Sermon Illustrations: Stewardship

Life is like a coin. You can only spend it once, so spend it wisely.

In 1923, seven of the world's most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago. Collectively they controlled more wealth than there was in the US. Treasury. By 1950: 1. Charles Schwab - president of the largest independent steel company, lived on borrowed money the last 5 years of his life & died penniless. 2. Arthur Cutten - greatest wheat speculator, died abroad insolvent. 3. Richard Whitney - president of New York Stock Exchange - was recently released from Sing Sing prison. 4. Albert Fall - member of the president's cabinet - pardoned from prison so he could die at home 5. Jesse Livermore - Wall Street tycoon, committed suicide 6. Leon Fraser - president of the bank of International Settlement, committed suicide. 7. Ivar Krueger - head of the world's greatest monopoly, committed suicide.

With great abilities, is the need for great character. Music is a perfect example. Many of these people have suffered because they were unable to handle the attention that accompanied their talents: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Keith Moon, Michael Hutchence [INXS], Elvis Presley, Liberace, Peter Allen, Tchaikovsky. Most of these people died through suicide or killed themselves with STDs, drugs or alcohol. Think also of actors like River Phoenix, Rock Hudson, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Vivienne Leigh. Sammy Davis Jr (star of the original Ocean's Eleven) died a pauper because of his gambling. God can put great abilities and callings in our lives, but ultimately if we don't deal with the character issues, those issues can be our downfall. Never forget that Judas Iscariot was called to be one of the original apostles. John 12:1-6; Matt 26:14-15