[Our church is concluding a four-week journey on what it means to be a “heart-healthy” church. An announcement was made on Sunday that the congregation will be receiving a letter in the mail this week that will include a 2019 Estimate of Giving card to complete and return. In the cover letter that will be in that mailing, the pastor meant to say that “Our Leadership Board members are serving as “pacesetters.” Instead he used the word, “pacemakers.” In a way, “pacemakers” is actually a better word since our stewardship focus has been about being a “heart-healthy” church. O God, help each one of us to be pacemakers and have stronger hearts for you!]
Generous God, just as you so freely offer your grace to us in every single moment, we want to be the generous people you call us to be. Generous in loving. Generous in compassion. Generous in forgiveness. Generous in giving.
You loved the world so much that you gave your only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
We want to receive that life, O God. We want your everlasting life to not only fill our lives, but overflow into the lives of others. O God, may our church be a church of life. May our church be a church of unbelievable generosity. May our church be a place where people experience vital ministries, authentic relationships, and life-changing hope.
O God, every single day, baptize us afresh in the life-giving Spirit of Jesus.
Thank you for these past several weeks where we have been growing in what it means to have a heart-healthy church. Help each one of us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and world by having a loving faith, a learning faith, and a living faith.
We offer this moment, this day, this week to you as many of us will be making our commitments in what you are calling us to offer you in this coming year. Help us to offer our very best! Help us to offer our financial gifts in such a way that will best serve you and your church.
Lord Jesus, we saw you heal a man who was blind from his birth and we thought you couldn’t possibly be more generous.
We were in awe as you taught the people about God’s kingdom and offered people hope and we thought you couldn’t possibly be more generous.
We saw you feed 5,000 hungry people with just a couple of fish and a some bread and we thought you couldn’t possibly be more generous.
We saw you miraculously raise Lazarus from the grave and we thought you couldn’t possibly be more generous.
But then, what changed everything for us is when we watched you suffer and die on a wooden cross for the sake of the world, and we that’s when we finally realized. That’s when we finally realized.
We totally underestimated just how much you really love the world.
Generous Lord, teach us to pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”
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