I’ve mentioned before that my dad would often say, “We must live simply so others can simply live.” Dad had a real conviction about generosity.
So last year when pastor Dave Ferguson asked me to speak at his Generosity Conference at Community Christian Church (CCC), I was grateful to be there. I connected with his passion for giving.
Last week CCC had their second annual Generosity Conference with over 1,000 in attendance. It’s remarkable that so many showed up to be challenged about giving in these tough times. God is at work.
You may recall mega church pastor Rick Warren who was recently asked to offer the prayer at the presidential inauguration. Rick now practices reverse tithing since Purpose Driven Life book sales generate millions. Instead of upgrading his lifestyle, he lives simply on 10% of his income and gives 90% away. He also returned every dollar of income that his church had paid him through the years.
What a contrast to the excessive CEO bonuses we’ve been reading about. It makes you wonder what influence we’d have as Christians if we lived simply and gave away our excess.
And on a lighter note, here’s someone who hasn’t quite figured out the simple living idea yet:
Funny clip, Ed. I watched the Generosity Conference online and really enjoyed it. The whole cookie analogy was humorous. Thanks for sharing.
-Kristin
Thanks Kristin, it made me smile too.