WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:04.879 You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk 2 00:00:04.919 --> 00:00:12.359 about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Here we are, good 3 00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:19.519 morning, good morning, through good morning, good morning to you and you 4 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.079 and you all right, well there you go. That's what three four weeks 5 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:23.519 in a row? Now? Yeah? Yeah, yeah. Hey, by 6 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.679 the way, what movies that from? Go? I have no idea seriously 7 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:30.359 singing in the rain? Okay, I've seen singing in the rain. Yeah, 8 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:34.560 it's really good. I'm singing. Hey, look at you and name 9 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:43.600 the actors. Go the dancer guy? Oh, sorry, you can, 10 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:46.600 Kelly Geane, Kelly, there you go. Yeah, Debby Reynolds. Yeah, 11 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:51.600 okay, So today I have talking about movies. Yes, I have 12 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:56.399 five words summaries of movies, and I have to see how fast you can 13 00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.560 guess what movie it is. So I'm going to say five words. It's 14 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:03.119 kind of each one of these is a sentence, five word sentences, and 15 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.040 you have to say this. There's a lot of pressure. Tell me the 16 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:08.959 movie, and I guess the listeners could try to say it up before me. 17 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:11.439 That's right, We're gonna race. Here you go, ready, okay, 18 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:19.920 cat Cat returns to defeat Uncle Cat return Oh, lion king, yes, 19 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:26.719 Cat. It was like Cat's pretty redhead chooses belching monster Shrek. There 20 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:32.920 you go. Man becomes father, steals moon. Oh uh, despicable me 21 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:41.200 steals Moon. That's that's perfect. That's that's perfect. Uh. Enchanted arborist 22 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:49.439 lectures saves Forrest. But say it again, Enchanted arborist lectures saves Forrest. 23 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:57.159 No clue, the lore acts. Oh my word, yeah, there you 24 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:02.920 go. Okay, he didn't save anything. What No, he the one 25 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:10.960 trufula tree at the end he had to replant and he didn't save it. 26 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:16.039 It was actually the okay, here's your last one. I boo on that 27 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:23.080 one. It was the Wintler whatever his name was, that at the very 28 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:27.400 end that felt guilty and he actually he lost the battle. Boo. We 29 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.039 could start a new podcast about Seuss if you want to know that. That 30 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:32.360 is just hell. If you like the Biba guys, you should go over 31 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.120 to the sus. I'm thinking like I'm thinking like he saved the forest. 32 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:38.039 He didn't save anything. There was nothing there for like years and years. 33 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.039 Anyway, go ahead, all right, here's the last one, Chris, 34 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:46.520 go ahead, you better up your game. Immoral Electric company solicit scares. 35 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:54.240 Oh, munsters inc isn't good? Immoral? Yeah, oh immoral? So 36 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:58.840 I said, so, yeah, I wouldn't ever described it that way. 37 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:02.319 Well, they were taking a people, I guess, so yeah, yeah, 38 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:06.800 I guess. So okay, yeah, so that's that's pretty funny. 39 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:08.840 Anyways, Okay, well we got that out of the way. Well that 40 00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:15.240 was a big one. I I'm still going to go home and read this. 41 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:19.960 So, by the way, my daughter Tory, uh, her number 42 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:23.319 one favorite thing in all the world is Winnie the Pooh. Okay, okay. 43 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:25.759 Her number one favorite book and all the world she hasn't memorized, believe 44 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:30.159 it or not, is the Lorix. It's the Lorx. Oh so you 45 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:32.479 know this well, very well, very well. Okay, so I've seen 46 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.960 this, I've seen this movie, this little cartoon. So did you just 47 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.719 disappoint Tori? Is that what happened? That you missed that one? No, 48 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:39.680 I think she'd be on my side with us. Is that she gonna 49 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:43.520 be mad? Yeah? I mean, are you guys gonna go protest Desiree's 50 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:47.080 house out there in the front, get the story right? You're gonna be 51 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:52.680 carrying. Probably grabbed that from a resource which means she probably copied and pasted 52 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:54.159 it somewhere. And so I'm not mad at Desiree. I'm mad at the 53 00:03:55.080 --> 00:04:00.360 person who says he saves the forest. So anyway, we went to uh, 54 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:03.840 just this past Christmas, I went down to visit my daughter who lives 55 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:08.840 in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and we went to Universal Studios and uh, 56 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:13.039 there's you could you could walk through Doctor seuss Land, Okay, and on 57 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.319 the side there's like a little thing where people just walk through and it's just 58 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.079 the Lorax, right, And all it is is just like it's a throwaway 59 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.199 kind of a thing. It's not a ride, right, It's just like 60 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:26.160 this little thing they built that you can just walk through. She was happier 61 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:30.319 walking through the Lorax through there then she was