A couple of things that our church is doing is Operation Christmas Child, and then on November 15th we will have a speaker come and tell us how buying coffee can help us provide for the physical and spiritual needs of farmers in Laos.
My sermon ended by asking people to really seek the Holy Spirit and ask where they could cut back and use that money to help those less fortunate. Some of these suggestions included:
1. asking for less gifts for yourself and asking for some things on your list to go to Operation Christmas Child (this was directed towards the children in the service)
2. Eating out less and putting that money in a jar or something and using that money to buy coffee on the 15th or to use that money and as a family go and fill a shoe box for operation Christmas Child.
3. Sell things you don't need and use that money to buy coffee or fill out a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child.
There were more suggestions but you get the point. Anyway, as I reflected on the sermon and my call for people to sacrifice and use money for others this Christmas rather than hoarding everything for themselves and buying presents for themselves that really won't be used 3 months after Christmas.
Then I started asking what my sacrifice would be (which is always harder than telling others to sacrifice!). And so here it is: I will be fasting until Thanksgiving day starting today. I will use this time to pray for a direction the church should go in at the beginning of next year. I will also pray for our congregation to listen to the Holy Spirit on how they spend their money, as well as ask God to direct Meredith and I on how we should spend our money. As I go through this fast I will try to update daily what is going on with me personally and what is going on with Meredith and I as we truly strive to have every aspect of our lives under the rule of Christ.
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