Clinton Methodist Church

December 7, 2025 – Dark Night Waits; Glory Breaks – Isaiah 9:6-7
Carols: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear/O Little Town of Bethlehem

Isaiah 9:6-7 is a prophecy about the coming of a king who will bring an everlasting reign of peace and justice, and it is understood in Christianity as a prophecy about Jesus Christ. The passage identifies the coming child with divine titles such as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace” and states that the government and an unending peace will be on his shoulders. 

Meaning of the prophecy

Key titles and their significance

Isaiah 9:6-7 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

6 For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Great will be his authority,[a]
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

November 30, 2025 – Behold and Adore –  Luke 1:46-55 

Carol: O Come, All Ye Faithful

Verse 1
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him born the King of angels: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Verse 2
True God of True God, Light from Light eternal Humbly, He entered the virgin’s womb Son of the Father, begotten, not created O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Verse 3
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, glory in the highest: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Verse 4
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory given! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

“I want to share our passage with you this morning from the Gospel of Luke. I’ll be reading verses 46 through 55. This is Mary’s Song of Praise.

We know it as the Magnificat. Our choir just sang it a minute ago. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, and he has scattered the proud and the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy, and as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

This is the word of God for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God”

“Amen.

So did you hear any good news around the Thanksgiving table this past week? You know, the holidays are always a prime time for family announcements, aren’t they? Usually, I get asked to do the family prayer for my mom’s side of the family.

And generally, there’s always someone that comes up to me before and says, hey Jimmy, I need you to announce something for us. And it’s generally somebody’s getting married, or there’s a baby that’s going to be born. Sometimes there are updates given about people who are moving or traveling to different places.

But it’s always something that brings joy to us when it is shared. There is joy in sharing good news, isn’t it? It’s always fun and exciting.

Well, this morning’s passage takes us inside of family gathering that is filled with extraordinary news. So if you back up and read the verses just prior to Mary’s Song of Praise, you will find kind of the context for it, which involved a meeting, a family gathering between Mary and Elizabeth. These are two expectant mothers in one miraculous pregnancy, a promised Messiah.”

“And as these family members meet, there is a joy that starts erupting before anyone ever says the first words. The meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is one of those sacred moments that results in one of Scripture’s most beautiful songs, the Magnificat. It is a song that is not just about God, but is a song of praise to God.

So Mary, upon receiving news from the angel Gabriel, an announcement that is unlike anything that Mary has ever heard before. The angel says, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb, and you will bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus.

Now, Mary is overwhelmed by this news, but yet she is trusting in the Word of God that has come to her. And so she runs from her home up in Nazareth, she runs up into the Judean Hill Country to visit her relative Elizabeth. Now, we don’t know if Elizabeth was her cousin or her aunt.”

“We’re not really told, but we know that she’s much older than Mary. And what it does tell us is that when Mary walks in and greets Elizabeth, that her child that she carries in her womb, which will be John the Baptist, leaps for joy. And Elizabeth, who is full of the Holy Spirit, she shouts, blessed are you among women.

Blessed, Mary, is the child that you will bear. And right there in Elizabeth’s humble home, before Jesus is born, before the angels fill the sky and sing, before the shepherds run to Bethlehem, Mary’s soul erupts in praise that echoes for generations. Now, our Advent series that we’re doing this year is called the Carols of Christmas.

And every week we’re gonna feature some of our favorite Christmas carols. So we’re gonna do a little more singing than probably what you’re used to singing. And we’re gonna sing these wonderful songs.”

“And we’re gonna talk a little bit at times about the stories that inspired them. And so for a series that is focused on the carols of Christmas, I felt like there was no other place we should begin than with one of the most famous songs, the first Christmas song ever recorded in the scriptures, Mary’s Magnificat. You know that opening line, that’s where it gets its name.

Mary says or sings, my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. I remember one of the most exciting Christmas presents that I ever received. One year, I got a chemistry set, and I remember it was this big box, and inside there were all these chemicals and these elements.

There were glass test tubes, and I remember following directions and mixing all of these different chemicals together to create some horrible smells. And some of them would create, you know, different colored smoke and all of these things. You know, they were very dangerous.

Well, not really, but, you know, for a seven or eight year old, it felt dangerous. It felt exciting. But one of the, one of my favorite things about the chemistry” “set was a microscope.

And it had these little glass slides that you could put things between and put under the little tabs on the platform of the microscope. And you could look deeply at things. And I remember putting, you know, drops of water and other things like oil and stuff under there and looking at them through my microscope.

But probably one of the best things that I remember putting under there was bugs, you know, kind of dissecting insects, you know. That’s, I feel sorry for the insects, but they provided such great science experiments. And I loved looking at them under the microscope.

You know, it was able to magnify things so that you could see them more clearly. You know, and that story reminds me of kind of the way Mary begins her song here. When she says, my soul, it magnifies the Lord.

You know, she’s starting to see God’s work more fully, more clearly in her life. Her circumstances, y’all, were anything but ideal. You know, a young teenage girl wasn’t even married, being told this most tremendous news.”

“She was a poor girl. She was vulnerable. And she was carrying a child that potentially no one outside of a select few would really understand.

But yet her soul, it was enlarged. It expanded with praise because she was receiving the grace of God upon her life. You know, Mary, one of the things that I think that was leading her to such depths of praise and her soul magnifying the Lord.

One of the things I think was inspiring that was because Mary is beginning to see who God is. She’s beginning to understand for herself how tremendously powerful and merciful and gracious God is. You know, songs, songs have a way of opening us up, don’t they?

Of naming truth that is hard to express. Songs have a way of stirring up our hearts and giving voice to things that we feel deep inside of us. In Mary’s Song, it does all of those things.”

“know something about that. You see, we are a singing people, and I love, you know, we haven’t had an organist for a while, and so the piano, it just feels different, doesn’t it, when we sing in here.

