Legacy Youth Ministry Resources

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Hughes, Wesley and Money

Wisdom, Money Both of the following men have died and are experiencing their eternal reward or punishment. Today, which would you rather be? A) Howard Hughes, whose business wisdom allowed him to become one of the wealthiest man of his day, but so thoroughly ignored God and His ways that anyone who got close to him learned to thoroughly despise him? Or, B) John Wesley, who gave away most of the money he didn?t need to live on, and used his energy and wisdom to touch as many lives for Christ as he could in his generation? The answer is obvious. But the way people live, we can tell that many are missing it. That?s why our next signpost on the road to wisdom is so important that God places it first. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise." (Ps. 111:10, cr. Pr. 1:7; 9:10) ?The beginning of wisdom.? Has it ever occurred to you that when you're taking a trip, the first turn is probably the most important? If you take a wrong turn once you get close to your destination, you can simply turn back around and you're still close. But if you begin on a main road going North instead of South, you can end up in the wrong country quick. So when God speaks of ?the beginning of wisdom,? He seems to be saying, ?If you miss everything else about wisdom, don?t miss this. Here is where you start.? Have you ever finished an assigned project in Math class, only to look around and discover that everyone else is still working? You?re thinking, ?I never finish first.? And as you casually glance at the nearby desktops, your worst fears are confirmed. Nobody else is working on the page you worked on. A sinking feeling overwhelms you as you realize that for entire class period, you?ve been working on the wrong page. How many have ever had this happen to you? Do you remember the feeling? Perhaps it?s the same sinking feeling, only intensified many times, that many of the world?s greatest successes will experience when they meet God on judgment day. At that time God will expose, not only what they?ve done, but also their motives. And many people will realize that for their entire lives, they knocked themselves out to complete the wrong page.

One Electric Bill from being Amish

Strange things happen when you're in debt. Two weeks ago my car broke down and my phone got disconnected. I was one electric bill away from being Amish. --Tom Ryan

Excellent Servant, Terrible Master

Money is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master. -- P. T. Barnum

Forsyth Refuses Napoleon's Money

Forsyth Refuses Napoleon's Money Money Rev. Alexander John Forsyth, British inventor of the percussion gunlock, which revolutionized warfare, refused to sell his invention to Napoleon for 50,000 pounds. He gave it to the British government for a mere 2,500 pounds, and the money wasn't paid until 35 years later, six months after his death.

Misers Make Great Ancestors

Misers Make Great Ancestors Money Misers aren't much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors.

Celebrities and Money

"I (say) that $1 million is really only $320,000. Your ... agent has to get his cut. Then there's the girlfriend, wife or baby's mama. You'll hook up your family and homeboys. There's jewelry, clothes and those sweet tire rims. And, of course, Uncle Sam comes first." (Tampa Bay Buc's Keyshawn Johnson, USA Today, July 9, 2003, C1.)

Is the Leisure Life Overrated?

Is the Leisure Life Overrated?<br /> The Value of Work<br /> <br /> Many dream of striking it rich so they can exchange work for a life of leisure. Funny thing is, most of the young and suddenly rich seem to end up going back to work. What for?<br /> <br /> It's not for the money. Some have already made more than they could ever spend. Just look at two of the world's richest men. Bill Gates' company, Microsoft, made it's first million when he was 22. At 31, he was a billionaire. Yet, he kept working as hard as ever.(1) Warren Buffett had his first million at age 31 and quickly multiplied it to billions. Yet today, in his late 70's, he keeps right on working. (2)<br /> <br /> For some it's the thrill of competition. Others simply love their work. Still others throw themselves into finding worthy causes to support. <br /> <br /> Max Levchin co-founded Pay-Pal and sold it to E-bay in his late 20's to net himself a tidy $100 million. "So, all that work paid off," you say. "He worked his tail off but then got to sit back and enjoy life, spending his millions." But on his personal Website, he cites his years building PayPal as "arguably the best and happiest times of my life." (3)<br /> <br /> So maybe work's not so bad and the leisure life's overrated. That's precisely what Levchin learned during his year out of work after leaving PayPal. "I enjoy sitting on nice beaches and hanging out with my girlfriend and playing with my dog," says Levchin, "but that's three hours a day. What about the remaining 18 hours I'm awake?" He felt "worthless and stupid," calling it the worst year of his life. (4)<br /> <br /> He'd hang out with Mr. Hong, another entrepreneurial super-success story, and talk about how miserable they were. "We were both pretty pathetic," Levchin said.<br /> <br /> Hong threw himself back into work. So did Levchin, who now relishes putting in long hours to start new companies.<br /> <br /> Reflections<br /> <br /> 1) Why do you think Levchin couldn't enjoy the leisure life?<br /> 2) How does this article challenge our thoughts about work and leisure?<br /> 3) Do you think Levchin's experience with the leisure life is more the exception or the rule? Why?<br /> 4) What does this tell us about the relationship between work and happiness?<br /> <br /> Sources<br /> <br /> 1) Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews, Gates (Touchstone: New York, 1993), p. 128. Janet Lowe, Bill Gates Speaks (John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1998) p. xii.<br /> 2) Roger Lowenstein, Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist (Mainstreet Books: New York, 1995) p. 73. See also Wikipedia on Warren Buffett.<br /> 3) www.levchin.com, http://www.linkedin.com/in/maxlevchin<br /> 4) Gary Rivlin, After Succeeding, Young Tycoons Try, Try Again, The New York Times, October 28, 2007.<br /> <br /> Copyright October 30, 2007 by Steve Miller. All rights reserved.<br /> <br /> <br />

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