March 13, 2023 – “Respond Gratefully”

“O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.” Psalm 105:1-2

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17

“Each time Scripture tell us that God loves us, it also demonstrates that love as well. God’s love is more than emotion and intention. God’s love is demonstrated. God loved us so much he didn’t just say, “I love you.” God showed his by sending and sacrificing his Son to give us his incomparable love! We never have to doubt that God means what he says. He has backed up his promises of love with his actions.” (heartlight website [heartlight.org])

Respond gratefully! When was the last time you pondered what G-d has first given you? Everything we have is a gift from G-d – everything. All that we do is a response to G-d’s grace, just as everything we are, we have, and we use comes from G-d. But the best gift that G-d has given you and me is the gift of Jesus Christ and the community of believers. Everything we know in this world, including the church, begins with G-d. Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior calls us to be Grateful stewards – which requires that we put G-d first and our own wants and needs second.

To be a “cheerful giver” is the most important and the most difficult if we are to live a life of generosity. As Paul says: “G-d loves a cheerful giver”. And to become a cheerful giver, we must also be intentional with our gifts, regular in our giving, generous with our first-fruits, and proportional with our blessings. To accomplish that requires the assistance of the Holy Spirit – we cannot do it alone. And it requires assessing how grateful we are for the blessings G-d has blessed each one of us. When we thank G-d for our daily blessings, it can move us to more frequent opportunities for grateful living.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, thank you for loving me. Thank you for both saying it and showing it. Lead me to respond gratefully to your unconditional love. Amen.

Pastor Dave