Perspectives on Stewardship

For several years I have attended a weekly Bible study in person. I now attend online. I admit it’s not the same. Yet, it’s still good to connect with these friends and fellow believers. We are all adjusting to the changes brought on by COVID 19, but of course, we hope things will...

It goes without saying that these are unprecedented times. As a nation and even worldwide, we are going through uncharted and unexpected waters. Around the world we are seeing illness and death from a cause unimagined just a few months ago. It’s a poignant reminder of the caution given in...

It goes without saying that these are turbulent times. Times like this can take us by surprise and can be frightening. An unknown virus is spreading around the world taking lives and resulting in dramatic business slow downs and declines in the stock market.The temptation is to worry, to be...

Like many of you, I’ve been through several hurricanes - four to be exact - Andrew, Charlie, Wilma and most recently Irma. Never fun, but for me, Irma was by far the worst in terms of damage. I hope and pray we do not have another storm like Irma for a long time - not sure my back (from...

How do you measure Generosity?When I was on a mission trip in Africa a few years ago, I was asked to speak at a church deep in the jungle - nearly three hours by Land-Rover from the nearest road. We followed paths cut by cattle, crossing two rivers with the water up to the hood. When we finally...

Where is your Treasure?As a church we recently enjoyed Chip Ingram as our guest speaker. Chip is not a stranger to First Baptist Naples. He has spoken here on many occasions, but his most recent message was perhaps one of his most compelling and seemed to strike a chord in many of us. It was...

Thanksgiving - what a wonderful holiday! A wonderful time to gather with friends and family, enjoy great food, watch a parade and of course some football. But why? Why do we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving? Is it simply a nice fall tradition - or is there more? Unfortunately, Thanksgiving has...

In a familiar passage in Luke 18, Jesus shares a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.The Pharisee stood proudly praying “God, thank You that I am not like other people... like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I...

Some will remember the old Beatles song “Can’t Buy Me Love”. The lyrics tell us that “I’ll get you anything my friend, if it makes you feel alright...but I don’t care too much for money...for money can’t buy me love.” There is an old poem that...