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“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13
A church member came to his pastor’s study one day. The pastor could see that the man looked deeply troubled. The man said, “Pastor, I need to talk. I feel so empty, so dried up inside, I’m scared.” His voice began to quiver just a bit. He said “Pastor, I have just come from the doctor’s office, and he told me that I have only six months at best to live. After I left the office, I realized that I have no spiritual resources, no inner strength to cope with this. There is nothing to fall back on, to lean against. Many people would be surprised to hear me say that, for I have made lots of money, and people think I am a success not only at making money, but at being a strong, powerful person.”
He then fell quiet, and the pastor waited in silence for him to go on. Finally, the man said, “You know I’m poor in the things that count the most. I see it now. I’ve put my faith in the wrong things, and the truth is I am destitute, spiritually destitute. I could pick up the phone and call any bank in Houston and borrow any amount of money to do whatever I wanted to. Just on my name, Reverend, just on my name! Do you understand? I could borrow it on my name only.”
The man then leaned forward and put his head in his hands, and said softly through tears, “I guess there are some things you can’t buy or borrow.”
This man’s material bank was full to overflowing, but his spiritual bank was empty. Is that your situation? Are you serving money, and not God?
If you’ve been around church lately you’ve heard a lot about a neighbor called Frank Eddie. I ran into him early on while changing the letters on the church sign on Parker Ave. Soon Frank was playing guitar and singing for us in a church he’d lived next to for 30 years but never stepped foot in.
This past summer Frank received some 3rd degree burns from a barbeque accident. He couldn’t drive so I gave him a few rides for wound treatments in Del Ray. On one trip I asked him if he wanted to join the church, and he said yes. In August, he was baptized in a very emotional and powerful service. Frank was not well, he had just found out he had pancreatic cancer, something his father had died from. It was serious.
What did Frank do? He went to work to fight it, knowing it was an uphill battle. But more than that, he committed himself to getting his house in order – physically and spiritually. He got a will, health directives, and made arrangements for his possessions. He also doubled down on his faith – he’d already been coming to Sunday worship as well as Friday Shabbat services with Tikvah Israel. He tuned his TV into the church channels, his radio to Christian music, and prayed, and prayed some more. He invested in his spiritual bank like there was no tomorrow.
Last week I shared communion and prayer with him right before he left for NewYork with his brother to get help there. He entered hospice care and a few dayslater Frank was in heaven with our Lord Jesus.
I vividly remember his baptism. I asked him to respond to each article of the Apostles’ Creed, “do you believe?” and Frank, with his body and voice weak, said boldly, “I believe”.
Frank’s heart had changed. He was still Frank, rough around the edges and all. But there was something different about him. Jesus was in him and filling him with a new life. Suddenly, Frank didn’t care so much about all the “material stuff” he had. In fact, he started giving things away to people. Even in our last phone conversations he was looking to give things away to people – a guitar and amp to kids at Youth for Christ, as well as his flight simulator computer! A battery jumper cable box to another person. Books, amplifiers, cables, and so on. He was emptying out his material bank and filling up his spiritual bank.
This is a reminder for us all – in our material world, to keep our eyes on Jesus. Let’s focus our minds on feeding our spiritual bank this Sunday, devoting our lives to God and to one another.
In Christ;
Pastor Dan
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Franklin Eddie, who went to be with the Lord this last Thursday. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Arrangements are pending.
- The Centennial Committee will meet on 28th after worship to continue planning for our Centennial Celebration on Sunday, April 12, 2026. We will be sending out “Save the Date” postcards in October.
- Can you help us with ushering or greeting for worship? We need people to open doors, welcome visitors, hand out bulletins, provide security, clean up, and direct people for communion or other needs? We will provide training on Sunday, October 5th after lunch (11:45a.m.).
- Do you love decorating and a heart for worship? Come find out more about our Altar Guild on Sunday, October 19th after lunch (11:45 a.m.). Join our team that blesses our worship by preparing for communion and baptisms, put up banners, paraments, and seasonal decorations. Join us after lunch (11:45 a.m.) in the sanctuary as we offer a training and opportunity to serve in this special ministry.
- The Palm Beach Atlantic University - Symphonic Band and Symphony will be performing a concert here in our sanctuary at 7:30 p.m. on October 11th at 7:30. The Symphony and Symphonic Band will unite for a powerful performance featuring a diverse repertoire. From sweeping symphonic movements to bold, brassy marches, this performance will showcase the talents of their dedicated student musicians. $15 general admission; PBA students and those under 18 free.
- Conniston Middle School is in need of the following items to be donated so they can hand them out to students in need.The need is great throughout the year. Drop off items until October 1st when we’ll deliver them to school.
Mesh Backpacks (clear or mesh fabric) - Glue Sticks - Notebooks with lined paper - Pencil Pouches
- Join us for a delicious lunch following worship this Sunday in the Fellowship Hall.
