Sermon ~ October 7th
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations
Message: Extravagant Generosity
Date: October 7, 2007
Speaker: JC Kelley
Download sa_sermon_10_7_07_extravagant_generosity.mp3
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Week 5: Extravagant Generosity
To begin...
1. Indentify with our mission: “To share with all people the unconditional love of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ.”
2. Understand our vision: “A community of faith where everyone is welcomed, respected, and valued and where individuals are transformed by the abundance of God’s grace into passionate disciples who are changing the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
3. Meditate on these scriptures: 2 Corinthians 9:11 and Luke 21:1-4
So what can I do?
Adults:
· Reflect on:
o How your prayers, presence, gifts, and service are currently spent.
o Where do your time, energy and money come from? To whom does it belong?
o What are your priorities, how have they changed in the past?
· Does how your time, energy and money get spent each week reflect those priorities? How might they match more closely?
· Generosity is spiritual fruit. Focus on making changes joyfully, not out of guilt or obligation.
Youth:
· If you have a job or even an allowance, commit to give a percentage (10% is a tithe) of your “income” every week to the church for its many missions and ministries.
· Challenge yourself to go without at least one of your normal drinks (soda, energy drink, etc.) every day or eat at home instead of going out and give the money you would have spent to our Sunday school offering.
· Instead of buying new clothes, downloading music or going to the movies, give that money to an organization that helps those who go to bed hungry each night.
Children:
· Do you get an allowance? Did you receive some money for your birthday? Offer a percentage of your money to the church. Ask a family member to help you figure out how much you should give. There are envelopes at the Summit check-in where you can give your offering.
- If you and your family are at a restaurant, consider taking a meal from the restaurant and give it to someone who looks hungry. There are a lot of people downtown who don’t have money to buy any food.
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