What's Your Message?

We’ve all heard them. Good Sunday sermons that tell us what we need to do. Be more patient. Give more money. Be more considerate of other’s needs. Be more courageous like David. Be more bold like Paul… Positive messages of moral encouragement.

Here’s a sample: On Generosity

-Moving story about very generous person. (Good speaker; good hook!)

-Passage about generosity.

-We should be like that, shouldn’t we? Yes, we all should be. (Audience feeling guilty)

-More stories (Audience entertained, feeling slightly less guilty.)

-We walk away—Yes, I should be more generous. I will be more generous.

The stories certainly aren't the problem. It’s not that I shouldn’t be more generous. And it's not that I don’t need to be brought face-to-face with my selfishness. It’s just that when it ends there, it doesn’t bring me to Jesus. It might make me feel guilty, or maybe prideful if I happened to demonstrate exceptional generosity today. It might make me strive harder to be a better person, but it doesn’t send me running to the gospel. I walk away thinking about me-me-me.

The truth is, this kind of message might bare no distinction from a Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or Universalist one. What sets our Christian message apart from ‘good moral encouragement?’

Here’s the kind of message my heart hungers for and wants to grow in offering to others:

On Generosity Revised

-Moving story about very generous person.

-Passage about generosity.

-We should be like that, shouldn’t we? Yes, we all should be. (Audience feeling guilty)

-Speaker identifies with struggle, confessing own failure to give as should.

-Speaker brings us to Jesus! “Though he was rich, for our sakes, He became poor, that through His poverty, we might become rich!”

The eyes of the heart are lifted up—"Jesus, there is no giver like you. I want a generous heart like yours! You not only give us an example, you empower us unto overflowing generosity and guarantee that one day we will have that kind of heart! We worship you—make us like you!"

Doesn’t that make your heart sing Him-Him-Him?

And here’s the thing. These messages are not just for Sunday morning. Some kind of message is pouring out of my mouth and life everyday—words and actions toward my children, husband, friends, and the watching world. Does my message speak grace-gospel-Jesus?

Let your message be Him-Him-Him—the same one your heart wants to hear!