And this morning, I know it was kind of hard to draw that song out of you. You know, we’ve had a long week, we’ve probably eaten more than we should, and all of those things, we’re tired. You know, I was late in bed, traveling in from family, got up at 4 a.m., you know, just a few hours of sleep.

You could hear my kind of groggily voice this morning. But you know, when we start singing, and we start affirming our faith, and we start lifting up our voices, because it pulls something out of us, doesn’t it? We find ourselves praising the Lord, and then we sing these beautiful songs.

Methodists are singing people. And Charles Wesley, you know, our most prolific hymn writer, penned somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 hymns and poems. Isn’t that amazing to think about?”

“His soul was one that magnified the Lord. There were hymns and poetry. And in this season, we join him and Mary as we sing our faith.

But what was it that really stirred up Mary’s soul? What did she see that made her magnify the Lord? Well, Mary’s Song is full of what scholars call the great reversal.

You see, God is turning the world right side up. Through his mercy, through his marvellous works of salvation. Mary says God has looked with favor on the humble estate of his servant.

You see, that’s a reversal of expectations. She says he has done great things for me. This humble teenage woman.

God has done great things for her. He has brought down the mighty, and he has lifted up the lowly, and he has filled the hungry with good things. You see, God is turning things around.”

“And Mary knows that she has no status, she has no power, she has no resume, she is this small town girl from Nazareth with nothing that would draw any particular attention to her. But yet, God chooses her, God sees her. He chooses her and blesses her.

Mary becomes what the early church called the Theotokos. That’s a Greek word that means the bearer of God. She is the God bearer.

God chose this human vessel to bear this holy divine child, the one that was begotten and not made, the one who is fully human and fully God. Mary is the vessel that God chose to bring Jesus into our world. And it wasn’t because she was impressive.

It was because God was gracious. He chose her. You know, there are many who are in this church who know what that feels like.

For God to lift you up when you are feeling low. For God, you know what it’s like for God to turn your situation around. When hope seemed very dim and thin, you saw God move.”

“You’ve seen Him work. You’ve seen God provide him when you thought you’d hit the end. You’ve seen God reverse the fortunes of your life.

And in that way, Mary’s Song becomes our song. You know, I love in the choir’s anthem this morning, how you had the solo, you had Jaleesa singing. No, it was you singing.

It was Jaleesa singing, my goodness. I can’t see you guys. I hear y’all’s voices.

They’re beautiful. But Jaleesa was singing, and then the choir would echo things, you know, to talk about how God has shown mercy and how God has worked and moved. You see, that’s all of our songs.

Our souls, they magnify the Lord. When we find God’s blessings, we find joy. When we witness God redeeming the broken, we find joy.

We rejoice when God lifts up those who are bent low. Y’all, these are the lives, these are the hearts, these are the souls that rejoice in God, our Savior. The carol that we sang this morning to start our service, O Come, All You Faithful.”

“It is a song that echoes Mary’s Song. The original Latin is Adeste Fidelis. And that means come, all you who are full of faith, come all who are full of faith.

And we’re invited to come and adore the one that Mary carries inside of her. We’re to come with joy. We’re to come with awe.

We’re invited to come with wonder. You know, think about the lyrics. It invites those who are joyful and triumphant.

You know, the joy that is already leaping inside of Elizabeth’s womb.

The hymn says, Oh, come, let us behold and adore him. You know, this is Mary’s very posture of worship, to behold, to adore. This is the proper posture of the faithful, of the joyful.

We are to sit in adoration. We are to behold Christ who is present. This is worship.”

“This is the invitation of the Advent season. And then there’s that line in it that says, Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. Y’all, this is the mystery, the incarnation, the mystery that is growing inside of Mary’s body, the Word of God that is appearing in flesh.

Mary was the first one to respond to Christmas with adoration. The very first one. Before the shepherds ran to Bethlehem, before the wise men came bearing their gifts like our beautiful banner illustrates over there, Mary’s soul is the first to come running.

Oh, come, all ye faithful. You know, that song, it’s not just an invitation for us to journey to Bethlehem, but it’s an invitation for us to take on the posture of Mary, to behold and adore Christ, our Savior, to magnify the Lord, to see God more deeply, more clearly in our lives, to let God become our focus again. You see, that’s the invitation of how we are to begin the Advent season.”

“So how do we lean into Mary’s posture this Christmas season? How do we cultivate that soul that magnifies the Lord that we find in all of these wonderful characters of the Christmas story and in folks like Charles Wesley that inspired such a prolific life of writing and singing? Well there’s a few things you can do.

One is you can open up your heart to receive the grace of God. You know, Mary didn’t earn God’s favor. She received it.

She said, let it be to me according to your word. For what the angel spoke over her, she received the grace of the Lord. A magnifying soul begins with opening up our hearts to receive the gift of God’s presence and His grace.

You know, another thing we can do is remember, remember God’s mercy through singing and praise. You know, that’s what I really want to invite you to experience this year. You know, Mary sings of God’s character, of His faithfulness, His mighty deeds, His compassion, His mercy.”

“Y’all, a soul that magnifies the Lord calls to mind what God has done. It remembers. Listen to the sacred music of Christmas.

Now, I’m not talking about the sappy, nostalgic music of Christmas. Those are fun to listen to, and we’ve been listening to that. But I want you to especially pay attention to the sacred music of this season.

And meditate on the lyrics of your favorite ones. And maybe you want to give a shot at writing your own poem, your own words to express what your soul is experiencing, the joy of the season. Write about what God has done for you.

Remember his mercy. And then one of the final things that I think we take our cue from, from Mary in this story, is how do we have a soul that just magnifies the Lord? It’s to rejoice in God’s kingdom work.

Look for those around you who need to be lifted up. You know, those are the people that get God’s attention. Look around you.”

“Seek to bless someone else. Look for those that are often overlooked. You know, the season provides so many opportunities for us to do that.

