In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
(Acts 20:35)
Acts 20:33-35 “contain at least three important lessons about money and work. First, Paul declares,
I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel... The opposite of idolatrous covetousness is faith-filled contentment in God’s provision for our needs… Second, Paul works, so that he and his companions can live: You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me… Third, Paul works so that he can give to others… Christians must come to the aid of those in need, including the poor, widows, and prisoners. Generosity toward others is a reflex of grace, a response to the matchless generosity of God who gave His own Son for us. We should work to live, work to give, and be content with what God has given us.” (Brian Tabb, ESV Men’s Devotional Bible
)
On Sunday I will be speaking on “Generous Giving” from 1 Chronicles 29, as we conclude our 12-part series on DAVID:
A Man After God’s Own Heart.
I’d encourage you to read the whole chapter in preparation for the message Sunday, but especially zero in on David’s prayer in verses 10-22. As I’ve mentioned before, one of the best ways to learn to pray is to read the prayers of the
Bible, and let them become the prayers
of our own hearts. This prayer by David is a great one for that!
A few other things to pray about:
1) Please pray for the family of Donna Spurlin Waibel, who went home to be with the Lord yesterday. Plans are being made for a memorial service next week, with details to come. Pray for Donna’s siblings, Gwen Landon, Judy Christophersen, Leroy Spurlin, and Wade Spurlin,and for all of the family.
2) Pray for our exchange students from China and Japan who are flying into Portland tomorrow afternoon. Pray for a safe trip in the air and on the roads! Chris Meek will be helping pick them up at the airport tomorrow. Thank you so much to those who have stepped up to open your homes and your hearts to these students! We’ll probably see a number of them at church Sunday, so please be sure to greet them warmly.
3) Monday through Friday of next week there will be CEF 5 day clubs in Halsey (1:00-2:30pm) and Brownsville (3:30-5:00). Please pray for a great turnout of children to hear and respond to the Gospel. For more info talk to Wendell and Doris Trimble.
4) Praise the Lord that Lisl is safe. Please continue to pray.
5) Pray for Justin and Lynsey and the soon coming of their baby! (No news yet, please pray the little one will join us soon, especially for Lynsey’s sake!)
Thanks for praying!
Men, remember tomorrow is our monthly Men’s Breakfast at 7am! Looking forward to our usual great food and great Christian fellowship. Invite a friend and join us tomorrow morning.
Also, Sunday after the worship service is our Quarterly Business Meeting. We will be voting on one new member joining (Carol Kraemer), and the rest will be informational.
May the generosity and grace of our Lord bless you greatly so that you can be a blessing to others!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael