This past Sunday we talked about how we are called to bless people.
The main idea was that blessing in Genesis 12 in the Old Testament was tied to giving life. I think this is a much better way to understand it for our lives today. The word bless seems to be one we only use when someone sneezes. “Blessing” can be hard to picture, and even harder to practice.
But “giving life” isn’t hard to picture or practice. Whatever makes someone else’s life full, deeper, meets a need, relieves a concern, frees a worry, or generates love is giving life.
This can be simply listening, fixing a roof, baking cookies, having neighbors in to your house. The possibilities of how to “give life” are endless. This as a church needs to be our calling. God in Genesis 12 has promised to bless us – or give us life and we are then called to bless others or give them life.
- Imagine what would happen, and how disciples would be made, if giving life to others becomes a major part of our identity and action?
- What if your house and home was known as a place of life in and for the community?
- What if in your workplace you were recognized as the person who gives joy, love, and meaning to others?
- What if your church was known as a place where those in need could find life in practical and real ways?
Doesn’t that sound like God’s Kingdom? It does to me.
So this week go out and start to bless people. To literally give them life. Be generous, be spontaneous, and give life in the context of relationship and share with me here how its going and what’s happened. Because when you share stories of blessing, you are also spreading blessing…
Discussion Questions from this Week Sermon
- Adult Questions
- Who in your life can you bless or “give life” too?
- What needs do your neighbors have, or co-workers?
- Who has blessed you in the past few weeks? Why not thank them.
- Questions for Young Families
- Talk to your children about how you are called to be a blessing to others and to serve. Ask them if they have any ideas who or how they could bless people. Maybe make cookies with them for your neighbors, or a card. Involve them in a giving life to others.
Plattsville Church 
I missed your sermon this week and I wanna hear it. just wondering if you’re going to post it.
Yes I’ll post a link to it, as soon as it gets uploaded to the site! And I think its a good thing if you want to hear it!
The sermon is posted go to Sermon Downloads and it’ll be there!
We have had our Sunday School children share God’s love with those in the church and our “absent friends” (those who can no longer get to services because of health or if they have moved in with family or retirement/nursing homes). For the absent friends – we made pop out cards and added a poem which was then mailed to them. For those in the church – the children wrote thank you cards to the custodian, ushers, tellers, pastor, property committee, organist for their work. Another Sunday – when we talked about Noah and the rainbow – the children put together small bags of smarties with a note and ribbon to give to the adults as they left service. But one of the best things we do is tell them how they bless the adults – with their questions during the children’s story, singing at a special service or just sharing hugs with our church family. If they learn to share God’s love as children – they will continue to do so as adults.
That is very true that if they learn to share God’s love when they are young, it will last. And I think its also great how the kids are getting involved in blessing others. Jesus is clear that children can teach us a lot about his Kingdom, so I think its great how they are teaching others through their actions about blessing, and appreciating!