Oct. 11, 2026

God has given us so much.

Life. Family. Daily blessings. Forgiveness. And above all, His only Son, Jesus Christ.

But here's the question:

How do we respond to everything God has given us?

In Our Response, Deacon Mike Sander takes us back to the Israelites and their journey through the wilderness.

God delivered them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, provided food and water, and faithfully led them toward the Promised Land.

And what did they do?

They complained. They doubted. They grumbled. They even turned to a golden calf.

It's easy to look at the Israelites and wonder how they could be so ungrateful. But how often do we do the same?

In Deuteronomy 10, God calls His people to fear Him, walk in His ways, love Him, and serve Him with all their hearts.

And in Galatians 6, Paul reminds us that what we sow matters.

🤲 Are we holding tightly to everything God has given us?

❤️ Or are we using those gifts to love and serve others?

Deacon Mike also reflects on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's teaching about cheap grace—the danger of becoming so comfortable with God's forgiveness that we forget what it cost.

Grace is free to us. But it was never cheap.

God gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

That gift changes everything.

🙏 We respond with gratitude.

🤝 We respond by serving one another.

📖 We respond by taking God's Word seriously.

❤️ We respond by sharing His love and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Not because we're trying to earn salvation, but because God has already given us the greatest gift imaginable.

Let's give because God has given to us.