“Two weeks after drawing praise for allowing congregants in need to take cash directly from his offering baskets, Pastor John Gray of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina, is drawing flak for gifting his wife a Lamborghini Urus for their eighth wedding anniversary.” - CPost
“Evangelical churches and ministries saw an increase in giving in 2017, the highest increase since 2014, according to a new report by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.” - CPost
“Not everyone agrees with Ramsey’s advice, however. Chuck Bentley, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries, says Christians should tithe no matter what their financial situation.” - Christian Headlines
Ask most people to describe materialism and you’ll hear references to big-screen TVs, computers, SUVs, spacious houses, and overpaid CEOs. A few might mention “consumerism” and “greed.” Most would agree with the idea that materialism has been a major obstacle to relieving world poverty. Some would say it’s the cause of that poverty.
But what if materialism isn’t really what most people think? We could fall prey to materialism unawares or reject good ideas we have misidentified as materialism. In seeking to help the poor, we could waste our efforts opposing what really contributes little to the poverty problem.
Why Interest-Free Loans Are Only for the Working Poor for Subsistence Purposes - IFWE
“There’s no magic formula that instantly adds intimacy to your relationship. If there was one, it’s definitely not going to be found by eating expensive cheesecake, no matter how delicious.” - Bible Gateway
“[T]he gift of wealth also presents unique temptation to trust in wealth over and against the provision of God.” - IFWE
“[T]here are many similarities between the materialism of ‘the rich’ versus ‘the poor.’ In both cases, their hearts are set on wealth. However, there is an important difference between the two: the rich have received their reward and their hope, whereas the poor have not.” Neither Poverty nor Riches
“Half of Protestant churchgoers say their tithes can go to a Christian ministry rather than a church, compared to what is often taught by pastors and Bible study aids. A third say tithes can go to help an individual in need and nearly one in five say tithes can even go a secular charity” BPNews