Let’s join God in the work of lifting up the humble, of feeding the hungry. A magnifying soul, you see, participates in God’s mercy. It becomes an instrument of God’s joy and mercy in the world as we seek to bless other people.

Y’all, before the angels sang, before the shepherds worshiped, before the wise men gave their worship, there was one young woman whose soul magnified the Lord. My prayer today is that your soul joins her. So let us come and let us adore him.

Christ our Savior, let us pray. As we prepare to pray, let us hear this hymn.”

“God, thank you for the words that that tune bring to our minds. There’s a song in the air. There is a song, Lord.

There’s a song being sung around this beautiful creation that you have fashioned with your own work and hands. It is a people, it is a creation that sings your praise. God, we know that you are worthy of our worship.

God, there is so much gratitude that we can express to you this morning. God, there are so many great things that you are doing among us and inside of us. Lord, would you call those things to mind like you did for Mary?

Lord, help us to magnify your holy name, to rejoice in the things that you are doing for us.

God, I pray that throughout this Christmas season, that you would allow the music, the sacred music, to stir up those words of adoration and praise inside of us. Lord, help to give voice as we sing them to the deep adoration and praise that we feel in our hearts. Lord, help bring to expression souls that magnify you.”

“God, today we want to pray especially for those that might be finding it hard to lift up a song of praise. Lord, we remember how the holidays can bring sadness for some. As we remember the losses of our life, as we look over the past year at the circumstances that have been less than favorable toward us.

God, I pray that you would work in the lives of your people, that you would move in the midst of adverse circumstances, just like you did in Mary’s life. Lord, I know that you can turn things around for people, for us, for me. God, I pray that you would help our loved ones, that you would help us to experience a renewal of your presence in breaking the places where there are shadows and darkness.

Let your light come again, Lord. Let there be joy again. Help us find a voice, a heart that can praise you despite our circumstances.

Because we know that you are faithful. You are merciful. Lord, you have promised good for us.

Lord, we turn our hearts to you today. We look for your blessing in every season.”

“We ask for your Holy Spirit to let a song of praise leap inside of us. We pray this in the powerful and strong name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, amen.

Thank you for joining us in worship today. I hope you have a great week ahead of you. Please join us tonight for our Hanging of the Green service at five.

Now go in the peace of Christ, and may the song of joy stir in your heart as you go. Have a great day. God bless you.”

November 23, 2025 – Sow Generously; Reap Abundantly – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 explains the principle of generous giving, emphasizing that giving should be cheerful and not forced, and that God blesses those who give generously. The passage uses the metaphor of sowing and reaping to say that how much you give determines how much you will receive. It teaches that God provides the means to give generously, which in turn allows for more giving and brings thanksgiving to God, ultimately pointing to God’s “indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ.

Key principles of giving

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing[a] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He scatters abroad; he gives to the poor;
    his righteousness[b] endures forever.”
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.[c] 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us, 12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the testing of this ministry you[d] glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your partnership with them and with all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

“The reading today is from the New International Version, and I’m reading 2 Corinthians 9 6-15. Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor. His righteousness endures forever.

 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will also supply and increase your store of seed, and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way, so that you can be generous on every occasion. And through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

 “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourself, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession, of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you because of the surprising grace God has given you.

 Thanks to God for his indescribable gift. This is the word of God for the people of God.

 Thank you, Doris, for reading for us this morning.”

 “Well, it’s already started. What am I talking about? The Egg Bowl smack talk?

 No. Christmas decorations? Well, maybe, but no.

 I’m talking about those commercials that we always see on TV during the holiday season. The starving puppies, the hurting children, our wounded veterans. You know, the commercials that are designed to grab at your heart and cause you to open up your wallet.

 I’ve been seeing them a lot more lately. Now, I’m not knocking those things. Those organizations, they do a lot of good, and we should support them.

 But they all understand a truth about humanity. That there is a stream that connects from our heart to our wallets. Right?”

 “That’s true. It’s true. You pull on one, and the other one moves.

 We know it, and yet we still fall for it. We sit there with a lump in our throat as we watch the commercials, and we want to give $1,000. But then the commercial ends, and we go right back to eating our ice cream.

 Paul understood emotional appeals, but he doesn’t use them. He could have told gut-wrenching stories about the suffering believers in Jerusalem who were starving and persecuted. He could have told those stories in this letter, in his appeal to the Corinthian Church.

 But he doesn’t. Why? Why not?

 “Because Paul isn’t trying to pry open their wallets. He’s trying to open up their hearts.

 He was trying to open their hearts up so that they could experience the freedom and the power of real generosity. In 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, which we’ve been studying a bit over the last couple of Sundays, Paul lays out spiritual principles of generosity. Earlier, he, in some of his other writings, like in Colossians, Paul warns about this enemy that resides within our hearts, called greed.

 It’s that inner voice that says to us that what I have, I earned, and I deserve it. Andy Stanley calls it the consumption assumption. What breaks greed’s grip in our life?

 It’s not guilt, it’s not manipulation, but it’s generosity. Because generosity has always been a heart issue. It’s really not a money issue.”

 “That’s why emotional appeals, they don’t last. They don’t produce genuine generosity. Because when the emotion dries up, the giving does too.

 You know what I’m talking about? Think about the red kettle at Christmas. The ringing bell and the red kettle.

 You toss in a buck, and you keep walking.

 Or what about the woman at the intersection that’s holding up the cardboard sign that says, I’m hungry. Can you help me? Maybe you roll down the window and hand out a five.

 Or I’ve seen some people that act like they’re talking on their telephones.

 And then when the light turns green, you start thinking about your grocery list again. Y’all, that’s emotional giving. And it’s fine, but it’s not biblical generosity.

 You see, biblical generosity breaks greed, and it connects our giving to something bigger than our feelings. And that’s what Paul is after in 2 Corinthians chapter 9. Here’s a big idea for you today.

