Yes, It’s a Stewardship Series — But a Good One
This Sunday we are kicking off a brand-new three-week series, and I will be honest with you. It is a stewardship series.
I know. Some of you just checked the calendar to see if you have plans. You do not. I checked.
Here is the good news. We are building the whole series around three short rules from John Wesley, the founder of our Methodist movement: Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. One rule per week, and we wrap it all up on Consecration Sunday. That first rule alone should tell you this is not your typical stewardship series. When was the last time you heard a sermon telling you to gain?
To get ready, here is a little background on our two scriptures for Sunday.
The first is Deuteronomy 8:11-18. The book of Deuteronomy is essentially a series of farewell speeches from Moses. He is an old man now, and he knows he will not be crossing into the promised land with the people he has led for forty years. So, these chapters read like the last words of a father to his children, full of reminders, warnings, and love. Chapter 8 sits right in the heart of that farewell. As you read our passage, notice the one-word Moses keeps coming back again and again. It shows up in some form throughout the whole chapter, and it is the key to everything.
The second is Colossians 3:23-24. Colossae was a small town in what is now Turkey, and Paul wrote this letter to a young church he had never actually visited. Near the end of the letter, Paul gets very practical, giving instructions for everyday household life. Our two verses come from that section. They are short, just two sentences, but people have been chewing on them for two thousand years. Read them slowly, maybe twice.
Here is something simple to do before Sunday: at some point this week, take thirty seconds and think back on how you spent your day. Nothing fancy. Just take inventory. Bring that with you Sunday morning.
Words Worth Knowing:
Stewardship: Caring for and managing something that belongs to someone else. In the church, it means recognizing that everything we have comes from God and asking how we will use it.
Consecration: The act of setting something apart and dedicating it to God. Consecration Sunday is the day we offer our commitments for the year ahead.
Epistle: A formal letter. Many books in the New Testament, including Colossians, are epistles written by early church leaders to congregations.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
I know. Some of you just checked the calendar to see if you have plans. You do not. I checked.
Here is the good news. We are building the whole series around three short rules from John Wesley, the founder of our Methodist movement: Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. One rule per week, and we wrap it all up on Consecration Sunday. That first rule alone should tell you this is not your typical stewardship series. When was the last time you heard a sermon telling you to gain?
To get ready, here is a little background on our two scriptures for Sunday.
The first is Deuteronomy 8:11-18. The book of Deuteronomy is essentially a series of farewell speeches from Moses. He is an old man now, and he knows he will not be crossing into the promised land with the people he has led for forty years. So, these chapters read like the last words of a father to his children, full of reminders, warnings, and love. Chapter 8 sits right in the heart of that farewell. As you read our passage, notice the one-word Moses keeps coming back again and again. It shows up in some form throughout the whole chapter, and it is the key to everything.
The second is Colossians 3:23-24. Colossae was a small town in what is now Turkey, and Paul wrote this letter to a young church he had never actually visited. Near the end of the letter, Paul gets very practical, giving instructions for everyday household life. Our two verses come from that section. They are short, just two sentences, but people have been chewing on them for two thousand years. Read them slowly, maybe twice.
Here is something simple to do before Sunday: at some point this week, take thirty seconds and think back on how you spent your day. Nothing fancy. Just take inventory. Bring that with you Sunday morning.
Words Worth Knowing:
Stewardship: Caring for and managing something that belongs to someone else. In the church, it means recognizing that everything we have comes from God and asking how we will use it.
Consecration: The act of setting something apart and dedicating it to God. Consecration Sunday is the day we offer our commitments for the year ahead.
Epistle: A formal letter. Many books in the New Testament, including Colossians, are epistles written by early church leaders to congregations.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mark
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