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It's my favorite reader! Hope you are doing well. If you aren't, hopefully this week's email brings some joy as it is full of love and hugs...
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(quickly looks at article below...)
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...wait, for our enemies? What about me? I need a hug! Oh well, here's the next "punch" from Jesus.
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Love (Not Slug) Your Enemy
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Every once in a while, I come across some statistic or fact that shocks me so much, I have to read it again to make sure the author hadn't made a mistake or I misread it. For example, I already knew Americans currently spend nearly a trillion dollars on Christmas. What I didn't know is that is this figure is 7x higher than what they give to religious organizations!
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But that's not all. Americans also spend more on their pets, eating out, alcoholic drinks, sports, and even gambling than they do in supporting churches that seek to help people know the God who loves them and wants to work in them and through them.
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Perhaps these financial realities don't shock you quite like they do me, but I suspect that when Jesus uttered the words recorded in Matthew 5:43-44, the eyebrows of His audience raised as high as mine did when I found out Americans spend seven times more celebrating Christ’s birth than giving to Christ’s work.
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Hug Not Slug
As we continue in our Punch in the Face blog series about the shocking words of Jesus, we come to His startling words found toward the end of Matthew 5. Jesus surprises His audience (and us) by saying...
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"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'" (Matthew 5:43-44, ESV)
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It is extremely natural to hate those who seem to be opposed to you. But Jesus wants us to do the opposite, to love them, not slug them. Why? Because that is what He did for us! Romans 5:10 says...
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"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." (Romans 5:10, ESV)
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An enemy is opposed to anything and everything their opponent is for. Because of our sin, we were naturally disposed to put self before God, thus making us His enemy. Yet, despite this spiritual truth, God loved us so much that Jesus died for us even "while were were enemies."
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This means, to live like Jesus lived means loving those who seem to be opposed to you at every turn. May you pray for Christ's Holy Spirit to empower you to live out this kind of radical love, praying for those who persecute you.
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Food Pantry
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Join us as we serve our community through the monthly Waverly Mobile Food Pantry on July 14. You can serve at the 4:30 set-up shift and/or the 5:30 distribution shift. To sign-up, go to https://rvrwd.org/foodpantry.
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July Hangout
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Mark Wednesday, July 15, 6:30 pm for our July Riverwood Hangout. Our theme for the night will be "Country Fair," so come ready for some bubble blowin', pie eatin', and watermelon seed spittin'. Feel free to bring a snack to share. Yee haw!
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Monthly Financial Update
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Budgeted 2026 YTD Needs: $102,363
Actual 2026 YTD Giving: $90,822.60
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Revibe
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Join us for Revibe Sunday, July 19, from 5:00 - 9:00 pm at Memorial Park for an uplifting evening of Christian music and family fun. Featuring performances by Band Reeves, Table Songs, & the Waverly Worship Band. Best of all, it's free!
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