 Generosity is a practical demonstration of faith and unity. Now, let me explain. So, in verse 6 that Doris began with, Paul writes, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

 “Y’all, it doesn’t get more practical than seeds and money, does it? Those are the most practical, natural things that we deal with. Paul chooses farming language here on purpose because everyone knows the principle.

 Few seeds equals small harvest. More seeds equals more harvest. It’s a simple principle.

 It’s practical. Your giving is seed. My giving is seed.

 And when we all sow according to our ability and desire, that Paul says, the harvest grows. I bring my seed, you bring your seed, we give it, and it produces more than any one of us could produce on our own. That’s a natural principle, isn’t it?

 We do more together than we can individually. That’s faith in action. I give what I can, you give what you can as an act of faith, and God blesses it abundantly.

 This is how our church operates. This is how we fund a $1.2 million budget for 2026. Now, when we talk about how we are able to meet that budget, faulty assumption, they assume that it comes from a handful of massive gifts, some big gifts, that knock a dent in that $1.2 million budget.”

 “But it doesn’t. It comes from consistent, proportionate giving. Some people give $1,000 a year.

 Some people give $5,000 a year. Some people give $10,000 a year. And they spread it out, weekly, monthly.

 You see? Proportionate, consistent. Ordinary seed, that gets multiplied by a faithful God.

 That’s the principle. Practical faith.

 Putting an amount in your budget. Lord, this is what I desire to give. And we stick to it.

 But here’s the other side of sowing and reaping. So a farmer plants their seed, right? But who produces the harvest?

 How does the seed grow? Well, that takes God, doesn’t it? The one who provides the rain and the sunshine.

 And really, if we’re honest, the seed to begin with. I mean, who among us can produce a seed? We can’t.

 We can manipulate them with science and biology, but we can’t produce it from nothing. And we don’t make the sunshine, and we don’t make the rainfall, and we don’t make the process happen. Paul says in verses 10-11, Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food.”

 “Who is that? God. He goes on to say, God will also supply and increase your store of seed, and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness, and you will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.

 You see, God supplies the seed, and God enlarges the harvest. And God enriches our lives so that we can be generous on every occasion. That’s why our posture is simple.

 If God provides it, we will do it. That’s how we operate as a church, under my leadership, and under the leadership of your committee chairs and your staff. We do not participate in deficit spending.

 No. No deficit spending. But we don’t panic either.

 No frantic ringing of hands.

 We have faith that God will fund what He calls us to do.

 Paul says that some grain becomes bread for others. You know, meeting immediate needs, feeding the hungry. But some grain, you know, if you’re going to think about the future, some grain has to be put back, doesn’t it?

 In order to provide the seed that gets planted in the next season.”

 “And in order to do that, to feed the hungry, to provide for the needs of others, and to also hold back some for later, it requires us to trust that God will continue providing enough, that God will make the harvest big enough for both of those things. And when he does, Paul says, we reap a harvest of righteousness. We become more like Jesus.

 That’s righteous. Our generosity grows. That’s righteous.

 And our thanksgiving overflows. That’s righteousness. And then Paul says, and God is glorified.

 That’s righteousness.

 That’s abundance, too. So not only is generosity a practical act of faith, it’s also a demonstration of unity. Now what do we mean by that?

 You see, generosity is God’s heart on display. Scripture repeats it. In 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9, Paul writes that Jesus gave up heaven.

 He became poor. He who was rich became poor. Why did he do that?

 To save us. To redeem us. So that we who are poor could become rich.

 You see, God is a giving God. John 3.16 reminds us of that. For God so loved the world that he what?”

 “He gave his only begotten son. And then Paul quotes from Psalm 112, verse 9, right in the middle there, of what Doris read. He who scatters gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.

 See, God is generous towards us. And Paul says, each of you must give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 You cannot fake cheerful giving. It’s not emotional giving. It’s about transformational giving.

 And who transforms our hearts so that they become cheerful in giving? It’s God. It’s the Holy Spirit shaping us so that we reflect the heart of God.

 And how does that happen? Paul tells us in verse 8. He said, God is able, God is able to make all grace abound towards you.

 You see, we bring the faith, and God gives the grace. God does it. And together, we move in unity with God’s heart.

 You see the unity there? God is generous. We are like God.

 We become generous.

 You got your hand out? I want to talk to you a second about that.

 “And by the way, I want to say to you that if you happen to be one of the ones who did not receive a letter in the mail and a pledge card probably about 10 days ago, I assure you, we mailed out over 400 of those. And if you didn’t get it, I’m going to say it got lost in the mail somewhere. If you want one, please reach out and let me know.

 I have a whole stack of them downstairs in the office. I’d be happy to give you one. It includes, the packet included a letter from me.

 It included a printout of our budget for next year where every dollar is going. And also it included one of those pledge cards. So I apologize if you didn’t get that.

 It was unintentional and I’m going to blame it on the USPS.”

 “But I did want to mention something to you as we consider how to respond to all the things that we’ve been hearing about. This card right here gives you a summary of what our church has been working on in putting together our 2026 budget. And what you see on this card are four bold moves that came out of some of the neighborhood gatherings we did back in 23 and 24.

 And those things have been pondered upon and prayed over by our Vision and Strategic Planning Committee. And they’ve begun to talk to our leadership in our church about these four bold moves. And in January, we’re going to focus on these and help us to understand more about them.

 But I wanted to show them to you, to let you see what we’re trying to accomplish through our budget next year. The first thing is stir the flame of spiritual renewal. And we mentioned some specific things there of how we plan to do that.”

 “We want to enhance our worship experiences. You know, do things like get rid of these portable speakers and take care of our sound issues right here in this room. We want to clarify our discipleship pathway by starting new classes and serving college students on the campus at MC.