probably riding almost any ride. 62 00:04:30.360 --> 00:04:33.079 Oh wow, right, and uh and so I was like right there, 63 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:36.439 we got pictures and everything like this. And so if you know the story, 64 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:42.360 uh, he fights and fights this guy making sneeds and and I forget 65 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:44.720 what his name is, the Winsler or the Westler, whatever his name is. 66 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:48.560 Anyway, he loses the battle and so all the trees, the last 67 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:54.000 truffy the tree falls down, it's gone forever, and then he finds then 68 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:59.160 the then the guy who destroyed the forest finds a seed and then keeps it 69 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:02.800 for decades and then finally gives it to a kid to replant. So the 70 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:09.120 lorax actually lost the battle of trying to save the force. Wow, which 71 00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:12.240 means it is a wrong distriss, it's a wrong description. Okay, all 72 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:15.959 right, well, thank you for that. You clarified the false doctrine of 73 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:19.680 the lorax, and so that was appreciative of that, Chris. Yeah. 74 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.519 Well, you know, listen, that's what made Chris Madden today. Yeah. 75 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:28.360 Well, if we have any listeners left, holy cow. Yeah. 76 00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:31.240 Yeah, sorry, Yes, that was thank you for clarifying. That was 77 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:36.079 a big one. So today is a really sweet story. It's only just 78 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:41.519 a few verses long, but I think that this story might be one of 79 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.079 the best known stories in the whole Gospels. Yeah right, And so it's 80 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:49.199 found in Mark and Luke, which is rare that you don't get Matthew and 81 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:54.319 Mark. This one was Mark and Luke. Right. In Mark, chapter 82 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:58.399 twelve, verse forty one, it says Jesus sat down near the collection box 83 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:01.720 in the temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich 84 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:06.160 people in large amounts put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and 85 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:11.480 dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 86 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.839 I tell you the truth. This poor widow has given more than all the 87 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:18.120 others who are making contributions, for they gave a tiny part of their surplus. 88 00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:21.600 But she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to 89 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:26.160 live on. And in Luke chapter twenty one, verse one, it says 90 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:29.360 while Jesus was in the temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts 91 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:31.839 in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two 92 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:35.319 small coins. I tell you the truth, Jesus said, this poor widow 93 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.519 has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a 94 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:43.120 for they have given a tiny part of their surplus. But she, poor 95 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:46.160 as she is, has given everything she has. Yeah. Wow, yeah, 96 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:51.680 And it's known as the widow's mites, right, right, And so 97 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:57.759 do you know anything about the word might because in the King James version that 98 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:02.000 you and I grew up reading, right, it's this version. The NLT 99 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:09.720 says two small coins or two small copper coins, right, but ale is 100 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:13.199 what it was. It was the smallest of the Jewish coins. Then where 101 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:15.959 the word might come from, I don't know really, that's how it was 102 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:21.319 translated. King James h widows mite. Yeah, yeah, I think it 103 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:26.600 was probably an appropriate word. Well obviously if it was written. You know. 104 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.439 So the King James version, by the way, was translated into English 105 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:36.720 in the year sixteen eleven. And so both Jeff and I grew up reading 106 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:41.639 the King James and at the same time Shakespeare was writing. Yeah, Shakespeare 107 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:46.959 same level of English. More academic than Shakespeare. Shakespeare is a little bit 108 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.920 more bullish, but yeah, yeah, and so anyway, the King James 109 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:57.439 version, it doesn't read as fluent as let's just say, like the NLT 110 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:01.600 because language has changed. Uh. You know, it felt like to me 111 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:05.120 growing up and reading it, it was like yoda, you know really yeah, 112 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:07.000 yeah, it was like it was like you know, how it did 113 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:11.720 how it you know, it would it would put words like that, and 114 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:15.079 uh. And then also you would use words that you had to sort of 115 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:18.199 look up and figure out the translation because we no longer use those words, 116 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:24.120 and and then uh. But the accuracy of translations is obviously the concern, 117 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:28.079 right so the concern about the King James was, uh, you know, 118 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.680 uh, we have to make sure that whatever translation it is, that it 119 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:37.000 accurately represents the language. But Greek was a is a hard language to translate 120 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:43.720 from. Sure it really is so anyway, and so widows might or here 121 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.240 