WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:11.839 Hello all, my name is David, and the Old Testament lesson is from 1 Chronicles chapter 29 verses 11 through 14. 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:20.000 To you, Lord, belong greatness and power, honor, splendor, and majesty. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:24.320 Because everything in heaven and earth belongs to you. 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:30.960 Yo, Lord, is the kingship, and you are honored as head of all. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:38.000 You are the source of wealth and honor, and your and you rule over all. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:46.159 In your hand are strength and might, and it is in your power to magnify and strengthen all. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:53.359 And now, our God, we thank you, and praise your glorious name. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:57.039 Who am I and who are my people? 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:01.280 That we should be able to offer so willingly. 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:09.120 Since everything comes from you, we have given you that which comes from your own hand. 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:12.000 The word of the Lord. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:45.840 The Apostles continued to bear powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and an abundance of grace was at work among them all. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:48.400 There were no needy persons among them. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:57.200 Those who owned properties or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds from the sales, and place them in the care and under the authority of the apostles. 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:01.599 Then it was distributed to anyone who was in need of the word of the Lord. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:08.879 Good morning, my name is Eric. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:12.240 If you are able, please stand for the gospel reading. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:17.360 Found in Matthew chapter 25, verses 14 through 18. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:22.400 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:26.800 He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:35.599 To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.719 He gave to each servant according to that servant's ability. 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.680 Then he left on his journey. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:54.400 After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them, he gained five more. 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:00.159 In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:09.520 But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.479 The gospel of the Lord. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.199 Please remain standing with me as we pray this morning. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:22.080 We're going to join together once again in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:25.840 If you're comfortable grabbing hands and joining with somebody next to you, great. 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.000 If not, feel free to refrain. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:30.400 But this is a family prayer. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.719 So, like around the table, we'll hold hands and pray together. 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:45.680 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:04:00.080 And give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:06.879 For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:07.680 Amen. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:08.240 Amen. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:09.599 You may be seated. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:11.439 Good morning, Saints. 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:13.439 It is great to see you this morning. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:14.719 My name is Jason. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:16.160 I'm one of the pastors here. 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:19.519 So if you're new or newer or visiting, we welcome you. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.800 We're absolutely delighted that you're joining us this morning. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:25.839 And hello to everybody who's watching online. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:38.800 Uh, maybe homesick or traveling, or uh, if you're sick, we pray blessing and health uh for you, traveling, traveling mercies, or maybe you're watching later because you were helping the kids or students today. 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:40.879 So thank you to all of you. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:47.759 I was eight years old uh when I began collecting baseball cards. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:05:04.800 Uh, by the time that I was in fifth or sixth grade, I had finally saved up enough money from mowing lawns and shoveling snow to buy my favorite player's most expensive rookie cards. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:10.399 And finally, at a baseball card show, I found one and I bought it. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:16.319 I finally had like that card that I just always wanted in my hand. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:17.439 It was mine. 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:18.800 And so jazzed. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:28.480 I ran to find my family and I found my dad and I showed him the card, and immediately the whole situation just changed. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:33.600 Eyes downcast, head shaking. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:36.720 Did you see this corner? 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:42.480 Did you negotiate this price down? 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.360 Did you walk away and come back? 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.680 Did you do any of the things that I had taught you to do? 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:57.519 Did you could have gotten a better deal? 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:00.000 You could have found a better one. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:02.720 And he walked away. 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:15.279 In a moment, all of that joy I had as a little kid kind of going through and saving up all of my quarters to buy the one thing that I wanted more than anything else was replaced. