THE NEWSLETTERPresident Ametta L. Reaves, who is known as a dynamic national speaker will share with us. We are excited to hear from them both and have no doubt that we will be blessed

VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE II SUMMER 2013

THE NEWSLETTERTHE NEWSLETTERTHE NEWSLETTER

WOMEN’S DAY 2013

VIRTUOUS WOMEN VIRTUOUS WOMEN WITH VISION WITH VISION

“Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘ I have seen the Lord!’”

John 20:18 NRSV

Spiritual fellowship is the life of the church. On Sunday, June 23rd, the women of DuPage will culminate their season of faith and fellowship through celebration and worship. Over 100 women will thrill the worshippers by singing in the chorus. God says, “Your voice will help them!” Our preacher is Rev. Theonita Bedford, Pastor of River of Life AME Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is the fastest

growing church (next to DuPage) in the Chicago Conference. This anointed woman whom God is using will bless us all.

On Saturday, June 15th, this annual gathering will be a luncheon this year. A new and refreshing program is planned and our speaker will be Rev. Elaine Walters, Pastor of Ward Chapel AME Church, Peoria, Illinois, which is the largest AME Church in the Illinois Conference. Surely Rev. Elaine will speak plainly and with Holy Ghost power directly to the hearts and minds of the sisters present.

Our $150 pledge this year will assist in the completion and furnishing of our newly completed Angel Church, Chapel and Bookstore. Please be mindful of the other Women’s Day activities. Watch for correspondence, attend to the Sunday announcements and join in to support and participate in the fun, food, faith and fellowship. Lottea Glenn, Chairperson.

God bless you now, and see you in church!

Pastor Miller

DUPAGE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

4300 Yackley Avenue Lisle, IL 60532 630-969-9800

630-969-9807 fax WWW.DUPAGEAMEC.ORG WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DUPAGEAMEC

[email protected]

Rev. Dr. James F. Miller SENIOR PASTOR

Rev. Lana Parks Miller EXECUTIVE PASTOR

Rev. Albert D. Tyson, III PRESIDING ELDER

Rt. Rev. John R. Bryant PRESIDING PRELATE

FROM THE PASTOR’S PEN:

New Members 2

Class of 2013 2-3

G.E.M.S. 6

Quarterly Calendar 8

...and more

Inside this issue:

Rev. Elaine P. WaltersRev. Elaine P. Walters

Rev. Theonita BedfordRev. Theonita Bedford

PAGE 2 D U P A G E A M E C H U R C H N E W S L E T T E R VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE II

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS We welcome the following New Members to our DuPage AME Church family!

May each of you always be open to the ministry of the Lord’s church. Remember that active Christians make churches that are alive!

THE NEWSLETTER is a publication of DuPage AME Church, 4300 Yackley Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532, 630-969-9800 www.DuPageAMEC.org Staff —Rev. Lana Parks Miller, Rev. Morgan Dixon, 630-969-9800, [email protected]. Ted McKee, photographer. Editor reserves the right to edit for content and space. Our aim is to communicate with you, provide an outreach to you, and truly reflect the spirit of the congregation and it’s leadership. THE NEWSLETTER is published quarterly. Guest editor: Dr. Ashley Dixon.

Reggie & Maggie Cribbs Carla Mengesha -Cribbs

Oswego

Keithan Barber Woodridge

Sharnell Griffin & Michael Jayvion, Julise, Michael

Hanover Park

Tiffani Baylark Downers Grove

Deirdre McGee Bolingbrook

Robin Johnson Aurora

Joyce Chears Bolingbrook

Rev. Maebelle Hollins Bolingbrook

Julius L. Williams Downers Grove

Melanie Ashford Aurora

Mia Lewis Oswego

Christopher Shelby Lauren Payne Glen Ellyn

May McGee Malik Jones, Kristina McGee

Lisle

Tiffany Moore Tiarra, Christopher, Tamia

Rolling Meadows

Kelvin Kirksey II Aurora

Marcus Valentine & Elisha Dunlap

Bolingbrook

J’Lesa HawkinsJ’Lesa Hawkins

Kiersten RasberryKiersten Rasberry

Ian SteeleIan Steele Jordan KnoxJordan Knox

Abriana GreenAbriana Green--McCantMcCant

Nicolas SmithNicolas Smith Naseer SleetsNaseer Sleets TaylorTaylor--Olivia JonesOlivia Jones

John Williams IIJohn Williams II

D U P A G E A M E C H U R C H N E W S L E T T E R PAGE 1 V O L U M E X X V I I , I S S U E I I I VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE II

GGoing forward RReady to AAccept God’s Will DDetermined to UUnderstand God’s Word AAlert to TTemptations, IInterest in OOthers, NNever forgetting that Christ is my helper!

