Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

I John 4:18-19 – There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.  We love because God first loved us. Those who say “I love God,” and hate their brothers and sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.  The commandment we have from his is this:  those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.  (NRSV)

This Sunday is a moment of decision for all of us who are part of Vista La Mesa Christian Church.  It is our annual Consecration Sunday, when we are given the opportunity to share (confidentially) our intentions for financially supporting the congregation in the coming ministry year.  We fill out our Intentions Offerings and drop them in a box, and then we pray hard!

The Intentions Offerings are used, with discretion, by the team that puts together our projected budget for the coming year.  But more importantly than where they go is where they came from – out of the prayerful, loving hearts of people who want to grow in their faith.  Money is often a stressful, intimidating presence in our lives.  Our stewardship campaign this year has been encouraging us to focus on how God is planting the future through our actions and commitments.

When we focus on God’s creative love and turn to scripture, we are reminded that we have no need to fear, not even when it comes to money.  The careful consideration that it takes to determine what we could give is often a process that has fringe benefits, because it encourages us to take charge over our finances with intentional planning, rather than letting it take charge of us.

Our “How Does God’s Garden Grow” campaign has been part of the celebration of our new pollinator garden.  We have been shown how God can shape and provide for the future of our congregation in ways we might never have expected, bringing beauty and new life where we never thought we’d see it.  This campaign invites us to get involved with that work of cultivating the future that God has already begun.

If turning in an Intentions Offering has always seemed too intimidating to you, maybe this is the year you let love make you bold and allow you to prayerfully choose to commit your heart to the garden God is tending here at Vista La Mesa.