Parable of the Talents

Intro

what will people say at my funeral (e.g. The Jeffersons, firing employee;

he kicked my dog; he owed me 100 bucks; what time is this over? did I leave the stove on?

how will our lives affect others - it will one way or another; convince people they are valuable when the world says otherwise; they can be healed by their hurt; there is more to God then they could ever imagine;

opposite

point out their flaws; ignore them and reinforce what they have

doing nothing - I don’t care; I am self absorbed; too busy worry about myself

Matthew 25:14–18 NIV

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Matthew 25:14-

fact: God has given you something; resources; spiritual gift (at least one)

We have gifts

narrative budget

Gifts are meant to reproduce. Multiply

We

UMC - wastimg time - focused on denomination (intuitive eli)

distraction - focused on floor debates and arguments - distracted from Humc