Praise The Lord! We, your church family, honor you for your academic accomplishments, and for

your contribution to the life of the church.

We pray God’s continued blessings for your future!

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2013

Djuana JohnsonDjuana Johnson

Brandon Brandon Wilson Wilson

Eric JamesEric James

Precious SmithPrecious Smith

Sirena CrosbySirena Crosby

Tremaine Roberts Tremaine Roberts

Marjani Marjani HoltHolt

Eddie LegaEddie Lega Kourtney A. MadisonKourtney A. Madison

Ashley Dixon, MDAshley Dixon, MD

Michelle MannMichelle Mann

Milan WilliamsMilan Williams

Ian Ian MurphyMurphy--CrowderCrowder

KINDERGARTEN GRADUATES Brianna Ashford Allison Lindsey

Ella King Peyton Miller Cedric Lega, Jr. Tyson Robinson

8th GRADE GRADUATES Keithan Barber Kelvin Kirksey II Kevin Cherry Kiersten Rasberry Ariel Dixon Tremaine Roberts

Demi Adanna Dorsey Karli Benson Seay Jordan Fitz Nasser Sleets

Asan Hawkins Sydney Taylor Douglas Howard Kalen J. Thigpen Djuana Johnson Imiyah Weatherspoon

Sean Keys Milan Williams HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Emery Barnes Ian Murphy‐Crowder LaTira Brown Uzaoamaka OkekeEwo

McKenize Cooper Kyle Parker Sirena Crosby Jaszmine Imani Parks Courtney Fields Lauren Payne Timothy Fields Taylor Rayburn

Abriana Green‐McCant Marcus Render Bashia C. Holiday Sadé Sidney Taylor‐Olivia Jones Precious Smith

Jordan Knox Zachary Strickland Kourtney A. Madison John Williams II

Michelle Mann Michaela Wright COLLEGE GRADUATES

J’Lesa Hawkins Leia M. Scott Marjani Holt Nicolas Smith Hope Jones Ian Steele (Dec 2012)

Brittany Joi Parks Brandon Wilson Raven Wilson

ADVANCED & OTHER DEGREE GRADUATES Ebony Baker, M. Ed Eric James, MBA

Kamarrie Coleman, MA Eddie Lega, MA Ashley Dixon, MD Janea Raines, JD

Rev. Carol Douglas, MA Roy Whitmore, PhD Rev. Elliott R. Griffin, MTS Laura Woon‐Walters, MA

LaTira BrownLaTira Brown

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our

2013 Scholarship Winners!

THE FIELDS AWARD ‐ Taylor Rayburn THE ANDRIESS WALKER AWARD ‐ Michelle Mann

THE MARY LOU FINLEY AWARD ‐ Uzoamaka Okeke Ewo THE POWELL‐WARE AWARD ‐ Michaela Wright

THE JAMES & LANA MILLER AWARD ‐ Emery Barnes THE JAMES FERGUSON AWARD ‐ Sirena Crosby

MISSIONARY SCHOLARSHIPS Taylor‐Olivia Jones, Kourtney Madison, Precious Smith,

John Williams II, Zachary Strickland, Lauren Payne, Tim Fields, Bashia Holiday


ANNUAL YOUTH & SUNDAY SCHOOL PROMOTION DAY

“They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.”

~Psalm 92:13

DuPage has a very comprehensive and diverse youth department, including: Angel Church, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Golf for Christ, G.O.N.E., Inspirational Choir, Sisters in Praise Dancers, Sunbeam Choir, Sunday School, Usher Board, Voices of Tomorrow and Young People’s Department. Many dedicated volunteers serve all year to make sure our young people get the positive option of learning and growing in the faith of Jesus Christ. They get a lot done and have great fun doing it. We thank God for the faith that keeps these ministries going.

Sunday, June 9th, we will celebrate all of these ministries in our worships. The Sunday School will have its special promotion program during their 10am hour. Our guest speaker is the dynamic Rev. Jennifer James, who currently serves as a youth minister in St. Louis and was formerly on our staff. We welcome Rev. Jennifer back and we are anxious to see how the Holy Spirit has matured her faith.

