Normally our blogs this year have been about The Story. This week I want to break with that practice and share in print, my “Midyear State of the Union” message from the service a couple of weeks ago.
The last several years at Singing Oaks have been a time of expansion. Among other things, we have opened up additional mission points. We have bought 66 acres of land. And we have added a local minister for Hispanic outreach. The leadership has been emboldened to do these things, knowing that we can depend on the generosity and devotion of our people. Thus, every year, even through recession, our giving has increased to meet the need and the opportunity.
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If the Lord appeared to you one night and said, ”I’ll give you anything you want,” what would you ask for? Health? Wealth? Happiness? What?
That’s the choice Solomon had to make early in his life. What if you could have anything? Anything your heart desires. So, what is your heart’s greatest desire? For Solomon it was wisdom…above all else wisdom. Is that what you would have asked for? I don’t know how many people would make that choice. I do know that God wants us to ask for it, and He will give it. James tells us this:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. — James 1:1-5.
May we all pray for wisdom.
“Deliverance” … What a joyful word! The heart leaps at the thought of what it means to us: “rescued,” “sprung from the trap,” “no longer under bondage.” Such is the story of the book of Exodus, as God brings his people out of slavery in Egypt. It’s an old story, but it’s our story too. We too are an exodus people, freed from slavery. We too have left behind the world and its values. We must think of ourselves in this way.
Jews celebrate Passover as the biggest event of the year. It’s the day that they became a free people. We too celebrate, because Christ is our Passover. His blood is the blood of the lamb on our doorposts, and our baptism is our journey through the Red Sea.
Hallelujah!
Our theme at Singing Oaks for 2013 has been, “Go!” In all of our sermon series and in our ministries we have tried to focus on that theme. We have been asking the question,” Where is God taking us? How can we walk in step with God’s Spirit?” And God has done marvelous things with this church. We have 66 acres of land available for Kingdom purposes, at God’s disposal. New ministries are opening up. FriendSpeak opens up whole new vistas of outreach to Hispanic people, and even beyond. We are ending the year with the Christmas story: “Go to the manger.” And there we are reminded that our story is the story of a God brave enough to go and become one of us and to save us.
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Summer, for all of us, is a time when expenses seem to rise dramatically. I know that’s true in my household. You look at your Texas summer air conditioning bill and wonder if you need to take out a second mortgage on the house. It’s prime vacation time, and that’s expensive. The kids have church camp and other activities. It’s also a time of big spending at church…and for some of the same reasons: utility bills, church camps, trips and activities.
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