Tag: 1 Corinthians 15:58

It’s 5:15 am on New Year’s Eve. I have been up and down most of the night.  When I have nights like this my thoughts get wondering. And tonight was no different. In between my dreams I think about or analyze them. Tonight it was about tithing and what we as church members should be doing for our church and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I don’t remember much of the dream that brought on this thought. But I do remember that as Christians we should be willing to serve in whatever way God wants us to. There is no position in the church that is greater than another. Even though I don’t see myself climbing ladders and things like that.

There is always something that someone can do as long as they are alive and breathing. I did find it interesting that my cell phone notification sound is what woke me up from this dream. I have a kinda eerie sound on my phone when I get emails or messages. It says “I See You”. If you remember the show Sixth Sense and where the boy says that he sees dead people. This is kinda on the same line. Since it woke me up I decided to see what my notification was. It was my verse for the day from KLOVE Christian radio station.

TODAY’S ENCOURAGING WORD – 12/31/2013- So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
–1 Corinthians 15:58, NLT

My thoughts on this are that we need to keep on working for the Lord. Nothing we do for the Lord is in vain.  I looked up this verse and commentaries on it and there is a slew of them. Here is a link to a list of sermons that cover this verse… http://biblehub.com/sermons/1_corinthians/15-58.htm

I think I need to spend some time in researching this verse since I had a dream on this and then it comes into my inbox on my email. I think I will have to ask my pastor for a deeper and easier overview of this. But for now, I get the idea that we should be steadfast in our work when it comes to doing things for the Lord. I enjoy the things I do for the Lord and my church. I don’t like to go into the things I do for my church because I don’t think that we as believers should draw attention to ourselves. My way of thinking is that all the things I do are for the Lord.I may have to ask Pastor Ray if I am understanding this verse as I am taking it.

I will go into just one thing I do for the church because it’s also a healing thing for me. I enjoy building websites and creating things. I like to start from nothing and see something come alive. With my churches website if they had to pay an outside service it would be extremely costly and most places charge right around $40.00 to $75.00 an hour to create a website. Then you have the updates and such. Now my feelings are that if God gives us a talent and a way to serve our church and share the gospel, you don’t charge the Lord. Click here to see our churches site. You can post prayer requests and praise reports too…

Those outside of my church or those who build websites can’t fathom why I would donate my time and the cost of the website when I could be making thousands for the kind of site we have. And I find it very simple. I do it because I love the Lord. I don’t do it to draw attention to myself. I have many medical problems that make it impossible for me to work. And doing the website for my church is just as much of a blessing to me. It gives me a way of feeling like I’m doing something. I may not have a lot of money for tithing and donating. But I do have the gift that God has given me. And I know that there is no way our church would be able to afford the type of site we have. Well, they may be able to afford it, but why do that if God gave someone the gift to be able to do it. That money is better spent on missions and outreach.

Those that don’t understand giving to the Lord and not charging for this kind of work don’t understand the blessings I receive. When I see new people coming to our church because they found us on the internet, it makes me happy. And I know it makes the Lord happy too. How can you put a dollar amount on reaching others for the Lord? I never went to school for building websites and doing things on the internet. I never had the desire and for the most part I fought getting a computer for many years.

Due to illness, there are times it takes me longer to do certain things. And if I get over tired I may miss something here and there when I do the power points for my churches Sunday Service. Thankfully, I have the pastor and a few others to help correct things. But all these things I do computer wise and website wise helps me keep my mind off the things going wrong in my life and health and allows me to focus on Christ alone.

I have had people come to me to ask me to do websites for their companies and they would pay me a pretty penny for it. If we paid an outside company to do our churches site, it would cost anywhere from $7000.00 on up and that doesn’t include the monthly updates and such. But for me it is priceless to reach those who may never have a chance to hear the Word. Even if only one person walks through the doors of our church that needs to hear how much God loves them just as they are, it’s worth it.

God has given me this gift I think just as much for me as for the church and other places I do sites for. I don’t do websites as a business though because I can’t do things that need time schedules and due by dates. I don’t know how things will be from one minute to another. But God does give me the strength to do what I need to do for Him and our church.

I would like to add though that our church is a very blessed church. We have many people who donate their time, money and heart when it comes to members of our church. Some churches have just a few here and there and that is far from our church. God is alive and working at St. George Community Church. I feel blessed and honored that I can do what I can do for our church and congregation. For the most part our church that is mostly seniors has no idea what it takes to do a website or to get the program to work on Sundays. But that’s OK. Because when they see the site and the power point and they share it with friends and have a smile on their faces it makes me happy. I love to make people happy. I love to do for the Lord in whatever capacity that may be.

One last thing and this is about our new pastor and his wife. I feel really blessed by them because they allow me to be creative and use my gifts. When they need something for the site or want something for our Sunday Service, they are very kind when I make a blunder, lol. Which is nice, because I do have many of those moments where I forget what I’m doing or it takes me a bit longer?  I think when a pastor and the leadership board allows those who go to church and want to do service for the church and more importantly for the Lord the tools and encouragement to do those things, it is a blessing.

My daughter Jessica has a heart for service too. She loves children and is going into teaching. She wants to start a couple programs at church for children. I think she is in the right place to do that. You can’t find a more encouraging and loving group of people. They have to be the most supportive Christians and church I have ever gone to.

I need to close this because it is becoming a book. But these are my rambling thoughts about the email I got from KLOVE radio stations. So I will end you with Today’s ENCOURAGING WORD -So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
–1 Corinthians 15:58, NLT