How many of you spent a lot of time in the kitchen over the last few days? From one who is not good at all in the kitchen, except for setting the table and cleaning up, thank you very much to every cook out there. Speaking of kitchens, here are some signs that have been noticed in kitchens:

• If you don't like my cooking, lower your standards.
• This is a self-cleaning kitchen-you use it, you clean it yourself.
• There are two choices for supper in this kitchen-take it or leave it.
• Don't criticize the coffee. You may be old and weak yourself someday.
• A clean kitchen is a sign of a misspent life.
• Help keep the kitchen clean-eat out.
• Kitchen closed due to illness-I'm sick of cooking!

I hope you and your family had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Has it ever dawned on you that the holiday name is made up of two strong words-"thanks" and "giving"? Usually we key on the "thanks" part. But today I want us to think on the "giving" part.

You've probably read in the news over the last year about well-known people who are giving loads of money away to various charities. Bill and Melinda Gates have invested billions to eliminate human suffering in third world countries. Their foundation now totals $31.9 billion. Warren Buffet has pledged an additional $30 billion to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as education and homelessness in the United States. U2's lead singer Bono has made national headlines by giving to and raising money for AIDS relief in Africa. Well-known pastor Rick Warren has made similar headlines by practicing what he calls the reverse tithe-giving away 90 percent and living off 10 percent.

When we think of giving, we usually think of money, don't we? Even though money is certainly a vital part of the concept of giving, this Thanksgiving weekend I want to stretch your thinking to see that we need to be givers in many areas of our lives. I want to mention four this morning.

First, we need to give time in a make time for yourself world. How many of you would consider yourself to be a very busy person? That's almost all of us. Unfortunately, if you were to analyze your use of time, most would discover that most of your hours are spent on yourself and your family. Certainly I am not bashing the importance of careers and family. But until we find time to serve in God's kingdom enterprise, we are not being good stewards of our time.

I think most of us sincerely desire to have time to serve others. But we get caught in the time trap and never seem to have enough discretionary time to say "yes" to service. So we rationalize and say, "When things settle down, I'm going to serve."

There's a verse in the Bible that haunts me every time I read it. "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered-how fleeting my life is" (Psalm 39:4, NLT). Our lives are like a breath. They pass by so quickly. I challenge you to do an inventory of your typical weekly schedule. I know you're busy. We all are. But where could you carve out an hour or two or three each week to serve your Lord? Some of you might be retired or approaching retirement. Before all your hours get swallowed up in travel and golf and grandchildren (not that any of those are bad things), choose to invest significant hours each week in Christian service. Where would Chapin Baptist be if we didn't have our retired folks engaging in service? Janet gives more than 20 hours each week helping with the We Care Center and doing administrative things around the church. Bud and Kitty give more than 20 hours a week serving through GOoDworks. Dan, Wally, Susan, Sonja, Chuck, Wynelle and many others are all retired and have chosen to invest many hours every week for God's kingdom.

I know what you're thinking. When I retire, maybe I will do the same. No, start now. I know you can't give 20 hours, but you can give two or three or maybe even more. I think of Rick who works full-time and travels, yet still finds time to teach a couple of classes, work with our finances and serve in the kitchen. I think of these folks who sing or play an instrument or work with the sound-they have full time jobs, yet find time to serve. I think of Champ who I believe is the only human alive who works more hours in a week than there are hours in a week, yet still finds the time to teach and be in the kitchen every Wednesday for Family Night Supper.

We live in a make time for yourself world. Only you can make the choice to change that. Amazingly, when you give time to serve God, He helps you with all the other time commitments you face each day.

Second, we need to give talents in a play it safe world. This way of giving is closely connected to the matter of giving time. To use your talents requires time. When you give your time, it is wise to use the talents God has given you.

One of the things that bothers me to no end in my second job, armchair football coach, is the coach who builds a small lead and then plays it safe. Ten point lead, third quarter-run, run, run, punt. What got the team the lead was pass, end around run, deep throw, run, screen pass, touchdown. But so many play it safe and end up in a nail-biter win or even losing.

Christians often do the same thing. God plants exciting seeds of ministry adventure in their hearts, but then they begin to doubt. "I don't know if I can pull this off. What if I fail? Maybe I just ate too many tacos last night." So they end up continuing to live in a play-it-safe world.

God has given each of us beautiful gifts and talents that He wants us to use for His kingdom. The Bible says, "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another" (1 Peter 4:10). Some of you are great with kids-talk to Virginia about children's ministry. Some of you have handyman skills. Check with Steve to see how you can use those gifts inside or outside the walls of the church.

