Illustration: Giving, Stewardship

A very wealthy man in the community was not known for his generosity to the church. The church was involved in a big financial program so the fundraising committee decided they had to pay him a visit. As they met with him, they said that in view of his considerable resources they were sure that he would like to make a substantial contribution to this program.

Leaders Shouldn’t Be Easily Offended

Hugh Hewitt is a nationally-syndicated talk show host and former staffer in the Reagan White House. In his book In But Not Of: A Guide to Christian Ambition and the Desire to Influence the World (Thomas Nelson), Hewitt offers an assortment of brief chapters with insights for leaders, especially young ones. Among his observations:

Millenial Generation Is Pluralistic but Seeks Strong Families

In a recent column, John Leo talks about the generation born between 1977 and 1994: "Now the focus is almost entirely on millennials, 78 million strong and the largest birth cohort in American history. Speaking at the American Magazine Conference, (Ann) Clurman (of the Yankelovich Partners) described millennials this way: 'They are family oriented, viscerally pluralistic, deeply committed to authenticity and truth-telling, heavily stressed and living in a no-boundaries world where they make short-term decisions and expect paradoxical outcomes.'"

Use of Scripture in Preaching Reaffirms Its Authority

Scott Hafemann of Wheaton College writes: "Unless we regain a serious study of Scripture in our pulpits and pews, we will end up redefining the role of the Protestant pastor altogether by denying in practice the authority of the very Bible we are purporting to preach. If the pastor, not to mention those of us in the congregation, no longer struggles to decide for himself what the text means, the authority for preaching will once again reside in our pope, wherever we find him. The pastor then downsizes his role into that of a book reviewer. What is worse, because the pastor is still going to 'preach' from the Bible, the authority for preaching now resides in the rhetorical power of the presentation, not in its content.

Directing Attention

"I have a vision," one leader announced confidently. Then he frowned. "Or is it a mission? Or a goal? Oh, who cares? God knows what I mean." True, but He may be the only one who does!

Sermon Illustration: Peace of Mind

David Suchet is a well-know British actor, known primarily for his brilliant portrayal of Agatha Christie's eccentric detective, Hercule Poirot. In an interview in The Strand magazine, he was asked about his philosophy of life. This is what he told the interviewer: