Today is Black Friday, a day to "get a steal" or a good bargain. But in God's eyes stealing is never a bargain. Few people would admit to violating the 8th Commandment in a significant way. And yet we'll see this Sunday not only what so many of us often steal, but why we do it, and finally who our treasure is for anyway.
We come this week to 1 Timothy's dramatic conclusion. It's as if the Apostle Paul is reaching through the page, grabbing Timothy by the shoulders, staring intensely into his eyes, and earnestly exhorting him: "Fight the good fight of the faith!" We'll explore this Sunday why the Christian life is a battle, and we'll see specifically what we're fighting for and against.
Money is powerful. Our passage this Sunday says love for money can lead to false teaching, strife, and all kinds of evil--even wandering from the faith. How are we to guard ourselves against this? God calls us to embrace a greater gain than any amount of money can offer.
This week is Stewardship Sunday. It's the annual time at Ruggles when we talk about money—its blessings, its dangers, and the importance of generosity. This week, we'll see the power of possessions in light of Christ's surprising, upside-down kingdom—where "many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."
This week is the once-a-year time in our church when we focus on our finances. We call it Stewardship Sunday. No, this isn't about raising money for the church. It's about prioritizing what God's word prioritizes: More than 2000 verses, including nearly a third of Jesus' parables talk about money! So this week we'll see why God cares so much about our finances and how we can respond.
Did you know that Jesus talks more about money in the Gospels than he does about heaven and hell? Our finances are intimately personal and extremely powerful. Money is a crucial sign and source of our spiritual growth! This Sunday is Stewardship Sunday, which is the annual day we intentionally explore the topic of our finances. Our hope is that we all would "excel in this grace of giving" together.
How can we grow as generous people? This Sunday is our annual "Stewardship Sunday," which coincides with the beginning of our new fiscal year. This is the primary time in the year when we hear from God's word about giving. We'll take a break from our prayer series this week and delve into 2 Corinthians 9 with the goal of learning generosity and worshiping the source and pinnacle of all generosity in our Lord Jesus Christ!
We're taking a break from our fall sermon series on the Gospel of John for one week. Pastor Larry preaches a special sermon on what the Bible teaches about our attitudes and habits when it comes to being good stewards of our resources.
