The problem

Thank you for your grace in last week’s sermon on stewardship.  I know the area of money is not an easy one to look at on Sunday morning, but I think it honors God to take an honest look at our stewardship.  Takeaways for me include:

• When we have open hands and an open heart concerning what God has given us, we are also open to His blessing.
• When we are generous, we are more like the image we were created in…God's.
•  The word tithe means tenth
• Tithe is a reminder of who the owner is. We are stewards or managers of everything God has entrusted us with.

This next week we will start the “Discovering Character“ series.   Week one we will look at the problem.  Saul’s life gives us a good look at the problem.  Read 1 Samuel 15:20-24 in preparation. 

Here is a top ten symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality or unhealthy character outlined in the book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality:

1.   Using God to run from God
2.  Ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness and fear
3. Dying to the wrong things
4. Denying the past’s impact on the present – family of origin issues
5. Dividing life into “secular” and “sacred” compartments
6. Doing for God instead of being with God
7. Spiritualizing away conflict
8. Covering over brokenness, weakness, and failure
9. Living without limits or boundaries
10. Judging the spiritual journey of other people

See you Sunday,

Alex