Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached at St.Timothy Lutheran Church last Sunday, Sept. 25. The text was  1 Timothy 6:6-19. Have you heard people say, “I’m living the dream?” It may mean the person is doing great, but at other times it may be said sarcastically because the individual is struggling. Let’s make a change, so the statement says, “I'm living the life. ” This passage is about stewardship, but it is about so much more. A little phrase at the very end of the passage flashes like a neon sign. “…build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life ,”(v. 19b). Are those going their own way, not following Jesus, missing out on something? A false life is being offered that claims we will be happy and fulfilled if we only make enough money to own all the really cool things. We've all heard the expression, “Whoever has the most toys wins.” God wouldn’t want to deny us now, would he? I have questions. What is this “life that is truly life?” How do we get it? What good does ...

This is the sermon I preached Sunday, 9/25 at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran Churches. The text is 1 Timothy 6:6-19 .   Have you ever had a conversation with someone that started out like this, “Jim, how are you doing? I haven’t seen you in so long.” Jim replies, “I’m living the dream!” Sometimes it seems to mean the respondent is doing great. Other times I’ve heard people say this in a sarcastic way because they’re in a very hard place. I would like to make one small change to that statement so that it says, "I'm living the life." At first glance, we think it's obvious that this passage is about stewardship; and it is. But it is about so much more. There is a little phrase at the very end of the passage that I cannot shake. Every time I read this passage it hits me again and again: “…take hold of the life that really is life,”(v. 19b). What does that mean? Does it mean that those who are going their own way, not following Jesus, a...