Expanding the Blessing

In my congregational email last week, I mentioned that we have been blessed by a generous donation of school supplies from TCC/Verizon to bless some of the families in the apartment complexes we serve. We thank Andrew Smith, Darty’s son, for helping us make this connection. I also mentioned that we would soon be seeking to add to this blessing with specific items or cash donations. Soon is now .

We plan to bless 120 children this year, and to do so, we need donations! You can donate the cost of a school supplies pack, which is $15, or you can purchase items from this list:

Items Number Still Needed:
Composition book 120
Filler Paper Wide-ruled 57
Colored Pencils, 12 pack 120
Plastic Folder, Pockets & Clips 120
#2 pencils, sharpened Box of 8 64
Large Glue Sticks, pack of 3 120
Crayons, 24 pack 92

If you are worshiping with us on campus, just bring your donations with you. If you are worshiping online, you can stop by any time and place your items in the orange box on the front porch at the auditorium entrance. This box is monitored and emptied daily.

For cash donations, here are your options: a. Online Giving (Website - mandarincc.com) - From the Choose a Fund option on the Give form, access the dropdown menu and select Special Funding. Tab over to Sub Fund and select School Supplies from the dropdown menu.

b. Mail your check (USPS). Please be sure to write School Supplies in the memo section of your check

c. Give cash or checks to Rita Thompson at Sunday morning Worship.

We are asking to receive all donations by next Sunday, August 16. Blessing these children with school supplies is but one of the many ways we live out our core practice of caring for our world.

-Mike Johnson

Elders' Corner - Seven Churches

In the second and third chapters of Revelation, the Spirit shows John the Lord’s insight and judgment on the Seven Churches of Asia. It is both discouraging and frightening that the Lord “holds something against” five of the seven churches.

The Church in Ephesus has forsaken their first love. The Church in Pergamum was riddled with false teachers. The Church in Thyatira tolerated the teaching of Jezebel. The Church at Sardis was described as being dead. Perhaps even worse, the Church at Laodicea was described as lukewarm. The only encouraging thing in the letters to these five churches was there were still a few believers who were faithful, and the Lord still pursued these churches and called them to repentance.

The churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia received no condemnation from the Lord. Rather, they were praised for their faithfulness and their steadfastness in the face of intense suffering and persecution. They were not the most powerful nor the most affluent churches of Asia, but they did the most important thing a church can do; they kept the Lord’s commandments.

It is the prayer of the Shepherds and Ministers and Mandarin that the angel of the Mandarin Church of Christ would send us the same letter Smyrna and Philadelphia received.

-Dan Nix

Holy Spirit, You Are Welcome Here

I am excited to begin a new sermon series called, “The Parting Gift.” Over the next several weeks, we will look closely at John 14-16, as Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. My understanding of the Holy Spirit has significantly evolved over the last quarter century, and I pray that my understanding and love for the Holy Spirit will continue to grow over the next quarter century. I say that to emphasize that I approach teaching on the Holy Spirit with great humility. I still have much growing to do.

If you are a Jesus follower, you come to the topic of the Holy Spirit with predispositions. Some of you were raised in environments the Holy Spirit was ignored. Some of you have been raised in environments where the Spirit was acknowledged and relied upon. Some of you have been taught that the work of the Spirit was completed in the written word, The Bible. Some of you have negative experiences because you were told that if you didn’t possess supernatural gifts, you didn’t have the Holy Spirit.

Whatever your background, I humbly ask that we look carefully at what Jesus says in John 14-16, not just to confirm what we already know, but to seek a growing relationship with the One we desperately need to know. By no means will this series be fully comprehensive, but here are some of the topics we will pull from John 14:16.

1. The Best Gift Ever
2. Opening the Gift
3. The Gift of Presence
4. The Gift of Conviction
5. The Gift of Truth
6. The Gift of Obedience
7. The Gift of Peace

I look forward to taking this journey with you.

-Mike Johnson

Growing Up

We are now a couple of weeks into the second half of 2020. If you’re like me, you’d be delighted either for this year to come to a quick end, or you’d like to start the year over. From fires that devastated a continent, to political wrangling over an impeachment trial, to a horrific global pandemic that has transformed the way we live, to an inexcusable murder of George Floyd that forced all of us to look deep inside and examine our hearts for own prejudices, 2020 has been a year like no other, and we’ve got half the year left!