 And then, the fourth bold move is launch new mission initiatives, which we’ve already done, but we want to continue those. The Beds for Kids program, the Kids Beach Club at Eastside, as well as continuing to tell our story to our community and share the message of Christ. Those are the four bold moves.

 That we are sowing into as a church. Through our giving, through our time, our service, we’re going to sow into those things. These are not projects, but they become for us as a church, these are our seed that we’re planting in our church and our community.

 That enable us to do the ministry that we feel God is calling us to do. These things are seed for changing people’s lives. They are seeds for the next generation that Tommy and the quartet were singing about this morning.

 “They are seeds for the kingdom of God.

 So, church, as we wrap things up here, here’s the truth that Paul is pressing into our hearts today. God gives seed to us. We sow it, and God produces the harvest from it.

 That’s the rhythm of the kingdom. That’s how God operates. That’s his economy.

 And every time we step into it, something changes.

 And not just out there in the world, but in us too. You see, generosity frees us from the grip of greed. It aligns our hearts in unity with God’s heart.

 It becomes a living, breathing act of faith and unity when we come together for a common mission. And we all participate in that mission in some way. You see, today is Commitment Sunday, we call it.

 It’s one of those moments where our faith becomes visible. It becomes tangible. And y’all, we’re not here to twist arms or stir up anyone’s emotions.

 We’re just here to plant our seed. We’re here to say together, Lord, as you provide, we will sow.”

 “And our Four Bold Moves for 26, those are things that are bigger than any one of us can accomplish on our own. But they’re well within reach when we all sow according to our ability and desire. When we give consistently, proportionately, and cheerfully.

 When we do that, scripture says something powerful happens. That God will enlarge the harvest. He will increase our capacity.

 And He will use us to be a blessing to other people. And He will even grow righteousness. In us.

 Y’all, this is the kind of church we want to be. So today, I’m asking you, not for an emotional gift, not a guilt driven gift, but a faith filled commitment to sow generously in the coming year. A commitment that says, it’s your way of saying, I believe in the mission of this church.

 I trust that God will provide for me. And I want to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

 “So in just a moment, we’re going to invite you, those of you, I know some of you already placed your card in the offering plate, and that’s perfectly fine. But some of you may want to walk the aisle and put it in this box here, this church box. I know I will join you in doing that.

 Before I do that, I plan to kneel at the altar and ask God to help me to keep the commitment that I’m making today. You see, Debbie and I are making a significant increase to our pledge for next year. We are stepping up to tithing.

 And I’m praying God helps us to keep that commitment. So as you come, come with this prayer in your heart. Lord, this is my seed.

 I pray you would use it for your harvest. And when we sow together, I believe we will reap abundantly. Not because we’re great givers, but because God is a great provider.

 So as Libby plays for a moment, this is your invitation to come and bring your offering of commitment to God. And then when you are done responding, I will close us in prayer, and we “will close out our service.

 Let us pray. God, today, we respond to Your message, to Your Holy Word, with this desire to live more generously in our lives. And God, today, we demonstrate that act of faith by making our commitment to You, to honor You in what we have been given.

 And so God, I ask that You would help us to be firm in our commitment throughout this coming year.

 We know that it won’t always be easy for us. We pray You would give us the grace to trust in You. God, I pray that You would give us wisdom and common sense in what we offer to You.

 And God, may we respond not with compulsion or emotion, but willingly as a disciple of Jesus Christ, with the desire to be more like Him. So Lord, may we experience this harvest of righteousness in our life as we reflect Your generous heart. Lord, do this work in us.

 And may our church have what it needs to do what You have called us to do. Give us clarity about that, Lord. Let us prayerfully seek Your guidance.”

 “And we trust that You will lead us. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 I leave you with these words from Ephesians. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations. Amen.

 God bless you.”

November 16, 2025 – The Grace of Giving – 2 Corinthians 8:1-12

2 Corinthians 8:1-12 highlights the “grace of giving” by praising the Macedonian churches for their extreme generosity despite poverty and suffering. This passage uses them as an example for the Corinthian church to encourage their own giving, emphasizing that true generosity comes from a willing heart, is an act of God’s grace, and is inspired by Jesus’s sacrifice. The core message is that willingness and a sincere heart are more important than the amount given, and that believers should complete what they have started in giving. 

Key themes and points

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Encouragement to Be Generous

8 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia, 2 for during a severe ordeal of affliction their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means and even beyond their means, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor[a] of partnering in this ministry to the saints, 5 and not as we expected. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, 6 so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking[b] among you. 7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you[c]—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.[d]

8 I do not say this as a command, but I am, by mentioning the eagerness of others, testing the genuineness of your love. 9 For you know the generous act[e] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I am giving my opinion: it is beneficial for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something. 11 Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

“Let us pray. Holy Spirit, pour out upon us wisdom and understanding, that being taught by you in Holy Scripture, our hearts and minds may be opened to receive all that leads to life and holiness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The scriptures taken from the second letter to the Corinthians, the eighth chapter, we’re going to read the first 15 verses. And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian Church in the midst of a very severe trial. Their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

For I testified that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability, entirely on their own. They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing this service to the Lord’s people. And they went beyond our expectation, having given themselves first of all to the Lord.”

“They gave themselves by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he were rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich. And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter.

“Last year, you were the first, not only to give, but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time, your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn, their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written.

The one who has gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.”

“Thank you, Rosa, for reading our scripture for us. And Mike, thank you for your report. I know y’all are all just as grateful as I am for his leadership to our church and all our trustees.

Can we say thank you? Thank you, guys.

Thank you, thank you. And thank you to all of you that continue to support their mission through your giving. It is making a difference.

It really is. And it is preparing us for a celebration that we have out on the horizon. Our 200th anniversary.

And we’re gonna throw a big shim big around here. We’re gonna start preparing for it in a couple of years. So we’re gonna be talking more about that as we move along.”

