Sunday, October 24, 2021

Together for Joy 3-Acts 2:43-47

(Watch past sermons on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hope-United-Methodist-Church-116517175038771)

This month we are talking about our commitment to Christ. Encouraging our commitment through our offerings of money, we help you by providing information and guidelines like how your money has been used for God’s mission through our church, why we use pledge cards, why we give… Also We encourage each of you to increase 1% or 2% each year as you stretch yourself to grow on faith. Just think about when you do exercise. If you just keep doing what you do, like 15 minutes walk for years, it would not strengthen your body. Right? I’m sure you would try to challenge yourselves little by little like walking more often or further or longer time…. Just like that, try to challenge yourself to strengthen your faith. Since giving is a spiritual discipline and to fulfill God’s mission, not just to maintain church building and system, I’m sure it will lead you to a deeper relationship with God. So consider praying for giving faithfully and increasing your giving no matter how much you plan to give. Of course it is helpful to run the church, pay the bills as you give consistently as you pledged but unlike donations to other charities, this is also your own relationship with God as we accept all we have is from God and return a portion of it back to God. So this month we invite us all to pray together, grow together and give

together, together for Joy, praising God. Then, the second week we’ve talked about the different gifts, asking ‘what your spiritual gifts are’. You have different ways and opportunities to discern. And we are reminded that each gift is equally necessary to the church’s functioning and its mission in the world. We all are the body of Christ, working together in love. I asked you to look through all ministry areas on the gift & talent sheet in the second stewardship mailing. You can return if you want to volunteer in any area listed by using your gifts and time. And last Sunday celebrating different gifts, different persons led the worship and we were blessed to hear their stories, how music, bible studies, meditation with God’s words or faithful giving has formed their faith.