Prosperity May Test Character More Than Poverty

The opening of the Father's Day service of 21 June 2026: the Faith Chronicle, praise and worship, the welcome, the announcements and the word on the offering. The message that follows is in the separate recording of that service.

The Faith Chronicle is "Abide in the Vine" from John 15:5. As the branch draws sap from the vine it becomes strong enough to hold the fruit, and the fruit is the life you get to share with other people. Meekness is not weakness, it is power under control. The line he repeats is that the thriver thrives in bearing fruit.

The welcome reads Isaiah 43:2 and puts it plainly: this is not an exemption, it is a companion. You are not exempt from the waters or the fire. God is in them with you.

The word on the offering is the one worth staying for. From Deuteronomy 6:10-13, where Israel is given cities it did not build, wells it did not dig and vineyards it did not plant, and then warned about what happens after it eats and is satisfied. Prosperity may be a greater test of character than poverty, because poverty limits the options and some vices simply cannot be funded, while prosperity removes the constraint, magnifies what is already inside and tests whether humility survives.