Stephen Foster concludes our vision series ‘A New Hope’ with a talk on How To Seize The Moment - why giving is a great opportunity for all of us to partner with God now, and sow into the kingdom for the future.
Fair play, I’ve been watching HTB for a few years from Wales and have found great solace in the words they offer. I’ve really enjoyed watching Stephen grow as a teacher and his honesty is fabulous. Big thanks, HTB. Your words travel to open hearts.
Thank you kindly!! Greetings from Canada. Such a dynamic talk. It would do us very well to have preachers like this in Canada and America. Stephen you're fabulous. I was in England years ago including London and would really like to go back again. We'll see what God has in store for me. Thanks again!!
If you tell people that they should do what God asks them to do because they will be better off does that lead to the necessary state of heart being created in the hearer? It does seem as if our actions can be motivated to some degree by our own hunger for something better - look at the prodigal son. “When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’” He’s motivated by hunger - he thinks being a slave of his father would be better than eating pig food. But have you noticed what he says next? “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” So the message is that if you appeal to people’s self-interest when you preach you need to make sure that you tell them the rest - that to be selfish with money is sin. You must call people to repent rather than just present them with choices as if they only need to choose which one seems better to them.