I would never suggest that God caused a fire in Australia or planted a virus. I know God played no role in the political wrestling, and I know God grieved over the killing of George Floyd. But I would suggest that God grows us in hundreds of different ways, and one of His most effective methods is using hardship and challenges to cultivate our character.

The best way to cultivate patience is to be put in a situation that demands it. There is no greater opportunity to exercise the love of God than to be surrounded by enemies. You cannot exercise forgiveness if you’ve never been wronged. And if you need more patience, courage, love or forgiveness, don’t be surprised if you find yourself in a situation that demands more.

So, rather than asking God to make 2020 just go away, could we ask God to teach us what we need to learn so that we can be less like ourselves and more like Him? Rather than longing for what used to be, could we ask God to grow us to be better than we ever thought we could be? There’s never been a more important moment than now to work together to guide people into a growing relationship with Jesus.

-Mike Johnson

Elders' Corner

This past week I have been reading in the book of 1 Samuel. I have always admired Samuel’s spirit and devotion to God.

In chapter 15, God sent Saul to destroy the Amalekites. In verse 3, God says “3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” Saul did go and defeat the Amalekites, but he spared the King and the best of all the animals. Samuel confronted Saul, but Saul said he had done “all that God had commanded.” Saul could not see how his pride and greed had blinded him to what God told him to do. God then tells Samuel that He has rejected Saul as King over Israel. 10 Then the LORD said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night.

Notice Samuel’s response to God’s denouncement of Saul; “Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night.” That is an incredible reaction. Samuel cared so much for Saul and the people of Israel that he suffered for them as God rejected Saul and set about establishing David. His ability to empathize is something I have not yet reached to that level, but the men I serve with as your elders are men that truly DO suffer for you in prayer and in spirit.

We meet, virtually, every Tuesday night and spend much time in prayer over this body at Mandarin. These men are teaching me how to develop this kind of spirit, to become more like Jesus. I look forward to growing with these men, and both you and I are privileged to have them as elders here at Mandarin. Please keep all of us in your prayers. It is our desire to serve you beyond our ability, and we thank you for your love of Jesus and your hearts to help others.

-Chip Meghee

Remember to be Forgetful

The servant lifestyle requires a certain kind of forgetfulness, the ability to forget about ourselves long enough to prioritize someone else. In I Peter 5:5 (NLT), the apostle writes, “All of you, serve each other with humility, for God sets himself against the proud, but He shows favor to the humble.”

Humility means we hold an accurate and unbiased assessment of our strengths and weaknesses. We understand our abilities, and we’re aware of, but we don’t fret over, our limitations. We see everything we have as a gift from God, for we know that without Him, we have nothing. This kind of humility makes it easy to look at the people around us, asking ourselves, “how can I help?”

One night, Jesus answered this question about help when he took a towel, wrapped it around his waist, poured water into a bowl, and began to wash his disciples’ feet. Washing another’s feet was typically a task reserved for the lowliest of servants. But Jesus, speaking without words, shows that no act of service was beneath his heart of love. Even as the shadow of death darkened the upper room, Jesus placed the needs of His disciples above His own.

The key to humility is knowing who you are. Jesus knew that He was the Son of God, the King of Kings, the Savior of the World. We know that we are children of the King. When we understand who we are, we’re comfortable grabbing a towel instead of grabbing the spotlight. Jesus didn’t care if someone mistook him for a lowly servant because He knew serving and giving His life was His mission in life (Mark 10:45).

Now it’s our mission, and it’s easier when we are secure enough to remember to be forgetful.

-Mike Johnson

Build Up!

You have the power to give life!

Many of the messages we hear from the world are the killing kind. We’re told, “you’re not smart enough; you’re not thin enough; you’re not fast enough; you’re not young (or old) enough; you’re not good enough.” Is it any wonder The Message paraphrase of Proverbs 18:21 says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”

In a world where people are beat up and beat down, you and I have the opportunity reset the narrative. We have the power to give life by telling others, “you matter to me; your life counts and has purpose; God loves you, and you are incredibly valuable to Him.” Our words may be the only encouragement other people hear. We have the opportunity to be the voice of God’s grace in their lives.

