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Spiritual disciplines are practices that we
willingly pursue in response to a God who
created us, saved us, and guides us. Spiritual
disciplines draw us closer to God, deepen our
understanding of who God is, and help make
us into people God desires us to become.
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Stewardship can be a spiritual journey we
take individually and in community in which
we seek to move from a perspective of
scarcity to one of abundance with ever
increasing generosity and gratitude.
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As a response to God’s grace
As a response to Christ’s example
As a response to human need
As an expression of thanksgiving to God
A form of sacrifice to God
Concrete proof of our love to God and
neighbor
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As an act of worship
As a way of participating in God’s reign
As an act of resistance
As a way of bearing witness
To grow in grace
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Satterlee – Preaching and Stewardship
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When we give to God in worship, it is an
expression of love and devotion to the God
who is so good to us.
We make God, not ourselves the center of our
devotion
Thanks and praise replace self-interest and
guilt
Diminishment of the offering?
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Making disciples
Taking up our cross and following
Forgiving and reconciling
Worshipping God
Loving God
Proclaiming the nearness of God’s reign
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Resist powers at work in world opposed to
God – cultures of affluence and the power of
money
Resist money’s claim to offer us security
Publicly renounce idolatry of wealth
Giving is a concrete way of living out the new
life given to us in Christ
Bear witness to God as giver and provider and
ourselves as stewards
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Giving as a way by which God enters our lives
and shapes us in a way that our imaginations,
our thoughts and our words cannot.
Respond in gratitude and follow a path to
freedom from economic powers that may
bind us
Imitation of God
Express Love
Spiritual
disciplines
Trust
Joy and Gratitude
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Key identity – God as triune giver
God as servant
God as gracious
Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ
and stewards of God’s mysteries 1 Cor 4:1
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of
God serve one another with whatever gift you
have received” I Peter 4:10
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Love of God and neighbor
Show the justice, mercy and loving kindness
God requires of us, embody Gospel values
In more than words
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Converted not only to God, but a new vision
of the world of peace of wholeness
I am called to bear witness to what God is
doing
When I embody god’s love I experience
(receive) love and there is less room for fear
Be led by God’s purpose
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time I take a step in
the direction of generosity,
I know I am moving from
fear to love.
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[generous giving helps me deepen my trust in
God]
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Abundance of God’s grace
That God will provide daily bread
Live with the assumption that God has
abundant resources and cares for us – I shall
not want
Bring into a closer relationship with God
Fear drives out faith – Peter walking on water
Who do we trust?
Like Nouwen choose not to live in fear but
experience love a joy – minutes at a time
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Joy in giving – created to give generously –
mission trips
Joy of sufficiency , not demands of luxury
Experience joy when god reaches out in love
and mercy
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In Islam, sign of atheism almost as bad as
shirk.
God source of all we are, all we have, all we
will be. It is hard to feel fear when grateful,
but love and joy are easy.
Recognize the reality of God’s love