Dear First Pres,
We all had a good laugh on Sunday when I added my aside to the Ananias and Sapphira story from Act s 5. I said that anyone who wanted to sell a piece of property and give a generous portion to the church was absolutely welcome to do so. Remember, Ananias and Sapphira weren't punished for only giving a portion of their profits; they were punished for lying about it to God and His people. So, again, anyone who wants to sell a piece of property and give a portion of the sale to the church is absolutely welcome to do it; just make sure you're doing so with the right heart.
That's exactly what Jack and Evalyn Hoover did when they left a portion of their estate to the church. Earlier this year we received their very generous gift. These dear saints, now both fully in the Lord's presence, have blessed their church (that's us) with their generosity. Those kinds of gifts can be wonderful catalysts for expanded ministry in the life of the church. They're the kind of one-time gifts that can make a long-time impact. You may not be in a position to sell a piece of property and give a generous portion of the sale to the church, but nearly all of us are in the position to leave a generous portion of our estates to the local church. Have you considered it?
New Testament scholar Beverly Roberts Gaventa concludes at the end of her discussion of Acts 5:1-16 that for Luke (the author of Luke and Acts), "faithfulness to the gospel involves the wise and generous use of possessions." I spent more time on Sunday talking about the value of authenticity in the local church, but the value of Gospel stewardship is clear in these pages of Acts. May each of us be generous stewards of God's incredible generosity to us.
Blessings,
Jeremy
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