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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – July 2018

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Stewardship Deals with Issues Much Bigger than Money

“I once saw a plaque with the following inscription: ‘What you have is God’s gift to you. What you do with what you have is your gift to God.’ ‘What I do with what God has given to me’—those words are a good working definition of stewardship . . . My stewardship, then, is my management of what God in heaven has given to me on earth. Stewardship is a personal, practical matter. It involves God and me. It involves what I did with my life yesterday, as well as my plans for tomorrow. It involves the way I am spending my time right now. Stewardship is an especially practical matter for the Christian . . . We know the Savior who bought us with his blood . . . we have a desire to serve our Lord and Savior with all that we have.”

Wolfgramm, Arno J. Stewardship: What I Do with What God Gave Me. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2001.

Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – May 2018

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A Grateful Attitude Makes a Gift Precious to God

“God is pleased when I worship and honor him with all my heart. Abel’s offering (Genesis 4:4) was pleasing and acceptable because he offered it in the fear of God and in faith and because he strove to show his grateful heart by his gift. For when the heart is offered, this is a gift that is very gratifying indeed to God.”

Plass, Ewald M. (Ed.). (1959) What Luther Says: An Anthology (Vol. 1). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – November 2017

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Gratitude for Earthly and Spiritual Blessings

“To begin with, we must rejoice at the less important good things which we enjoy according to the Second Table of the Law in that our bodies and possessions are protected. For these gifts are of minor importance when compared with those which we enjoy according to the First Table: that God has revealed himself, has made known what he intends to do with us, gives his Word, grants faith and the Holy Spirit, hears prayers, daily increases his church, etc. These things are so great that no tongue is able to amplify and praise them as they deserve . . . Only those are truly thankful who receive the gifts of God joyfully and rejoice in the Giver.”

Plass, Ewald M. (Ed.). (1959) What Luther Says: An Anthology (Vol. 3). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – September 2017

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We Should Not Glory in Our Possessions

“Even if riches were to come to you in a rightful way, from God, do not rely on them and make mammon your God; for possessions are not given that we may rely on them and glory in them, which is futile and foolish, but that we may use and enjoy them and share them with others . . . Our possessions should be in our hands, not in our hearts. Thus St. Paul tells the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7:31) that we should use the world as though we used it not.”

Plass, Ewald M. (Ed.). (1959) What Luther Says: An Anthology (Vol. 3). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – July 2017

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Let’s Not Play at Stewardship

“‘Appreciation for divine mercy cannot take the price of redemption for granted; neither can it regard the purpose of redemption as a hobby. That heart will not play at stewardship’ (Robert Hochmuth, Initiated into the Secret of Enduring Prosperity [1965 essay], p. 4). If we really believe this, our commitment to raising up godly givers will be intensified, not marginalized.

“I am also more convinced today than I was 35 years ago that to teach money management is the kind of privilege that we must approach confidently, passionately, straightforwardly, and not at all apologetically or reluctantly. I tell students that there are certain subjects that they simply must ponder exhaustively, master thoroughly, and share winsomely – or they will ‘die a thousand deaths’ in contemporary pastoral ministry. Assaults on subjects like infant baptism and baptismal regeneration, church fellowship principles, gender roles and relationships in God’s world, and amillennial eschatology will surface frequently and often antagonistically. If we have not done our homework and allowed the Spirit to do his heart work in us, we will pay a big price and so will the people we are supposed to serve. But if we are thoroughly convinced that we are sharing divine truth and that God gave it in love, we see opportunities to serve rather than threats to be endured. And the subject of acquiring, managing, and giving money should be on this list of messages to be mastered and shared with eagerness. We are about the Lord’s business, using the Lord’s law and gospel with the Lord’s purposes in mind. When this reality is relished, our tone and attitude toward stewardship will improve and so will our ministry to souls in this vital area.”

Forrest L. Bivens. Seizing the Opportunities: Ways to Encourage Godly Giving. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Essay File. Page 2.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – May 2017

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Christian Stewardship is about Our Relationship with God

“Money management and godly giving are integral parts of sanctified living, not at all optional or even peripheral. The focus is squarely on the relationship of Christ’s people to their Lord and his revealed will—not only or even primarily their relationship to their money, their church, or their neighbor. To ignore this facet of the Christian’s continued existence on earth or to address this subject only occasionally is to fail to minister properly to the needs of our people. Christians need to know that they have been saved and how they have been saved. They also need to know they are called and enabled to serve God. God expects faithful stewardship, dedicated serving. What a tragedy it is if the person who has learned the way of salvation either has never grasped or has been sidetracked from his mission of living for God in a conscientious and competent way!”