In the New Testament, the word, ‘encouragement’ literally means to come alongside another, to build up. In I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV), Paul says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” If you break the world ‘encourage’ into parts (en courage), it gives us the idea of pouring courage into another person.

Every person in your life needs encouragement. So, I hope that this week, your conversations will be filled with phrases like, “I believe in you; I am grateful for you; I see Jesus in you; I appreciate you; I am so thankful God has placed you in my life.” When we encourage each other, when we build up each other, we are better together!

-Mike Johnson

Reaching Out Intentionally

Love cares about the destiny of others.

If you had the cure to Covid-19, would you want to keep that to yourself while millions suffered? Yet as followers of Jesus, we have a more important, urgent message to share with the world, and the eternity of people all around us is at stake. So how do we reach out to share Jesus with our friends, neighbors, co-workers and classmates? The starting point is to be intentional.

In Colossians 4:5-6, Paul says, “5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” In this passage, Paul shares four ways we can be intentional in introducing others to Jesus.

First, be wise in the way we act with people who are not yet believers. That means being aware that everything we say and do is a witness for or against Jesus. The way you handle disappointment, problems, irritations, and delays can attract or repel potential Jesus followers.

Second, make the most of every opportunity. To make the most of opportunity, we must be aware of them. We must ask God to open our eyes to see the daily opportunities He gives us to share a simple word about the impact Jesus has made in our lives.

Third, our words should always be kind and pleasant. People are never argued into the Kingdom of God. We are never persuasive when we are abrasive.

Fourth, be able to answer everyone. That does not mean we have to know every answer to every spiritual question. But we must always be ready to speak of the reason for our hope.

Be intentional!

-Mike Johnson

A Place to Love and Be Loved

Decades ago, the men and women who planted the Mandarin Church of Christ prayerfully came up with a phrase to designate the personality they determined would be our identifying marker: A Place to Love and Be Loved.

This is a critical designation. In I Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul says,

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

In this sobering passage, Paul makes it clear that without love:
· Nothing I say will matter;
· Nothing I know will matter;
· Nothing I believe will matter;
· Nothing I give will matter;
· Nothing I accomplish will matter.

There has never been a more important time than now to show the world we are followers of Jesus by our love; love for people who don’t look like us, love for people who don’t agree with us, love for people we find the most difficult to love.

Paul continues in chapter 13 by describing this love with words of action. Paul says this love is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered. This love keeps no record of wrongs. This love always protects, always hopes, always trusts, always perseveres. This love never fails.

This week, you and I will experience conflict somewhere along the way. When we do, may God help us to choose love!

-Mike Johnson

Welcome!

For those who are continuing to livestream on our website and/or our YouTube channel, welcome! For those who are meeting in the auditorium for the first time since March 15, welcome! While we celebrate the auditorium being reopened and the joy of some of us seeing each other for the first time since March, we also lament the reality of Covid-19 still being among us to the point that the whole Mandarin Family cannot be at the same place at the same time. We hope that this is a first step toward an eventual time when all of us can be together again.

Ironically or providentially, we take this step on a weekend where there is a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, and there is a storm in our country. As followers of Jesus Christ, we cannot abide the horrors perpetuated on our fellow human beings due to racism. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must push for change, the only kind of change that can bring about lasting change, a change of heart.

Before we ask God to change systems, before we ask God to change others, I ask you to consider asking God to change you first. Would you consider asking God to open your eyes to any heart attitudes that do not honor Him? As God answers that prayer (He will, and it will make you extremely uncomfortable), would you consider repentance and asking God to forgive you? Would you consider asking God to work on you so that He can work through you? Would you consider asking God to help you be the change He wants to see?

Two thousand years ago, Jesus used twelve deeply flawed people with all kinds of heart issues to change the world. I believe that if we’re willing, God can do it again. What do you think?

-Mike Johnson

Worship in the Auditorium Next Week!

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey regarding worship in the auditorium next Sunday, June 7. We are excited that some will be able to gather in person, and we are excited that we have the technological capability for those unable to meet to watch from home. We are one family, wherever we meet!

For those returning next Sunday, be prepared for things to be different. Once you get to the front doors (the only entrance that will be unlocked), both doors will be open. Before you enter the auditorium, you will need to pick up your individual communion containers. If you do not have a mask, and you would like one, we will be happy to provide one for you.

