Legacy Youth Ministry Resources

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Wesley's Personal Approach to Giving

More than 200 years ago Wesley, in a sermon entitled, ?The Danger of Riches,? said, ?Permit me to speak as freely of myself as I would of another man. I gain all I can, (namely, by writing) without hurting either my soul or body. I save all I can, not willingly wasting any thing, not a sheet of paper, not a cup of water. I do not lay out anyting, not a shilling, unless as a sacrifice to God. Yet by giving all I can, I am effectually secured from laying up treasures upon earth.? Yea, and I am secured from desiring or endeavoring to get it, as long as I give all I can. And that I do this, I call all that know me, both friends and foes to testify.? (From the collection of Barry St. Clair)

Be Humble About Your Money

?Those of us to whom God has entrusted money have to be careful lest we think we had something to do with it.? Guy W. Rutland, Jr.

Howard Hughes Loved Things, Used People

Howard Hughes was one of the wealthiest men of his time. Yet, his self-centeredness kept him from getting close to people. He was more interested in money and the gadgets that made money for him. Although he could travel anywhere and have almost anything imaginable, he lived a lonely, isolated, joyless life. His associates despised him. In his later years, those few who saw him reported that his beard grew out to his waist and his hair to the middle of his back. His untrimmed toenails resembled corkscrews. With so much wealth available to him, why was he so miserable? I'd suggest that all his life he loved things and used people. He lived life upside down from God's way: to love people and use things. (Source: The Friendship Factor, by Alan Loy McGinnis, Augsburg Publishing House, 1979, pp. 20,21)

Jesus and Bible on Money

"Sixteen of the 38 parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. Indeed, Jesus Christ said more about money than about almost any other subject. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,350 verses on money and possession." (Dayton, Howard, Your Money Counts, Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, IL, 1996, p. 8.)

God Uses Financial Failure

God has a way of taking our failures and using them for our good and His glory. For example, Crown Ministries helps people who struggle with their finances, teaching them in small groups how to handle their finances biblically. Howard Dayton, founder of the organization, also wrote a popular book called "Your Money Counts." But he wasn't always good with finances. In fact, according to Dayton, although he's counseled many people concerning their finances, he's "never met anyone who had more wrong attitudes about money or who handled their finances more contrarily to Scripture than I did." But through learning God's ways and applying them to his life, God helped him to get his own finances together, He gave Dayton a burden for others with financial problems and began to use him in helping others. (Dayton, Howard, Your Money Counts, Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, IL, 1996, p. 11)

We Teach Our Children Little on Money

"Parents and teachers spend 18 to 22 years preparing youth for occupations but generally less than a few hours teaching children the value and use of they money they will earn during their careers." (Dayton, Howard, Your Money Counts, Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, IL, 1996, p. 118.)

The Joneses Go Into Debt

Someone once said, ?You can never keep up with the Joneses. Just about the time you catch them, they refinance their home and go deeper in debt to buy more things!? (Dayton, Howard, Your Money Counts, Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, IL, 1996, p. 143)

On Wealth and Fellowship With God

Someone once observed, ?For every 99 people who can be poor and remain close to Christ, only one can become wealthy and maintain close fellowship with Him.? (Dayton, Howard, Your Money Counts, Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, IL, 1996, p. 149)

The Ultimate Investment Counselor

According to Jesus, we can lay up treasures in heaven that will last forever. In light of that, we need to rethink our long-term investing strategy. According to Randy Alcorn, in his book, The Treasure Principle, ?Financial planners tell us, ?When it comes to your money, don?t think just three months or three years ahead. Think thirty years ahead.? Christ, the ultimate investment counselor, takes it further. He says, ?Don?t ask how your investment will be paying off in just thirty years. Ask how it will be paying off in thirty million years.? (Multnomah Press, Sisters, OR, p. 18)

Hudson Taylor Finds Joy in Giving

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, said, ?The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.? (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, Multnomah Press, Sisters, OR, p. 20)

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