Preaching Quote of the Week

"A large part of what the pastor does in preaching and life is to listen and help people feel their real needs, not just superficial needs. The satisfied preacher speaks from a listening heart. Since people often do not know what they really need, such preaching can help them find out. This requires a spaciousness that only comes if your cup is running over because you are well-cared for by God." - Dallas Willard

Illustration-a-day: How much money does it take to be rich?

According to a Reuters article by Helen Kearney, Fidelity Investments recently surveyed over one thousand millionaires and asked them, "How much money do you need to have to be truly rich?" The millionaires, whose average investments hover at around $3.5 million, answered that they would need at least $7.5 million to actually be rich. The main issues concerning one's perception of how rich you are involve your peer group (how rich am I compared to my friends) and whether or not your money can support your lifestyle until you die. If you read the article, be sure to pay attention to the percentage of the millionaires who do not consider themselves wealthy.

You can read the Reuter's article here.

Illustration-a-day: It's remarkable what people will drink when they are dying of thirst

Three weeks ago, Water for All missionaries from our own church traveled out into one of the driest, barren places in the country of Uganda. There they met with villagers whose bodies and souls bore the scars of decades of war. While the wars have ceased, the needs have not. Families in the area constantly struggle to acquire the most basic of necessities, clean water. This need for water not only shapes their daily routines – they sometimes walk miles simply to fill up their jugs with water – but it has formed their identity. The name of this village when translated into English? Thirsty.

While all of us have been thirsty from time to time, few of us have experienced that kind of thirst that brings one to the edge of death. When I first saw the photo that showed the mud hole these families use for their daily water supply I almost became sick to my stomach. We who have never lacked for water for probably a few hours likely could never bring ourselves to take a sip from that nauseating pool. I was reminded once more that it’s remarkable what a person will drink who’s dying of thirst.

With in just a few days, our missionaries helped the people drill a new well in the little village of Thirsty, Uganda. After two days of work, clean water began to flow and the people where so excited they gathered together and gave the village a new name which when translated into English means, “Place where the waters run.”