Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in
this, “says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and
pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Malachi 3:10
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Generosity is a wonderful thing….we receive and we give….we give and we receive. God has blessed each one of us in different ways. Some have been blessed financially, while others have been blessed with talents. For some family is a blessing and for others…well, lets just say that the church has become their family because their family of origin has not been a blessing. To spend time thinking about how you have been blessed is important for it turns our hearts and our minds to God. It is then crucial to THANK God for those blessings with what we have. Becoming AWARE of our needs and the needs of others helps us to focus ourselves into ACTION and ACTION makes an IMPACT for others in the name of Jesus.
No matter how you have been blessed by God the desire of God is that we return to God a portion of what we have been given. Sometimes we return the gift to the community of faith we are a part of, the church! Sometimes we return the gift to someone in need! The bottom line is that God calls us to be GENEROUS. GENEROSITY is the way God has set things into motion! Why? To bless others AND ultimately to bless YOU!
The understanding of a tithe is something God put into motion as early as Moses. (10% is the starting place Biblically.) Malachi is a reminder that blessings are available when we return to God what God has first given us.
Over the next four Sundays our focus will be on THE GENEROUS LIFE! AWARENESS, ACTION AND IMPACT will be front and center. Often we don’t want to hear the message of “money” in sermons or in church, but I want you to recognize the message is not about “money” but about GIVING back from what God has first given you. The message is about how we are BLESSED because of our service to others. The message is about the importance of making a difference and often this happens through the gifts which you have given to your church.
I want to thank you for all the ways you have continued to bless Bethel with your offerings! Continue to ask God how you will make even more of an impact in the days ahead! Your sharing of your tithes makes a difference.
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Barb
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