Promise for Today - Choose - Culture or Christ?

But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face.

Psalm 17:15 (TLB)

Life is not about things. You have to maintain the right perspective about what you own, or you’ll be possessed by your possessions. You’ve got to realize that none of it is going to last.

Jesus says in Luke 12:15, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be” (GNT).

Never judge your self-worth by your net worth. Never think your value is related to your valuables. Realize that the greatest things in life aren’t things. You didn’t bring anything into the world, and you won’t take anything out of it. Life is not about acquisition or achievement; it’s about relationships and learning how to love God and other people.

The best way to remember that your life is not about things is to build it on eternal priorities. Focus on what will last forever. Every possession is temporary, so don’t build your life on acquiring possessions. Only two things are going to last forever: the Word of God and people.

You’ve got a choice to make. The world is telling you that you need to get more to be happier, more successful, more important, more valuable, and more secure. So you’ve got to decide: Are you going to listen to Madison Avenue or the Master? Are you going to listen to culture or Christ? Are you going to listen to the world or the Word? One will leave you dissatisfied the rest of your life; one will make you truly happy.

Before you can move toward financial freedom, you have to ask yourself, “What is the primary purpose of my life? Is it just to get more? What do I think about, talk about, and give my attention to? What am I living my life for?”

Look around, and you’ll see many people who have a lot to live on. You’ll see celebrities on television and successful businesspeople in your own community. These people’s bank accounts are overflowing. They have plenty to live on, but some of them may have very little to live for.

What about you? You may have a lot to live on, but do you have anything to live for? Do you have a relationship with God? The myth of the world is that you can have it all. The truth is that you can’t have it all. And, more importantly, you don’t need it all to be happy. You’re as happy as you choose to be.

The secret to contentment is finding your security and your satisfaction not in what you have but in whose you are. You find it in Christ.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face” (Psalm 17:15).

Talk It Over

What tangible or intangible things have you been acquiring instead of strengthening your walk with God?

How have you sacrificed your relationships in the pursuit of success or status? What do you need to do today to start repairing those relationships?

Are you okay with not “having it all”? Why or why not?

-by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

           We come before You with hearts that long for You above all things. Help us set our minds on heavenly priorities and not be consumed by the noise, worries, and temptations of the world. Thank You for Your Word, which is our lamp and light. Help us to dwell on Your truth so that our thoughts are fixed on You, not on the fleeting things of this life. Clear our minds of distractions, fears, and the lure of material gain, and fill us with Your peace that surpasses understanding.
     Abba, we confess that we have allowed the desire for goods to cloud our focus. Help us to take every wandering thought captive and bring it under obedience to Christ. Strengthen our will so that we choose Your kingdom and righteousness over the temporary pleasures and riches of this world. Purify our hearts from double-mindedness and worldly attachments, and renew our minds to see the emptiness of material pursuits. May our lives be built on Your promises, not on the shifting sands of wealth or status.
      Father, rebuke the noise and distractions that pull us away from You. Let our attention remain fixed on You. We trust Your timing, Your provision, and Your love above all else. We choose to live with a hunger for You, for You alone, and for Your eternal purposes. Help us, O Lord, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Choose to Refuse

If God gives us wealth and property and lets us enjoy them, we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 (GNT)

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (NIV). That’s the kind of God we serve. He gave us the world for our enjoyment! But here’s the problem: We’re so busy getting more that we don’t enjoy what we’ve got.

The secret of contentment is to learn to enjoy what God has given you. 

Instead of grasping for more, pay attention to what you have now. Open your eyes, appreciate what God has already given you, and enjoy what you’ve got.

One of my favorite things to do is to watch the sunrise from the slope in our yard. I put a deck chair out there decades ago. I think I bought it at Target, and it wasn’t expensive. It’s faded, and a couple of slats are broken. I love to sit in that ratty old chair and watch the sun come up. It gives me great pleasure!

Would I have any more joy watching the sunrise if I were sitting in a diamond-encrusted recliner instead of my old, worn chair? No, it would not increase my joy one bit. In fact, there is an advantage to not having a diamond-encrusted recliner and instead being content with my old chair: No one will steal it!

You need to ask yourself, “What am I not enjoying right now?” Most of us get into what I call “when and then” thinking: “When this happens, then I’ll be happy.” 

“When I get a boyfriend, then I’ll be happy.” “When I get married, then I’ll be happy.” “When I have kids, then I’ll be happy.” “When my kids go off to school, then I’ll be happy.” “When I get married again, then I’ll be happy.”

