Spiritual gifts are God’s way of giving us a front row seat of His Kingdom Work. From 1 Peter 4:10-11, two things stand out: 1) Spiritual gifts are given for the sake of others. The way to grow spiritually is to serve others, get outside of our own issues, our own lives. I am convinced that in our society we are so self absorbed trying to figure out the answers to our lives.
The quotation in the bulletin is a great summary: “You have talents and gifts that no one else can offer. There are things you can do that no one else is capable of doing quite the way you can do them. Dont rob this earth of your purpose by taking it to the grave with you. You see, we all have a purpose, a reason for living, breathing and existing. We all have unique talents and gifts that were created and given to us to be shared. Our task is to understand this and figure out what is our purpose.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
Spiritual gifts are God’s way of giving us a front row seat of His Kingdom Work. From 1 Peter 4:10-11, two things stand out: 1) Spiritual gifts are given for the sake of others. The way to grow spiritually is to serve others, get outside of our own issues, our own lives. I am convinced that in our society we are so self absorbed trying to figure out the answers to our lives.
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The Story is told of pastor Carter Jones. Carter had a small room in the attic that he used as a place of prayer. When he was especially burdened, he would make his way up the winding staircase to that room to spend quiet moments with God. The members of his family knew that when he went to the attic room, they were not to bother him. One day he climbed the stairs and knelt beside the chair to pray. He hardly started when the door swung open; there stood his little girl. The moment his eyes met hers, she knew she had done wrong. She said, "Daddy, you've been so busy lately I haven't seen you much. And I just wanted to tell you that I love you." And with that she threw her arms around her father's neck, gave him a big hug, wheeled around, and was gone as quickly as she had come. "Father, I've been so busy lately that I haven't had much time for you. I just want to tell you again that I love you."
Getting in shape. It may be consuming. Some of us could use a little help. Here are some tips from Wikihow, an online website with contributions from average people. “How to get in shape.” It’s not intended to be funny, but to me it is…
“Downsize your kitchenware… using smaller bowls, plates, and containers can subconsciously influence how much you serve yourself.” “Put down the fork. By putting down whatever utensils you're using between every bite, you can slow down your eating time, leaving your stomach a chance to feel full... Another technique is to take a sip of water between each bite. … a device you can get from a dentist that you wear to make your oral cavity smaller, and "diet forks" that are awkward to use that you'll get less food per bite! “Trade weight for cash. A 2007 study showed that the more you pay people to lose weight, the more pounds they drop over a three-month period. If there's someone who keeps nagging you to lose weight, ask that person about paying you for every pound you lose.” An amazing story at a graveside service a few years ago at Bayside. I arrived a half hour early. What was unusual is that perhaps 75 people were already there. I noticed as I walked towards the grave one of the grown daughters was energetically going from small group to small group telling them her bad news. I soon found out, she was making sure everyone knew the story: the staff forgot to set up for the service. A mistake had been made, the grave was not dug, the canopy was not in place, and nothing was ready. Then I saw the staff frantically getting everything together, the gravedigger arrived with a wheelbarrow and shovel to dig the grave for the urn, another staff had hitched onto the canopy and was pulling it over, even though it had a flat tire. With two minutes to spare, everything was ready. Even the head of Bayview came and paid her respects at the service. I found out later that the gravedigger, during the service, walked over the hill, out of sight from the grave, got in the truck, /// and cried like a baby. |
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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