it like this: you’re in a boat in the middle of a storm. The waves are crashing, the wind is howling, and you’re terrified you’re going to sink. But then, you remember that the ocean itself is held in God’s hands. (please don’t sing “He’s got the whole world in His hands”)


But seriously, the storm doesn’t change that. The fear doesn’t change that.
But KNOWING that God’s got you changes that.

And yeah, the financial burdens? They’re real.
The stress is real. The “insufficient balance notices” – they’re real.
But here’s the thing: God isn’t surprised by your bank statement.
God isn’t shocked by the state of the economy. (or the cost of eggs)
God’s bigger than all of that.

He’s invited us to a life of trust, a life of surrender. Not a blind, passive surrender, but an active, engaged surrender.
A surrender that says, “God, I’m in way over my head. I’m scared. But I trust that you’re here. I trust that you’re working, even when I can’t see it. I trust that you’re making a way, even when it looks impossible.”

And sometimes, that way might look like a new job opportunity.
Sometimes, it might look like a helping hand from a friend.
Sometimes, it might look like an appointment made with a therapist (I’m serious, your mental health is important!)
Sometimes, it might look like a deep, inexplicable peace that settles over your soul, even in the midst of the storm.

It’s not about getting everything figured out – it’s never been about that.
It’s about knowing that you’re not alone.
It’s about remembering that you’re held, you’re loved, you’re seen.
And that, dear friends, that’s enough. That’s more than enough.

So, take a deep breath today in whatever limbo you find yourself in.
Let go of the knot in your stomach.
And remember, you’re not divided.
You’re held. You’re whole. You’re loved.
And that changes everything.

Grace & Peace,
-Pastor Scott.

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It’s about the $$$

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Money is an inevitability in modern society.  No matter if you have a little bit of money or a lot of money, it affects our lives.  So how do we utilize money that we have for good?  

There is an old saying that has been used for years.  I’m sure you’ve heard it before; “Money is the root of all evil”.  Did you know that this saying is actually a bible verse that has been taken out of context?  The actual verse puts it this way, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10

Did you catch that, it’s not that money is inherently evil, it is the LOVE of money.  In other words if we covet and obsess over money and how we scrounge and scrape for it, then money becomes a problem. Money has the potential of becoming an idol in our lives.  An idol is something of great importance to us and many times it replaces God in our list of priorities.  This is the true danger and warning that Paul is talking about in 1 Timothy.

That being said how can we use money for good instead of evil?   

Here are five suggestions that can help us to priorities our lives and our financial resources: 

5 Uses of $ for Good:

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1) Tithe to your church.

This might sound overly simplistic to you, but before we even receive our pay check we should already have budgeted this as an act of worship to God.  

Randy Alcorn in his book, “Money, Possession and Eternity” says this about tithing; “..tithing isn’t something I do to clear my conscience so I can do whatever I want with the 90 percent–it also belongs to God! I must seek his direction and permission for whatever I do with the full amount. I may discover that God has different ideas than I do.” 

The principle of tithing shouldn’t be some sort of obligation or forced habit.  It should be an act of worship which sets our priorities in order – “God first” which implies all of our resources including our finances belong to Him!  Tithing is a leap of faith which, if done properly, frees us and allows Him to lead us in all other ventures.  This discipline isn’t easy, but can be very rewarding. 

 

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2) Support local and global charities 

Beware!! Do your research before writing a check to any charitable organization.  First find out how much of your donation will go to direct services (or the cause you are supporting)!  Pray about the kinds of things you are looking at support and make sure God is directing you so support these causes.  Another wise thing to consider is taxable donations.  Each year nonprofits who we support can write you a receipt of your donations.  It might not be much but it could help you come April 15th.  Along with our tithe and support of our places of worship supporting a cause with our financial donations can make a difference in other people’s lives. 

 

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3) Live within your means!

This can be a very difficult thing to do if we don’t first set God as our top priority.  We live in a very commercialize, media saturated society.  This drives the market and propels people to spend, spend, spend.  We think we need the latest and newest of everything.  Again the LOVE of what money can buy can be a root of evil if we allow it into our hearts.  Let’s be honest this type of trapping of materialism is very easy to fall into.  Beware of this trap and the lie that we aren’t valuable until we have that next best thing!  Live on the income you make…if that isn’t enough perhaps find a second source of income or another job!  

Second budget your income.  Make a budget.  Don’t know where to start?  Check out this simple budget by Dave Ramsey:  

 http://www.daveramsey.com/tools/budget-forms/   Let me recommend the middle downloadable form called “Monthly Cash Flow Plan”

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Live within your means also implies that we must beware of the use of credit cards!  These are funds which are loaned to us and we have to pay back the balance with interest.  Again don’t spend money that you do not have and isn’t guaranteed to be there in the future.  Millions of Americans are facing financial troubles because they have lived far above their means and used and abused credit cards.  Beware of this “easy fix” because if can have long term consequences!

 

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4) Teach your children! 

This is an education that will be the legacy that you leave for your children and their children’s children!  Education of financial responsibility needs to be taught to our children!  Don’t rely on teachers or the government to teach your children about money!  Take responsibility to educate them and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t teach them in the form of “Don’t do as I do, but do as I say”!  In other words LEAD BY EXAMPLE!  The best teachers are those who take it upon themselves to educate by example in living and lifestyle!  Show your child (if they’re old enough) how to balance a check book or how to create a monthly/weekly budget.  

 

 

 

5) Be generous!  

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We all have family members, church friends, and neighbors who might be going through touch times.  Use your money for good by giving generously.  Be mindful though that you are discerning in how and who you give generously to.  Make investments in people and their lives, but don’t support illegal habits or destructive lifestyles in your giving either. Don’t loan money out, give it as a gift if you have it to give.  Remember, it’s all God’s anyway!  

Money is not inherently evil.  It is how we use it in our lives and in the lives of others.

Remember, You are God’s and so are all of the blessings of life that He has bestowed upon you!  

-Just a thought.

 

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