"More Than Enough"

Sermon outline from 7/10. As always questions, comments and thoughts are welcome. Be on the lookout for the audio here.

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"More Than Enough"

Exodus 35:4-5, 20-21, 29; 36:3-7

*Understood the Purpose
-Exodus 35:20-21, 29
-The purpose of the Church & all Christians is to make disciples who love God, love one another and serve the world

*Shared the Passion
-Exodus 35:21
-Everyone who was “willing”
-God desires willingness not obligation…2 Cor 9:6-8

*More than Enough
-Exodus 36:3-7
-This came from what they already had, there was no need to go get more
-Where do you and I find ‘enough’?
-Lyrics from “Ill With Want” by The Avett Brothers

“The more I have, the more I think
I’m almost where I need to be
if only I could get a little more”

-1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-18
-“love of money” = excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain
-Money as security is always a moving target because we never have enough
-Ecclesiastes 5:10: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.”
-Paul talks about God’s grace as being sufficient, or enough (2 Cor 12:9)
-Where are you searching for 'enough'? My guess is if it’s anywhere other than God, you haven’t found it yet.

Giving Thankfully

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a chance to spend it with family and friends. If you're Thanksgiving festivities have been anything like mine they involved a generous amount of turkey, starches in various forms (mashed or perhaps candied with marshmallows), some things we call "salads" that few people would find in or put on an actual salad, hanging out with family that you don't get to see often enough and watching awful Detroit Lions football. Oh yeah, while being reminded to be thankful.

What if we were thankful for more than just today and instead it became an attitude we carried with us through the entire holiday season? Just taking a look at the word itself we see that it is about giving thanks, which of course makes sense because we have a ridiculous amount to be thankful for. The more I thought about this today the more I started to wonder if Thanksgiving might be a way to challenge us to give thankfully? Think about what a huge difference this could make on your perspective and mine during this time of year.

There are countless reasons why you and I can be thankful; the biggest reason is God's willingness, in his grace, to send Jesus on our behalf. Out of this deep sense of gratitude we become willing to "cheerfully" (2 Corinthians 9:7) give of ourselves because God has given so graciously to us. This is not simply about money but time, talents, service, prayer, relationships...our very selves...things that you and I can thankfully give as acts of giving thanks. Might be something to try this season and see what happens.