Centinary Methodist
16 Nov 03 Dad: spanked: 10cent vs. 15cent coke. Fire: $500 Wasting is a sin. And failing to give is even worse.
Blessed to be raised by giving parents in a giving community.
Today I’d like to speak on a subject that’s seldom covered in our worship services. Constipation. Spiritual constipation.
John 15 1" 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
We are nothing but a conduit for God.. and if the pipe is blocked, it’ll find another way to go. I believe this. I’ve seen this.
I watched my dad lay down culverts for years. We had lots of farm roads and they nearly all involved traveling over a ditch. So.. you lay down a culvert, cover it with rock and dirt, and build your road over the top. Finally.. Dad let brother Keith and I build our own culvert. It was on a little-traveled field road and if it caved it, it wouldn’t hurt much. Dad called it “Ken’s culvert.” Other people have libraries and mountains and art galleries named after them. I had a culvert.
Went to check on it one year after planting..culvert was there. Trouble was…The road was gone. It had become clogged and the creek did not stop flowing. It just went around it. It’s a simple equation: The river will not stop flowing. It’ll just go around the obstruction. If your blessings have stopped it’s not because God’s grace has run dry. It’s because your culvert has become clogged. It’s because you’ve stopped giving. Your time, your money, your effort, your prayer. God’s work will not stop. The river won’t stop flowing. The only question is whether you choose to be a part of it. Believe me, I’ve tried it both ways. God’s way is best.
γDon Meyer…T-shirt.. “You want to rob me of my blessing?”
Carbondale..Devil’s Tower.. maps: two different routes for the Illinois River.. For some reason the river was blocked but it did not stop flowing. It just went around the big rock in the other direction. Today, the river side of the rock is lush, fertile and teaming with wildlife. The other side is just plain old ground.
The Meredosia could have been St. Louis.. the Mississippi.
α7th grade nursing home project … Got a donation one year, bought our gifts… I’ve never seen a deader bunch of clowns. αI know a church...huge endowment...spirit of church stopped once they stopped struggling and giving αNHS..used to party...now, service αDaniel....Zebco 22 αFidel Cashero
If I had the opportunity to add one course to all schools....Giving... New School Improvement Plan...Milions of dollars, much time, effort... ....all the new things we must do to improve our schools...
Giving is the essence of living a Christ-like life.
Simple as this: the happiest people I know are givers. Not talking about those who give out of guilt or obligation..they’re missing most of the fun.. but those who give because of the joy they receive.
I’m talking about the sort of giving like you saw in your father or your grandmother at Christmas who’d sit there with a pile of packages and completely forget about opening them because they were too busy watching you open yours. That’s the joy of giving to the Lord.
I’m talking about the sort of giving of a loving God who is so anxious for you to submit to His will so that he can open the floodgates of Heaven for you so you can see His work done.
And...don’t worry if you don’t receive much reward... Conway Twitty
6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
God’s work will go on. You can be a part of it by being a cheerful giver or you can sit there with a clogged pipe. It’s your choice. Let ‘er flow! Amen.
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