Blessings to all of our graduates! We praise God for the ongoing joy of supporting and witnessing to the youth of our church.



HOSPITALITY DAY

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels

without knowing it. ” ~Hebrews 13:2

It is always a joy to go where you are welcome. Our Hospitality Ministry that

greets us at the door every service ensures that every worshipper who comes to DuPage is greeted with grace and honor. Sunday, July 14th, has been set aside as a day to acknowledge their service and to celebrate their faith. Thank you Hospitality, and for anyone who is looking for a place to serve, this ministry is a wonderful place. Susan Hodge, President.

SUMMER SERIES

Girls Empowered to Master Self™ is an organization dedicated to providing self-esteem enhancing programs for girls that

uplift, educate, and motivate! This program, primarily focuses on character and life-skill development, socially and professionally giving each girl a competitive edge for her future. Its aim is to help girls discover their natural and spiritual beauty and to celebrate the extraordinary ways in which they are fearfully and wonderfully made. DuPage will continue this program this summer with the help of it’s creator, Tiffany Sellers.

GEMS presents the GIRL WARS: HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM

The Girl Wars program is designed to teach girls (ages 8-12) strategies for handling mean girls’ nastiness in person, behind your back, and online. We are inundated with media images of cruel behaviour as funny…with reality television shows that celebrate meanness.

Researchers say that girls have a few basic needs the ABCs and ME. A stands for acceptance, B is a sense of belonging, C is control, and ME is for meaningful

existence. Our summer series will develop strategies that will stop bullying.

In the GIRL WARS Series we will:

q Learn to make better decisions q Learn the value of friendships q Develop greater self-esteem q Discuss why girls act so mean q Learn how to deal with insults and harassment q Develop a personal anti intimidation plan q Learn to love ourselves

Calling ALL Girls ages 8 – 12! Join Us for the “GEMS Summer Series”

FRIDAYS 7 – 9 pm in Fellowship Hall

July 12July 12July 12ththth ––– August 2August 2August 2ndndnd Registration Fee $25

For more information visit www.simplygems.org or contact Tiffany Sellers at 630-857-3376

[email protected]


TENTHTENTH ANNUAL ANNUAL GOLF SCRAMBLE TOURNAMENTGOLF SCRAMBLE TOURNAMENT

To Benefit the Golf for Christ League Youth Golf Development Program

Saturday, July 20th Check-In 6:30—7:30 am

Tee Time: 8:00 am Shotgun start

TAMARACK GOLF CLUB 24032 Royal Worlington Dr. q Naperville, IL 60564 q 630-904-4000

Entry Fee $150 Per Golfer ($125 if paid by June 28th)

(Includes Green fees, Cart, Luncheon Buffet)

PRIZES AWARDED!

http://dupageamec.org/golf.shtml

For more info contact: Anderson Smith 630-544-9445

[email protected]

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

AVAILABLE!

BUILDING ON OUR GLOBAL LEGACY OF CHRIST CENTERED LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING

Mark 16:15 and Ephesians 4:11-13

As the clergy leads the church in spirit and vision, the Lay organization is the formal group of church members who join in the activities of the “larger” AME Church beyond the local church. The Lay have activities and conference meetings both locally, nationally and internationally. They enjoy the responsibility of being knowledgeable in the AME Discipline, which is the law book of the church. They are supportive in “every endeavor” that the church has! Whatever is going on at DuPage, and throughout the AME Church, you will find some of our loyal Lay Organization members there.

On Sunday, August 11th, we celebrate Annual Lay Day. At the 7 am Worship Service, one of our college students will deliver the message At the other services 3rd District Lay President Ametta L. Reaves, who is known as a dynamic national speaker will share with us. We are excited to hear from them both and have no doubt that we will be blessed. The Louis A. Garland, Jr. Lay Organization, meets the first Monday of every month. All interested church members are invited to attend. Angela T. Pettis, President.

ANNUAL LAY DAY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Learning is exciting, engaging and fun. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is our annual opportunity to gather for recreation and creativity in a special “summer” way. With classes for everyone from Adults to Preschoolers, VBS offers the whole family a chance to immerse themselves in the word as well as relax and “go with the Spirit.”

This year we will look at the “Trinity” from a worship perspective: worship at home, work/school, and play. What does it mean to be a Christian and live in the world? Beyond Sunday morning, how do I live out my faith in everything I do? How do I demonstrate my love for Christ today, tomorrow, and always?