“Now, last week, we started the series called Sow Generously, Reap Abundantly. As we talk about our vision and stewardship for the upcoming year. And last week, the message title was The Enemy Inside.

I encourage you to go back and listen to that if you weren’t here. Before we can begin to live out this biblical principle of sowing generously and reaping abundantly, we have to confront this enemy within this saboteur to generosity. And last week, we named that enemy.

We unpacked it a little bit. What am I talking about? Greed.

Paul says there’s something lurking beneath the surface of every human heart. And Jesus warns us to watch out, because greed is the one sin that never volunteers for identification. Nobody thinks that they’re greedy.”

“Nobody wants to admit to that. You know, I’ve had a lot of people come into my office over the years and confess some really interesting things going on in their life. But I’ve never had anyone walk into my office and say, Pastor, my problem is, I love money too much.

I’ve never admitted to that. That person does not exist. We learned that last week that greed is really not a money issue.

It’s a heart issue. It’s a matter of trust. Greed says, that voice inside, it speaks, and it says to us, that I owe me.

It hides behind words like, well, I’m just being wise. I’m being responsible. I’m hard working.

But underneath it is fear. Fear that there won’t be enough. Fear that God won’t come through for me the way that I want him to.

This is clearly seen in that parable of the rich young fool. His problem wasn’t that he succeeded. It was that he assumed that everything he has, that he had in his life, was for his own consumption and security.

“But the Bible gives us the cure to greed, the antidote, it’s generosity. You see, every time we give, we declare that our trust is not in what we earn or deserve, or in our money or anything else in this world, but that our trust is in the Lord. It’s in God.

And so that’s the journey of the series that I’m wanting us to take. It’s defeating this enemy inside so that we can live more open handed and free. Now today, Paul takes us deeper and further along in this journey.

So if greed is the enemy inside, then grace is the power that frees us. Grace, we heard a lot about grace in that scripture reading that Rosa shared. So let’s revisit it.”

“Let’s listen in as Paul writes to the Corinthians about what he calls the grace of giving. The grace of giving. And he paints a portrait of this grace for us as we look into this passage, especially the first five verses.

Paul begins with the example of generosity that’s kind of resonating in his heart as he writes. And this example is the Macedonian churches. He says, we want you to know about the grace of God, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme property have overflowed in a wealth of generosity.

You see, Paul is reminding the Corinthians that this offering that was given by the Macedonians for the Christians living in Jerusalem, this was a relief effort that Paul was championing on his missionary journeys. He was raising funding to help the Christians in Jerusalem. And it had been a long-term project.”

“Paul had been trying to raise these funds for about a year across the churches in these Roman provinces of Macedonia, Galatia, and Achaea. And these churches throughout these provinces around the northern part of the Mediterranean had been responding to this call of famine relief. But notice how Paul describes the Macedonians’ hearts.

An abundance of joy amid their own extreme poverty. And yet, somehow, there was an overflowing generosity. You know, when you think about that math, it doesn’t add up.

An abundance of joy in the midst of poverty, somehow resulting in generosity, it doesn’t add up unless the grace of God is involved. Reminds me of a mission trip I went on several years ago. It was one of the first mission trips I went on to Mexico.”

“One weekend, we traveled high up into the mountains to preach and share the gospel in this farming community where they harvested pine trees. Hard working community. They didn’t have very much in that community.

They just got by off of what they could raise and generate a little income to provide for their families. But one evening before our worship service, there was a family that invited us into their home. Their heat and cooking was from this 55-gallon drum that they created a fire inside.

And on the top of it was the cooktop. And I remember watching this elderly Mexican woman form tortillas with her hands out of little balls of dough. And she would press them out into these tortillas and she’d bake them on top of that stove.”

“And that evening, they provided a meal for us. And we knew in consuming that meal that it meant that that family, those that contributed to that meal, probably wouldn’t have much to eat on for several days afterwards. But yet, they wanted to provide for us.

And they gave out of their little, but it was an abundance for us. And it spoke of their faith, and their joy and their generosity in doing it. They sacrificially offered food to our team.

This is what’s going on in the region of Macedonia, among the churches in Philippi and Thessalonica. So, Paul says that this generosity, this gift of grace, this grace of giving, that it welled up in this abundance among them. Paul tells us that they gave according to their means, and even beyond their means.”

“And Paul says that they were actually begging him to take place in this relief offering. And they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then they gave this offering to Paul. You see, these folks, they begged Paul to be able to participate.

You know, that’s a pastor’s dream, isn’t it? When people are begging to give. But you know, it’s so rare that I’ve never once had anyone come up to me and say, Pastor, I’m begging you, pass those offering plates again.

I just want to give some more. It just doesn’t really happen that like that in the life of the church, does it? But you know what?”

“The value of the gift wasn’t the point. The monetary value of the gift. Their devotion was.

Their devotion.

They weren’t giving dollars. They were giving themselves to God. Their generosity wasn’t an act, or it was an act of worship.”

“Before, it was an act of charity. And Paul says to the Corinthians, and he says to us too, that this is what grace can do in the heart of a person that is yielded to God. The Grace of Giving.

In verses 6 and 9 in this letter, Paul sends Titus to complete this act of grace in Corinth, he says. That phrase, act of grace, that’s the key. And here’s Paul’s definition of that act of grace.

The grace of giving is generosity given in response to generosity received. You see, it’s not guilt giving. It’s not pressure giving.

It’s not, I guess I should, giving. It’s reciprocal grace. Grace received from God becomes grace flowing into the lives of others.”

“You see, the grace of giving is a double blessing. It is a double grace. And Paul goes on to talk about that in verse 9 when he says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And he says, Though he was rich, he became poor, so that we who are poor might become rich. You see, that’s the gospel. The gospel demonstrates the grace of giving.

