Generous Life - Day 16

Hey Everyone,

I'm sorry that it has been several days since I last wrote you. There has been much going on through the Easter weekend, but the Lord is doing extraordinary things! I'll share some of them in the coming days.

Concerning the Generous Life, I hope that you are staying consistent to read the daily Scriptures and to do the weekly exercises. I am enjoying hearing about the many of you who are being faithful. If you have a story to tell of how God is using this study in your life I'd love to hear about it. You can either email me or call me to schedule a time to meet and discuss it.

Since it has been a few days, I thought I'd just writeto remind us all that we should always stay committed to generosity regardless of what is going on in our life. So often we can allow circumstances and situations to hinder us from giving the Lord the "first-fruits" in our life. But, God calls us to be committed to Him regardless of the circumstance or situation. It reminds me of an elderly woman who fainted in church one Sunday while the pastor was preaching. She fell over and struck her head on the end of the pew. Immediately, an EMT in the congregation called an ambulance. As they strapped the woman to a stretcher and got ready to head out the door, she motioned for her daughter to come near. The daughter leaned close to hear what her dear mother had to say. As the daughter pressed her ear to her mother's mouth the elderly lady whispered, “My offering is in my purse.”

I wonder if we are as committed to giving to the Lord. There are many times that it seems our thoughts are on everything else but generosity. But, regardless of the many distractions in our lives may we never forget that God is the owner of everything and He is watching our giving. May we be faithful to give sacrificially to His work and His callings.

Generously Living for Christ,

Pastor Matthew