it would have been in the Greek, it's too Lepta. It was the 122 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:54.360 smallest of the Jewish coins or codrants, which means quadrons, right. So 123 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.720 there's a lot of different ways of saying this, but basically what he's talking 124 00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:01.399 about is the smallest of the coins that they used, and in their day, 125 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:05.960 the coins were weighted, so that's the value of the coin. The 126 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:09.000 value of the coin was how heavy the coin was, because they would use 127 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:11.879 the scales of justice. That's right. So if you and I were thinking 128 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.320 about it, if you could have a fraction of a penny, if it 129 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.480 was possible to have a coin that was a fraction of a penny, this 130 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:20.919 is what this lady gave is she gave two fractions of a penny, and 131 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:26.480 they were the smallest coins, the least value, but for her it was 132 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:30.360 everything. So I think it's interesting. Let's unpack that Jesus is sitting there 133 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.720 watching people drop their money in. Yeah, well I thought that was private. 134 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:37.399 Well yeah, well back then it wasn't it was, right, And 135 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:41.879 so I don't think it is today either. I think it's personal, yes, 136 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:46.360 right, but if you're expecting a receipt for tax purposes, it's not 137 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:50.440 private, correct, correct, that's right. Well, somebody, somebody's looking 138 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:52.919 at it. Somebody has to look at it. And so here's Jesus. 139 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:58.600 He's paying attention, he's just watching. And so this area is near the 140 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.440 women's section. If you know about the temple, there was the public section 141 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:07.840 for the men, there was a section for gentiles who weren't Jewish, and 142 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.679 there was a section for the women. And so this is near the area 143 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:16.799 the women's portion of the temple that had the collection boxes. And so all 144 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:20.639 the rich people love to make a big presentation about it. Here's my thing 145 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:22.519 dropping in their money, and Jesus is like, that's just from the surplus, 146 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.720 right, And this poor little lady she comes and gives everything she has. 147 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:33.519 And by the way, that's actually true. So usually the richer that 148 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.559 people get. And by the way, when I say rich, I'm including 149 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:41.120 you and me in that equation. Absolutely, So what does it say It 150 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:45.559 says, if you make like forty five thousand dollars and you have two working 151 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.120 cars, you're in the top one percent of the richest people in the world, 152 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:54.039 right, which is hard to believe because we don't feel rich, right, 153 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.720 But the reality is you are rich. But were some of the richest 154 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:00.559 people in history. Yes, And so when the Bible talks about those who 155 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:03.840 are rich, you know, to do good deeds. Uh, he's talking 156 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:07.320 about you, right, even though that you don't feel rich. And so 157 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.919 we only don't feel rich because there are we we know of richer people. 158 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:15.360 Yes, a lot of richer people, right, So we know that richer 159 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.600 people exist, and so we go, I'm not that rich, right, 160 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:20.600 But the reality is you're in the top one percent if that's if you qualify. 161 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:26.200 So, so the bottom line is is the richer we get usually the 162 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:31.559 less percentage we give, so the amount becomes greater. But you know, 163 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:33.879 you could you can, Like I think of my mom all the time. 164 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:37.399 So my mom when I was a kid, I remember going to church with 165 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:45.000 her very infrequently. We were sort of infrequent uh nonpracticing uh churchgoers. And 166 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.440 I remember one time the uh plate, the offering plate, there was like 167 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.799 an actual plate, like a like like a steel brass plate or something, 168 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:56.360 and and you would they would, it would be passed and and so people 169 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.559 could literally if they were paying attention, out of the corner of the rye, 170 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:01.799 they can see what you drop in there. And I remember the minister 171 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:05.600 said this, and I don't even know what church it was, but the 172 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:09.639 minister said, hey, drop in what you can, and if you need 173 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:13.759 something for your bills, take it out. By the way, have you 174 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:16.519 ever heard that in your life? Yeah? Have you, because I've never 175 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:20.799 heard that. That's crazy, that's right. And so for a pastor to 176 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.919 have that kind of faith and all these kind of things. So anyway, 177 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.039 so that the plate passed and I looked and there was a pile of money 178 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:30.679 on there. I looked over my mom and I said, there is take 179 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.120 it. Take it, said, you can have it. Yeah, And 180 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:35.840 so she