Use It or Lose It

Who recalls this old song?

Love is like a lucky penny

Hold it tight, and you won’t have any

Give it away, and you’ll have plenty

You’ll end up having more

I grew up on the “Joy Bus.” Now, some of you don’t know what I mean by that phrase, while others of you know exactly where I’m coming from. I’m not sure how the phenomenon began, but in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, there was a push among Churches of Christ (maybe all denominations) to have a ministry that got people who might not ordinarily come church to the building by picking them up by bus. I grew up in Burkburnett, TX, which is right outside of Wichita Falls, TX and adjacent to Sheppard AFB. In the early 1970’s the church I went to was running 7 full-size busses every Sunday morning to the AFB to pick up kids.

Now, the joy bus was more than a means of transportation to get kiddos from the outskirts to the church building. It was a mobile, Bible-teaching, song-singing, calorie-burning machine that pulsed with activity and excitement. At the front of the bus, a seat had been turned around and a podium installed. There was a “micked” sound system and decorations galore. Not a moment of teachability was lost on the hour-long ride each Sunday, as the children learned Bible lessons and songs about Biblical characters.

One fair Sunday morning, the bus leader (my mother) began to teach us a lesson about giving our money to God. She used for illustration the story of Ananais and Sapphira. After she told the Bible story, she taught us all a song to help us remember the truths of the story. The song (see above) was a hit! We were all singing it jubilantly by the time we made it to the building. However, as we pulled in, my mom got everyone’s attention for a special announcement. She informed us, as we left the bus, we would each receive a special penny. This was to be no ordinary penny – it was for us to give to God in the collection plate. Excitedly, what seemed like hundreds of munchkins flooded off the bus, each waving excitedly their newly acquired penny.

Bible class that morning was a wash. Rather than paying attention to Mrs. Hagstrom’s flannel board Bible story, we each took turns comparing and touting our pennies. Some were shiny and some were worn. Others had been printed that year, while the rest had dates ranging way back. As the bell of deliverance rang, we raced down the hall and into the auditorium. As usual, I found my seat next to my grandparents who ALWAYS sat on the left side, 10^th row from the back, on the aisle. They were not in on the plot with the whole penny thing, and I had already decided what I might do with it. You see, I would typically go home with my grandparents after church and eat lunch. After lunch, Pappaw and I would go to Piggly Wiggly to do the grocery shopping. Although I couldn’t by much candy with a penny, I knew that if I picked something out and handed him the penny to pay for it, he would be a softy and get it for me anyway. The plan was set.

When the plates came around that morning, I didn’t put in my penny. I gripped it tight in my sweaty little fist and awaited anxiously my opportunity at the store to exchange that coin for a Butterfinger. When the final “Amen” sounded, I bounded from my pew, put my penny in my pocket, and raced to the car. Once at the car door, I had a desperate sense that I needed to see my penny once again. To my horror, I reached in my pocket, only to discover that it was a faux pocket with no actual lining. Apparently, the penny I had placed in there for safe keeping had slid down my leg, out of my pants, and into oblivion. I was heartbroken!! My penny was gone, never to be seen again. As I thought about it later that afternoon, that silly song we learned earlier was ricocheting around in my head like a “superball” in an elevator. In fact, I had lost what I should have given away – that which was promised to God. To add insult to injury, Pappaw didn’t buy me a candy bar at the store.

Have you ever held onto something that was God’s so tightly that you lost it? Maybe its money, time, people, etc. The simple fact remains, worshippers must keep a loose grip on anything in this world – for none of it belongs to us. As we look at the “Tale of Two Givers” from Acts 4 and 5, our worship will center around the idea that the act of giving is not enough and that it’s the heart that God sees when we give and when we hoard. May our worship be transformed by our ability to “give it away” in the Name of Jesus.

Resounding Themes:
God, the Giver of All Good Things
Blessings of God
Faithful Heart, Faithful Giver
Sacrificial Behavior

Ready, Set, READ

Acts 4:36-5:11

Ready, Set, MEDITATE

- Who are the two givers identified in these verses? How are they strikingly similar? How are they drastically different?

- What eventually happened to the man who gave everything from his sale (remember, his name is Barnabas)? What happened to the couple who chose not to disclose it all?

- What is your immediate reaction to the couple’s fate? Why?

- In what ways do you see yourself in the story of Barnabas? Ananias and Sapphira?

- What are you keeping back from the Lord that inhibits your ability to stand proudly in his presence and say unashamedly, “I give it all, Lord.”

Ready, Set, PRAY

Gracious and Benevolent Father God, hear my prayer of praise today, as I elevate you above everything else in my life. As Jesus was bold to say, “all that I have is Yours, and all that You have in mine,” so we, too, come humbly into your bountiful blessing – knowing all the while that everything we have comes from Your hand. Father, grant me with the ability to grip loosely all the blessings I have in this life, and allow me to open freely the gates of my heart as I release those things back to Your control. May you be Lord over my life today – and may that begin with my giving.

Ready, Set, WORSHIP!