Faithful Servant
What did you do with your challenge from Sundays Sermon by Dr. Jeff Roberts “Is it more blessed to give than receive”? Please respond to faithfulservant@tbcraleigh.com with your stories of how you used the money. Please also let us know if you are willing to have your story posted on this website. All stories submitted will be reviewed but not all stories will be posted.
~Faithful Servant Stories
I work with a women's mentoring ministry. One woman we work with had no reliable transportation. For several months, we had been praying specifically about this situation and asking God to provide a vehicle which would help open doors of opportunity for her and her children. She absolutely had no extra money with which to purchase one. A few months ago, I suggested she start a "car fund" with the few dollars she could come up with--as an act of faith. She had $11.00. So the $5.00 in my envelope went to her fund. Last week a gentleman in the area--whom I have never met--that knew of our organization called into my office and said he wanted to donate a vehicle. I assured him we had someone waiting for his car! Thursday he signed the car over. This experience was absolutely a God event!
In the Joy of Christmas,
~Pat Bryan
Mandy, Seth, Cole and I received at total of $13 at church on December 7th. Mandy and I prayed about what to do with the money and the whole family discussed it together. I knew of organizations that provided basic needs for people around the world and our family wanted to make sure the money would continue to be a blessing long after the gift is given. We decided to go online to World Vision International and donate an animal to a family in Haiti or Kenya. We set down and read what our money would do and decided we wanted to give a chicken or a goat. Here is what the website said about the animals:
A goat nourishes a family with protein-rich dairy and can offer an income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale. Chickens also provide a lasting source of nutrition and income: fresh eggs are rich in protein and other nutrients, and extra eggs can be sold to pay for other household needs.
We realized that one chicken costs $13 (exactly the amount we were given). I then sent the kids to their rooms to come back with what they wanted to give and Seth came back with $20 and Cole added $3.31. Mandy and I decided to add the rest to total $100 so that we could by a goat and 2 chickens. We are excited about the gift because we know it will help a family meet both a physical and financial need for years to come.
This was a great time for our family as we discussed how blessed we are and how this was a great opportunity to help someone in need in God’s name. Thank you for trusting us with this money.
It has been truly a blessing.
~Brooks, Mandy, Seth, and Cole Warren
I took the $2.00 given in the “Challenge” and added $100.00 of their own, which they earned from dog sitting. They called it, “Seed money from God.”
~Anonymous
Clothing
There are so many opportunities that it is hard to decide what is the best choice. We decided to add to our "challenge" money and buy 2 coats, one for a boy and one for a girl to donate to the WRAL Coats for Kids campaign. Inside a pocket of each coat we will place a paper telling the owner of the coat that God indeed loves them and sent His Son for them. Our wish is that the coat will keep them physically warm and that God's love and blessings will keep them spiritually warm. May God find the right person to wear these coats.
~Phillip and Mitzi Arnett
One of the envelopes we received had $1.00 in it and the other envelope had $2.00 in it. This gave $3.00 to challenge us.
An article in the News and Observer caught our attention about helping out for the Christmas Season. The Dorothea Dix psychiatric hospital in Raleigh was supposed to be empty this Christmas with all of the patients being transferred to Butner. But because of several issues, there are still 375 patients at Dorothea Dix. These patients ranged from adolescants to the elderly. Many have few if any relatives with whom to share Christmas. So hospital staff and volunteers collect donations of new, unwrapped clothing, games and toiletries. They then put them in decorative holiday bags and distribute them on Christmas morning.
We purchased a gown and housecoat and delivered them in a decorative Christmas bag. The volunteer was very thankful for the gift that was given. They wanted our name and address so that a letter could be sent later thanking us for the donation.
This has been one of the most meaningful gifts we have purchased and will give this Christmas.
~Frank and Loretta Evans
We transformed our $2 challenge gift into a housecoat for a patient at Dorothea Dix Hospital. We got the idea from an article in the N&O.
~JoAnn and Bill Sessoms
The Broughton-Lewis Sunday school class was collecting socks to give to Raleigh Rescue Mission and I used my challenge money to buy additional socks for our basket.
~Carol Farmer
Food
I matched the $5 that was in my envelop and donated it to the Eastern NC Food Bank. According to the news for every $1 donated $8 of food could be bought. So with the $10 that was donated $80 of food was provided to those in need during this holiday season.
God blessed,
~Stephanie Treadway
David and I used our money to purchase food for North Raleigh Ministries. This ministry holds a special place in our hearts.
~Kay Bissette
Toys
I chose to use the money given out from Dr. Roberts sermon challenge to buy toys for Christmas for the children at North Raleigh Ministries.
~Mike Sherrer
My daughter wanted to use her money to buy toys for the North Raleigh Ministries toy drive. I am going to add my money to hers to buy toys for children in need.
~Susan Burnette
North Raleigh Ministries
My wife & I received $7.00 of GOD,s money last Sunday. We multiplied it times 5, and sent a check to North Raleigh Ministries for $35.00.
~Ronald Jones
I increased God's gift by 10 times and gave it in one dollar bills to North Raleigh Ministries with instruction to give $1.00 to each child whose family needed assistance, as "a gift from Jesus".
~Bill Tyndall