grabbed she looked in her purse and she looked and I remember her 181 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:39.279 opening her a little coin compartment and she had five dollars that's all she had 182 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:43.240 in the whole thing. And I know how poor we were, and she 183 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.559 took the five dollars and she threw it in and I was like, what 184 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:50.360 is the matter with you, like you gave literally everything you have, and 185 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:54.159 do you know that to this day she's still that way. She will have 186 00:12:54.279 --> 00:13:00.159 absolutely nothing for herself and she will give one hundred percent of everything she has 187 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:03.159 if she feels like you need it. And she's always been that way. 188 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:07.879 And so therefore I think that regardless of growing up in ministry and struggling and 189 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:11.879 not having a lot of salary, I'd never struggled with giving because it was 190 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:16.360 always model for me. My mom was always sacrificial. But the richer that 191 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:20.600 I've gotten, the more I've realized, like, whoa, instead of giving 192 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:24.840 five dollars, you know, when you write that check and it's hundreds, 193 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:26.559 right, or you know at the end of the year when you know it's 194 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:31.840 thousands, right, it's like, wow, that's different than giving five dollars. 195 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:37.360 The percentage wise, it's really the same. Yeah, right, my 196 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:41.360 dad, I can remember my dad was a tither, so he gave ten 197 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:46.399 percent of his income off the gross every week. And so when he became 198 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:52.080 a Christian, he immediately, like the first week, he knew because that's 199 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:54.799 what his parents did. He knew that's what he should do. And so 200 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:58.440 you know, my dad was talking to me one day. When I was 201 00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:01.279 growing up, we were poor, very poor, and we had a lot 202 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:03.519 of struggles. But after I had gone off to college and got married, 203 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:09.240 my dad had a business that was really successful. And so my dad said, 204 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:13.159 let me tell you which is harder. Is it harder to tithe when 205 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:16.519 you don't have very much or is it harder to tithe when you have a 206 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:18.720 lot. And I said, I don't know. He said, so, 207 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.600 when I first started tithing, my tithe was fifty dollars and he said, 208 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:26.919 now my tithe is one thousand dollars a week, right, well, or 209 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:30.840 whatever it was, And he said, so, which is harder. I'll 210 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.279 tell you. He said, right now, those zeros is hard. But 211 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:37.279 he said ten percent. Ten percent, right. God deserves, God deserves 212 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:41.200 what he asks for. He says, I want to tithe, bring a 213 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:45.600 tithe back so that my house be full, so that the you'll be able 214 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.759 to the work of the ministry can go forward. And he said, so, 215 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:50.720 whether I have a little or a lot, ten percents the same. 216 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:54.679 It's the same for everybody. And he just decided he was going to honor 217 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.919 God. And so, you know, my wife and I, as I 218 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:01.679 grew up. That was a a focus, and then even when I was 219 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:05.200 a teenager in college, I tithed my wife and I But it's not always 220 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:09.879 easy, no, because every time it's a heart check. Every time it's 221 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:11.919 you know what I could be doing with his money? Yeah? Right, 222 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:13.159 but you decide, Okay, God, I'm bringing it back because you don't 223 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:16.360 give a tithe, you bring back a tithe. God gave it all to 224 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:18.720 you, right, and then you bring back that's a push that So in 225 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:24.080 this situation, this lady's not tithing. So in the temple at that time, 226 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.159 there were there was a note in here that really spelled it out. 227 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:31.600 I remembered these things, but then it has it in the note. Jesus 228 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:33.159 was in the area of the temple called the Court of Women. In this 229 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:37.840 area were seven boxes in which worshippers could deposit their temple tax that would be 230 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:43.799 the tithe right, and six boxes for free will offerings like the one this 231 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:48.600 woman gave. This woman was not only poor, but had few resources for 232 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.039 making money. Her small gift was a sacrifice, but she gave it willingly. 