Why not begin operating under the idea that God has given us excess, not so we could have more, but so we could give more?

What if the word of God was enough to inspire passionate worship among his people?

There is indescribable joy, deep satisfaction and an eternal purpose in dying to ourselves and living for Christ.

God in His providence hasn't called us to watch history, but to shape history by praying in His Name.

So what is the difference between someone who willfully indulges in sexual pleasures while ignoring the Bible on moral purity and someone who willfully indulges in the selfish pursuit of more and more material possessions while ignoring the Bible on caring for the poor? The difference is that one involves a social taboo in the church and the other involves the social norm in the church.

And as we meet needs on earth, we are proclaiming a gospel that transforms lives for eternity. The point is not simply to meet a temporary need or change a startling statistic; the point is to exalt the glory of Christ as we express the gospel of Christ through the radical generosity of our lives.

God uses sorrowful tragedy to set the stage for surprising triumph-whether in this life or the life to come.