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:19.279 All the joy replaced by shame and regret. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:26.560 And ever since they have been my near constant companions when it comes to talking about things of money. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:31.920 I should have bought a house in Kentucky and I should not have bought a house in Oklahoma. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.040 I should have bought a different one here. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:41.040 And certainly I should have bought Amazon stock in the early 2000s. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.560 But I swear to God, I promised I would never buy a book online. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:50.800 Yeah, that's not helped. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:07:00.160 Talking about money in any capacity can bring up some really difficult emotions for us. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:02.480 I know that's not true for everyone. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:31.920 For some, maybe you're in the room and you're a financial professional, or you're feel financially secure or financially savvy, you're confident you've been successful in those kinds of things, or maybe there's just a part of you that just loves coming alongside other people and helping others kind of navigate financial management and you come into conversations where money's involved and you feel like, hey, these conversations are fun and easy. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:36.000 But for many people, these conversations are really hard. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:51.839 Maybe you've experienced a moment where you just feel ashamed because of a foolish decision that you made, or regret from a missed opportunity, or guilt because you look back on a situation and just feel like you mishandled it. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:08:15.279 Maybe you find yourself in topics around finances, just anxious, anxious about groceries and hospital bills and tuition expenses, and trying to make ends meet on one's salary, or trying to buy a home in Colorado, or just the price of gas, or the cost of caring for aging parents, or the real sort of felt weight of unemployment. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:54.799 Perhaps you struggle financially because someone wronged you or betrayed you, and you find yourself in a difficult spot, not because of something that you did, but because of something somebody else did to you, and the topic is really painful, or you're already just feeling uneasy because here we are, and the topic of money is coming up in church, and you've been in religious environments where the way that finances were handled, or the way that you were made to feel about finances caused a really unique experience, even in your own life with God, around this topic. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:09:09.039 If anything has happened, even remotely similar to any of those, or any of the variety of other ways that this topic can be a source of difficult emotions for us, what we tend to want to do is just say, okay, I would like to avoid that conversation altogether. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:10.720 Can we talk about the Broncos? 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:16.000 Maybe not after last Monday, but you know, maybe today we'll be better. 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:20.639 If anything happens, we just find ourselves just sort of holding it at a distance. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:25.919 And that what we find is that the Bible and Jesus talk about money a lot. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:32.159 And then we're like, oh, wait, I've got to somehow deal with this conversation. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:39.759 And when we go to the scriptures, particularly when we go to the teachings of Jesus, much of what Jesus has to say is really hard. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:42.879 And it's quite countercultural. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:50.159 But according to Jesus, our relationship with money is a critical aspect of our discipleship. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:55.519 He says it this way in Matthew chapter six: no one can serve two masters. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:04.159 Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you'll be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:14.960 And we think maybe Jesus is talking about uh like maybe him versus other gods, and then he says, No, you cannot serve both God and wealth. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:17.440 Like, oh, wait. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:23.759 That idea of loving one and hating another is a Jewish idiom common for the day. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:35.360 It was an emphatic way about talking about the demands of exclusive loyalty, that at some point along the way, there's choices that have to be made. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:42.799 And Jesus says it's impossible to serve both, kind of like it's impossible to love both Whataburger and In N Out. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:47.279 Like there's just some things that are incompatible and you have to decide. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:11:12.399 Craig Blomberg, the New Testament scholar, he puts it this way: he says, if it's true that we cannot serve both God and money in the sense of making an ultimate commitment to both at the same time, if that's true, then there's no more telling test of true discipleship than our use of finances. 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:19.679 Like, ouch, Craig, like, can you pull back just like a little bit and help us out? 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:39.360 But as followers of Jesus, because of the teachings of Jesus and because of the claims of Scripture, despite whatever difficult experiences we might have, we do need to lean into this conversation because discipleship is about our whole lives for our whole lives, and that includes this topic. 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:45.440 And so we are going to spend the next three weeks talking a little bit about resources. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:52.159 We're in a series in our church right now, going through one of the core aspects of who we are. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:12:02.320 And we say that our identity as a church is that we're a community of disciples formed in a common faith through a common life for the common good. