February 2nd, 2026
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Generosity Began with God
One of my favorite childhood movies is the 1965 classic Shenandoah, set at the beginning of the American Civil War. James Stewart played the role of Charlie Anderson, a widower and the patriarch of a successful southern plantation that operated without the use of slaves. Living in the South, Anderson did not believe in slavery, nor did he believe in war. Yet, despite his efforts to keep his family shielded from the conflict, he was ultimately unsuccessful. Anderson was not a follower of Christ, but he dearly loved his late wife. In honoring her dying wish, he tried to uphold Christian traditions for his family. This was the reason the family attended church and why Anderson always led the family in prayer before meals. However, his words during prayer revealed his true beliefs: “Lord, we cleared this land, we plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. It wouldn’t be here, and we wouldn’t be eating it if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you just the same anyway for this food we are about to eat. Amen”
While we may not pray in exactly the same way as Stewart’s character, we often live with a similar mindset. We act as if everything we have is ours solely because of our own efforts, believing that what we possess is for our use and purposes alone. We tend to think, “It’s mine! All mine!”
God as the Source of Our Blessings
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 provides God’s perspective on this attitude: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Charlie Anderson did not realize that his land, his physical strength, his family, the weather, the quality of the soil, everything he knew about farming, and many other factors contributing to his success were all gifts from God. Without God, he would have nothing. He had been blessed far beyond what he could ever deserve.
Transformation Through Loss and Faith
As the story unfolds in the movie, Charlie’s resistance to the war is tested as his family suffers devastating losses due to its impact. The turning point comes when his youngest son—the one who reminds him most of his beloved wife—is kidnapped, leaving Charlie in utter despair. At what seems like the darkest moment, Charlie and the remaining members of his family attend church. As the service begins, the son whom Charlie believed to be dead walks through the church doors, limping with a crutch. Overcome with emotion, Charlie breaks down in tears as his son returns to their family’s pew. In the end, Charlie comes to faith and finally understands what his wife had always known: that everything he had was a result of God’s mercy and grace.
Invitation to a Spiritual Journey
This Sunday, our FCC family will embark on a season of study, devotion, and prayer through a program called “A 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life.” This program, designed by Pastor Brian Kluth—author of a 40-Day Devotional Guide by the same name—comes with a free app for your phone or computer. The app includes the devotionals, videos, and other resources. For those who prefer listening, each devotional also has an audio reading by the author. To access these resources, simply visit your app store and search for givewithjoy (no spaces or capitals).
Our Sunday morning messages will complement this theme with a series entitled Generous Giving. The first part, “Generous Giving Allows You to See God as Your Provider,” based primarily on Deuteronomy 8:17-18, 1 Chronicles 29:14-17, and Matthew 6:24.
Please join in praying for this campaign, which runs from February 8 through March 7. Pray for our church family and for yourself, that the Holy Spirit will move powerfully in our hearts and inspire us to be more generous than ever before. On March 7, we will conclude with a special event: TRY THE TITHE SUNDAY. On this day, everyone will be invited to try tithing for the first time. Some already practice tithing regularly and even go beyond it; to those, we encourage you to continue your faithful practice.
For those who have not yet made tithing a consistent part of their financial plan, we encourage you to test God’s promise, as offered in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Reflecting on God’s Generosity
When considering our own generosity, it is important not to compare ourselves to others. Instead, we should reflect on how generous God has been to us, beginning with the gift of His only begotten Son, who died to offer us eternal life.
Praying for generosity,
Jon
Generosity Began with God
One of my favorite childhood movies is the 1965 classic Shenandoah, set at the beginning of the American Civil War. James Stewart played the role of Charlie Anderson, a widower and the patriarch of a successful southern plantation that operated without the use of slaves. Living in the South, Anderson did not believe in slavery, nor did he believe in war. Yet, despite his efforts to keep his family shielded from the conflict, he was ultimately unsuccessful. Anderson was not a follower of Christ, but he dearly loved his late wife. In honoring her dying wish, he tried to uphold Christian traditions for his family. This was the reason the family attended church and why Anderson always led the family in prayer before meals. However, his words during prayer revealed his true beliefs: “Lord, we cleared this land, we plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. It wouldn’t be here, and we wouldn’t be eating it if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you just the same anyway for this food we are about to eat. Amen”
While we may not pray in exactly the same way as Stewart’s character, we often live with a similar mindset. We act as if everything we have is ours solely because of our own efforts, believing that what we possess is for our use and purposes alone. We tend to think, “It’s mine! All mine!”
God as the Source of Our Blessings
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 provides God’s perspective on this attitude: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Charlie Anderson did not realize that his land, his physical strength, his family, the weather, the quality of the soil, everything he knew about farming, and many other factors contributing to his success were all gifts from God. Without God, he would have nothing. He had been blessed far beyond what he could ever deserve.
Transformation Through Loss and Faith
As the story unfolds in the movie, Charlie’s resistance to the war is tested as his family suffers devastating losses due to its impact. The turning point comes when his youngest son—the one who reminds him most of his beloved wife—is kidnapped, leaving Charlie in utter despair. At what seems like the darkest moment, Charlie and the remaining members of his family attend church. As the service begins, the son whom Charlie believed to be dead walks through the church doors, limping with a crutch. Overcome with emotion, Charlie breaks down in tears as his son returns to their family’s pew. In the end, Charlie comes to faith and finally understands what his wife had always known: that everything he had was a result of God’s mercy and grace.
Invitation to a Spiritual Journey
This Sunday, our FCC family will embark on a season of study, devotion, and prayer through a program called “A 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life.” This program, designed by Pastor Brian Kluth—author of a 40-Day Devotional Guide by the same name—comes with a free app for your phone or computer. The app includes the devotionals, videos, and other resources. For those who prefer listening, each devotional also has an audio reading by the author. To access these resources, simply visit your app store and search for givewithjoy (no spaces or capitals).
Our Sunday morning messages will complement this theme with a series entitled Generous Giving. The first part, “Generous Giving Allows You to See God as Your Provider,” based primarily on Deuteronomy 8:17-18, 1 Chronicles 29:14-17, and Matthew 6:24.
Please join in praying for this campaign, which runs from February 8 through March 7. Pray for our church family and for yourself, that the Holy Spirit will move powerfully in our hearts and inspire us to be more generous than ever before. On March 7, we will conclude with a special event: TRY THE TITHE SUNDAY. On this day, everyone will be invited to try tithing for the first time. Some already practice tithing regularly and even go beyond it; to those, we encourage you to continue your faithful practice.
For those who have not yet made tithing a consistent part of their financial plan, we encourage you to test God’s promise, as offered in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Reflecting on God’s Generosity
When considering our own generosity, it is important not to compare ourselves to others. Instead, we should reflect on how generous God has been to us, beginning with the gift of His only begotten Son, who died to offer us eternal life.
Praying for generosity,
Jon
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
April
September
October
November
2024
January
September
Categories
no categories
Tags
no tags
No Comments