We've been in the midst of a three week sermon series on the grace of giving from 2nd Corinthians 8-9. As a pastor, I am always a little leery of the issue of money, simply because I know that for many people the church appears to always have its hand out. That's not what church is about. Church is about being transformed into the image of Christ. And that is going affect our lifestyle...and our pocketbook.
That's why during this series I have been talking about the bedrock principle that we are to give ourselves...everything we are and have...to the Lord. Our lifestyles will then reflect our relationship with God. In a very real way we are all called "full-time" into ministry and "full-time" into stewardship. Each of us has a different destiny to fulfill. For some it will be sharing Christ in the workplace. For others it will be focusing on the home. Still others are in the challenging years of attending school. Wherever you are, you are called into full-time ministry.
At the same time, God has entrusted each of us with material possessions. We are all full-time managers of what God's possessions and will be held accountable for how we use them. This week we'll be finishing the series by looking at 5 principles of giving. I'm finding it personally challenging and am having a wonderful time meditating on what God says here in 2nd Corinthians. I'm looking forward to sharing the fruits of that study with you on Sunday. See you there!
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