But here’s the truth: You are as happy as you choose to be. If you’re not happy now, you’re not going to be happy later. Happiness is a choice!

I could take you to some of the poorest places in the world and show you two people living right next door to each other. One is miserable, and one is happy. Why? Happiness has nothing to do with your circumstances and everything to do with your attitude.

If you’re not happy with what you’re living on right now, I can guarantee that you’re not going to be happy with more. Because no matter what you have, you’re always going to want a little bit more.

Happiness is a choice. Choose right now to enjoy what God has given you!

Talk It Over

What has God blessed you with that you have not been enjoying to the fullest?

What have you been waiting for to be happy?

If happiness is a choice, why do people choose to be unhappy?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          Today we choose joy. Not because everything is perfect, but because You are with us. Let joy fill our thoughts, happiness overflow in our words, and peace guide our actions. Lord, today we choose to refuse to be ruled by fear, anger, or disappointment. Instead, we embrace Your goodness and receive Your smile over our lives. Help us to breathe in gratitude with every breath. 

     Your joy protects us from bitterness and despair when we keep our focus on Your faithfulness rather than life's difficulties. Help us to find lasting happiness not in circumstances but in Your unchanging love. Let us rejoice in You always, no matter what we face. 
     Lift our spirit above discouragement. Replace sorrow with laughter, doubts with faith, and fears with peace. Help us embrace gratitude so that happiness becomes our natural state. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Not Mine

It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 (GNT)

The first step to becoming a contented person is to stop comparing yourself to others. But the problem is that comparison is our favorite pastime! We do it all the time.

You walk into somebody’s house, and the first thing you do is make comparisons: “I like that floor! Look at that drapery! Wow, what a television!” You think to yourself, “My house doesn’t look anything like this!” Or you walk past somebody and think, “I like the way she did her hair; mine looks terrible today.”

If you’re going to learn contentment, you’ve got to stop comparing your life to everyone else’s. You are constantly comparing, and it keeps you frustrated. You’ve got to stop it! 

You also have to learn to admire without having to acquire. You need to learn to rejoice in other people’s prosperity without getting envious and feeling like you need it too.

Here’s a great principle that many people don’t understand: You don’t have to own it to enjoy it! Maybe you like to vacation in the mountains. Why do you have to buy a mountain cabin when you can just rent or even borrow a friend’s cabin the one time a year you go to the mountains? Ownership isn’t the only way to enjoy something.

Not making comparisons isn’t just a good idea; it’s a commandment from God. Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet . . . anything that belongs to your neighbor” (NIV).

Coveting is the uncontrolled desire to acquire. It’s such an important sin to avoid that it’s included in the Ten Commandments. The word covet in Greek means that you grasp something so tightly that you can’t let it go. If God ever gives you something and he tells you to give it away and you can’t, then you don’t own it; it owns you.

God is not saying you should never desire anything. Desires are not wrong. In fact, many of your desires come from God. But when a desire is uncontrolled, it becomes coveting; you compare yourself to others and think you must have more. That uncontrolled desire for something that is not yours is sinful and leads to all kinds of problems.

But desire isn’t always negative. In fact, nothing can be accomplished unless you desire to do it. You can’t become more like Christ without desiring to become more like Christ. You can’t be a more loving person without desiring to be a more loving person. You can’t be a more generous person without desiring to be a more generous person.

This kind of Christ-like, contented life only happens when you learn not to compare. When you compare, that leads to coveting, and when you covet, you can’t be content.

The book of Ecclesiastes says it simply: “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else” (Ecclesiastes 6:9 GNT).

Talk It Over

How can you change your perspective about your own possessions so that you can rejoice with others over theirs?

What do you think God wants you to fill your life with instead of possessions?

Christians talk a lot about God giving them the desires of their heart. What kind of desires do you think God wants to give you?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,
            Teach us to be content with what You have given us, knowing that You are faithful and will never leave us. Fill our hearts with gratitude for the blessings we already have, and help us to focus on Your will rather than on what is not in our possession. Guard our thoughts and desires, that we may not be drawn to covetous thoughts of any kind.

     Grant us wisdom to avoid situations and influences that lead us to envy, and help us to rejoice in the success of others, knowing that You have good things in store for us. Strengthen us to trust in Your provision, even when circumstances change, and to find joy in the present moment. We know that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and that covetousness leads us away from You. Forgive us for the times we have wished for what we do not have, resented those who prosper, or allowed comparison to cloud our joy. Search us deeply, O God, and renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 119:36).  May our lives reflect Your love, generosity, and contentment. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Moving Against Your Fear

Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

Matthew 25:28-29 (NLT)

What keeps you from investing your life? What keeps you from moving toward financial freedom? I’ll tell you what it is: fear.