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:07.600 And this fall, we're taking a few weeks to explore that idea of common good. 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:10.480 And that idea really is wide-reaching. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:22.399 If you're in a meal group this summer and you may have gone through the practice of service and studying what it means to volunteer, volunteering is one of the ways that we contribute to the common good. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:29.600 If you're in a meal group this fall, you might be studying the practice of witness, the idea of sharing the gospel with somebody else. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:32.559 We believe Jesus is the greatest good. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:38.879 And so sharing Jesus is a way of contributing to the flourishing of our city. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:49.360 Then these last three weeks, we talked about vocational stewardship, how our paid and unpaid work can actually contribute to the good of others. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:13:10.799 And so the next three weeks we're talking about financial stewardship, but really specifically around the Christian practice of giving and its connection to the common good, which we heard actually all the way back in that New Testament reading in Acts, as the church gave and there were no needy persons among them. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:17.679 But we're gonna start today with the most basic principle behind the concept of stewardship. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:31.679 Whether we're talking about stewardship of finances or stewardship of time or stewardship of energy or stewardship of our work or stewardship of the environment, or our home, or our relationships, any of those kind of things, they all come from the same foundation. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:36.480 But the place we have to start is to recognize that steward is a weird word. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:46.480 It's like you come to church and you hear it, and then you leave church, and it's like, I don't hear anybody use this word anywhere else except for here. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:51.360 Outside of this context, we're more familiar with some of its synonyms. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:59.440 Words like trustee, custodian, caretaker, manager, Mr. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.720 Manager, whatever those things happen to be. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:07.279 Some of you got that joke, you arrest the development fans, but just a handful of you. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:15.519 But each of these terms, what they imply is they imply responsibility without ownership. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:20.159 They imply responsibility without ownership. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:26.080 They suggest that someone has entrusted something to our care. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:32.480 They've given something to us, but it's not ultimately ours. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:40.000 And eventually we'll have to give it back to them or pass it on to someone else. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:49.440 It's the picture that was provided for us in that parable of Jesus of the manager entrusting those coins to his servants. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:57.679 In Christian theology, this basic idea can be summed up this way that stewardship begins with the thought that everything belongs to God. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:03.919 Everything, all inclusive, everything belongs to him. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:11.039 Psalm 24 puts it this way: it says, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:18.240 Romans 11 puts it this way: all things are from him and through him and for him. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:26.240 So from a biblical perspective, everything comes from God, and everything ultimately belongs to him. 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:49.600 That means the breath in our lungs, the strength in our bodies, the creativity of our minds, the skills we possess, the education we receive, the people and places we enjoy, our food, our clothing, our shelter, our Tesla, the three bicycles in the garage, and even the work that we do and the money we earn are all, from a Christian point of view, gifts from God. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.480 They come from Him and they belong to Him. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:16:01.360 Yes, we participate, but they have been entrusted to us. 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:06.879 It is so profoundly easy to forget this. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:21.200 So profoundly easy to deceive or convince ourselves that everything that we have is ours, that we earned it, and therefore it is ours to do with as we will. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:25.200 It's our life, it's our time, it's our money, it's our stuff. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.399 Stuff is a deeply theological word, by the way. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:34.720 But really, we live so much of our lives like the seagulls in finding Nemo, right? 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:37.360 Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:41.759 And that's sort of the perspective that we have over all things. 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:43.440 Mine, mine. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.720 In the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites are preparing to enter into the promised land. 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:57.120 And Moses speaks these words to them right before they head in, and words that I think still deeply resonate today, if we have ears to hear them. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:19.440 He says this, he says, When you eat, get full, and build nice houses, when you settle down and when your herds and your flocks are growing large, everyone's prayer this morning, and your silver and gold are multiplying, and everything you have is thriving. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:30.799 He says, Don't become arrogant, forgetting the Lord your God, the one who rescued you from Egypt, the one who rescued you from the house of slavery. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:41.519 He goes on and repeats all of these things that God has done from that moment of rescuing them and now bringing them here, right on the verge of entering the promised land. