If we are coming to church only as consumers, to get our own needs met, then we have missed the point of the church. We are not merely intended to get our needs met. We are intended to be part of God’s plan for drawing other people to Himself, for encouraging and building up those who are already His children. Each member is not simply intended to be a consumer. We are all intended to be providers. We are colaborers with God Himself in the work of the Gospel (1 Cor. 3:9)! Some of us may well be introverted or less talkative. But none of us are designed merely to be ministered to, as if the whole church revolved around our own felt needs and desires. We are all called to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” and to “bear one another’s burdens” (Heb. 10:24; Gal. 6:2) (Mark Dever and Paul Alexander).

Other Authors

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Vegetables		Good, Living	4	servings

INGREDIENTS

450	g	Herb sausages
1		Onion; sliced finely
4		Leeks; trimmed and sliced
		; finely
2		Cloves garlic; crushed
175	g	Puy green lentils
1	tb	Oil
15	g	Butter
75	g	Streaky bacon lardons
1	ts	Sugar
175	ml	Vegetable stock; (made with a cube)
		Pepper
1	tb	Fresh chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Rinse the lentils and cook as per the instructions on the packet.
Heat the oil in a lidded frying pan, add the sausages and brown all
sides.
2 Remove the sausages from the pan. Add the butter to the pan and
then the onions, leeks and chopped streaky bacon.
3 Add the sugar and cook until the onion is soft, the bacon is
crispy, and the leeks softened. Stir in the garlic.
4 Return the sausages to the pan, and add the drained lentils and
vegetable stock. Stir well and season with pepper.
5 Cover the pan and simmer gently until the lentils finish cooking
and have absorbed the stock. Serve with the parsley sprinkled on top.
Converted by MC_Buster.
Recipe by: Good Living
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

A Message from our Provider:

“God cares”

Summary of Principles for Christian Stewardship: 1. Giving is to be in proportion to wealth - 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8:3, 11, 12; 9:8-11 (precisely what percentage that might be is never stated by Paul). 2. Giving is to be regarded as a privilege; indeed, it is an act of worship and praise - 2 Cor. 8:4; Phil. 4:15-18. 3. Giving is to be voluntary, not forced - 2 Cor. 8:3,11-12; 9:5,7. 4. Giving is to be preceded by the dedication of oneself to the Lord's work in whatever capacity possible - 2 Cor. 8:5. 5. Giving is to be characterized by a spirit of reciprocity - 2 Cor. 8:13-15. 6. The administration of Christian giving should take into consideration the principles [of integrity] that governed Paul's approach to the collection [he assembled] - 2 Cor. 8:16-24. 7. Giving is to be characterized by forethought and prayer - 2 Cor. 9:7. 8. Giving must never be characterized by sorrow over money lost or by covetousness - 2 Cor. 9:5, 7. 9. Giving should always be cheerful and joyous - 2 Cor. 9:7. 10. Giving should not be undertaken with a view to personal enrichment; rather, one should give with the expectation that God will supply the giver with abundance for additional giving - 2 Cor. 9:8-11. 11. All giving is to be understood as finding its source, power, and pattern in the grace of God in Christ - 2 Cor. 8:1,9; 9:14-15.

Sam Storms