VBS will run each evening from Monday, August 5th – Friday, August 9th and of course, we always close with our Friday evening cook out and carnival. Mark your calendars and invite your friends! Bring the whole crew to be blessed and highly favored. Bill James, Superintendent.

DATES TO REMEMBER

JUNE

8 REACH Food Pantry

9 Promotion Sunday—Annual Youth Day

15 Women’s Prayer Breakfast

16 Father’s Day

23 Women’s Day

JULY

11 REACH Food Pantry

24-27 4th District Christian Ed. Congress ST. CHARLES

14 Hospitality Day

AUGUST

5-9 Vacation Bible School

10 REACH Food Pantry

11 Lay Day

16-17 DuPage Theatre Group Production

18 African Heritage Day

23 In-Home Bible Study

25 Scout Sunday

R.E.A.C.H. FOOD BANK

“When I was hungry you fed Me …” Matthew 25:35

We thank all the many volunteers who have assisted with the Food Bank. Upcoming dates for serving:

10 am —12 Noon Saturday, June 8th

Saturday, July 13th

Saturday, August 10th

Make a contribution of your service!

To volunteer please contact Dr. Sweet through the church office. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Dr. Charles Sweet celebrating his 90th Birthday in March!


BGSJDBO!IFSJUBHF!EBZ!

Some people wonder where the name “African” in “African Methodist Church” came from. The AME Church was founded in the city of Philadelphia in 1787 by a group of “free colored people” who were not original Africans, but they were, of course, descendants of Africans. When the church was formed, this group desired to honor their heritage in the practice of their faith. Rather than be ashamed of a societal “lesser than” stigma, they chose to be “distinguished” by who they were.

At DuPage, we have chosen to honor our heritage with an Annual Day of celebration. On Sunday, August 18th, the congregation and friends are encouraged to wear African Attire as we infuse our worship with some native African energy and rejoice in our rich and storied history. We are so blessed to have several African families in our congregation who will lead us in this great day of celebration. Our fellowship with the African community of the Chicago metropolitan area has greatly expanded as a result of this. This day has truly become a joyous and festive one.

Get ready to praise the Lord and witness to this unique spectacle of the joy of God’s salvation!


Denise Taylor has been a faithful member of DuPage since August 2004. She is active as a Class Leader, member of the Usher Board, Evangelism Commission, faithfully helps out with the REACH Food Pantry, and regularly attends Bible Study. In 2011 she received a liver transplant after waiting for 5 years. We affectionately call her “Miracle.”

For the last 3 years, Denise has called the Towers at Four Lakes home. So when the fire alarms sounded on April 18th, she was reluctant to leave. It was home, the place that she kept her precious belongings, and she felt that there was no safer place to ride out the storm. It wasn’t until about 7:30 pm when maintenance came knocking on her door, that she realized the entire building was being evacuated. Luckily Denise was still in time for a safe evacuation with the help of the police department. It wasn’t until she was just about to leave that she noticed how high the water had reached. It was now about 4 feet deep and over waist high. While this was very concerning, she took some comfort in knowing that her car was safe on higher ground and damage free.

As Denise, waded through her watery home, she was met by 5 firemen at the front door who helped her safely onto a raft. She and a neighbor were told that over 200 others had already evacuated and were questioned about why they were just now leaving the premises.

After a few more evacuees were collected, everyone was taken to Benedictine University where temporary housing was available for the evacuees. She found nearly 100 people there – ABC 7 Chicago came to report. Most people were contacting family and looking for alternative places to go, and Denise was doing the same. She was unsure of how the roads were and who could even get to her. It was a very scary and strange situation to be in.

That first night she ended up with her cousin, Diana, and she went to stay with her in Hillside. Over night the Spirit spoke to her and told her to “go back.” She didn’t question it, because she was clear it was the Spirit. Being obedient, she asked Diana to take her back to Lisle in the morning. She thought, at least, she could try and “get her car.” In her mind she was trying to think of any way to get back to the area so she could be obedient to what the Spirit had told her. Returning the shelter on Friday was vital to Denise and she was blessed with a cousin who understood and supported her call to return.

After 3 days at Benedictine, she was moved to Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle. She remained there 2 weeks. Unlike Benedictine, Trinity had no showers, and people were sent to Edwards Health Center. After a while, they were only able to use their facilities for a short time, but Denise knew that God was still providing favor and blessings to them.