Many kinds of fear can hold you back. One type of fear is self-doubt, which says: “You’ve failed in the past, so you’re never going to try again.” But just because you fail doesn’t mean you should give up. Everybody fails; it’s the only way you learn what works! God uses ordinary people who choose to keep on going after failure instead of giving up.

Two disciples, Judas and Peter, denied Jesus before his crucifixion. They committed the same sin, but they reacted differently to their failure. Judas focused on his sin and not the forgiveness of God. His remorse overwhelmed him, and he ultimately took his own life. When Peter realized his sin, he repented and asked God for forgiveness. Not long after, Peter preached on Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved the first day. 

Jesus chose to build the church on the biggest failure in the bunch. What a God! He didn’t choose the superstar. He chose the guy who had blown it the worst.

You may have really messed up financially or in other ways. But it doesn’t matter where you’ve been. What matters is the direction you are going right now.

In the parable of the talents we looked at yesterday in Matthew 25, a rich man entrusted his money to three servants before leaving on a long trip. When he returned, he asked for an account from the servants. Two of them had doubled the master’s money, but the third had been afraid and had hidden his portion instead of working and investing it. His fear disappointed and angered his master, who said, “Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver” (Matthew 25:28 NLT). The master took away everything the servant had been given.

When you try to do things God’s way, you may feel afraid. In fact, Satan will try to get you to ignore God’s principles for money management by making you afraid of failure or making you doubt your ability to be a good steward of God’s money. But if you’re going to be successful in life, you have to move against your fears. You have to do the very thing that you fear the most!

As Matthew 25:29 says, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away”. When you move forward in faith and follow God’s guidelines for financial peace, you will experience his blessing; like the servant, God may give you even more...

Talk It Over

What financial failure has kept you from moving forward with God’s financial principles for your life?

Do you pray for God to give you more financial responsibility as a steward of his money? Why or why not?

What is it about God’s way of handling money that makes you afraid to be obedient? Talk to God about those fears today.

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for the many blessings You have poured into our lives. Help us to cultivate a heart of contentment and gratitude, even when facing financial challenges or uncertainties. Guard our hearts from feelings of envy or dissatisfaction, and remind us daily of the abundance we have in You. 

        Give us wisdom to manage our finances responsibly and in ways that honor You. Teach us to resist impulsive spending and to embrace discipline in creating and following a budget. Help us prioritize You over material desires and to steward our resources for Your glory. May we be generous with what we have, sharing with others in need and trusting Your provision for our own needs. Inspire us to use our finances as a tool for good and to reflect Your love in all that we do. Thank You for Your unwavering guidance. Strengthen our faith as we trust in Your timing and direction. Help us to remain faithful, patient, and trusting in Your perfect timing. Remind us that Your plans are greater than our own, and that You are always working for our good. Help us remember that all we have and all we are comes from You and is meant to be used for Your glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - The Law of Possession

Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property. He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip.

Matthew 25:14-15 (GNT)

Jesus told a story about a rich man who entrusted his property to his servants while he was away on a long trip. When he returned, he asked each one for an account of how they’d handled his money.

The rich man was looking for good stewardship. The word stewardship is related to the Old English word for “manager.” Your stewardship, your management, is key to your financial freedom. The first law of financial freedom is the law of possession: Everything you have belongs to God; you are only a manager!

You are called to be a steward of your time. You are called to be a steward of your influence. You are called to be a steward of your health, your relationships, and your opportunities. God calls you to be a steward or manager of everything you have.

You may say, “But wait a minute! I worked for my money, and now you want to tell me it isn’t mine?” Where do you think you got your body to work for your money? Where do you think you got your mind to work for it? Where do you think you got the energy to work for it? Where do you think you got the intelligence to work for it? Everything you have comes from God.

You don’t really own anything in life; it’s all on loan. You only get to use God’s money while you’re here on earth. He’s loaned it to you for a few decades. He loaned it to somebody before you, and he’s going to loan it to somebody else after you die. You don’t own it; the Master owns it all. You just get to manage it.

Do you know what the sign is that you’ve forgotten the law of possession? When you think your money is yours, you worry about it. You feel pressure and stress that you weren’t meant to.

Money management is a spiritual discipline. God is watching how you handle his money to see what spiritual riches he can trust you with in heaven. This might make you feel pressure, but there is actually freedom in the law of possession.

When you remember that God is the owner and you are the manager, you’ll worry a whole lot less and focus more on managing God’s money well.

