For what will it profit them to gain the world and forfeit their life?
- Mark 9:36
In most moments, we are constantly asking ourselves an important and complex question, “is it worth it?” From the second you wake up, you are asking yourself - is it worth it to get out of bed at the first alarm, or is it worth it to hit snooze? When you sit down for breakfast you’re asking, is it worth it to have the healthy cereal or the one covered in sugar? Is it worth it to go for a run? Is it worth it to get to work early? To stay late? To go to my kid’s game? Is it worth it to spend my time, my life, my resources on…
This is the question that Jesus is getting at in Mark chapter 9. “For what will it profit them to gain the world and forfeit their life?” In other words, what is the value of one’s life - or as some translations put it, soul?
In case you were wondering, Congress has a valuation for your life. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that your life is worth $8.7 million dollars. While that’s a little higher than I would have guessed (and definitely higher than most of our net worths), it is sobering to know that someone has applied a valuation to something that is priceless to us.
So, can we place a price on our time? Our attention? Of course! The math is easy enough to figure out. For many of us, we have an hourly figure that we are paid - it has a value ascribed to it. Our attention might just be the most valuable thing we have, and it’s the thing that companies are willing to pay the most for! Millions of dollars are spent on commercials, ads, and building content designed to capture and hold your attention every time you pick up your phone, tablet, or turn on your TV.
Why all this conversation about value? Well, because sometimes it is difficult to put a valuation on what we do here at LVfirst. To be clear, we can show you where every last cent is spent, but how do you define the value of the work that we do here in this church and our community? Is it worth it? That is the question I want you to wrestle with in the coming weeks as you hold this pledge card in your hands. Is it worth it to have incredible facilities for us to gather together? Is it worth it to have worship services that connect us to a transcendent God who is without price? Is it worth it to provide a Christmas light display for thousands of families in our community? Is it worth it to equip parents to empower their children for life? Is it worth it to transform our community in Jesus’ name? Is it worth it?
I hope your answer is like mine - Yes!!! Yes, it is worth it to do all of those things and more through our connection to this church. This past year has shown us that people do think it is worth it to give their time to serve others, to give towards the mission of this church, and to give their attention to worshiping God. It is clear because more people have shown up, joined, connected, served, worshiped, and helped to build an amazing community of faith. In the coming weeks during your prayer time I want to challenge you to ask yourself, “is it worth it?” Is it worth it to serve inside and outside the walls of this church? Is it worth it to give my attention to worship? Is it worth it to give a percentage of my income to the work of God through LVfirst?
As a goal-oriented guy who believes that God has given us a huge mission, I will tell you that we hope to expand the budget from $2.1 million to $2.3 million dollars in 2025 so we can expand and grow some of our vital ministries in the community while also caring for our facilities in a way that keeps them top-notch. This will stretch us! It would be a 10% year-over-year increase, and we would only set that budget if we knew we had the pledged giving to reach that number. Your willingness to fill out the attached card or our online pledge card and return it on September 29th will help us as we reach the future of this church and this community. Believe me, IT IS WORTH IT!
Believing with you,
Adam
This is the question that Jesus is getting at in Mark chapter 9. “For what will it profit them to gain the world and forfeit their life?” In other words, what is the value of one’s life - or as some translations put it, soul?
In case you were wondering, Congress has a valuation for your life. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that your life is worth $8.7 million dollars. While that’s a little higher than I would have guessed (and definitely higher than most of our net worths), it is sobering to know that someone has applied a valuation to something that is priceless to us.
So, can we place a price on our time? Our attention? Of course! The math is easy enough to figure out. For many of us, we have an hourly figure that we are paid - it has a value ascribed to it. Our attention might just be the most valuable thing we have, and it’s the thing that companies are willing to pay the most for! Millions of dollars are spent on commercials, ads, and building content designed to capture and hold your attention every time you pick up your phone, tablet, or turn on your TV.
Why all this conversation about value? Well, because sometimes it is difficult to put a valuation on what we do here at LVfirst. To be clear, we can show you where every last cent is spent, but how do you define the value of the work that we do here in this church and our community? Is it worth it? That is the question I want you to wrestle with in the coming weeks as you hold this pledge card in your hands. Is it worth it to have incredible facilities for us to gather together? Is it worth it to have worship services that connect us to a transcendent God who is without price? Is it worth it to provide a Christmas light display for thousands of families in our community? Is it worth it to equip parents to empower their children for life? Is it worth it to transform our community in Jesus’ name? Is it worth it?
I hope your answer is like mine - Yes!!! Yes, it is worth it to do all of those things and more through our connection to this church. This past year has shown us that people do think it is worth it to give their time to serve others, to give towards the mission of this church, and to give their attention to worshiping God. It is clear because more people have shown up, joined, connected, served, worshiped, and helped to build an amazing community of faith. In the coming weeks during your prayer time I want to challenge you to ask yourself, “is it worth it?” Is it worth it to serve inside and outside the walls of this church? Is it worth it to give my attention to worship? Is it worth it to give a percentage of my income to the work of God through LVfirst?
As a goal-oriented guy who believes that God has given us a huge mission, I will tell you that we hope to expand the budget from $2.1 million to $2.3 million dollars in 2025 so we can expand and grow some of our vital ministries in the community while also caring for our facilities in a way that keeps them top-notch. This will stretch us! It would be a 10% year-over-year increase, and we would only set that budget if we knew we had the pledged giving to reach that number. Your willingness to fill out the attached card or our online pledge card and return it on September 29th will help us as we reach the future of this church and this community. Believe me, IT IS WORTH IT!
Believing with you,
Adam