Once you enter the auditorium, you will notice the ‘pod’ seating arrangement so that family units can sit together while physically distanced from others. The worship service will be what you would expect any Sunday, with singing, prayers, communion, scripture reading, message, etc. The exceptions will be offering containers in the rear of the auditorium as opposed to passing a basket, and the individual containers for communion. For the month of June, we will try to keep worship timing in the 50 to 55-minute range.

Once our assembly is finished, you can exit through the front doors or through the auditorium side doors. We hope that you will make time to greet the brothers and sisters you’ve missed so much. The safest way to do that is by exiting the auditorium and enjoying each other’s company in the fresh outdoors, but if you need to stay inside, please keep physical distancing in mind.

We’ll send you more information this week as we prepare for a wonderful day next Sunday! Please continue to keep our shepherds in prayer as they guide us through this season.

-Mike Johnson

Coming Together

As you have heard by now, Sunday, June 7, is our tentative date to resume Sunday morning worship in our auditorium. This decision was made following several weeks of collaborative prayer and planning by your shepherds, deacons, and ministry team. For the time being, our only collective gathering will be Sunday morning worship. Classes and other activities will continue to be offered online. Here are a few protocols that will be in place when we gather:

· When walking to and from your car, please be sensitive to those who are around you by practicing physical distancing when approaching the front doors.
· The auditorium will be arranged for family ‘pod’ seating for physical distancing.
· Disposable masks will be available.
· The only open entrance will be the main front doors. For exiting, the front doors and the double doors inside the auditorium will be open. The doors will be open for you.
· Nursery will be closed. The Cry Room will be available, but users are urged to practice physical distancing.
· Water fountains will be closed.
· Restroom usage will be limited to one person at a time.
· Multiple touch-free hand sanitizing stations will be available.
· Fellowship is encouraged to take place outside the building in the fresh air.

This week, you should have received two items via email of critical importance, a letter from our leadership team and a survey. The letter contains more safety protocol information. We need your help with the brief survey. Worship planning will be done, in large part, based on your responses. If you have not done so already, please complete the survey today!

Remember, it is entirely YOUR decision to return to worship services at the building. Your safety and well-being are what matter most. We will continue to Live Stream worship permanently. Please be in prayer as we plan to safely reopen the building so that the Mandarin Family can gather again.

-Mike Johnson

Right Now

Anytime the apostles asked Jesus to give a prediction, anytime people pressed Him for a sign, Jesus would tell them, “You be obedient in this moment. Pay attention to the opportunities in front of you and let tomorrow take care of itself.” Jesus consistently reminded the apostles that the future is already finished and secure, but what they needed to be aware of is the present moment God had given them.

While we always tend to look ahead, that temptation is magnified in this Covid-19 season. We want to know when the governor will announce we are in stage 2 or stage 3 of opening back up. We want to know when researchers will come up with a vaccine or treatment. We want to know when we will get our sports back. We want to know if our kids will be able to return to school on campus this August. We want to know when we’ll be able to meet together as a church family.

These are important concerns, but they are concerns over which we have precious little control. What we do have control over is what we are doing right now. I don’t remember who said it first, but these words have always stuck with me: “focus on heaven, but don’t be so focused on heaven that you are no earthly good.”

What are you doing right now to bless a neighbor or friend? What are you doing right now about the people around you who might have lost their job? What are you doing right now to make a child smile? What are you doing right now to share Jesus? What are you doing right now to love God and love others? What are you doing with this moment God has given you?

-Mike Johnson

Happy Mother's Day!

The three words above instantly bring on a wide spectrum of perspectives. Many of us have been wrestling with how to have a ‘normal’ Mother’s Day in times that are anything but normal.

Some of us are grateful to be able to wish our moms a Happy Mother’s Day in person, while others of us are grateful to do so over the phone, or perhaps this year, over zoom. Some will be enduring their first Mother’s Day without their mom on this side of eternity. And for those who have seen dozens of Mother’s Days come and go since their mom has passed, the day brings the full emotional range from gratitude to sorrow to joy to regret.