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:53.279 And he said, Don't think to yourself, my own strength, my own abilities have produced all this prosperity for me. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:18:10.319 Instead, remember the Lord your God, for He's the one who gives you the strength to be prosperous in order to establish the covenant he made with your ancestors, and that's how things stand right now. 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:16.240 According to a biblical worldview, everything is a gift. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.119 Everything is from God. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:30.640 But what we tend to do is that when we hear the word gift, we tend to still kind of live in that space that every gift given to us is ultimately a gift given for us. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:36.720 It's for our enjoyment, it's for our benefit, it's for our consumption, it's ours. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:45.359 And if it's not any of those things, if it's really not what we like, not what we enjoy, not what we wanted, then it's a bad gift, right? 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:52.160 It's those new kids on the block tapes that I got as a sixth grader for my aunt and uncle, and going, I didn't want these. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:59.359 Um, I wanted Van Halen or Bon Jovi or Guns N' Roses, and I got new kids on the block. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.720 Um, so what do I do with these gifts? 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:13.519 Because we totally think gifts for us, but in the economy of the kingdom of God, God's gifts are never just for us. 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:21.680 They are in some way for us, his way of providing for us. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:28.880 But beyond that, there's always more going on in the economy of the kingdom. 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:48.160 Because whatever we have, God has entrusted us to faithfully steward on his behalf, to recognize, oh, these are God's things, and how do I use them for his purposes? 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.799 Which includes the common good of others. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:20:14.319 So when we practice giving, when we move into the practice of generosity as Christians, what we're doing is we're saying, hey, we're giving something that back to God that already belongs to him, and we're doing so for the sake of others. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:17.680 Oh, this wasn't mine solely. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:28.000 God gave this to me, he entrusted it to me, and I'm giving it back to him and hope that it will contribute to the common good of others. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:35.279 We heard that beautifully articulated in our Old Testament reading, but I love how Eugene Peterson puts it in the message paraphrase. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:39.119 He says this, he says, but me, who am I? 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:46.400 And who are these my people that we should presume to be giving something to you? 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:56.640 No, everything comes from you, and all we're doing is giving back what you've given from your generous hands. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:04.160 All we're doing is giving back what has come from your generous hand. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:22.079 And so the practice of giving, whether that is giving financially or giving in service or giving in any other way within the Christian tradition is anchored in the deep belief that we can give because we first received. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:31.839 And we can do this, that we get to be involved, that we get to participate only because God has already done something for us. 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:43.759 He's already provided, and we have been the recipients of his goodness, and now we get to share his goodness in some way with others. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:54.880 We cannot give what we do not have, and we cannot give what we have not received, but everything has come from him. 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:59.599 Jesus put it this way, and maybe one of his more catchy sayings is his. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.359 Freely you have received, so freely give. 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:05.599 Freely you have received. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:15.519 This is the very nature and posture of our God to give freely, abundantly, extravagantly, lavishly on us. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:19.599 We have received now freely give. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:23.759 That's the sort of initial recognition points. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:35.279 That when we as followers of Jesus recognize how much we've received, that's when this financial discipleship journey really begins. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:42.400 It's in recognition, oh, I have received this from God. 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:44.960 Now what do I do with it? 00:22:45.200 --> 00:23:05.680 And like every spiritual practice, whether it's reading the Bible, whether it's praying, whether it's fasting, whether it's Sabbath keeping, like we talked about last week, whenever we're introduced to a practice, we all start at the exact same place with that practice. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:13.200 Whether it's Bible reading or prayer or Sabbath keeping, where we begin is trying it for the first time. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:17.359 Like, oh, I'm going to try to read my Bible. 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:19.519 Open point read. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:21.519 I hope this works. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:22.319 Right? 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:34.400 When we go to pray for the first time, I'm going to look for words or borrow words from someone else, and I'm going to start somewhere with prayer. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:42.880 Or we go to practice Sabbath, we go, okay, I'm going to try to rest for an hour today, whatever that might be. 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:47.839 And then our growth journey is really just the process of coming back to that. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:49.680 We try it again. 