DEVELOPMENT
The Joy of Giving
Brother Wesley Leonard from the Southside Church of Christ in Orlando was a guest speaker at our church recently. His message was entitled, “Disciples Give Sacrificially.” His thoughts resonated with me and are the inspiration for this article. To put the lesson in context, we must first understand what it is to be a disciple. A disciple is a pupil, a learner, or a follower of a person or a particular field of study. It also connotes one who accepts, adheres to, and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. This dovetails with our biblical point of view of disciples and discipleship. As modern-day followers of God and His Son, we are disciples who imitate their teachings and are obedient to their commands.
So, what does it mean to give sacrificially? Webster’s defines sacrifice as: to forfeit, to give up, to surrender, to do without, or to give something in exchange for something else. There’s a difference between an offering and a sacrifice. An offering can be as simple as dropping a check in the collection plate each Sunday. In order to sacrifice, you have to be willing to give up something of value in order to get something of greater value. If it doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s not a sacrifice. If you give something to God that you don’t want, He doesn’t want it either. God is not impressed with our possessions, our wealth, our accomplishments, good looks, or anything else we have acquired on this earth. We came into this world with nothing, and we will leave with nothing. Everything in creation came from Him and belongs to Him. What does impress God is our faith, our love, and our obedience. We imitate God the most when we give and give sacrificially. The true essence of God is love and the Bible is a history of His love for mankind. His love is most clearly expressed in the Gospel of John, verse 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” This was God’s sacrificial giving for humanity. He gave up something of great value (Jesus), in order to gain something of even greater value (our salvation). Our challenge as disciples is, what are we willing to give in return? If you would like more information on ways that you can give and support the Mount Dora Christian Academy & Children’s Home, give me a call at 352-729-9015 or send me an email at Tim.Deem@MDCAcademy.org.
Addition to Development Team
Please join us in welcoming Brad Green to the Development Department as our new Church and Donor Relations Officer. Brad hails from Prattville, AL, but lived much of his early life in the Florida panhandle where his father, Jason Green, served as a preacher and youth minister. Brad is a graduate of Prattville Christian Academy and Faulkner University, with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Prior to coming to Mount Dora, Brad spent six years on the management team of Chick-Fil-A. Brad and his fiancée, Destiny Whited of Wildwood, FL, will be married in September and plan to live in the Lake County area. "Mount Dora has been a part of my life for several years, from visiting while growing up to being a part of the development office. It is a great blessing to spread the message of the work that happens at Mount Dora with churches and our supporters. Mount Dora makes a difference in so many lives and even in the kingdom of God; these differences would not be possible without the help of so many wonderful supporters!" - Brad Green If you would like to contact Brad to arrange a visit for your congregation, he can be reached at 352-729-9255 or Brad.Green@MDCHome.org. 3 | Imagine · Fall 2021
