Date: 1/11/2015
Preacher: Rev. Ryan T Krauss
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Matthew 2:1-11
Description: Stewardship is that one great topic, that one great spiritual discipline that no one in the church enjoys addressing. While Jesus arguably talk more about finances in the Gospels than any other topic, his followers have had a poor track record on the subject. Many of us are familiar with either churches, institutions, or sermons that beg a little too much, pile the guilt a little too thickly, or simply come off as way too greedy that whenever the pulpit mentions the dollar sign, we close our ears. It’s Epiphany, and stewardship has been one of my own wake-up calls and ‘ah-hah’ moments recently.
The essence of stewardship is cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9).
Paul writes that giving should be a cheerful affair! Giving should come from an overflowing heart. Yet, if this is true, I also believe that receiving the prayers, gifts, talents, and tithes of a congregation should also be done with joy! Here is where the institutional church does a poor job: we do not say “Thank You” well or often enough. I encourage you to listen to this message and hear a very heart-felt “Thank You.”
-Pastor Ryan
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As we begin to celebrate Advent in 2014, we remember that a central piece of the Christian story is that Jesus, who once made his home with us (John 1:14), will also one day return ‘home’ to us again. This is commonly called the Second Coming. Jesus asks us to ‘be alert’ and ‘be awake’ not out of fear but out of hope. A child waits at the window sill for mom or dad to come home from swing-shift out of the simple joy of being brought back together again.
In religious vocabulary, self-control seems confining. If our hearts are liable to all of the things Jesus warns about in Mark 7:21-22–sexual immorality, theft, murder, 