233 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:54.159 So lots of people come in just drop their temple tax in ten percent 234 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:58.759 of all their stuff and she comes in and she's not dropping her tithe in, 235 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:03.559 not ten percent. She goes over the free will offering area and instead 236 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.320 of giving one out of the two, she just gives everything hands. And 237 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:11.240 there is something to be said about she wasn't placing her trust in what little 238 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:15.080 she had. She was placing her trust in God, right right. She 239 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:19.240 didn't go and buy a scratch off with it, right right. She didn't 240 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:23.639 go and try to find someplace to turn two into four. In this moment 241 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:26.320 she said, Okay, I have nobody to trust but God. It's just 242 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.159 me and God, and so I'm going to trust him. And here we 243 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.759 are, two thousand years later talking about her. And so this goes to 244 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:40.960 show you that when we do drop a tithe in, or maybe we pay, 245 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.639 most of us probably pay electronically now right, and we're all by ourselves, 246 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:48.159 and we hit a little button. The question is does God see? 247 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:53.279 Does God see? Because nobody else sort of knows besides the person who writes 248 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:56.840 the receipt for our tax purposes, nobody else really knows what we give. 249 00:16:57.159 --> 00:17:02.120 But that's not true at all? Is it? Because God notices this woman 250 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:07.400 who and recognizes the sacrifice, so she know her reward her blessings in heaven, 251 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:11.759 her you know, her, her faith, all all those things have 252 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:15.599 increased, and she's gonna be blessed because of it. And you know what, 253 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.720 it's really hard, it's really hard to give like that. But yet 254 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:22.920 she again, she just has complete faith. When I was thinking about what 255 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:26.319 you said is back then their money was weighted. Uh. Did you know 256 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:30.119 that when you drive through a toll booth and you just grab your money and 257 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:34.279 you toss it in and it goes and all of a sudden the gate lifts 258 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:37.200 up. Did you know that they don't actually measure it by size. It's 259 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:41.279 they measure by weight. You know that. Yeah, so you're able to 260 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:44.400 just throw a handful of chains in there, and and on those coin machines 261 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:47.319 where you actually take them and you throw them in at Kroger or something like 262 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.359 this. Uh, they measure all that by weight. Yeah, it makes 263 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:55.680 sense. Yeah, that's interesting. So there's a process forgiving and and and 264 00:17:55.799 --> 00:18:00.599 Jesus is celebrating how incredibly sacrificial this lady is. But I think so generosity 265 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:06.480 is one of the signs of people of faith. The Bible mentions this, 266 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:10.920 Jesus mentions it. Paul mentions it. Peter mentions it. It's a big 267 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:14.680 part of the lifestyle of a Christian should be. Luke mentions it in the 268 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:18.079 Book of Acts that they sold what they had and they took care of the 269 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:22.240 poor around them with their own resources. Right. And then historically I'm reading 270 00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:26.799 a book right now by Chuck Colson called The Faith, and he spells out 271 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:30.440 how sacrificial the early Church was back in the early days, even to the 272 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:33.680 point where they were willing to risk their lives to care for people during the 273 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:37.759 plagues, when all the rich people would leave the cities, they would come 274 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:41.200 in and build hospitals and take care of the sick people. Or they would 275 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:44.920 use their resources in order to take care of the poor and the impoverished when 276 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:48.400 much of the rest of the Roman citizenry would ignore them, right, and 277 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.799 all this kind of stuff. So it's always been a hallmark of Christianity that 278 00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:56.319 real Christians are givers, right, And it comes from one God says tithe 279 00:18:56.680 --> 00:19:00.440 Right, So that would be part of it. Many people who so I 280 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:07.240 would say, for if you're not yet generous, generosity is the anidote to 281 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:11.880 self centeredness, right, Generosity is the antidote to envy. I think it's 282 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:15.400 the antidote to jealousy. I think generosity is the anidote to materialism. So 283 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:18.480 if your kids are struggling with this, teach them to be givers. Right, 284 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.279 if you struggle with these things, you need to be a giver. 285 00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:23.000 It's one of the antidotes. When you start letting it go and you begin 286 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:26.759 to trust God, you trust in it less, trust God more. It 287 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:32.119 becomes so just learning to begin to be any kind of a giver. And 288 00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:34.279 then I would say, be a regular giver. So set up a regular 289 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:37.960 time, Paul says, on the first day of the week, set aside. 290 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:41.079 You know you're offering when he was receiving the special offering for Jusalem. 291 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:45.640 So be regular giver, consistently regular, and then get to becoming a percentage 292 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:48.839 giver where you're saying, Okay, you know what, I'm going to work 293 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.359 up to this ten percent or I know many people who have gone eleven, 294 00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:59.480 twelve, thirteen percent. One of my friends wound up writing the best selling 295 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:07.160 hardcover nonfiction book in history, made goajillions upon gajillions of dollars, and he 296 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.400 and his wife paused with their giving from it, and they're spending for a 297 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:11.799 little while while they tried to forgeut what that God wanted to do, and 298 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:15.720 they decided to reverse tithe and they've given away ninety percent. Now is their 299 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:21.079 process before he dies, We're going to give away ninety percent. They've already 300 00:20:21.079 --> 00:20:25.519 given away, like so they set the goal for ninety percent, but they've 301 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:27.599 given ninety three so far. Oh wow, Yeah, it's pretty neat, 302 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:33.319 right, or we've given away. So there's this idea of be regular. 