A4P Guest: Hi Missy. I live in DC and I wanted to come with my spouse to the Married Couples Valentine Day seminar but I have a question that I wanted to have a clear understanding of. So, here is my question: To register, I need to pay $50/person ($100/couple) and I was wondering how you see that in light of the following Bible verse: “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) So, I kindly ask, why am I getting charged for a biblical teaching I’m going to receive if I decide to come? Isn’t this practice like selling the truth of God to others?
A4P: First, thank you for reading the posts on this page and for entertaining the idea of joining us on the Married Couples seminar hosted by Appeal for Purity on February 18 at the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel from 9am to 5pm.
Second, I am not selling the truth of God for a whole day seminar of $50/person because there is no earthly price tag that I can put to the truth of God. The price tag for the truth of God is Jesus Christ Himself, because Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) So, to say the least, Matthew 10:8 is a misquotation in this context.
Third, if you go to one of the Sheraton Hotels and eat lunch, how much do you think you will pay? I leave that question for you to find out. You can call Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel and ask; and while you do that, ask them also what the rate per person will be if you decide to bring in more than 100 people. You have to rent a venue. So ask them how much it would cost you. They usually won’t charge for the meeting room if you ask them to provide the meal and serve you and your guests (that is what I chose for this seminar).
You may say, “But you can find friends who can help you get a 10-20% reduction on cost.”
Well, for one time only, that is an okay thing to do, but not for ongoing seminars. My prayer is that this seminar is not going to be the first and the last one, but the first one that is going to be followed by many more and different types of seminars and workshops. And, with that vision in mind, I want to build a straightforward relationship with hotels, which is exactly what I did with this seminar.
Fourth, if you think that a $50/person rate for a whole day seminar makes one rich, to say the least, that isn’t true, and if you hold on to that thinking but decide to come anyways, you may not be able to get anything out of the seminar. You see, for example, if I decide to come to the seminar with my beautiful dress my husband got me recently, you may sit there and wonder if your $50 is used to buy that beautiful dress and it may bother you a lot to the point that you miss the truth of God that is coming to you. That would be a disservice and waste of time to you as well as to me. So make sure you understand this clearly.
Finally, the Bible says, “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” (1 Corinthians 9:11)
Let’s assume that out of the $50, $2 goes to the Appeal for Purity. Is that too much to ask if you reap from the seminar some spiritual truths that may help you be the kind of person God calls you to be in all areas of your life, including your marriage? This is a rhetorical question. You don’t have to answer it.
Bless you! ///
P. S. For anyone who wants to register for the seminar, here is the link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valentines-day-married-couples-seminar-one-ticketcouple-tickets-31101930712?aff=es2