Stewardship

A Tithing Truth. One of our members shared that this past year, for the first time, he started tithing. The result has been unexpected. He has a real sense of peace about his finances, and actually has more to work with than he did before! He thanks God for His faithfulness. Not everyone gets a steady income each month, but if you do, and are not already tithing, why not try during the month of August first to give back to the Lord ten percent? God has a way of making the rest stretch to meet our needs. To read more about the promise, look at Malachi 3:6-10 and 2 Corinthians 8 and 9.

St. John's Sauers budget requires $12,500 each week to meet its commitments.

Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19 -- 20).

___________________________________

Peter tells us that we are "aliens and strangers in the world" (1 Peter 2:11). As Christians, we learn to see ourselves as just passing through this earthly life. We train ourselves to think long term. Satan wants us to think short-term and to seek immediate gratification. All that Satan has to offer is for the here and now. As long-term thinkers, we understand the consequences of present actions. As we grow in our faith, we learn to say no to the lure of immediate gratification if it will hurt other people and affect our relationship with the Lord.

___________________________________

In his letter to the people of Rome, Paul wrote, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - which is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1. God wants us to come to Him with humble and repentant hearts that receive his grace and forgiveness. We offer our bodies and spiritual sacrifices, dedicating our entire lives to his service. We offer to him our time, ability, energy, and money. All that we are and all that we have, we must commit to God.

___________________________________

We may say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, we have all learned that words can hurt. Words can either build up or tear down our self-confidence. The wrong words can destroy relationships. Words can spread hate or love. Words can spread the truth or spread terrible lives. In James 3:7, we read, "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." With God's wisdom and strength, we can control our tongues and the words we utter.

___________________________________

Stewardship. Giving regularly and generously reminds us that all we are and all we have come from God. Our giving is an expression of our trust in God and gratitude to Him. The more fully we understand how richly God blesses us, the deeper our love for him grows and the more grateful we become. Parting with money may not be easy, but our love and gratitude compel us to give what we can offer: not just our monetary gifts, but our time, efforts, and abilities as well.

___________________________________

Christian Stewardship is "the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God's family, the church, in managing all of life and life's resources for God's purposes.

"Stewardship follows from the belief that human beings are created by God, who created the entire universe and everything in it. To look after the Earth, and thus God's dominion, is the responsibility of the Christian steward.

As members of this Church, it is our privilege and responsibility to support our mission in this community: to spread God's Word and to educate our children in the way of the Lord.

Solomon wrote, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

More than meaningless, Paul warned against the love of money, "a root of all kinds of evil." (1 Timothy numeral 6:10).

It is best "to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11), a gift God gives when we put our hope and trust in Him instead of our money or possessions.