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.440 And then we try it again. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:56.000 And we ask for help and we look for resources and we try it again. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:57.599 And then we keep coming back. 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:07.440 And over time, what happens is that slowly, oftentimes without us even noticing, we move from novices to practitioners. 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:14.000 And those things that we're trying become habits, disciplines, ways of living our life. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:20.079 They become the very trellises in which our life with God grows upon. 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:25.680 And more importantly, over time, those practices start to form us. 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:37.519 They shape us and they direct our lives and our loves toward Jesus and toward others. 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:49.599 That we find that over time by doing these things, starting somewhere and moving forward, that over time we look up and go, oh, something inside of me has changed. 00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:54.640 And then our relationship to that practice changes as well. 00:24:54.880 --> 00:25:14.400 So if you are new to following Jesus, or you're new to church, or you're new to the idea of financial stewardship or financial discipleship, or you're new to giving, you're going, this isn't what I expected today coming into church for the very first time. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:16.400 Welcome. 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:24.480 Sometimes we have awkward family conversations and you get to be a part of them. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:29.920 Maybe just the first step for you is just thinking about this some more. 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:37.440 Saying, hey, I heard this talked about in church and I want to ask some other people, hey, can you tell me a little bit more about that? 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:39.039 Like, that's new to me. 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:40.319 That seems a bit strange. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:41.599 That seems a bit odd. 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:42.799 Can you tell me more? 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.079 Does this happen a lot? 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:45.839 Do you guys talk about this every week? 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:49.359 You know, whatever those conversations are that you need to have. 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:54.640 But maybe you find yourself in a place of going, okay, I've always kind of wondered about this. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:59.279 We've heard those moments in service and and go, like, what do I do there? 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:02.319 And you're kind of like, well, where do I start? 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:08.240 We start in the same place we start every other practice is just by doing something. 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:13.039 Just the simple act of saying, I'm going to give something. 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:15.039 And starting there. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:24.480 Historically, the way that Christians have kind of organized this is that they've prioritized giving a portion of their income to their local church. 00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:37.440 That's our encouraged practice that we follow in that historical practice of giving a portion of our income to our community here for the good of our community and beyond. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:42.559 But we recognize that that might not be a comfortable place to begin. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:45.599 They're like, I'm not so sure about that. 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:54.240 And so if that still feels uncomfortable for some reason, maybe the encouragement is to think about is there a nonprofit in town who you love and respect? 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:58.079 What it is they do, and you can say, okay, I want to give something there. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:07.920 Or maybe you know a neighbor, a family member, a friend who's in need and said, I've never done this before, but I'm I'm going to send them a gift card. 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:16.000 I'm going to take a step toward giving something to someone as a place to start. 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:27.519 Maybe you're though you're in a situation right now where you're like, okay, that's great, but I'm a single parent and I'm working three jobs and there is nothing left. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:38.720 The beauty of the way that God works in the middle of all this is, yes, we're talking specifically about giving, but there's times where we find, like, okay, there's nothing here to give. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:42.720 And so Jesus loves when we say, okay, well, what can I give? 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:45.440 Can I give an act of service? 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.559 Can I give a kind word? 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:53.759 Can I give my full presence to someone right now? 00:27:54.160 --> 00:27:58.799 And maybe that's what you can give right now, and that's the place that you can start. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.680 There is no shame in that. 00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:04.960 We can only give what we have received. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:07.119 We can only give what we have. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:11.359 And so we start there and say, okay, Jesus, what have you given me? 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:16.480 Okay, you've given me the ability to be present with someone, and I'm gonna start there. 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:19.359 And then we see sort of what happens. 00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:37.440 Maybe you're here today, and for one reason or another, like this used to be a regular practice that giving in some way was a normal thing, and then either due to circumstances or disappointments or hurts or pain, you stopped and just said, I just I can't do that anymore. 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:45.519 I just want to encourage you today to maybe just ask Jesus in a prayerful moment, is it time to begin again? 