Financial Giving **sermon for 21 September 2024**
Last week we talked about Witness, about sharing the great news of what God has done in and for us in Jesus Christ. During the service 12 -16 cards were completed.
0
– 1 said they were not yet ready to commit.
0
– 1 indicated that we were not ready yet to witness, but maybe we would someday
0
– 3 of us said “not now, but we want to with all our heart”
5
– 6 responded that they will share their faith sometimes
7
– 6 said they will witness frequently
4
– 9 committed themselves to look for daily opportunities to share their faith
daily
6
– 3 of us determined to make witness a priority in their lives, and that they
would pray for those who are seeking and look for opportunities to invite
others to join us in church
Today we are going to
talk about financial giving. Financial
giving is the fifth aspect of growing and dedicated followers of Jesus. Pastor and author Bob Crossman believes that
our checkbooks should reflect our faith.
Crossman goes on to say, “if we are truly giving our whole lives to
Christ, then our resources and how we choose to use them has to be a big part
of the conversation.”[1]
As we talk about
financial giving this morning, I am going to get personal. You know what I make—that is a matter of
public record presented at Convention and at our Annual Meeting and Election each
January. Many of you also know that I
tithe. I give 10% of my income to the
church and to other organizations that make a difference in the world.
Tithing is a habit I
learned from my mother. Being a single
mom with three kids was not always easy for her. We didn’t eat out a whole lot . . . and rarely
at fancy places. Going out to the movies
was also a rare treat. Mom found that God always provided out of God's lavish abundance. Sometimes a bag
of groceries mysteriously appeared.
Other times, an anonymous friend gave Mom money.
However, if there was
something we kids wanted to do, Mom and Steve made it happen. As a kid, I may have been disappointed if I
didn’t get that newest, latest toy right away.
Looking back, I can see that I truly never lacked anything. And the camping trips and float trips built
great memories of times with my family that I still treasure to this day.
I give because I know it
is what God expects of me—to give as freely as I have been given. God has given me so many blessings. Family.
Friends. StM and All Saints’. Health.
Freedom. The list goes on and on
and on. I am so grateful for all God has
done for me. And will continue to do for
me. So in thanksgiving and in gratitude,
I give back to God.
I also give because I
love StM and All Saints’ and I believe there is something special here. You and I stand in the footsteps of the Wilmarths, the Pierces, and the Roses They believed in passing the Anglican
heritage on to future generations. Now
it is up to us. Will you and I honor
their legacy? Will we make sure that it
is there for our grandchildren and great-great grandchildren?
Perhaps you and your
family eat out a lot. Or you grab a
coffee out several days a week. Consider
cutting back on those. Brown bag your lunch. Have more dinners at home and enjoy cooking
it together. Bring your coffee from
home. Then take the money you save and
place it in the offering plate.
Maybe you spend a lot of
money on pleasure items. How about not
upgrading your phone every year? Instead
of five star hotels, what about a 3 or 4 star?
Again, add that money to increase your giving to your church in 2025.
There is no card in the
bulletin this morning. This is because
commitment cards for 2025 will be sent out to you. We will gather those cards in late October. Over this next month I encourage you to join
me in looking over your finances. Do a
review of your check book. If someone
looked at your check register, would they be able to see what is important to
you?
I also encourage you to
join me in thin king about the following questions as we plan and prepare for
2025. Where can you adjust your current
spending habits? How can you offer just
1% or 2% more to your church family?
Finally, how do you know
when your giving is right? Here is some
more advice from my Mom: “keep giving until it hurts. When it hurts just a little, then you know
you are giving the right amount to God.”
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