Collinsville-Troy CHURCH OF CHRIST

Property Poor Church Members

Jim Faughn

I recently came across an article in a religious periodical published in 1918. The title of that article was the same as the title for this post.

The article mentions a man who served as an elder in a local congregation who owned a great deal of property. According to a statement he made, the value of his property was $160,000. His weekly contribution to the local congregation of which he was a member was seventy-five cents!

When this man was encouraged to increase his contribution, he said that he could not do that because he was "property poor." He even claimed that his financial "stress" made it necessary for him to borrow money at times.

With a little research and my elementary skills in mathematics, I discovered that $160,000 in 1918 would be the equivalent of almost $3,400,000 today. That "sacrificial" seventy-five cents would be the equivalent of a little less than $16.00 today. When numbers like this are discussed, it is not unusual to hear or read the term “adjusted for inflation."

I'm thinking that another adjustment might need to be considered. In both 1918 and 2026, there might need to be an adjustment in the attitudes and priorities of some people. I've never known and have never wanted to know how much monetary support is given to the work of the Lord by people with whom I worship. I'm wondering though if some haven't gone from being property poor to also being automobile poor, boat poor, hobby poor, entertainment poor, fashion poor, travel poor, etc. In other words, I'm wondering if people have "obligated" themselves to so many other things that there is not much left for the Lord and His work.

Maybe we need to revisit a parable that Jesus taught. He spoke of a man whose mindset was totally on material things. You may remember that he was so prosperous that the only solution he could think of was to build bigger places where he could store his "stuff." (Have you noticed the proliferation of "storage facilities" in most communities today?) This man heard these words from God: Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20, KJV) You may remember how Jesus ended that parable. It should serve as a reminder and challenge to all of us: So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:21 KJV)

-- Jim Faughn serves as and elder for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY.
-Article obtained from bulletingold.com

By Grace of God

Glen Elliott

Some reject the grace of God in preference to earning salvation. In the April 2026 issue of the Spiritual Sword, Steve Higginbotham cites a New York Times interview with the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, who said, "I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I'm not stopping to be interviewed, I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It's not even close." No doubt there are many who feel the same in regard to procuring their own salvation. But, if such were the case, grace would be unnecessary and the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross was a serious blunder in the redemptive plan of God.

We must not overlook the underlying belief expressed by the phrase, "if there is a God..." But, if there is a God, He surely would have revealed the nature of our salvation; whether is it something we earn or something given to us on the condition of biblical faith. The matter is settled in Paul's letter to the Ephesians where he writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Of one thing, we can be certain: we will not walk into heaven because we have earned it. All have sinned and stand in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23). Denying our need for a Savior suggests sinless perfection -- something that flies in the face of both Scripture and practical experience (1 John 1:10). Ultimately, those who enter into heaven will be those who have been saved by grace through faith.

Grace is a strong motivation to demonstrate our faith through active obedience to God's will. After acknowledging the fact that we are saved by grace through faith, Paul goes on to say, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…so that we would walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). We cannot be saved by works of merit nor can we be saved without an active, working faith (James 2:14-26). Just as faith has a role in grace, so also grace has a role in faith. Paul speaks of the empowering nature of God's grace when he says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). God's grace, then, is our motivation and strength to produce good works to the glory of God.

-- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.
-Article obtained from bulletingold.com