Some would give anything to be able to hear the words, “Happy Mother’s Day,” but for whatever reason, they do not have children to speak those words to them. Mother’s Day is the highlight of the year for many, while for a few, there’s not a whole lot that’s happy about it.

I would imagine that you know someone in nearly ever category above. You know a mom whose children cannot be with her today. How can you bless her? You likely know a mom whose child is living in rebellion. How can you bless her? You know someone who will be missing his/her mom today. How can you bless her? You know someone who wishes she were a mother. How can you bless her? There is someone who needs your attention, your love, your blessing. Make this a Happy Mother’s Day for someone!

- Mike Johnson

Elders' Corner

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Greetings brothers and sisters! We hope and pray that you and your loved ones are healthy.

Your shepherds and ministers have been meeting at least once a week since the start of the pandemic. We have also met several times with the Deacons.

As you probably already know, we quickly started providing our Sunday service via recorded video available on YouTube. We then added the ability to get to the videos directly from our website, mandarincc.com. We’ve been providing interactive online (a.k.a. live-stream) Bible studies on Sunday morning, Tuesday morning, and Wednesday night (adult and youth). The Sunday bible studies are also recorded and available on-line. A few weeks ago, we started providing live-stream Sunday services, which are also recorded and available on-line.

Gary Eaton and Troy Regas went to visit Leroy Swaby in Jamaica, who’s mission work we have supported for many years. Their goal was to get a current assessment of the support we provide. Gary and Troy did an excellent job of reviewing and evaluating Leroy’s mission. Their assessment, which the Elders agreed to, was to expand our support. Brother Leroy is an amazingly dedicated servant of our Lord, and continually spreads the Gospel in various ways in areas of Jamaica that have desperate needs in many ways, including spiritual.

Your shepherds and ministers literally pray continually every day, along with weekly virtual prayer meetings. We pray for individuals, the congregation as a whole, and beyond. We are ready to assist you in any way we can.

We love and pray for you, and eagerly await when we can gather together in person again!

-David Frost

(Re)Introducing Leroy Swaby

For those of you like me who have only been part of the Mandarin Family for a couple of years or less, you might not be aware of Mandarin’s missionary support of Leroy Swaby. Leroy is the preaching minister for the Negril Church of Christ in Negril Jamaica. He is a graduate of the Jamaica School of Preaching and Biblical Studies, located in Kingston, Jamaica. Negril is one of the top tourist areas in Jamaica. The congregation has several members who work in the food service or tourism industry. They have a little less than 50 members, with an average weekly attendance in the mid to upper 20s.

The Negril Church of Christ has maintained a steady, consistent presence on the island for many years. They host a yearly Vacation Bible School, and their ladies and men ministries include fasting and prayer days. In addition to the work in the Negril congregation, brother Leroy trains preaching candidates and sends them to various locales in Jamaica for evangelism and church planting.

In late February, Gary Eaton and Troy Regas spent a weekend with Leroy, his wife, Shelly, and our brothers and sisters in Negril. Gary and Troy both were deeply impressed with the spirit of the congregation and its members. They reported to our shepherds that this work is steady and impactful. Upon their recommendation, our shepherds renewed our commitment to the Swabys for the foreseeable future.

Very soon upon our regathering, Troy and Gary will personally share their findings with the Mandarin Family, and they will share with us some specific ways we can grow our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Negril. In the meantime, please remember brother Leroy, Shelly, and the Negril Church of Christ in your prayers.

-Mike Johnson

God is Near

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

-Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

Today marks a full month that we as the Mandarin Family have been engaging each other remotely rather than in person. If you’re like me, you feel like you’re missing something! As wonderful as technology may be, there is no cyber substitute for a hug, a fist bump, a face-to-face encounter with my brothers and sisters. I miss you terribly, and the moment we reunite will be a sweetness unlike anything I’ve experienced in my lifetime.

Until that day, I find great comfort in the above words spoken by God through his prophet, Isaiah. As I reflect on these words, I am reminded that Paul calls the Church the Israel of God. He has redeemed us. He has called us by name. We belong to Him. And because we belong to Him, His presence goes with us through the waters, through the fire, through this trying moment, through every trying moment.

In this trying moment, God is with us. Talk to Him this week. Listen to Him this week. He is as close as you will allow Him to be.

-Mike

ELDER BLOG: ARE YOU SECURELY ANCHORED?

