Harrisonville Church of the Nazarene

This is the first sermon of our 2016 Advent series, "Choosing Hope"

A Generous Heart Brings True Joy And Thanksgiving to God

The Only Way to Break the Power Money Has Over Your Life Is To Be Willing to be Satisfied

Choosing Generosity is Giving Faithfully and Intentionally, Not Giving Based on Receiving Emotional Rewards

The biblical call to generosity goes against all of the conventional wisdom we hear about money. However, our generous God, who freely offers us life and salvation, calls us to a life of generosity - and this includes our finances. The promise to us in Proverbs is: the generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Sometimes we say that worship is all about God, but that ignores the fact we are to be transformed through worship. So sometimes we say worship is about what happens in us, but that ignores the danger of making worship all about our own needs and desires. We must come to worship holding both of these extremes in tension, understanding that ultimately we come to resemble what we revere.

Although we would like our Christian growth in maturity to be accompanied by constant blessings from God, the truth is that we will not always feel God's presence in our lives. Like a good parent, God leads us through the valleys of life so we might gain strength to appreciate the mountain tops as well.

There is a common saying we hear in church, "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good." As Christians, we believe this, but there are times when the circumstances of life make us question it. If God is good all the time, why I am going through these troubles, afflictions, and pain? The truth is that God does not promise us trouble-free lives. Instead, God promises that in all things, good and bad, he is working for our good and the good of all of creation in ways that are far deeper and more significant than we could ever understand.

Whether or not we take the time to understand it, we are all setting a course for our life day by day. God's desire is for us to set a good course, one that is based on his wisdom. This is why you must know the goal of your life, and set your priorities, relationships, and hope toward reaching that goal.

Most of us have a love and hate relationship with laws and commandments. We like those that help us, but those that make our lives harder we would just as soon not follow. God's wisdom is given to us in the form of commandments and guidance for life, not to restrict us, not so we become legalists, but so we might know the heart of God. We will see in this sermon series that ultimately, obedience to God’s commands is the only path to a blessed life.