Many of you stepped up during the 40 Days of Outreach and used your talents to serve others. Many of you got way out of your comfort zones and overcame the play-it-safe mentality. It felt good, didn't it? I bet many of you after completing your projects said to yourself, "I did it. And God blessed me. I feel so good when I help others." There is no work more fulfilling than kingdom work. Why? Because you are engaging in matters that have eternal significance.

Everybody around you may counsel you to play it safe throughout life. Don't listen to them. What if David had played it safe and said, "I'm not going up against that mean looking giant"? What if Moses had played it safe and said, "God, I told you I'm not a speaker. My answer is no. I'm not going back to Egypt." What if Daniel had said, "OK, King. I will bow down to you. I certainly don't want to be thrown into a lion's den. So I'll stop my praying to my God." What if Jesus had said, "The cross is too brutal. Thanks, but no thanks, God." Imagine the stories you can tell if you overcome the play-it-safe mentality.

Third, we need to give thanks in a take it for granted world. I'm reminded of the story in the gospels about ten lepers (Luke 17). Jesus was traveling along the border of Galilee and Samaria when He encountered ten men whose bodies were covered with leprosy. They begged Jesus to heal them. Instead of healing them on the spot, He ordered them to report to the priest who would pronounce them clean. As they left, they were healed. One of the ten stopped, turned around, returned to Jesus, and fell at His feet to express his gratitude for the healing. Only one. Just one.

Doesn't this story depict our society today? People take so much of life for granted. There's this prevalent attitude that believes we deserve all the blessings we receive and we don't need to say thank you. I guess all of us are guilty to some extent. Outside of the blessing on Thanksgiving Day, how many of you have spent some moments giving thanks to God for His blessings? How many of you after hearing this message will be willing some time today to take a few minutes to express your gratitude to God? Be specific. Tell Him what you're thankful for-family, friends, shelter, soldiers, freedom, salvation, jobs, material things, health.

Don't be like the world and take all of life's blessings for granted. Let God know how grateful you are.

Fourth, we need to give treasure in a save it for yourself world. Yes, giving can refer to giving time, giving our talents, and giving thanks, but it also includes giving our financial resources. How much money will you spend on your family this Christmas? Tally up all the extra food, all the extra travel costs, all the Christmas decorations, and, of course, all the gifts you will purchase for your family. That's a lot of money, isn't it? And I don't think what you spend is necessarily bad or wrong. But I wonder how much you plan to give this Christmas.

We live in a save it for yourself world. We take whatever treasures we have and we spend almost all of it on ourselves. The Bible teaches that we need to use our treasures to make eternal investments. Jesus said in one of His sermons, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).

This Christmas would you be willing to make a gift for the work of God's kingdom that goes beyond what you ordinarily give? Would you be willing to make some investments that will last for an eternity? I hate to break it to you, but those new Playstations won't last forever. Your trip to the bowl game will be nice, but I don't think you can say the trip is an eternal investment. You win or lose and you go home excited or dejected. The new jewelry might be beautiful and expensive, but it won't make it to heaven with you. In your bulletin this morning you should have received a Christmas Offering envelope. Beginning next Sunday and going through our Christmas Eve services, I want you to pray and ask God what size of eternal investment He wants you to make. Next week you will receive a letter from me (members and contributing guests) that explains the offering in greater detail.

This special offering will be earmarked for five key ministry projects which are not funded through our regular tithes and offerings. $10,000 will buy the materials needed to construct a new church in Brazil. New church means more people coming to Christ. Eternal investment. Some of the offering will go to support Clothe-a-Child. Putting clothes on needy children. Jesus Himself taught that this kind of ministry has eternal value.

Some of the money will provide scholarships for students to attend life-changing mission trips and leadership conferences. Investment in teenagers certainly has eternal value. Some of the money will be put into a fund that we can draw from during the year to help needy families in various ways. Isn't that an eternal investment? And some of the money will go toward the purchase of a new church bus or van. Yes, that van or bus will rot one day. But the children, students, and seniors who ride in the vehicle to various ministry outposts will be involved in kingdom learning and kingdom outreach.

I want to clarify something about the offering. We do not want you to use this as a substitute offering. We still need you to contribute to the general fund like you already do. Don't jeopardize our existing ministries by robbing from one to give to another. I know there are many other projects in this church and in other places that plea for your money. This offering is not intended to create a burden on you. We just want you to make it a matter of prayer. And then you do whatever God leads you to do.

There are many ways to give. We've looked at four ways today. Giving your time is not a substitute for giving your treasures. And giving thanks is not a substitute for giving your talents. All four ways to give should become a vital part of our existence. And this Christmas may we never forget that God gave us His only Son. And He is what Christmas is all about.