What is the Recession For?...Continued from page 5
John Piper
So that’s the context for Finish the Million by March. In only four weeks, in the hardest financial times in decades, on top of a 9.2 million-dollar church budget, with thousands of givers who never attend the North Campus, all of Bethlehem (on every campus) will give $235,000 to meet the million-dollar goal to pull the trigger on finishing the North Campus.
But vastly more important than that is where your treasure is?where your heart is. Are you like the Macedonians whose joy?in times of “recession”?was invincible because it was rooted in the grace of God? May God open our eyes to glory of his grace. When he does, the last purpose for the recession that I will mention will come true.
5. To Bring His Church to Care for Her Hurting Members and Grow in Love
Buildings exist for people, not the other way around. May no effort to build ever keep us from caring for Christ’s followers. Acts 4:34 describes the early church: “There was not a needy person among them.” This is what the church does. Every member will have his needs met. God will test us to see if we are a church or a club.
May the Lord grant us “Macedonian grace” to “finish the million” and care for each other.
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