“I received a card last week in honor of Pastor Appreciation Week. It was clearly connected to something I said in my sermon last week. The outside of the card said, "You're the kind of person I'd want with me during a Zombie Apocalypse." On the inside it continued, "One who runs a little slower that I do. Happy Halloween." I won't tell you who sent the card but his initials are D. I. and he helps lead our fabulous usher team. I love the card! Laughter and joy are God given gifts that fill women's retreats, community life groups, Bible classes, and conversations around Grace.

This Sunday, as we continue in our study of Paul's two letters to the first century Christians in Corinth Greece, we turn our attention to "Stewardship." When many of us think about the word "Stewardship" we think it's about money, budgets, balance sheets, and bills. For most that is somber and stale stuff. It's important for churches to be financially responsible but Stewardship is much more than that. It's about joy not duty, opportunity not obligation, cheerfulness not checkbooks. We should not feel pressured to give, instead we should feel excitement and expectation as we consider how we can participate in what God is doing in our church, our neighborhood, our community, our world.

Our giving flows from the Source of everything good. All we have, all we are, all we hope for has been given to us by God. When He calls us to give back a portion of what we have it is not because He needs anything ... He is the One uncreated being who is completely overflowing and self-sufficient. When He tells us to give it must be because it benefits us, grows us, heals us, draws us closer to Him and to others.

This morning we are looking at a single verse in Paul's second letter. This verse corrects misunderstandings about: rich and poor, life priorities, the reason we give a portion of what God has given us.

May our giving, and this season of Stewardship, make us laugh, stir our hearts, and grow our love for God and others. Here at Grace we are on an exciting journey together. I'm pretty slow, but on this Halloween Sunday I'm hoping I'm not the slowest ... I probably am! Easy pickings for the Zombie Apocalypse.”