“See that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
2 CORINTHIANS 8:7
“The person of pseudo faith will fight for their verbal creed but refuse flatly to allow themselves to get into a predicament where his future must depend upon that creed being true.”
“They always provide themselves with secondary way of escape, so that they will have a way out if the roof caves in. What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know they must do at the last day.” A. W. TOZER
Mine. Ever use that word – or think it? Of course you have. Just after “mama” or “dada,” the word “mine” became part of our vocabulary. Our sense of entitlement seems inbred, not learned – we come by it naturally. And the belief that “what’s ours is ours” does not die easily.
Jesus told us to not be anxious about tomorrow, but we worry anyway, and hoard “just in case. You never know, you can’t be too careful….”
But following Christ we are continually confronted with his giving nature.
God so loved the world that he gave….
JOHN 3:16
Paul tells us that Jesus….
“….being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! PHILIPPIANS 2:6-9
This Sunday, Randall Gruendyke will help us think about the grace of giving. What wonderful things does God long to teach us through giving? What joys are waiting to be discovered as we offer our possessions to God? Let’s find out together. Giving is a grace, which means that God is waiting to bless us in incredible ways as we walk in obedience to his ways.
A Prayer for Freedom
JOHN PIPER
O Lord, we long for life to be
As free from fear and greed
As birds with wings to fly are free,
And lilies have no need.
Our spirits surge to break the chains
Of love to earthly things,
To strip our souls of worldly reins,
And ride on eagles’ wings.
O Father, make us free to give,
And teach by heaven’s beam
That in a spring no life can give
Until it makes a stream.
For freedom Christ has set us free,
O, do not be ensnared,
But treasure Christ and you will see
The glory he prepared.
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