Generosity

The Salvation Army you're listening to wonderful words of life.

Welcome back to wonderful words of life. I'm Bernie Dick and I'm with Cheryl Cheryl.

It's been a pleasure to be with you. We go back so many years and it's fun to just be in a comfortable place talking to our friends out there listening. We hope you been enjoying the series on finance today. Mike and I begin to discuss generosity and to start today, he focuses on being the recipient of someone else's generosity. Cheryl, do you or Tim have stories about people have been generous to you and your appointments as a Salvation Army officer planning. There's times when you're in ministry where the funds run dry and that you find yourself in real need and there's been times where we have had to pray. The fines and and in particular I remember being in our second appointment and I was a bookkeeper at that point and that that's back when we had the actual paper. We didn't have and I and so I thought we were in such desperate need of funds to keep the lights on and I remember laying my hands on the actual book to say Lord we are we are in need and we need we need a miracle and I needed a specific amount of money needed 35,000 to keep the lights on and we prayed that morning. Both Tim and I did and I'm not lion that afternoon. Check came in for $35,000 now and that's the God that we serve. He supplies and he he speaks and other people's hearts and we were recipient recipients of that generosity that day. While I believe a generous heart comes from a thankful heart degree, absolutely. We mentioned this earlier on the series but in episode two. We talked about the stress of money and that thankfulness leads to peace and peace is the enemy of stress.

How does that statement hit you, Cheryl, because II think that when you start to take count your blessings right there is something that wells up in weight within you that you want to give you a lot you you need a release of that in some way in your life and so I think it's it's important that we practice that thankfulness because honor that comes our own ability to give generously to other people and for me as a development director is a person who got to interact with a lot of donors were volunteers. I saw people that even they didn't want recognition that they just wanted to have a piece of their own heart about being able to help her get back. Have you seen the absolutely so many people that we come into contact with don't want their name out there that want the recognition is not the heart from which it comes it comes out of the heart of wanting to give to others because they had been generously blessed himself on behalf of the Salvation Army. We are grateful for your partnership with us in ministry to the radio station you may be hearing this episode on thank you to all of the very generous donors that come alongside with us. Literally, shoulder to shoulder in this ministry. Thank you, thank you for your contribution and know that we do it in Jesus name, and to God alone be the glory all use all will will will you you welcome back everybody.

I hope that you are enjoying the series with our friend Mike Harris about financial things in the biblical perspective on various financial things in life.

Today were going to talk about the idea of generosity and Mike and I have been sort of talking in the background about different ideas and I'm going to turn this over to you right away. Mike and say teach us how we might be able to be generous as Christian people with our finances generally is is is something that comes from within.

We have to believe that will focus on thinking this is this position that we are in Ryman is a Salvation Army officer because what what we experience salvation offices is people's generosity manifesting itself self in the lives of people you know in this country has a lot of rich people you Google the 10 richest people in the world thinks. Several of them live here in the in the states, including the top two. Three.

It was remarkable massive wealth upon the very often.

You know what, what is the reason the people get rich. I think when done right.

Wealthy people should naturally be generous people because they were in a position to make a difference.

I think true generosity comes from the notional the idea of of giving something believing it will make a difference. And so what happens for us in the Salvation Army is as we see generous people giving us the resources typically in the form of money, believing something good will happen with that. Good illustration.

The nice thing is there are so many illustrations I could use to show how someone's donation will generosity has manifested itself in a life changed.

I think if I might I'd like to do.

Should the story because the second appointment we were in Hickory, North Carolina.

