Don't forget! Brunch after church today!!! ALL welcome! Come enjoy food, fellowship and fun after worship and invite a friend! Plenty of food to enjoy!
Thank you to the church decorating team and brunch prep team yesterday! The sanctuary looks great and the food will be awesome! Thanks Danny, Marshall, Mary, Gail and Karen (deco team) and Lori, Baylee, Bethany, and Karen K. (prep team)
Needs:
Don't forget the gifts for the Kindness Project (assist foster families in the area). Place on table in rear of sanctuary
Pantry in need of non-perishable items (canned soups, veggies, fruit, and boxed cereals mac and cheese, etc)
Year end giving to our general fund as we do have a deficit again. (Please withhold giving at this time to our other funds as their balances are adequate for needs at this time, except missions could use a boost)
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Good Morning Loving, Giving, All-in, Servants of the Lord! That is a great synopsis of our fellowship! PTL! And pronounce this over you and us in prayer and over those who will come! Today Sarah is teaching about John 17 and 18. In John 17 Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples and for all future believers (us). Our Lord and Savior thought of us, not only on the cross, but in prayer before being taken there. Pause and think about that great love! Allow the gratitude for all Jesus has done overflow from all you do! Think about what He's revealing to you about you and your custom made purposes and how much you have been forgiven and helped to move towards your fullest potential in Christ! Then just worship!
Today we begin our St. Matts Advent journey to the manger that held God in the flesh who came to die for you! What, love, mercy and grace we have been shown and offered! PTL! Over the next two weeks (John 19 for next Sun) we will finish up our reading through the Gospel of John in preparation for Christmas Eve and our journey into next year. What's God saying to you and what measurable responses will you be taking? He has some awesome custom made plans for you to step into and your fuller potential and His greater things are awaiting your step of faith! PTL!
Check out our devotionals below. God is threading them together through His Holy Spirit and wanting to knit His Word into you today and into our Good News Delivery Co. as well! What's He saying to you and what will you do about it, even today?
Let us prepare our hearts to worship, fellowship, love on each other and others and pour ourselves out for God's glory! He is with you and working all things together for the good of those who believe and will come to believe. Every good gift and everything we have been given is a gift from God to be used for His purposes. He has provided and is guiding you and us to be givers and thanks-livers as we receive his good gifts and share His best gift, Jesus this season. Thanks Lord! Guide us and use us well as we follow You! bring salvation and new life and disciples of Jesus! Thanks! Use us! Send us! Love through us! Thanks! Who are we Lord that you love us and want to hang out with us and love through us? Thank You for Your great love, mercy, grace, kindness and help! Thank you for allowing us to come as we are and be forgiven and loved! Help us to accept, love and bless those You are sending as we have been loved. Help us to remember that all we have is a gift from You to be used for Your glory. Help us to continue to work on becoming who we are created to be and doing all we were created for, including our time, talent and treasure, for Your glory alone! You are so worthy! May our lives be an act of worship! Less of us Lord and more of You! Multiply our gifts, giving, tithes and service and use them for Your glory. Bring in the harvest and raise up sold out harvest workers! Thank You as we ask in the name of our Gift, Jesus. All for Your glory! Amen
Charles Stanley:
TWFYT:
ODB:
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As a member of the leadership team for a local ministry, part of my job was to invite others to join us as group discussion leaders. My invitations described the time commitment required and outlined the ways leaders would need to engage with their small group participants, both in meetings and during regular phone calls. I was often reluctant to impose on other people, being aware of the sacrifice they’d be making to become a leader. And yet sometimes their reply would completely overwhelm me: “I’d be honored.” Instead of citing legitimate reasons to decline, they described their gratitude to God for all He’d done in their lives as their reason for being eager to give back.
When the time came to give resources toward building a temple for God, David had a similar response: “Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?” (1 Chronicles 29:14). David’s generosity was driven by gratitude for God’s involvement in his life and that of the people of Israel. His response speaks of his humility and his acknowledgment of His goodness toward “foreigners and strangers” (v. 15).
Our giving to God’s work—whether in time, talent, or treasure—reflects our gratitude to the One who gave to us to begin with. All that we have comes from His hand (v. 14); in response, we can give gratefully to Him.
By Kirsten Holmberg
REFLECT & PRAY
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How has God been involved in your life? How can you give in response?
Dear Father, please help me to respond to Your love and care with a generous heart.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In 1 Chronicles 28:1, David addressed an assembly he called together for the purpose of building the temple. All the important officials of Israel were there: national and tribal leaders, military commanders and heroes, palace officials, and those in charge of the royal property. Having been denied by God the opportunity to build the temple himself, David had resolved to set his son Solomon up for success (22:7–19). In so doing, he led by example by giving generously out of his own wealth (29:2–5). But he understood a critical truth: he and the people were only able to give from what God had already given to them. Every gift had come from God in the first place (v. 16).
Tim Gustafson |
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UR: More Than I Thought
Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee. - Acts 3:6 (KJV)
I had been out of work for months, and expenses were mounting. When another phone call came from someone requesting a donation to his cause, I told him I was not in a financial position to donate the amount he suggested. He asked, “Couldn’t you give anything?” I replied that as soon as I had available funds, I would be sure to remember his charity.
However, our exchange started me thinking, Didn’t I have anything to give? In the story of the widow’s mite, the widow gave her last two coins to charity. I didn’t even have two coins to share, but I did have other ways to give. I had time, an open heart, and a desire to help others when I could. So during that period, I gave more of what I did have by helping out at the community food pantry, assisting an elderly relative, and comforting a grieving friend in whatever ways I could.
In today’s scripture, Peter illustrates so beautifully that blessings shared can be worth more than all the money in the world. We always have something to give.
TODAY'S PRAYER
God our provider, thank you for the gifts of time and talents. Guide us to share these blessings when and where they can do the most good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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