"If God Didn't Give Us..." Genesis 2: 4b-9; John 17: 20-26

This sermon begins a series on Stewardship that is guided by the question:  "What if I didn't give..."
Of course, before arriving at the question about our own giving, we have to go to the foundation for our giving, god, and ask that same question  about God.  What if God didn't give us the gift of life?  Or the gift of Jesus Christ?  or the ongoing gift of the Holy Spirit?

That's a lot to unpack in one sermon, but it reminds us that our ability to give is predicated on God having first given to us and having modeled what it means to give.

As I reflect on the sermon, I am reminded of the great Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life. As you may recall, part of the movie is the reliving of life in Bedford Falls if George Bailey had not been born.  AS the movie unfolds, we learn that George's presence has been instrumental in the development of Bedford Falls and new life for many of its citizens.

Obviously, it would be a short sermon if we read the Genesis story of creation, note that we would not be here if God had not breathed the breath of life into us, and then end the sermon.  I won't do that.  I hope the sermon will help us consider all that God has given us.