Financial Crisis Series Kicks Off

A week ago, it was 10 degrees when I got out of bed. I bundled up best I could to brave the frigid air for the 20 seconds it would take me to retrieve the morning paper. The first seven or eight seconds weren't too bad, I thought. But, by the time I hit the front door on the return trip, the cold seemed to be penetrating my bone marrow.

And then I wondered: "Man, how do the homeless survive on nights like this? Someone should really do something."

But I warmed up quickly and sat down with a cup of joe to read all about the good news. There was this story and that story, but the one that stayed with me was about this photo exhibit of teens in Fairfax County in need of parents. The article didn't have any of the photos, just descriptions of kids in need of parents.

And I wondered: "Man, someone should really do something."

And as I turned these things around in my head, I wondered "What would prevent us from being involved in this stuff?" And it hit me. Yeah, we're the richest nation on earth, and we'd like to help and all, but, sorry, about that. We've already spent it on us. In fact, the statistics show that not only have we spent what we have on us, we've spent what we don't have on us, too. Debt, man, is killing us individually--and now it's killing us as a nation collectively.

Is there a better way?

Is there a more fulfilling way?

Is it possible that God might have given us some understanding of how to do this money thing.

I mean, we've done it our way, and we're basically toast. We've listened to the "experts", the best minds the world has to offer, and what's it gotten us. Here's what: 7 our of 10 families in the US live paycheck to paycheck. No margin for error whatsoever. Maybe we at least need to check out what God has to say about this stuff.

The first of three messages on this financial crisis is this Sunday. Paul Gardiner, a pastor person with street cred on money issues, is introducing us to a different way of thinking.

If you want some place to park yourself in the Bible in preparation, try Malachi 3.