Let’s just say for example that a member of a church plays the lottery and wins…BIG TIME!! The member then wants to donate a portion (or all) of the lottery winnings to their church.
What does the church do?
Do they reject the offer like they did here.
Or do they accept the offer like they did here.
If someone wins the lottery and wants to give Living Stones Church the winnings, what should we do?
I think they should accept it.
It’s like that joke about the man who is drowning. A rowboat comes by and the rower says, “Get in, I can save you!” The man in the water says, “No! I have faith that God will save me!”
The Coast guard sends a boat out but they too are rejected with, “God will save me.” After an hour of treading water, the man is exausted, slips beneath the waves, and dies.
Up in heaven, he confronts God, “Why didn’t you save me?”
God says, “You didn’t see the man in the rowboat? Or the Coast Guard? Or the helicopter? Come on!”
Sometimes people have to recognize a blessing when they see one.
By: alpinmack on August 28, 2008
at 3:07 pm
Amen to that!
By: Take the $$$ on August 28, 2008
at 4:16 pm
We should accept it and ensure that the winner reported all of their winnings on the proper line of their Form 1040 (as well as taking a correct contribution deduction on their Schedule A).
By: The Bishop on August 28, 2008
at 8:50 pm
I’m definitely inclined to think the church should take it … but I also really like the attitude of the accepting church you linked to — that they, in turn, gave lots of the money away! Very cool…
By: Kneip on August 28, 2008
at 11:23 pm
Take it. Better that it be used for good than used for evil.
By: Tracy on August 30, 2008
at 7:45 pm
I noticed that you have a lot of books about sex on your reading list.
Anyway, I used to think that I was actually going to win the lottery and give the money to my church. Looking back I think I was a bit nuts, but I guess anything is possible with God.
He said “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”
I guess if we do the first part, we expect that God will add, even the Big Time.
By: Hermi on September 3, 2008
at 11:00 pm