YOUR FAITHFULNESS IN GIVING MATTERS
As we step into this new season together, we’re reminded that every act of faith begins with trust. One way we express our trust in God is through giving our tithes and offerings. When we give, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from Him, and we partner with His work in and through our church. Your faithfulness in giving helps us continue sharing God’s love, serving our community, and stepping boldly into the plans He has for us. Let’s give with hearts full of gratitude and courage, trusting that God will provide for every need.
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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | MATTHEW 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS DETERMINS WHO YOU ARE, HOW YOU LIVE, AND WHERE YOUR LIFE IS GOING.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. —C.S. Lewis, in “Mere Christianity”
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” —John 16:13-14
If Jesus is the Messiah—the Son of the living God—then Caesar isn’t king, money isn’t ultimate, success isn’t the goal, and power isn’t measured in influence or force; but in humility, love, and sacrifice.
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE JESUS IS? Because what you believe about Jesus determines who you are, how you live, and where your life is going.
LET TODAY BE THE DAY THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
DECIDE WHO JESUS IS TO YOU, AND OWN IT.
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR BELIEF.
DON’T BE ASHAMED. DECLARE IT BOLDLY.
For I am not the least bit embarrassed about the gospel. I won’t shy away from it, because it is God’s power to save every person who believes. —Romans 1:16 (The Voice)
WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS DETERMINS WHO YOU ARE, HOW YOU LIVE, AND WHERE YOUR LIFE IS GOING.
WILL YOU OPEN YOUR HEART TO JESUS?
Maybe today, you realize that this question—“Who do you say Jesus is?”—isn’t just a question from history. It’s a question for you, right here, right now. And maybe, for the first time, you feel something stirring in your heart. Or maybe you’ve believed in Jesus for years, but today, you sense that it’s time to realign your life with that belief.
Wherever you are in your journey—whether you’re making this confession for the first time, returning to it after wandering, or simply deepening your commitment—this is your moment to respond.
We invite you to pray with us:
Jesus, today I choose to trust You. I don’t have all the answers, but I believe You are the One who has the words of eternal life. I give You my life. Forgive me for my sins, make me new, and help me to follow You. I put my trust in You today. In Your name, Amen.
OUR BENEDICTION (for personal prayer and reflection)
May the beauty of God be reflected in our eyes,
the love of God be reflected in our hands,
the wisdom of God be reflected in our words,
and the knowledge of God flow from our hearts,
that everyone around us might see and believe.