the gift of giving

we can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving - quoted from a friend's email

I had the honor of spending some time this morning with one of the homeless men who comes to our church. We've had numerous of these guys come see us in the past few months. Our clothes closet opens the door and give us many chances to witness and share as well as meet needs. But there are very few times when I get to connect with, have true heart to heart conversations. Today's was a huge blessing in so many ways (I'll share more later as far as some things God is doing).

One of my favorite parts of Christmas and of being a Christian is giving. I believe that the gift of giving leads people to see the real reason for the season and our celebration.

We have to take the opportunities. Sometimes they are risky. Sometimes they are just different. But far too often we give things that mean little just because we are supposed to give a gift. It is time, for me and I hope for you, to rethink what we give and how we give it. (I talked about that in yesterday's devotion .)

We give through money.

2 Corinthians 8:11 (nlt) --- Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.

We give with our words.

Proverbs 10:11 (nlt) --- The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions

We give which gives us opportunities to talk about and minister for Jesus.

Proverbs 18:16 (nlt) --- Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!

When we give, we are like God.

Luke 11:13 (nlt) --- So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Fathergive the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

Join me in enjoying the real joy of Christmas and the real meaning of Christmas (it's all about Jesus). By being part of the gift of giving.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Search This Blog