Talk It Over

If you were the manager of a business, would you have as much pressure to succeed as the owner? Would you still want the business to succeed as much as the owner did? Why or why not?

How do you learn a spiritual discipline like money management?

What role does prayer play in your financial decisions? Why is prayer important in money management?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          We come before You with a humble heart, recognizing that everything we are and everything we have belongs to You. You are the Creator of all, the Giver of life, and the Sustainer of every breath. Our time, our talents, our resources, and our very souls are Yours, entrusted to us for Your glory.
      Teach us to steward well what You have placed in our hands, never clinging to what is not ours, but joyfully offering it back to You. Help us to live with open hands and a willing spirit, knowing that Your plans are perfect and Your ownership is absolute. May our lives be a reflection of Your love, our actions testimonies of Your grace, and our hearts a place where You reign without rival. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - Terrific Servant or Terrible Master

[The] master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

Money is the acid test of your faithfulness. God uses it more than any other thing in your life to test your faith. Why? Because it’s the thing people have the hardest time with.

Look at the rewards God gives for wise money management: “[The] master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21 NIV).

The law of compensation is this: God will reward you for good money management. Matthew 25 suggests three steps of this reward: affirmation, promotion, and celebration.

It’s as if God affirms you by saying, “Good job! I was testing you to see if you could be trusted with what I gave you, and you passed the test. Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The second step is promotion. As you show faithfulness with a few things, God will give you greater responsibility. Then, as you show your responsibility, God will celebrate with you. You will share in God’s happiness!

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24 NIV).

Notice he doesn’t say you shouldn’t serve God and money. He says you can’t. It’s impossible. Nobody can serve two masters. So you’re going to have to decide what will be number one in your life: God or money.

Money is a terrific servant but a terrible master. When it masters you, you’re always under stress. You’re always worried. You’re always uptight about it. But when you master your money, when you make it your servant, it serves you. When money works for you, instead of you working for your money, you will have peace.

Talk It Over

If God audited your finances, what grade would he give you, and why?

When has your money mastered you? When have you mastered your money? What were the differences in your relationship with God during those times?

How can you manage your money more wisely so that it works for you instead of controlling you?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

           Thank You for every resource You’ve placed in our hands. We acknowledge that all we have comes from You, and we desire to honor You with it. Grant us wisdom to make decisions that reflect integrity and foresight. Teach us to live within our means, to save diligently, and to give generously. 
Guard our hearts from greed, fear, and comparison, and help us see money not as our security, but as a tool to serve others and fulfill Your purposes. May our stewardship bring peace to our home, blessing to those in need, and glory to Your name. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - Because Mercy

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7 (NLT)

Have you ever noticed that if you’re critical of others, they’re critical of you? If you’re kind to others, they’re kind to you? Or if you’re generous to others, they’re generous to you? Whatever you give in life, you’re going to get in return.

The same is true of God’s mercy. [Our verse for today -] Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (NLT)

But why does God want you to show mercy to others? Why is being merciful so important?

Because God has shown you mercy.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved” (GNT). God wants you to pass on (share) the mercy you’ve received from him.

Because God commands you to be merciful.
Do you want a summary of what life’s all about? Here it is: “The Lord has told you what is good. This is what the Lord requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 GW).

Because you’re going to need more mercy in the future.
You’re going to make a lot of mistakes between now and when you get to heaven, and you’re going to need God’s mercy. But you cannot receive what you are unwilling to give. James 2:13 says, “You must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment” (NCV).

Because showing mercy brings happiness.
Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful” (NIV). The word “blessed” also means “happy,” so the more you learn and demonstrate mercy, the happier and more blessed you’re going to be.

Because so many people in the world are living for themselves, showing mercy and grace to others will always stand out. Be known for your mercy as you model for others how good God has been to you, and you will make an eternal difference!

Talk It Over

What do you think it means to “love mercy”? (Micah 6:8)

How have you seen God bless you when you’ve shown mercy to someone—even when it was difficult to do?

Think of a way you could have shown mercy to someone in the last week but didn’t. How do you think it might have changed the outcome of that situation?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          You have shown us grace when we least deserved it, and kindness when we could offer nothing in return. Soften our hearts toward those who stumble, and open our eyes to see them as You see them— 
precious, loved, and worthy of compassion. When we are tempted to judge, remind us of the mercy You have poured over our lives. When we are hurt, teach us to respond with patience instead of anger. Let our words bring healing, and my actions reflect Your gentleness. Fill us with a love that forgives quickly, serves humbly, and seeks peace over pride. May our lives be a living testimony of the mercy we have received from You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen