I’m amazed, and you should be as well.

This is why you should be.

You know, of course, that we didn’t meet Sunday because of the impending arrival of Hurricane Nate. You also know that the hurricane did not come our way. I felt bad about that decision.

That was Sunday, but on Monday I was encouraged. I was encouraged by you and your faithfulness.

Even though we didn’t meet Sunday, you gave for the needs of ministry through First Baptist Church.

Sometime after dark Monday I received an email that gave a report about our giving for the weekend. Though we only met on Saturday evening, you gave through the service, online, and by mail over $90,000 for the ministry of the church.

When I received the report, I told Martha about this. She immediately asked how much money we need each week. The answer is $125,000 a week.

I believe by the time we put last week, your catch up gifts, and this week together we will receive that $250,000 that we need.

I’m amazed at God’s goodness and your faithfulness.

By the way, I had a non-Baptist pastor friend who said it doesn’t matter about you Baptists, Baptists will tithe no matter what.

I took it as a joke, but as you can see no matter how he meant it he was correct.

Your faithfulness week by week whether in good times or bad makes it possible for us to send missionaries, encourage Christian education, train up children in the way they should go, teach the Bible, take the gospel to the lost, and preach the word.

Your giving also makes possible our special needs ministry, Celebrate Recovery, Upward Recreation, our Young At Heart ministry, and our Wednesday Women’s Bible Study. All of these ministries reach more nonmembers then members. That is an amazing statistic, and your faithfulness makes it happen.

I am amazed, and you should be as well.