In Matthew 24 Jesus said to his disciples, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

Jesus is coming back, but first the gospel will be preached to every nation, every people group. This is both a sign of his coming, and also a way to usher in his coming -- by getting the gospel out to every nation! There are still people groups where the love and grace of Jesus has never been spoken.

Most of us will not go to those places.

But yesterday we had a chance to give in an extra 2nd offering (separate from our usual general offering) that goes entirely towards our CMA missionaries around the world, many of whom are specifically targeting those hard-to-reach places.

Well....you guys gave $4,555!

That's ridiculous!!

By giving whatever you gave, it was an act of:

Worship

By giving you declared that God is your King and that his Kingdom is more important than your kingdom, that his plans and purposes for the world are more important then your plans and purposes.

Trust

By giving you declared that you trust God with your money, that he is your great provider, that he will take care of you.

Selflessness

Let's face it, the people who will benefit from your giving will probably never know what you gave. It's not like giving to your best friend who can brag about you at parties. This was truly an act of selflessness. Jess and I made the decision to not give each other Christmas gifts this year so that we can use that money for the special offering. I'm sure all of you had to give up something in order to give to this cause of Christ.

I am so grateful for all of you!