Jesus, who was rich in the fullness of the divine life, as we declared in the Nazian creed, he emptied himself. The Creator stepped into the creation and took on our humanity. He became poor by being crucified with criminals and thieves.

All he had to give, Jesus gave. His very life, he gave. This gift of grace is our richest gain.”

“For he has given us riches that we could never earn on our own. Reconciliation with God, a new life, eternal life for the future, and resurrection hope. But Paul says, in essence, how could people who have received that much grace not become conduits of that grace toward others?

That’s the Macedonian example. That is the grace of giving. Paul goes on to mention that there are three principles of this grace of giving.

In verse 7, he gives us the first one. He talks about how we can grow in the grace of giving. He says to the Corinthians, as you excel in everything, see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Paul is saying that growth in generosity is as normal for a Christian as growth in prayer, as growth in faith, as growth in knowledge and service and love. So how do we know if we are growing in the grace of giving? Paul hands us the Macedonians as a mirror to compare ourselves to.”

“Do I give with joy? Or do I give with the same enthusiasm I have when I’m doing yard work in the first part of November? A little bit begrudgingly, I have to do it.

You know, we can’t monetize our service to God, but if we could, maybe we ask ourselves this question. Is my gift of service a generous offering to God and His Church? Or we might ask ourselves a question like this.

Do I value what I put in the offering plate as a gift of worship?

Or we might ask ourselves, is my giving sacrificial or is it safe? You see, growth is possible, but it takes intentionality. The second principle that Paul gives us about growing in this gift of grace comes in verse 8.

He says, generosity tests the sincerity of our love. Paul writes, I’m not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love. Paul makes it clear, nobody is forcing anyone here.”

“Love can’t be squeezed out by guilt. And this is the true test of our priorities. It’s like saying, we want to get into shape, but we have a long-term committed relationship to Chick-fil-A.

That we just can’t end. You see, generosity is a very real test of what we say we love. If I say I love God, does my time, my money, and my service reflect that?

If I say I love my church, am I supporting it? If I say I care about something, am I taking responsibility for it? You see, Paul is showing them, your giving doesn’t just fund a mission, it reveals what’s lurking in your heart.

And then finally, another principle of growing in the gift of this grace of giving is found in the final verses, 10-15. You see, generosity is expressed with what you have, not what you don’t have. Paul tells them, you had the desire last year, talking to the Corinthians, you had the desire to give toward this relief effort last year.”

“It’s been a year. Now finish what you started. They may have hesitated because they didn’t think the gift was quite big enough yet.

That’s speculatory. But Paul goes on to say, If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one doesn’t have. In other words, if you wait until you feel like you have enough to give, then guess what?

You won’t give. If you’re waiting for the perfect time to be generous, I’ve got news for you, it doesn’t exist, though. If you’re thinking, I’ll give once I get that raise, or once the kids finish school, or once Christmas is over, once my Amazon cart shrinks, how big’s your Amazon cart right now?

If we think we’ll give once we have all of those things accomplished, we won’t. When I have more is always one step away. The answer to how much is enough is always what?

Just a little bit more. So Paul says, start where you are. Give what you can now.”

“Obey God now. Grace isn’t waiting for a perfect future, it’s responding to God in the present. It’s like all these gift boxes here today.

It may feel like we aren’t giving much, but I can tell you that these small gifts, that they open hearts of the recipients of them in order to experience a greater gift. The message of the gospel.

So Paul closes this section with a vision. He says, at the present time, your plenty will supply what they need. The goal is fairness, doing what’s fair.

You see, in God’s economy, generosity creates a holy balance, where everyone’s needs are met, and everyone is participating, and everyone is experiencing God’s blessing.

When your present abundance meets their present need, God gets the glory. And one day, when you have a need, Paul says someone else’s abundance will meet yours. This is how the body of Christ works.”

“This is how the kingdom of God advances. This is the grace of giving. So the question isn’t, how much do I have to give?

The real question is, what does grace want to do through me with what I have today, right now? We’ve all received grace from Jesus. Now let that grace overflow.

Give what you can, start where you are. Let grace move from your heart to your hands, and then out to the world. Because when grace becomes giving, everyone has enough.

Let us prepare our hearts for prayer as we…

Let us pray. Grace of Gracious God, we thank you for the grace that first came to us, the grace that met us in our need, the grace that saved us through Jesus Christ, the grace that has made us rich in mercy, hope, and new life. Lord, we confess that fear still whispers to us, we worry that we won’t have enough, we hold tightly to what you have placed in our hands.

“Today, we ask that you would free us from that. Release us from this enemy within, and fill us with the same joy that you poured into the Macedonian Christian. A joy that overflows in generosity.

Lord, teach us to give ourselves first to you, so that everything else flows out of our devotion and our worship to you. Grow us in this grace. We pray that you would stretch our faith.

Help us to trust that when we sow generously, that you are faithful to provide abundantly. And God, make us into a community where every person’s plenty supplies another’s need, where no one stands alone, and where your love moves freely through your people. Let this church, God, be a living picture of the Gospel.

Grace received, grace given, grace shared. Lord, we ask that you take what we have, our time, our resources, our gifts, our lives. Use them for your kingdom.”

“Make us joyful, willing, and obedient stewards who trust that, God, you are enough, and you will always provide. God, we give ourselves to you again in the strong and generous name of Jesus.

Receive now this benediction. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy. To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time and now and forever.

Amen. God bless you.

November 9, 2025 – The Enemy Inside – Colossians 3:5-6, 10; Luke 12:1

Colossians 3:5-6, 10 advises Christians to “put to death” earthly, sinful desires like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which are considered idolatry, because God’s wrath is against them. The passage calls for putting off the “old self” with its practices and putting on the “new self,” which is renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator. Luke 12:1 is a separate verse that describes Jesus warning his disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy”. 

Colossians 3:5-6, 10 summary 

Luke 12:1 summary 

Colossians 3:5-10 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.[a] 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.[b] 8 But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive[c] language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.