Troublesome times are here,
Filling men’s hearts with fear,
Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake.

So goes the opening verse of the song that is familiar to most of us. We’ve sung it many times over. What brings this song to heart now is that we are facing some unprecedented, troublesome times; the likes of which we have never seen. These lyrics have come to life in the reality of our world.

What do we do? How do we react? What are we to think? The world will offer many answers, but none will supply true and lasting comfort. In fact, if we spend too much time listening to the world, we will fall into despair, negativity, pessimism, false hope… the list goes on. For Christians, who are anchored in their faith, it should not be difficult to maintain our trust in God and know that He is in control!

Take a moment to consider an anchor. An anchor is very small relative to the vessel that it keeps securely in place. Yet it prevents the vessel from being dislodged, no matter how rough the waters may be. The anchor digs itself deeper into the bottom as the winds and waters rage. A properly anchored vessel will not break from its mooring.

Our faith should be the same way. The more we are tossed about, the more we question, the more we fear, the more our spiritual anchor should dig into our true source of comfort and care……OUR GOD! He has promised to take care of us. Heb. 6:19 states it beautifully: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Jesus is our hope and anchor who will keep us steadfast and unmovable through life’s storms.

Trust Him! Let your anchor dig deep into His Word and Love. He will give you the peace that passes understanding.

-Richard Dostie

Special Message and Update

Your shepherds and ministry staff met last night to review our current status and next steps. In light of the President’s guidelines of at least 30 more days of limiting public gatherings to ten people or less, we will continue to meet remotely for all worship, class and group meetings.

In the meantime, the ministry of the Mandarin Family moves forward. Work continues on our live stream capabilities. Adult Bible classes are now meeting remotely every Tuesday morning and Wednesday night. A Sunday morning Bible class, taught by David Frost, is being prepared, so look for more information later this week. Most of these classes are being recorded and will be available on our YouTube channel, so you can watch at your convenience if you cannot participate, ‘live.’

Our teens have the opportunity to participate in a daily remote Bible study with teens from San Jose and Argyle, and our teens will be having their own Bible study remotely on Wednesday nights. Our Ladies ministry is actively engaged in keeping our family connected via calls and cards. Last Thursday night, Lori Gallaher introduced story time for our children on Facebook. Remember, church is never cancelled, because you are the church!

This Sunday, a recorded service will again be available via YouTube. Thank you to everyone for watching last Sunday. We had more viewers than what we normally have in worship attendance. We look forward to seeing what God does, as more and more people are exposed to the Gospel.

Remember, our shepherds are ready to assist us in any way they can during this and every season. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to them if they can help you. In fact, you can reach out to them even if you don’t need anything other than to say, ‘hello.’

We love you, we pray for your physical, fiscal, emotional, and spiritual health, and we continue to look forward to the day when we can all fist bump, high five, and hug again!

Richard Dostie
David Frost
Chip McGehee
Tom McTighe
Dan Nix
Mike Johnson
Dakota Thornton

Freely Receiving, Freely Giving

A puritan man sat at his supper table. All he had was a couple of pieces of bread and a cup of water. And he prayed, “all this…and Jesus too?”

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about Kingdomnomics. We’ve been learning to see money from God’s point of view. We’ve learned that God owns everything. We’ve learned that we must manage God’s trust fund. We’ve learned that stewardship needs constant intention. But while we’ve talked a lot about money, this conversation has been rooted in the Gospel.

There are many powerful Scriptures about stewardship, perhaps none more powerful that 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. But the climatic thought to this profound teaching on stewardship is this: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV). When God sought to demonstrate His love, He gave. Jesus came to us, and He took our sins for us. He died for us, because God could not imagine heaven without us.

When we’re overwhelmed with Jesus, when we just can’t stop being grateful for Jesus, when Jesus is our treasure, we will manage all our other treasures differently. The grace of giving is rooted in the giving of grace.

In the coming weeks and months, you will be tempted, perhaps like never before, to hoard. And when those moments come, I hope you’ll remember that God created us, not just to be recipients of His grace, but to be participants in His gracious mission to the world. In the limited commission, Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Remember, this is our moment to shine the light of Jesus Christ. I can’t wait to see what God does in you and through you!

-Mike Johnson