It’s the Gift that Keeps On Giving
Do you remember that line from a commercial? Can you recall what product they were selling? Do you remember what the product was used for? No?
That’s because the phrase has been used in multiple commercials and ad campaigns. What’s the gift that keeps on giving? It depends on who you ask.
- RCA Victor Radios
- Hotpoint appliances
- Du Mont Electronics (you remember them, right?)
- Kodak Cameras
- Godiva Chocolates (they keep on giving calories!)
I think one of the reasons the slogan has been so widely used is that everyone loves a gift! And it means more when the gift is personalized and its something we will use over and over again . . . it’s the gift that keeps on giving!
Church Membership is a Gift
On page 74 of I Am a Church Member, Thom Rainer writes,
When we see life, salvation, and church membership as gifts, our whole perspective changes. We don’t have any sense of entitlement or expectation. To the contrary, we want to be last and receive the least because that’s the way Jesus did it. And we want to be more like him.
On the next page, he concludes, “Church membership is a gift, a joyous gift. Treat it as such.”
Rainer concluding chapter and my final sermon in this series focused on the gift that church membership is. The church is not an afterthought, a hassle, or a consolation prize. You’re not stuck with the church, it is a gift.
On the Sunday I preached this message, we had a powerful reminder of the gift of being a member of a church. A family in our congregation is going through a difficult cancer diagnosis. They are finding strength and encouragement through our church, as well as a new role for them during their journey.
You will hear that example at the end of this recording.