00:28:46.079 --> 00:29:05.759 Is it time to start that again and to take some time to explore like what were the reasons maybe that you stopped and ask him to come into those moments and to begin to uh speak into whatever it was that happened and to be open to his leading to starting again? 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:09.759 Maybe you're here and you're somebody who's like, yeah, this is great. 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:11.039 I give regularly. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:14.079 This has been a normal practice for me for a long time. 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:19.359 And you can go back to that place where you can say, Oh, I remember that first time that I gave. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:25.599 Maybe you were a kid and your parents were having you uh give a portion of your allowance to church. 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:28.880 And it began this sort of process of giving. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:35.440 And you're like, this has just been a formative shaping practice all of these years. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:42.640 If that's been your story, then maybe today it's just that simple reminder that we always come back to that place. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:47.680 Oh, what I give, I have received. 00:29:48.400 --> 00:30:08.559 And there's a moment, I think, of invitation there that sometimes when we're in the practice of giving for a really long time, we can start to believe again that we're giving God what it is that's ours rather than giving a portion back to him of what he has entrusted to us. 00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:14.240 And as a way to remember that, I wanted to lead us in a simple prayer this morning. 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:22.160 I know a lot of us were in a habit and tradition now in churches that's very different, maybe, than the churches that we grew up in. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:34.240 Uh, maybe some of you grew up in church, and there was a moment always during the service where you saw maybe your parents bring cash or a check and they wrote that out and they put it in an envelope, and then buckets were passed. 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:41.599 And there was a moment maybe where you saw one of your parents pray over that and put it in the buckets and kind of go through all of those things. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:46.400 Buckets went away with COVID, um, just kind of in general, I think. 00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:58.720 Um so now many of us give online, or we've set up recurrent giving through our donor advice fund or through your qualified charitable distribution, or you give through stocks, or you have all of those other ways. 00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:10.720 And sometimes we can give, and it becomes this really beautiful sort of habit that's set up, but it's also easy for us when we've done that to kind of forget about it and be like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:17.759 But today I just want us to remember and to say a prayer and um over all that we have given. 00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:22.160 This prayer actually comes from Matt Redman's song, Breathing the Breath. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.400 And I just want to lead us in praying this prayer together. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:47.039 So if you can have in mind any gifts that you've ever given, whether those have been tithes and offerings here, or things that you have set up reoccurring, or things that you give outside of financial resources, we want to say this prayer together as a way of recognizing everything we have comes from Him. 00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:55.920 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we have nothing to give that didn't first come from your hand. 00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:01.599 We have nothing to offer you that you did not provide. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:16.079 Every good and perfect gift comes from your kind and gracious heart, and all we do is give back to you what has always been yours. 00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:20.720 Receive them as an act of worship. 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:26.079 May they provide for others as you have provided for us. 00:32:26.559 --> 00:32:27.200 Amen. 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:28.000 Amen. 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:34.240 As we prepare to come to the table this morning in the worship team and our communion leaders come up. 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:39.920 We come to the table every single week empty-handed. 00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:58.480 There is a beautiful reminder in the Eucharist, in the liturgy, and even in the way that we come to the table, that we come empty-handed as a reminder that, oh, yeah, our life with God starts with receiving what He has given. 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:06.160 And when we come to the table, we're particularly remembering the greatest gift that we have ever received. 00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:11.359 The greatest gift that we have ever received is the gift of God Himself. 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:21.279 The God is a God who doesn't just give work or resources or houses or clothing or food. 00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:27.599 He gives all of those things, but the God that we serve doesn't just give us things. 00:33:28.079 --> 00:33:31.920 The God that we serve delights most in giving us himself. 00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:38.160 This is his great joy, and his great delight is to give himself to us. 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:42.559 For God so loved the world that he gave us his son. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:48.240 And for the son so loved us that he gave himself for us. 00:33:48.559 --> 00:34:02.559 And after he suffered and died, and after he was raised from the dead, and after he ascended into heaven, then he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, we serve a God who delights in giving himself to us. 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:09.119 And so we come to the table today in awe and in gratitude for our generous God. 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:18.239 Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, for as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:19.119 Amen.