So much of what our family spends money on does not last. We spend money on expensive food, coffee or dessert just to flush it down the toilet after it passes through. We spend money on pricey perfume or cologne, shampoos, conditioners and lotions just to wash them down the drain a few hours later. We spend money on the latest must have Christmas and birthday presents to just put them on Craig’s List or a garage sale in a few months. We clutter our lives, we clutter our closets. We clutter our kids’ lives with stuff. Most of what we spend money on is extremely temporary. HOWEVER when we spend money on God’s purposes, it is never flushed, never washed away. It never collects dust. It grows. It multiplies. It keeps giving and giving. Money given to God is ETERNAL. Here’s a passage that is written to us as Americans.
“Command those who are rich in this present world.” That’s here on earth and that’s all of us — if you live in America, you’re rich. If you make 31,000 a year, you are in the top 1 percent of all wage earners on this planet! To find out how rich you are compared to the rest of the world, go to: http://www.globalrichlist.com/
Most of the world would love to have our problems! “Do we eat Chinese or Pizza? Our internet is slow As we sit in air conditioning the traffic is bad.” Paul continues, “ …not to put your hope in wealth, but to put your hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” It’s not wrong to enjoy nice things. But He does not make us prosper simply so that we can spend it all on ourselves. He says “Command them to be generous and willing to share. We have much so we can share and be generous) In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
You build a firm foundation IN ETERNITY by giving to God. You grow God’s family and experience a joy and a peace that is so rich. It’s a “life that is truly life” Some of us are not really living. Are you really living?…….You make a life by giving.
Did you see the movie, “Behind Enemy Lines?” It is based on a true story. Captain Scott O’Grady’s F-16 had been shot down, as he was flying over Serbia. Had he been killed or captured? Was he seriously injured? America waited anxiously. The hours ticked by. Five days passed. On the sixth day another pilot picked up a faint message from O’Grady’s radio. He was alive, managing somehow to hide from hostile soldiers.
Immediately all the resources needed for a daring rescue operation were set in motion. O’Grady was snatched up to safety by a helicopter–and the US rejoiced. Newsweek magazine reported that the weapons and machinery used for the rescue of that one pilot were valued at $6 billion.
$6 billon that Scott O Grady would always be grateful for! We can’t estimate the value of one human soul–because we could never calculate the price God paid to rescue us. In grace, motivated by His love, He sent His Son to become our Savior. Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His precious blood to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness.
When we give to The Ridge Fellowship, we are giving a gift that impacts eternity as we have been blessed to see over 880 commitments to Christ in the last 15 years. Praise God as he has allowed us to impact lives, marriages, families, children and youth in our community for eternity.
Each Sunday in our services here we celebrate this life altering truth, Christ changes lives! We join as a thankful community to worship, fellowship and serve in order to experience and grow in Christ’s love, we invite our community so that they can know and experience Christ’s love. But we must also give to make Christ’s love a reality.
If you have given to The Ridge Fellowship you helped to make life change possible! Thank you! Whatever you support you’re a partner in. Not all of us can teach or play music on stage, work with the children or work with the youth but we can all give something. Those of you who are faithful in giving, you’re a partner in ministry here.
We have the chance during THIRVE emphasis to show the sincerity of our love for Christ, the sincerity of our love for His work through our church. With us adding staff and improving our facilities we have the opportunity to impact our community for eternity, just as our own lives have been impacted.
As you consider your one time gift on June 5th and your thirteen month commitment may you give your lives as well as your resources in full commitment to the One who gave His all for us.
Darrell
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Upwards Church 