It was a most wonderful place knows wonderful community that supports a big Salvation Army. Most people would neighborhood of Hickory Summit considered it to be the best kept secret in the South. As far as the Salvation Army is concerned, and so amongst the programs we have there. We have a homeless shelter emergency shelter Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club for the Salvation Army in the Boys and Girls Club of America have, got together created one of the best partnerships you find in the nonprofit world I created these Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club's so the lady who lived in Hickory whose husband was horribly abusive coming horribly abusive. They had three children and the every Friday night wasn't just for this was shortly every Friday. Dad would get paid he come home drunk and as soon as he came in the house. The oldest of the three children would pull the other two into a closet pull coats over their heads, so that when dad got beat up history when mom got beat by dad. The couldn't hear the screams when the noise of finished the oldest brother would come out just to make sure mom wasn't at this time. That's the life they live for years. He was the kind of man that check the mileage on the call to make sure the wife didn't go anywhere put his hand on the hood. This woman was imprisoned by her husband for years to match the life these kids grow up with. Until one day she got the courage she got the courage to load her children into a car and had nowhere to go except the Salvation Army she knew there was a shelter show to run and operated by the generosity people because people had sent money. I will way believing we do something so this one gets into the shelter and the someone smarter than me as before I arrived in Hickory that this occurred so potential in her and offered her work.

In the meantime, the three children little been affected in some way by what happened in their life's but they were brought into the Boys and Girls Club again, something funded by the generosity of people and the once we arrived what we so there was a woman that was working away back of been like a bit of confidence again oldest son with severe form of Asperger's syndrome been told by doctors he would always be living at home could never be self-sufficient. A middle child who who could have panic attacks at any particular moment of the youngest child with the level of ADD have never seen in my life in Uppsala kiss Montgomery buddy and the five years there.

We watched as this Boys and Girls Club and people around and includes the congregation very much come alongside his family to the point that when we left.

Mom was the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club. The oldest son was going to college to get a full scholarship was a wrestler is the kid was that you never be always be at home. You will never be able to participate in team events will support you never succeed in school. After college he goes with this thing of the middle child was excelling in sports and the tube bunny plate tuba men and that that that the daughter that was really really coming into herself. Now tell you that story another that could happen. None of it. If people have not been generous unbelief, something would great would happen. And when you put God into the mix in the Salvation Army's front and center should always be we put God into the mix. Miracles happen so generosity surely is something that is inspired by the hot the space need to gift to something bigger than me, or different to me or something that can make a difference and and and so therefore is a trust element that goes with that. But on the back end of it sitting there is a Salvation Army officer is a sibling echo told many many stories that was simply one of think of you that I want to share immediately.

That's what happens so please know that generosity is something got inspired and that God will always always use a man.

I think it's important for listeners to know this is not a sales pitch were not raising money for the Salvation Army. Through this episode, but it's a great example of how some of many donations can equal something greater than you could ever imagine. There are other ministries out there abhors the Salvation Army would love to use your money and I would say if you are if you are considering giving to any organization, particularly a nonprofit organization.

There are other companies out there that act as watchdog organizations like the Chronicle of philanthropy that you can look up the stewardship aspects of an organization like the Salvation Army, for instance, if you give us a dollar today you need to know that there are administrative costs associated with that dollar and at one point we were reported to be spend $0.87 of every dollar given to us would go right back to meeting human need. In Jesus name, which means the other $0.13 is going to administrative costs. All organizations have that kind costly business. It is the cost of doing business and you'll want to know a particular with us is of course the salvation army, people were a little biased.

I love when other people talk about the Salvation Army. For example, we been called Christianity, with its sleeves rolled up that we don't believe in faith by works, but certainly famished without works is dead. We want to encourage his listeners. If you have an opportunity to be generous, we are considering being generous reach out to those people that you see doing good things in your community. If it's the Salvation Army, to God be the glory, but if there are other Christians in your community support them as well save as much as you can. We hope that you're enjoying the series with our friend Mike Harris and pray that you'll come back and hear more next week on wonderful words of life. The Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs.

You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and we would love to hear from you. Email us at radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 20 contact us will send you our gift for this series is totally free for listeners like you, one per household, while supplies last. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes or your favorite podcast store and be sure to give us a rating to search for wonderful words of life follow some social media for the latest episode extended interviews and more. And if you don't have a church home. We invite you to visit your local Salvation Army worship center will be glad to see this is Bernie date inviting you to join us next time. Salvation Army's wonderful words of life