Puppet Ministry with Noah's Ark
by Richard W. LaFountain, all rights reserved.

Greed and Offerings
"Giving To God!"

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copywrite Richard W. LaFountain, all rights reserved.
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MC: Milton, Good morning. How are you?

Puppet: Fine thanks, everything is A-OK. I'm on top of the world.
Today I am going to count my money. (He leaves and comes back with a
big cloth bag full of coins.)

MC: Wow! Milton, you must really be rich!

Puppet: No, I'm not rich. I only earn a little but I save all my money
so I can be rich some day.

MC: But that already looks like you've got a lot of money for a
turtle. Let me help you count this money. (She sticks her hand in the
money bag and Milton gets mad)

Puppet: Don't touch my money!!!  Nobody touches my money. Its mine,
all mine. I worked hard for it. I earned it. I saved it. Its mine,
only mine. I guard my money with my life!  I even sleep with this bag
under my pillow.

MC: But all I wanted to do is to help you count it. I wasn't going to
steal it.

Puppet: I don't care. I only earn $1000 per month so every dime is
precious to me. I don't want to lose even a penny of my hard earned
cash. Its mine!

MC: Milton, maybe you have the wrong attitude toward your money. What
if someone is really having a hard time and doesn't have enough food
to eat. Wouldn't you give them 20 cents?

Puppet: NO, I can't!!!

MC: Oh, Milton, that is not a very Christian attitude. Jesus doesn't
want you to be like that. The bible says: "The love of money is the
root of all evil." I Timothy 6:10

Puppet: But its the rich that love money. I don't love it. I NEED IT!

MC: No, Milton, the poor need money too, even more than the rich. By
the way you are acting I would say you love your money more than you
love God.

Puppet: That's not true. I love Jesus very much. 

MC: But youjust said you wouldn't give or even loan money to anyone --
that means you wouldn't even give any of your money to God.

Puppet: Well He doesn't need it. I do!

MC: Of course He doesn't need your money or anything else. But he
wants us to learn to use money for his glory, not for our own pleasure
and riches.  God gives us the strength and wisdom to get money and
save it. We give back only a portion of what God lets us have so we
can bless others.

Puppet: But if God doesn't need it I still don't see why he should
have it.

MC: Milton, think of yourself as being on a saved from a sunken ship
and clinging to a life vest and at the same time clinging to a
treasure chest full of gold. God isn't saying the gold is bad. He is
saying that holding onto the gold while clinging to a life vest is
hindering you from floating safely. God doesn't need your treasure
chest but he knows you don't need it either, in fact, it is hindering
you from floating to safety!  God wants you to be sure not to hold on
to money too tightly or it will make you sink.

Puppet: Oh, that makes sense. So if I can't let go of my money it will
be harder for me to hold on to Jesus. Its like having Jesus in one
hand and the treasure chest in the other.  OK, I don't want to sink. I
will give Jesus some of my money so I won't sink with it. Thanks MC,
that's a really good lesson.

END