303 00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:36.279 Just set up a regular time that you're going to give. If you don't, 304 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:42.640 you'll forget. Then be be percentage giver. Decide, hey, i'm 305 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:45.240 gonna I can't give ten right now, but I'm going to give five, 306 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.599 and then i'm gonna give seven, and then i'm gonna give ten, and 307 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:52.359 then i'm gonna get eleven whatever, and then be sacrificial. And that's what 308 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:56.880 he's celebrating because there were the people that were being they were giving their percentage. 309 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:00.960 That's the part of their surplus. And then he goes, but look 310 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.599 at this lady. Yeah, you want to get Jesus attention, You want 311 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:07.799 you want to impress Jesus. Yeah, right, get to that point where 312 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.319 you're generous and sacrificial well, and there's something to be said about that. 313 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:15.920 Yeah, And let me just say this too. Usually this is difficult for 314 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:18.960 people. Giving is emotional. Giving is because that's where your heart is. 315 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:22.759 It's where your heart is. And I would also say this in my experience 316 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:29.000 and you probably have experienced this too, Giving is sometimes and I would say 317 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:32.880 even more typically the last thing that people sort of do when they become a 318 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.119 Christian. It's like it's like, oh, I'm I'm gona immediately stop cussing. 319 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:38.200 You know, I'm going to immediately, you know, stop doing this 320 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:41.400 or this or that, and I'm going to go to church. And these 321 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:45.599 things are sort of easier. But then the giving part of the faith comes 322 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.440 with maturity, and it comes with because that's true sacrifice. You know, 323 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.000 you know you're entering into my world now, you know you're not just asking 324 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:56.799 for this or that you're asking for this. And I think that we see 325 00:21:56.839 --> 00:22:00.920 that a lot, Like for instance, I'll just give you an example. 326 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.079 You can see it even even from Afar. So for instance, our church 327 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:07.920 has grown by uh, you know, a large percentage, like forty percent 328 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.680 year over year. So we had just this last year, so we had 329 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:18.319 a booming year attendance wise, and yet our giving is actually has it gone 330 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:22.759 up, like up three point three percent? Three percent? Right, yeah, 331 00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:25.880 right, but our givings up three point three percent. Now, Now, 332 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:27.519 as as a as a leader, as a pastor, that's hard, 333 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:33.000 that's difficult because because now you have twice as not twice as much, but 334 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:37.960 forty percent more events and ministry and staff in cars up, the costs go 335 00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:41.000 up. You've got to hire people to to you know, mend your nets 336 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:45.119 while you're catching fish and all these kind of things. And uh. And 337 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:48.279 yet when people don't give, then it's like, okay, well hit, 338 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.680 we still have almost relatively the same budget. I would just say, hey, 339 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:56.839 if there are truly thousands of listeners who listen to us and and hundreds 340 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:00.519 that that are ten herited church, if you were one those people and you're 341 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.000 on the sort of the fringe of your maturity there where you're like, hey, 342 00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:07.799 I'm there, I have the knowledge, but I haven't crossed the line, 343 00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:11.519 I would just challenge you. And I'm boldly doing this. I'm unapologetically 344 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:15.519 saying it is just as much a part of our faith, and it's just 345 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:19.039 as important part of our faith as anything else. So if you had an 346 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:22.160 anger problem, I would not shry away from saying, let's deal with your 347 00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:27.319 anger problem. Sure, right, so make no mistake of it. Not 348 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:32.799 giving is a spiritual problem. If you think your provision comes from your money, 349 00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:36.079 it's very difficult to drop it in. If you think your provision comes 350 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:37.640 from God, it's easy to bring it back to him because He's going to 351 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.519 keep providing for you, which is why fifts your perspective, which is why 352 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:45.720 my favorite phrase attached to that is I will not put my hope in riches, 353 00:23:47.480 --> 00:23:49.720 but I will No, I will not put my trust in riches, 354 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:53.200 but I will trust the one who richly provides. Yeah. Wow, Yeah 355 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.319 that's great. So hey, well listen, that is a great place to 356 00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:08.400 end and hopefully we will see you next time on the Bible guys. HM