Out of this difficult experience, Denise formed many wonderful relationships and found ways to help her new community. While at Trinity, she met a family from Maywood and Denise volunteered to take their 6 year old daughter to and from school as the need arose. She was so happy to have a working car that floodwaters had not reached. One of the administrators became close to Denise and dubbed her “the rock.” To this, Denise replied with a smile, “I’m not the rock, but I know who is!” Her positive outlook seemed to be a balm of sorts for her new community. So many people poured into her spirit and encouraged her. This was such wonderful confirmation and affirmation of her obedience to God in returning to the shelter after that first night.

So, what has become of Denise’s home at Four Lakes? Well, her apartment building still has no electricity, but she was allowed to return and collect her belongings. With a few months remaining on her lease, she was happy to find out that the Four Lakes Management would allow her to get out of her lease. She was able to secure housing at a senior facility in Chicago after only 1 month on a waiting list that normally takes 2 – 3 months. Denise signed the lease to her new home on May 17th, almost 1 month to the day of the beginning of her journey.

Denise experienced a lot over this month and learned to lean on God in new and wondrous ways. While in the shelters she invited people to church and had Bible Study a couple of nights. She was able to witness God’s hand at work and be a living example of the goodness of the Lord. The Lord continues to be her Provider and Denise now knows more than ever God’s promises to be true that, “He will never leave you or forsake you!”

DENISE TAYLOR SURVIVES … AGAIN!


THE PRODIGAL STEWARD WRITTEN BY PATRICIA WILSON BAKER

THIS QUARTER WE DEBUT AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ONE OF OUR OWN WHO WORKS IN THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY. SHE IS EXCITED TO SHARE SOME OF HER FINANCIAL TESTIMONY AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM GOD’S WORD.

“A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together,

and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land: and he began to be in want.”

Luke 15: 11-14

Most of us know the story of the prodigal son and how he wasted his inheritance on riotous living. Today, this is like winning the lottery and being broke by year’s end. It’s easy to judge the son’s behavior. How could he lose all that money? After living with his father for all those years, wouldn’t he have learned some successful tools for managing money and living well? It’s easy to believe that we would have been much better stewards of the money.

In thinking about the prodigal son, I wondered if there were any lessons we could learn from his story. The following are just a few that resonated strongly with me.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

I think it’s obvious the son lacked any sense about how money works. Remember, he had inherited his riches. That means, he hadn’t worked for the money, and thus lacked a sense of its value. He had no skin in the game to create the wealth; he just asked for it and got it. When we work for something, we know all the effort that went into getting it. If we really value it, we will do everything we can to keep it, hone it, and care for it.

We understand money at various levels and the levels are commensurate with our pay grade –meaning how much value we place on the money and how we handle what we have.

BASIC – A basic understanding of money is the consumer mentality. It’s making money and spending it. It’s living paycheck to paycheck; only having enough money to meet current needs and some wants while living in constant debt. At this level, you’re probably not tithing regularly and only giving small offerings to the church when you feel like it. You may have trouble with high interest credit cards and bills.

INTERMEDIATE – An intermediate understanding of money includes the basic knowledge plus actively saving for future needs, wants, and emergencies. You may have limited excess income, but you tithe and give offerings on a regular basis and you willingly support charitable causes. You may have some interest in wealth planning (ie. life insurance and estate planning), and you understand the value of home ownership, terms of credit and interest rates, and working to stay out of debt.

ADVANCED – At the advanced level, individuals understand the markets, economy, and how money acts and reacts on a global scale to impact your own life. This is the level of the financially savvy entrepreneurs and millionaires. You may be generating wealth for others through business and investment decisions. You would have a considerable amount of excess income and will need to hire financial specialists to help manage your wealth. Individuals with advanced knowledge of money know they need help with IRS regulations, budgeting, and making their money work for them.

So, what was the prodigal son’s 1st mistake? He had a basic level mentality. He was a consumer! The text clearly states that “he spent all he had”. Lesson #1 - Do not spend all that you have! Money is not infinite. The law of reciprocity in spending is not equal. As a consumer, when you spend money you get something in return. If you consistently give out money without more money coming in, you will eventually exhaust your supply.

