Thank you Sequoia
By Ryan Dawson
Thank you Sequoia! I want to say thank you for your faithfulness in giving to the Lord to support the vision and mission of Sequoia Church. We were astounded at the generous outpouring at year’s end as we saw our congregation give over $135,000 in the month of December! Our monthly budget as a church is around $50,000 so this was an incredible gift to close the gap (we were behind in our annual budget in the Fall) and finish the year with a surplus of around $30K. This is a testimony of God’s goodness and favour upon our church, and I think we can all be encouraged by this evidence of God’s grace.
In 2 Corinthians 8-9, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul that we give in response to God’s lavish and incredible grace. Our act of giving is simply a reflection of the grace bestowed upon us by Jesus Christ. I see this in you, and you remind me of Jesus!
You gave thankfully in response to God’s grace. “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9) This is our starting point for giving. We recognize that everything we have is a gift of grace flowing from Jesus who gave us everything, so thank you for reflecting Christ through your giving!
You gave humbly under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. “They [Macedonian believers] even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. (2 Cor. 8:5) Giving generously is an act of surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Like the Macedonians our first action needs to be to give ourselves completely to Christ, and when we do everything else follows.
You gave sacrificially following the example of Jesus. “For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more.” (2 Cor. 8:3) God honours your sacrificial giving. It is good to give in a way where we feel it, because this helps us depend on the Lord.
You gave willingly with a cheerful heart. “And they did it [gave] of their own free will.” (2 Cor. 8:3) God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7) so thank you for giving willingly, and not under compulsion or guilt so that we can help thousands of people experience the Kingdom of Jesus, together, wherever we live, work, play, and go.
You gave excellently – excelling in the gift of giving. “Since you excel in so many ways...I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” (2 Cor. 8:7) Giving is a gift that we should continue to grow in, so it is important to continue to develop our “generosity muscles”. Your giving faithfulness in 2023 was excellent, and I encourage you to continue to excel in this gift of giving as we embark on an exciting journey in 2024.
There is much before us as a people, and we are looking forward to seeing God’s grace displayed in many ways as we trust Him with Sequoia. We say it most Sundays “You are blessed to be a blessing” – so thank you for being a blessing! It is a joy to partner with you for Christ and His Kingdom. Let’s continue to trust God in all things!
Blessings, Ryan
Thank you Sequoia! I want to say thank you for your faithfulness in giving to the Lord to support the vision and mission of Sequoia Church. We were astounded at the generous outpouring at year’s end as we saw our congregation give over $135,000 in the month of December! Our monthly budget as a church is around $50,000 so this was an incredible gift to close the gap (we were behind in our annual budget in the Fall) and finish the year with a surplus of around $30K. This is a testimony of God’s goodness and favour upon our church, and I think we can all be encouraged by this evidence of God’s grace.
In 2 Corinthians 8-9, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul that we give in response to God’s lavish and incredible grace. Our act of giving is simply a reflection of the grace bestowed upon us by Jesus Christ. I see this in you, and you remind me of Jesus!
You gave thankfully in response to God’s grace. “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9) This is our starting point for giving. We recognize that everything we have is a gift of grace flowing from Jesus who gave us everything, so thank you for reflecting Christ through your giving!
You gave humbly under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. “They [Macedonian believers] even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. (2 Cor. 8:5) Giving generously is an act of surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Like the Macedonians our first action needs to be to give ourselves completely to Christ, and when we do everything else follows.
You gave sacrificially following the example of Jesus. “For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more.” (2 Cor. 8:3) God honours your sacrificial giving. It is good to give in a way where we feel it, because this helps us depend on the Lord.
You gave willingly with a cheerful heart. “And they did it [gave] of their own free will.” (2 Cor. 8:3) God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7) so thank you for giving willingly, and not under compulsion or guilt so that we can help thousands of people experience the Kingdom of Jesus, together, wherever we live, work, play, and go.
You gave excellently – excelling in the gift of giving. “Since you excel in so many ways...I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” (2 Cor. 8:7) Giving is a gift that we should continue to grow in, so it is important to continue to develop our “generosity muscles”. Your giving faithfulness in 2023 was excellent, and I encourage you to continue to excel in this gift of giving as we embark on an exciting journey in 2024.
There is much before us as a people, and we are looking forward to seeing God’s grace displayed in many ways as we trust Him with Sequoia. We say it most Sundays “You are blessed to be a blessing” – so thank you for being a blessing! It is a joy to partner with you for Christ and His Kingdom. Let’s continue to trust God in all things!
Blessings, Ryan