Podcast Introduction It’s Saturday. So this must be our day for reading from the Gospels. Today we’ll read   Luke 15-16.   After the reading I’ll have some comments. I’m calling today’s episode “What’s Your Plan?” Comments on Luke 16 I don’t remember ever hearing a sermon based on this parable. It requires some thought. There are three basic players in the story. The main character is the steward. Of second importance is the debtors, and finally we have the rich man. It seems that the steward, who worked for the rich man as the manager of his possessions or property, had wasted the rich man’s goods. We don’t have any details, but we are told that the rich man called the steward to account for how he had handled his responsibilities. And the rich man told him that his services would no longer be required. So the steward, knowing that he needed to make other plans for his future, went to the debtors with a scheme. If he could make friends with them, he would be able to at least have a roof over his head. So he had the debtors rewrite what they owed to the rich man, with substantially less than the full amount. In doing this, they were now in debt to the steward, and he could collect on that with favors from them. When the rich man found out, he complimented the steward for being so clever in making a new plan for himself. So the lesson in this parable is this: We will all be called to account for what God has given us. How clever are we with the time, talent and resources He has entrusted to us? Do we put as much thought and effort into building the Kingdom of God as we do to building a cushy life for ourselves? Which is more representative of true riches? Which will last longer? A boat, a fancy car and a big house? Or a deep and abiding faith in God, and a life of serving Him?  Don’t misunderstand, beloved. One can be monetarily rich and still live a life in service to God. But with financial wealth comes great responsibility to use it for the Kingdom of God. When financial wealth becomes your primary motivation, God is no longer in the center of your life. As Jesus said in verse thirteen, “You cannot serve both God and money.”  Let’s make it a point to see to it that when God calls us to account, we won’t have to be ashamed and afraid like the steward was. Let’s plan wisely for our eternal future. Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Dan-Cristian Păduret on Unsplash Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 15 NIRV; Ch. KJV