I learned this lesson through experience, so I’m pretty sure the prodigal son experienced some of the same feelings I did. He must have felt rich receiving more money all at once than he’d ever had in his entire life. I know I did. I felt like I could buy the moon. Surprisingly, around that same time I met a guy who was training me to sell life

insurance. After several meetings, we formed a friendship around our mutual love of cars. He eventually became my “best friend” (said with sarcasm). He started selling me all kinds of things and even offered to take my car in for repairs. He said he knew a mechanic who would do the repairs for less than the dealer. This sounded like a good deal so I went with it – even temporary spend-thrifts like discounts. Over time, the repairs became more frequent and more costly. Until one day I realized that I had emptied my savings account and had an outstanding repair bill that I could not meet. I had incurred debts fast and furiously, and the only place for me to go was my savings account. Well, not surprisingly, after my account was gone so was my “friend.” I had spent all that I had.


Which brings me to Lesson #2 – Don’t let other people spend your money! You read about my experience, but for the prodigal son we have to make some assumptions. It says that “he wasted his substance on riotous living;” how many people live a riotous life alone? No doubt, his life was a constant party, lived over the top, with exuberance and fun! Everybody loves a good party, especially when you’re not footing the bill. The pressure must have caused him to make some really poor spending decisions to impress others.

Another way this lessons shows up is when you want to support loved ones who sell things that you don’t need. Learning to say no and release the guilt you feel is very important. Money decisions must come from a place of pragmatism not pressure. It’s great to be supportive, but only if you can afford it.

LACK OF GUIDANCE

The prodigal son was out in a new world all alone. The text says he “gathered all together and took his journey into a far country”. He went to an unfamiliar land. This can be daunting and leave you susceptible to people who may not have your best interest in mind. Lesson #3 – Get professional help!

I was in an unknown place when I met the salesman; a place of having more money than I knew what do with. I knew about investing and planned to seek out help eventually, but my money started going out so fast that it was gone before I knew it.

I’m sure that with proper financial guidance, I could have wisely managed my money and found long-term enjoyment through capital gains. Sadly, all too often, instant gratification and seemingly small day-to-day choices took precedence over long-term goals.

The caveat to this lesson is to choose your counsel wisely, for “a fool and his money are soon departed.” There is just as much unprofessional help in the world as there is professional help. It’s important to only attach yourself to reputable financial services. Do not allow your neighbor or friend who is just starting out in the business or running a get-rich-quick scheme to take possession of your life savings. If you want to support them, first make sure they are fully licensed with a firm that is regulated by the Securities Exchange Commission. If not, your money is not protected and you will lose every penny with no recourse.

LACK OF STEWARDSHIP

The prodigal son was single minded when he left with his inheritance. He wanted to live on his own terms. He wanted to get as far away from his father and his way of life as he could. Now, there is nothing wrong with living on your terms; life is a gift that God gives to us. But, it’s how we live our life that He is concerned with. God wants us to live abundantly. Jesus said in John 10:10 that he came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. The abundant life Jesus came for is a life of purpose, not enslavement to creditors.

The main issue for the prodigal son is that he squandered his gift. We can squander many things. We can lose an advantage, position, or opportunity through negligence or inaction. Lesson # 4 – Don’t squander God-given opportunities! We have no guarantees in life. Life can change in a split second; and we can lose everything at any time.

Therefore, the best way to take good care of our money and our lives is to value them through biblical stewardship principles. Miriam-Webster defines stewardship as “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.”

Meaning, we do not own it! Our lot in life has been given to us by a loving, Heavenly, Father. God gives us free will on how we will handle ourselves, but we are not the final judge of our performance. The prodigal son had just as much opportunity to be a good steward becoming richer and nobler as he did to wastefully walk the path toward poverty and squalor. The difference is in what he knew, who he knew and how much he was willing to sacrifice to live better. The same is true for us. Ask yourself, how much am I willing to suffer to live better? The choice is yours. You can be a good steward or a poor one. One day God will call us to give our gift back to Him and our concern should be how it will be received.

God gave us Biblical instructions for living an abundant life. If we accept Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives, then we willingly accept the lifestyle He prescribes and the sacrifice He made for our forgiveness. Just as the father of the prodigal son welcomed him back home into his loving arms, our Heavenly Father welcomes us into His fold because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That is the most important life opportunity. Let’s not squander it!

Patricia Wilson Baker, [email protected]

“Blessed To Be A Blessing”

DUPAGE AME CHURCH 4300 YACKLEY AVENUE

LISLE, IL 60532 W W W .D U P A G E AMEC. O R G

Documents

THE NEWSLETTERPresident Ametta L. Reaves, who is known as a dynamic national speaker will share with us. We are excited to hear from them both and have no doubt that we will be blessed