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A group of church leaders met and identified some critical attributes for a thriving church. They include fervent prayer, healthy leadership, community outreach, systematic discipleship, effective small groups, inspiring worship, a missionary mindset, effective preaching, and enthusiastic stewardship. That last item, enthusiastic stewardship, is what Moses saw among the Israelites while they were camped at Mt. Sinai. After God delivered the people from Egypt, He promised to be their God and gave instructions to Moses on how to build the Tabernacle. At this center, the priests were to officiate and the people would learn about God. To erect the Tabernacle, Moses instructed the people to bring a sacred offering to the Lord—building materials, jewels, fabrics, animal skins, olive oil, and spices. The people were eager to show their gratitude to God for all He had done for them. In fact, they were so generous that we read in Exodus Chapter 36 that the men assigned to do the work came to Moses and said, “The people have given more than enough materials to do the job the LORD has commanded us to do. We have more than enough.” So Moses had to tell the people to stop bringing gifts. When we as God’s people are generous and faithful with our time, abilities, and money, God’s work will thrive today.
