"You will always have the poor among you..."  In those words Jesus stated a simple fact that has held true through the centuries.  In every society, no matter how rich and bountiful, there have always been impoverished people, and no society has ever overcome it.  People in need should evoke everyone¹s compassion and concern. Here are a few thoughts I¹m having about this:

Society as a whole can¹t settle on whose responsibility it is to care for the poor and needy. Some will argue that it¹s the responsibility of government to care for the poor while others think that the responsibility rests on the shoulders of individuals.  It¹s plain to see that both sides are dramatically opposed, both think that the other's solution cannot work.

Regardless of your political stance on that point, Christians have an obligation to serve the poor and needy.  Actually our service to the poor is a reflection of our respect for God.  Proverbs 14:31 says, ³He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."  Matt. 25:40 also teaches that our service to the poor is service to God himself ³Š whatever you do for one of the least of these, you did for me.²  And then a few verses later we learn the reverse is also true ³Š whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.²

God also explains the giant rewards of caring for the needy in our midst: Prov.19:17 ³He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.² Prov. 22:9 ³A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.² Prov. 28:27 ³He who gives to the poor will lack nothing.²

Caring for the poor and needy is not just about money, and too often we fear our resources will be diminished by giving some of them away.  God¹s economy, however, does not operate on a zero-sum principle, but rather on the principle of sowing and reaping (i.e., you reap what you sow).  This is true of your time, talent, and resources.

So regardless of your views about governments¹ role in this area, let¹s all agree that the loads of those in need would be greatly lessened if we, as Christians, did something about it.

-Scott Hitzel

No Intelligence Allowed is the new controversial documentary that chronicles Ben Stein's confrontation with the Neo-Darwinian machine, exposing widespread suppression and entrenched discrimination in his heroic quest to bring back freedom in our institutions, laboratories and most importantly, in our classrooms, with the help of the world's top scientists, educators and thinkers. If you have any curiosity about evolution, intelligent design, or creationism this movie will stir up some great conversations with those who attend church and those who don’t. www.expelledthemovie.com If you’ve seen it let us know what you think in a few sentences! – Scott Hitzel

Checking out the new site huh?! Besides it looking sweet we think it functions even sweeter. One of the tools on it that we’d be interested to see you try out is the new ‘Invite A Friend’ section in the top right. While we’ll continue to provide great handout invite cards, this is a way to go “green” and invite someone to check out the web site to learn more about the church or even come with you this weekend. Give it a try and let us know what you think about the site and the tool.