Forrest L. Bivens. Seizing the Opportunities: Ways to Encourage Godly Giving. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Essay File. Page 2.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – November 2016

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The Secret to Being Overwhelmingly Grateful, Part One

“As sinful human beings, we tend to take God’s blessings for granted. We often don’t notice the amazing gift of air conditioning until it breaks down in the middle of summer. We aren’t aware of how much we depend on electricity until the power goes out and we stare at one another, wondering what to do without our TVs, cell phones, and computers. A wise, old pastor once told me, ‘The secret to happiness is not getting what you want; it’s wanting what you’ve got.’ We spend so much time focusing on what we don’t have, on what other people have, on what we want to have, that we lose sight of what we do have. The secret to being overwhelmingly grateful is to recognize what you have.”

Schroer, Andrew C. 364 Days of Thanksgiving. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2015.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – September 2016

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Overwhelming Gratitude

“The point of the story of the ten lepers in Luke chapter 17 is not that the other nine were ungrateful. The point is how overwhelmingly grateful the Samaritan was. He put off the one thing that he had desired for so long—to be told by the priest he could go home—and put off being reunited with his family and friends to first return and thank the person who had healed him. The Samaritan understood that thankfulness is not some nebulous, vague feeling. Gratitude cannot exist where there is no giver. You can’t be thankful without having someone to thank. The Samaritan realized it was God who deserve the credit. He recognized it was Jesus who he healed him. So he ran. He cried. He fell at Jesus’ feet and thanked him with overwhelming gratitude.”

Schroer, Andrew C. 364 Days of Thanksgiving. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2015.

Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – July 2016

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The Secret to Happiness

“Are you depressed? Are you frustrated by the problems and struggles in your life? The secret to happiness isn’t to rid your life of problems. The secret to happiness isn’t getting what you want. The secret to happiness is recognizing what you have in Christ.”

Schroer, Andrew C. 364 Days of Thanksgiving. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2015.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – March 2016

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The Sacrifice of Christ Encourages Our Offerings

“Why will [the Corinthians] want to ‘excel in the grace of giving’ just as the Macedonians are doing? ‘For,’ says Paul, and then he gives the reason why the Corinthians will want to do this. They have personally experienced the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ . . . ‘For your sakes,’ says Paul, Christ, though he was in a continuous state of being rich from all eternity, became poor. Paul uses a form of the same word he had used to describe the abject poverty of the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:2). But it was a much deeper poverty than that. With these words all of Christ’s state of humiliation is projected before our eyes, culminating in his suffering and death. Its purpose? ‘So that you through his poverty might become rich.’ ‘We are rich, for he was poor. Is not this a wonder!’ Christ, who traded unparalleled riches for abject poverty so that we might become rich, is a wonderful example of giving for the Corinthians; but he is much more than that! He is first of all Savior. We love, because he first loved us. We give, in fact, we cannot help but give, because he gave first.”

David J. Valleskey. Laying the Foundation: The Scriptural Basis for Godly Giving. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Essay File. Pages 6-7.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – November 2015

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Discuss Giving in the Context of Stewardship

“The theme of stewardship keeps the subject of giving in the proper perspective. People see giving as it relates to God rather than merely to the church or me, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:5, ‘They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.’ When people know why God gave them their money and possessions, what God has called our church to do, and why God has placed them in our congregation, they are highly motivated givers rather than reluctant payers of dues.”

Pohl, Wayne. Mastering Church Finances. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1992. Page 45.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – September 2015

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Anticipate Designated Giving

“With increased designated giving (due to cultural changes since the 1950’s), church leaders are wise to anticipate these gifts. During the budget process, the leaders can try to estimate the amount and nature of designated gifts in the coming year. Several key people can often tell church leaders what special ministries and problems interest people.

“This can be done in two ways. You can observe what causes and needs are being publicized and promoted in the community…The leaders can also recall the causes the pastor has mentioned in his sermons.

“If the church’s leaders can discuss the implications of such ministries ahead of actually receiving the gifts, they are in a better position to either turn down the gift or to expedite its use, depending on how the leaders feel about the ministry or program that the giver wants to underwrite.”

