THAN THIS
OfferingTALK...and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. In just a few minutes, we will be continuing in a time of worship by giving of our tithes and offerings. If you haven t had a chance to prepare your offering for this Special Sunday, you can go ahead and do that now. I want to remind you that our church is joining thousands of other United Methodist churches for Human Relations Day. Your offering toward this cause is important and needed. I want to thank you for your generosity. It is because of people like yourself that our church is able to continue making a difference right here in our community as well as globally. But if you are anything like me, there have been times you ve wondered if what you are doing matters. Maybe it s a task at work, a task at home, or even something as simple as working on your golf swing! This goes through my head every time I weed the flower garden. Does this even matter? Am I making a difference? But think with me, what if every time I walked by, I just pulled one or two weeds? Think about the difference that would make. There are times when we do something that seems small, yet it has ripple effects that reach far and wide. Far greater than weeding, greater than flower gardens. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 10:42, that whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. Even a cup of cold water makes a difference. Not many of you even think about water, and the significance a clean glass of cold water makes. It s a part of your reality. But today we are going to give even more than that. Our giving is going to make a difference in our town, our city, and will have ripple effects all the way around the world. As the ushers come forward to receive our offering, I want to thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your faithfulness in giving. I want to remind you that your giving is making a huge difference in the lives of so many around us.
Abbreviated VERSION We are going to continue worshipping God by giving of our tithes and offerings in just a few moments. Today s offering is dedicated to Human Relations Day as we join together with thousands of other churches across The United Methodist Church. Have you ever felt like what you are doing isn t going to make a difference? Maybe it feels too small, or like it is not enough. Sometimes weeding a flower bed can feel like this. Will I ever make a difference against all of the weeds that are growing? And yet you keep pulling weeds. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus addresses the idea of something small making a big difference. He says, that whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. Even a cup of cold water makes a difference. You and I have a chance to give even more than a cup of cold water today. Today, we are going to give our tithes and offerings that will have ripple effects in our community for the kingdom of God. As the ushers come forward this morning, I want you to think about how God uses even the smallest of things to make a large difference.
Bullet Points VERSION Prepare to receive this morning s tithes and offerings. Today, we support Human Relations Day along with thousands of other United Methodist congregations. Have you ever felt like you weren t making a difference? Weeding can feel endless and inconsequential. Jesus talks about how small acts make big differences. In Matthew 10:42, that whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. Even a cup of cold water makes a difference. God will do amazing things with more than a cup of cold water. We have a chance to give even more than water today. Our generous giving to God has ripple effects in our community.