Lay Pastor Adrienne Rossetti shared a heartfelt and thought-provoking message titled “Kindle the Gift.” She began by asking a simple but searching question: “Have you ever received a gift you didn’t quite know what to do with?” Some gifts, she said, are valuable but left unopened, while others get tucked away and forgotten. Paul’s words to Timothy echo that same truth: “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.” (2 Timothy 1:6)
Adrienne reminded us that each of us has been entrusted with spiritual gifts—faith, compassion, service, generosity, creativity—that are meant to be used and shared. These gifts, like a flame, can flicker or fade when we allow fear, fatigue, or discouragement to take hold. Yet God calls us to fan the flame, to tend the fire, and to trust that His Spirit provides the strength and courage we need.
Drawing from Luke 17, Adrienne reflected on the disciples’ plea, “Increase our faith!” Jesus’ response was both surprising and liberating: even faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish great things when it’s active and obedient. The measure of our faith is not in its size but in its willingness to act. We don’t need a giant faith, only a living one—faith that chooses love over fear, action over hesitation, and hope over despair.
The heart of the message was clear: God has placed something sacred within each of us. Our role is to kindle it, to nurture it, and to let it burn brightly in a world that desperately needs light. Whether your gift is teaching, serving, encouraging, creating, or simply showing up with compassion, God can use it to transform hearts and lives in ways we may never see.
We were challenged to consider where our own flame might be growing dim—and inspired to reignite it through prayer, service, and trust in the Holy Spirit. As Adrienne reminded us, “You don’t need a greater faith; you just need to use the faith you have.”
Join us next Sunday at 11 a.m. Pastor William Davis will share a message titled “Brighten the Corner Where You Are,” based on Jeremiah 29. We will also observe Access Sunday in celebration of Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week, honoring the many ways God’s light shines through every person and every ability—seen and unseen.