Announcements
Next Saturday will be another work day and we're looking for volunteers to help continue the work on the new building.
This summer 2015 our youth have an opportunity to go to CHIC, a Christ-centered youth gathering in Tennessee held every three years. Brooke shared a one minute clip that summarized some of what they will be experiencing. There will some fund raising events to help cover expenses for the dozen or so youth from our church who will be going next summer.
Stockholders Dinner, Saturday, November 1, 5-7 p.m.
Also, bring your shiny magazines to the church to discard instead of recycle center. This kind of paper can be redeemed for cash.
Chuck, Ken and Darlene led worship this morning. He noted that there will be a special children's church today during the service in which they would be sharing about Jonah. The song selection was heart-warming, concluding with "I'd Rather Have Jesus" which we sang during the offering.
After a corporate time of prayer and intercession, Brad led us and we concluded with the words that Jesus taught us.
Parable of the Talents
The story begins with a generous master who gives an immense gift. Brad explains that the "talent" is equivalent to 10,000 denarii. It's an unusually generous gift. But this is not a sermon about money. It's much more than that.
This parable raises the question, what are we supposed to do with these things that have been entrusted to us?
The point of the story is not that these people use these things for themselves, but asks them what they did with these things.
This great gift is given with no instructions. In other words, we are to take the initiative to figure out what to do with what we have been given.
In this story the first two servants are completely moved by what happened, and couldn't wait to do something with what they had been given. The third guy went away, dug a hole and buried it. The tragedy here is that he received this great gift, but from that day till the master returned his life was no different than before.
There's a difference between sins of commission and sins of omission. Since of commission are the things we do in violation of God's law. But sins of omission are equally culpable. The love we didn't share, the failure to encourage others, the failure to be grateful, the failure to help someone in need, the failure to be generous with our time or money.
In this story, there are two people who are overwhelmed with gratitude and their lives are never going to be the same.
What dream keeps you up at night? What dream do you dream of? It doesn't have to be something flashy. In fact, God is not flashy.
Another question: What's keeping you from being a good and faithful servant? In the story, the third man was afraid of failure so he hid it, and failed massively.
What do you want to hear at the end of your life?
The watching world doesn't care how good our worship services are. Rather, when we leave this place, will Jesus' name be lifted up? Will lonely people be visited? Will hungry people be fed?
If we use our gifts instead of burying them, we'll hear Him say those ever so powerful words, "Well done."
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A few photos showing this week's progress...
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| Surveying the parking lot. |
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| The siding began going on this week. |
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