December 2024 – Elders Message

Gifts

Did you find any good deals on Black Friday? You may have heard that question a few times by now.

There is nothing wrong with shopping wisely and getting the best deal on a gift for a loved one. We can be frugal and generous at the same time, and it feels kind of good. Commercial enterprises count on this, of course, so shop wisely!

Can we be frugal and generous at the same time with regards to church? Of course!

We can structure our days so that we don’t waste time that could be spent in The Word. We can be careful with our family time, remembering God’s gifts like we do when we give thanks for our meals in prayer.

We can also get rid of wasteful things that shift our attention away from God and, instead, become eager to learn more about God’s Word in our church services and in Bible study.

We can even be frugal and generous at the same time when it comes to giving our offerings to the Lord. If we resist the temptation to fill our lives with objects that take our attention away from The Word, in time, we may find ourselves with an abundance.

This abundance will allow us to cheerfully share our wealth. May we use the tool of money carefully in our lives so that we can provide gifts cheerfully and deliberately—to those we love and to God, who loved us first.

–MPS