Fenton, Gary. Mastering Church Finances. Portland: Multnomah Press, 1992. Page 81.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – July 2015

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Joy Is a Fruit of Faith

“Joy may be thought of as an emotion, but for the Christian it is something more concrete. Christians will not be plunged into despair by the adversities of life when they cling to the joy they have in Christ. Paul rejoiced in what the Lord had done for his salvation while he was sitting in a jail cell at Rome (see his letter to the Philippians). Joy is what Peter offered the persecuted Christians of Asia Minor when, in his first epistle, he spoke to them of the inheritance we have guaranteed for us through Christ (1:6). Joy is what Christians have as they stand with tears in their eyes by the grave of a Christian loved one. They have their Savior’s promise of the resurrection of the body and eternal life with him in heaven. The Christian’s joy is not like the morning fog, soon dispersed by the heat of the sun. Our joy is lasting, enduring, undimmed by the trials of this life.”

Lange, Lyle W. Sanctification: Alive in Christ. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1999. Pages 133-134.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – March 2015

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Stewardship Is an Extremely Important Subject

I am assuming we all agree that stewardship is an important subject and that “the shepherd trains Christian stewards” is to be a statement of fact, not a pious but somewhat empty wish. But to say it plainly, I am now convinced that it is more important and merits a higher priority in pastoral work than I once thought. This is an urgent, crucial, or extremely important task. Fifty years ago WELS President O.J. Naumann wrote, “The subject of Christian stewardship is one that may never be dismissed from the believer’s mind. For in the service of our Lord and Savior we are first and foremost stewards.” We know very well that our Lord Jesus continually says, “Dedicate for my use all that you are and all that you have. I don’t merely want so much of your time, money, or energy. I want you. You are my full-time manager, and half-measures or half-hearted efforts are no good.”

Bivens, Forrest L. “Seizing the Opportunities: Ways to Encourage Godly Giving.” A Symposium on Christian Stewardship: Raising up a Generation of Godly Givers. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, 17-18 Sept. 2007.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – Month DD, YYYY – TEMPLATE

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Provide an Ongoing Flow of Information about the Congregation’s Work

“In a communication-saturated age, churches need to find and utilize multiple avenues for getting their message across.

“As an ongoing follow-up to a new member informational packet, the congregation would do well to publish a monthly newsletter, as well as written quarterly reports from all the boards, committees, and organizations of the congregation. Since every member shares in the mission of the congregation, it is vital that every member be kept informed about that mission and what the congregation is doing to fulfill it. Communication—from the voters’ assembly, from the church council, from organizations, from the pastor, from the Lutheran elementary school principal, from boards and committees—helps to keep the work of the church before the eyes and in the hearts of the members of the congregation.”

Valleskey, David J. We Believe – Therefore We Speak. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – January 2015

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Looking at Life as Jesus’ Redeemed Servants

We are Jesus’ hands and feet and mouth during this time of grace before he comes again. He served us and gave his all to redeem us for himself. So we live to move and act in his name and for the benefit of the rest of his mystical body on earth. That is a high honor indeed, to serve him in serving his mystical body for the short time that we have here. Looking at life that way is a mark of having found the middle road between excessive love for the world and ungrateful contempt for it. With such an attitude, we do not imagine that the goal of life is just to get more for my own indulgence; nor do we look at life with sour and grumpy ingratitude for God’s blessings to us in the world and the good reasons he has for being so generous to us.”

Deutschlander, Daniel M. The Narrow Lutheran Middle. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2011.

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Words of Wisdom – Encouraging Word – November 2014

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Provide an Ongoing Flow of Information about the Congregation’s Work

“In a communication-saturated age, churches need to find and utilize multiple avenues for getting their message across.

“As an ongoing follow-up to a new member informational packet, the congregation would do well to publish a monthly newsletter, as well as written quarterly reports from all the boards, committees, and organizations of the congregation. Since every member shares in the mission of the congregation, it is vital that every member be kept informed about that mission and what the congregation is doing to fulfill it. Communication—from the voters’ assembly, from the church council, from organizations, from the pastor, from the Lutheran elementary school principal, from boards and committees—helps to keep the work of the church before the eyes and in the hearts of the members of the congregation.”

Valleskey, David J. We Believe – Therefore We Speak. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995.