Luke 12:1 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

A Warning against Hypocrisy

12 Meanwhile, when the crowd had gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.

November 2, 2025 – All Things New – Revelation 21:1-7

Revelation 21:1-7 describes the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, where God will dwell with humanity, and all suffering like death, sorrow, and pain will be eliminated. This eternal state is the ultimate reward for the righteous, whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The passage introduces the New Jerusalem, a holy city descending from heaven, and emphasizes God’s promise to make all things new, providing a powerful image of hope and restoration.  

Key themes and interpretations:

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home[a] of God is among mortals.
He will dwell[b] with them;
they will be his peoples,[c]
and God himself will be with them and be their God;[d]

4 

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for[e] the first things have passed away.”

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

October 26, 2025 – God Will Take Care of You – Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9-14 is a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the temple. The Pharisee proudly lists his good deeds, while the tax collector humbly asks for God’s mercy. Jesus concludes that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified, teaching that the humble who rely on God’s mercy are exalted, while the self-righteous who exalt themselves are humbled.

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

October 19, 2025 – Generational Faith: Helping Kids Hear and Answer God’s Call – 1 Samuel 3:1-10

In 1 Samuel 3:1-10, the Lord calls to the young boy Samuel while he is ministering under the priest Eli, who has grown old and whose sons are wicked. Samuel, initially believing Eli is calling him, runs to the priest three times. Eli eventually realizes the Lord is speaking to Samuel and instructs him on how to respond: to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears”. When the Lord calls Samuel’s name a fourth time, Samuel obeys Eli’s instructions, and the Lord begins to communicate with him.

The passage begins by noting that in those days, “the word of the Lord was rare” and visions were infrequent. This sets the stage for the significance of God’s direct communication with Samuel. 

The young boy Samuel is serving the Lord in the tabernacle and hears the Lord calling his name. He mistakenly thinks the voice belongs to the high priest Eli, who is growing old and has poor eyesight. 

After the third time Samuel responds to the voice, Eli realizes the Lord is calling the boy. Eli, though his sons were disobedient, recognizes the Lord’s voice and instructs Samuel to lie down and say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears,” if called again. 

Following Eli’s instructions, Samuel does just that when the Lord calls him a fourth time. This marks the beginning of Samuel’s direct communication with God and his prophetic ministry. 

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”[a] and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

October 05, 2025 – Adventure Awaits –  –  Hebrews 11:1 & 8

Hebrews 11, known as the “Hall of Faith,” defines faith as the assurance of things hoped for and conviction of things not seen, highlighting how numerous Old Testament figures—including Abel, Abraham, Moses, and Rahab—lived by faith in God and His promises. The chapter details their faithful actions, emphasizing that their faith was expressed through obedience and led them to endure hardship, persecution, and even death, all while anticipating a better, eternal future. The author encourages the original audience to persevere in their own faith, using these ancient heroes as examples of what it means to live for God and gain eternal approval.

Key Themes
Definition of Faith: Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It’s a conviction that God’s unseen reality is trustworthy and will be fulfilled.

Active Obedience: Faith isn’t passive belief; it involves active obedience to God’s word, demonstrated through actions like Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac and the Israelites’ trust in God’s guidance.

Historical Examples: The chapter lists many figures—such as Enoch, Noah, Sarah, the spies in Jericho, David, and the prophets—who showed faith in various situations.

Endurance Through Hardship: The saints faced immense difficulties, including torture, imprisonment, and persecution, yet they persevered, knowing they were seeking a heavenly home rather than an earthly one.

Looking to the Future: These faithful ancestors looked beyond this life, expecting a better resurrection and a fulfillment of God’s promises in the future.

God’s Promise of Perfection: The chapter concludes by noting that while these Old Testament heroes were perfected by faith, they, along with present-day believers, are not made fully perfect until they are brought together with God.

Why It Matters
The author uses this chapter to show the original Jewish readers that their forefathers also experienced trials but remained faithful to God. This serves to encourage them to persevere through their own difficult circumstances and not abandon their faith in Jesus, promising that God’s plan is for a better, eternal future for all who believe.

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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The Meaning of Faith
11 Now faith is the assurance[a] of things hoped for, the conviction[b] of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith[c] our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.[d]

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable[e] sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith[f] he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death, and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.” 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

The Faith of Abraham
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered[g] him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, 18 of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.” 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.[h]

The Faith of Moses
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.[i] 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ[j] to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger, for he persevered as though[k] he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.[l]

The Faith of Other Israelite Heroes
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,[m] because she had received the spies in peace.

32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death; they were sawn in two;[n] they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.

39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

Footnotes
11.1 Or reality
11.1 Or evidence
11.2 Gk by this
11.3 Or was not made out of visible things
11.4 Gk greater
11.4 Gk through it
11.11 Other ancient authorities read By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered
11.22 Gk his bones
11.23 Other ancient authorities add By faith Moses, when he was grown up, killed the Egyptian, because he observed the humiliation of his brothers and sisters
11.26 Or the Messiah
11.27 Or because
11.28 Gk would not touch them
11.31 Or unbelieving
11.37 Other ancient authorities add they were tempted

September 28, 2025 – Bread from Heaven –  Exodus 16:2-15

In Exodus 16:2–15, the Israelites complain to Moses and Aaron that they are starving in the wilderness, forgetting their recent deliverance from Egypt. In response, God promises to provide them with meat in the evening and bread from heaven in the morning. Quail appear at their camp in the evening, and the next morning, a fine, flaky substance called manna is found on the ground. God instructs the people to gather a daily portion, with double the amount to be gathered on the sixth day for the Sabbath, testing their obedience.  

The Israelite complaint

God’s response 

The miraculous provision

Instructions and the test of obedience

Exodus 16:2-15

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites: ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’ ” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”[a] For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.