STEWARDSHIP 20 MARCH 2026 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition If you were the devil, what would you do to keep people from God? Our AI model gave us this answer: If I were to embody the devil, I would seek to distract people; employing a variety of strategies that play on human weaknesses and desires such as: Manipulating desires and fears. This could involve promoting materialism; encouraging a relentless pursuit of wealth and possessions leading individuals to focus on superficial goals, neglecting deeper relationships and growth; Instilling fear; creating a sense of fear or anxiety about the future at the expense of enjoying the present. This might involve spreading misinformation or exaggerating threats; Creating division; fostering division within people groups; especially faith-based assemblies. I would encourage conflict, promoting arguments and conflicts concerning trivial matters. It might involve stoking political or social tensions; Exploiting differences; highlighting differences in belief, lifestyle or opinions that can create rifts, making it harder for people to unite and focus on common goals; Emphasizing instant gratification, in a world where patience is often lacking; Encouraging excessive consumption of entertainment, such as binge-watching shows or scrolling through social media; leading to a lack of meaningful engagement in real life; Promoting the use of substances that may provide temporary pleasure but long-term consequences; Undermining critical thinking, distracting people from seeking truth and understanding; Disseminating false information to confuse people, making it difficult for people to discern reality and truth from fiction; Reducing complex societal issues to simplistic narratives, to prevent deeper understanding and meaningful discussions. All of these would ultimately lead people away from self-reflection, their connection to God, family, friends and personal growth. Importantly, I would never mention myself; keeping people convinced I don’t exist. Whoa! God’s Word on financial stewardship This month, we’re focusing on God’s fuller picture when it comes to investing. Sure, it’s about being profitable and wise stewards of what He temporarily entrusts to us. But God’s Word offers much more insight into what actual financial stewardship really means. We are responsible for how and where we invest, and as Matthew’s book reminds us, we are to lay up treasures in heaven by investing in eternal rewards through generosity, kindness and living in line with God’s will. “…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”(Matthew 6:19-21). In other words, it’s about focusing on spiritual treasures instead of earthly ones. Plainly, the best investments are those that are heaven-focused, unfolding in a way that ripples outward in concentric circles. These are multiple circles sharing a single center point, each with different radii that don’t necessarily intersect. Picture a stone dropped into still water, creating concentric ripples, with the strongest effect closest to the spot where the stone hits. Understanding concentric circles plays an important role in geometry, physics and art — as well as in generosity, kindness and daily living. Practically, we are to first invest in our immediate community — our church — where we can see the greatest impact (i.e., the stone hitting the water) firsthand. This is where our generosity matters most, shown through giving, acts of kindness and sharing life together. From there, as we grow spiritually and God blesses us with resources, we can expand outward. After our church, we might support one or more of the Bible-based community ministries seen here in the GOOD NEWS, such as Sheridan House, Hope-South Florida, The National Christian Foundation South Florida, Hope Women’s Centers, or 4KIDS — ministries that are Christ-centered and making visible progress in their Biblical missions. Beyond that, we can reach the next ripple, supporting ministries or individuals outside of our communities, like Samaritan’s Purse, OneHope, a missionary organization, or a missionary family. In this way, we create a concentric pattern of generosity, kindness and living, all while storing up treasures in heaven. Measuring wealth Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, declared that the wealth of a nation is not measured by the crown jewels and precious metals filling the crown’s purse, but by the standard of living of its people. One of the best statistical indicators of that is the real wages (after adjusting for inflation) made and kept by workers. The math is straightforward and simple. God, our Father, reminds us that true wealth is not measured by our bank balances, investment portfolios or income statements. Rather, it’s found in surrendering ourselves to Him and in how many souls go along with us on a heavenly journey. The devil and his tactics (above) are real. But our God has already conquered evil. And we would be wise to put our hearts and the resources we momentarily possess on God’s singular point of impact. The math is straightforward and simple here too. Patrick J. Kelly has spent more than four decades at the most senior levels in the financial services industry. He has held executive leadership positions in banking and securities firms, served numerous profit and nonprofit boards, possesses advanced education in economics, accounting and finance, and has been a featured guest in numerous financial media forums. At present, he endeavors to impart his experience and knowledge to younger generations whenever possible while also offering consultation on securities and banking industry practices for litigation-related expert witness testimony. - Patrick J. Kelly - President, Kelly Advisory Group Treasure Hunt
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