Church News
13th July 2015
On Sunday I had the privilege of speaking on the subject of Generosity. It's available online if you missed it or want to catch it again.
I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me that we live in a culture of materialism? One of the things that I learnt from my Dad was that there is only one antidote to materialism: Generosity!
Every time we are generous, something happens inside us. Every time we’re generous, our hearts grow. Every time we’re generous, we break the grip of materialism on our lives. Why? Because materialism is all about getting — get, get, get! It is in our nature to get and to hold on. Every time we’re generous, we break that grip and defeat materialism in our lives.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (NIV). Notice it doesn’t say we “should not.” It says we “cannot.” It’s impossible. We can’t have two number ones in our life. We have to choose what’s going to be number one.
Choose generosity. It will transform your relationships with other people and your relationship with God. It will change us from the inside out as we learn to be generous like God is generous with us.
God has blessed us with our finances and the ability to be able to provide for us and our familes. On Sunday I shared part of this poem that Dad used to recite. Last week I finally tracked is down online;
OH, LORD, GIVE ME A GLORY!
Oh, you gotta get a glory
In the work you do;
A hallelujah chorus
In the heart of you.
Paint, or tell a story,
Sing, or shovel coal,
But you gotta get a glory
Or the job lacks soul.
Oh, Lord, give me a glory,
Is it much to give?
For you gotta get a glory
Or you just don’t live.
The great whose shining labours
Make our pulses throb,
We’re the men who got a glory
In their daily job.
The battle might be gory
And the odds unfair,
But the men who got a glory
Never knew despair.
Oh, Lord, give me a glory,
When all else is gone,
If you’ve only got a glory
You can still go on!
To those who get a glory
It is like the sun,
And you can see it glowing
Through the work they’ve done.
Oh, Lord, give me the glory,
And a workman’s pride,
For you gotta get a glory
Or you’re dead inside!
Berton Braley
Songs of the Workaday World (1915)
Have a great week!
Pastor Phyl
PS: Feel free to connect with me on Facebook or Twitter!
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