06/02/2025
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and a lot of praying, about generosity and the role sacrifice plays in it. I was struck deeply by King David’s statement:
I will not make an offering to God that has not cost me something.
The giving of ourselves is what makes a gift something powerful and life-changing. The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift.
You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” — Jim Elliot, missionary martyr
“When you let go of what you are, you become what you might be.”
— Lao Tzu, ancient poet and philosopher
“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” —Jesus of Nazareth
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
—Anne Frank
“To sacrifice something is to make it holy by giving it away for love.”
—Frederick Buechner
“There is no love without sacrifice, and no sacrifice without love.”
—Pope John Paul II
“Give, but give until it hurts.” —Mother Teresa
(She often said that real love begins where sacrifice begins.)
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” —Kahlil Gibran
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” —Maya Angelou
Archived Posts
Prayer Changes Things
Here is a transcript of the prayer I prayed at the end of yesterday’s sermon.
Optimism, Faith, and Hope:
Practical Steps For Increasing All Three
Here are some practical, spiritual, and relational ways to grow faith, hope and optimism:
Listening Heart
It’s kind of crazy when you think about it. Wisdom in the Bible is all about listening. Of course it makes sense that wisdom would start with listening to God, to God’s law and commandments, as well as the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.
Here are some quotes that
didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon.
(But it doesn’t mean that they don’t offer real insight into the power of risk over the fear of failure...)
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
The Power of Presence
This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...
What’s In A Benediction?
Last Sunday I used one of my favorite benedictions.
It was inspired by a saying from about ten years ago: