From Nothing to Something – Part 6

Taking Sherm Williams on staff at Circle Church by no means indicated that our finances were now stable. The church had never had an excess. In reviewing some of the carbons of my early correspondence, I discovered these lines:

“Regarding finances, with Sunday’s offering we cleared the salaries due at the end of last week with a balance of about a dollar and a half. This meant we had to pay taxes to the government today (Tuesday) of $654.00 with no money to do it. As of this morning, however, $656.00 has come in the mail. We have made it with pennies to spare, once again.”

That paragraph is typical of what seemed to be the Circle pattern. Our financial obscurity used to drain me until I discovered meaning in Christ’s words in Matthew:

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”(Matthew 6:33, KJV)

I determined that if there was worrying to be done, God would have to do it. My responsibility would be to seek first His kingdom and then expect Him to supply our needs.

Please join me, as I continue this narrative about the many provisions God made for us as He used us to give birth to a new work of His grace in downtown Chicago in the turbulent 1960’s. Learning many key lessons certainly punctuated this adventure. Please return to this blog, so that I may have the opportunity to share with you what we learned.

———————————————

Whether you need to create a Topical Sermon, an Advent Sermon, a Christmas Sermon, an Easter Sermon, a Sermon Series, or any other Sunday Sermon, David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.

For so many of us, the Christmas celebration can be a mile wide and an inch deep. We tire ourselves with an ever-growing list of gifts to buy, activities to complete, and traditions to uphold. And through a maze of cards and calls, outreach and entertainment, we struggle to connect with others in meaningful ways. Our intentions are sincere, but often trivial. When we look back on the season, we’re often left feeling like our holidays somehow lost the Christ in Christmas, and only touched the surface.

Every pastor needs resources to help him or her find appropriate Sermons for Advent and Sermons for Christmas. With Christmas Sermon resources from Mainstay Ministries, you can help your congregation season their Christmas traditions with the flavor of Christ. More than simply helping them to remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” you can encourage people to focus on Christ in the very traditions that have become part of our celebration of Christmas: decorating our homes, conveying Christmas greetings, giving and receiving gifts, gathering with family and friends, entering the new year with goals. Click here to see a list of special Christmas Sermon Packages available.

Looking forward to Christmas? Looking for key Sermon Ideas? Wondering what to preach throughout the Christmas Season? Searching for help in preparing for your Sermons on Christmas Day? In addition to the above special offer, Mainstay Ministries has many valuable resources filled with Christmas Sermon Ideas to help you plan for your Christmas preaching and for such Sunday Sermons, including resources for the following: Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermon, Advent Sermon Series, Advent Sunday Sermons, Christmas Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermon, and Christmas Sermon Series. Connect with us on-line by clicking here.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS