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Here's our text for Sunday, March 2, 2008:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Have you ever spilled a beverage you were pouring out for yourself all over the table? I have. In fact, I can make a mess of something at almost every meal! For years now my wife has called me SCHMUTZ, from the Pennsylvania German word SCHMUTZLIK which means roughly, A MESS, or MESSY.
Yes, I'm Pastor Schmutz to my friends!
In verse 5 above we are told that if we are truly seeking to live out our lives for Christ, we must allow the blessings we receive from God to overflow into the lives of others, especially those less fortunate than we.
Our blessings from God may be monetary, time, or a talent we can share. We are told in Scripture to give of all three all the time. Give what portion of it? Whatever overflows.
When I receive too much food or beverage, some of it invariably ends up on my shirt or the tablecloth. When we receive extra cash or some free time we often use it for ourselves. Instead, imagine giving at least a portion of that "extra" to someone, or some group of persons, in need.
You and I can choose what to do with our overflowing blessings. They can dirty the table, fall to the ground, or be gobbled up into an already overfull belly. Or we can follow the words of Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit...let the comfort of Christ which comforts us overflow from us to others who are also in need.
And brothers and sisters, there is little we can do in life that is more satisfying, and fun, than seeing another person's life enriched through an act of kindness we performed in Jesus' name.
You will be blessed this week! Share your blessing!
Pastor Ken
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, all Bible verses quoted in this website are from the New International Version (NIV). Any words from those verses that are in "red" are words spoken by Jesus.
Pastor Ken sends a Weekly Newsletter that includes his devotional message for the week and an update of the current happenings at Hope Church. If you would like to receive his newsletter, just click below and he'll add your email address to his list of subscribers.