Promise for Today - God's 5G Plan - Grace, Giving, Generosity, Gratitude, Greater

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NIV)

One way to measure how much you understand grace and how much you’re living by grace, look at your giving.

The Bible says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NIV).

Notice the “alls” in that Scripture: “all things,” “at all times,” “having all that you need.” Those are the promises related to the person who’s becoming like Christ. What is Christ like? He is a giver. God loved the world so much that he gave. And as you learn to be generous—with your time, hospitality, money, resources, and opportunities—you start to look like Jesus. Nothing is greater proof that you understand grace than being lovingly gracious and generous to other people and to God.

If you feel tense or defensive when your pastor starts talking about giving, it may mean you don’t fully understand grace. Look at the Scripture again. It says that God loves a cheerful giver and is able to take care of all your needs—all the time, in every way, however you need them.

Here’s the question: Are you going to trust the God who gave his life for you? If you can trust him enough for salvation, can’t you trust him with everything he’s given to you, including your finances?

The truth is, you really don’t own anything. God just loans it to you for 70 or 80 years. It’s all his in the first place!

God gives to us generously. Then he says, “Lead a life of gratitude. Be generous in giving.” Does God need your gifts? No. He wants you to become like him. He wants you to have a heart that says, “I can’t wait to give in every area.”

Romans 8:32 says, “Since [God] did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (NLT).

You can say you love God and sing that you trust God and put him first, but how generous you are with everything he’s given you is where you can show just how much his grace means to you.

Talk It Over

Would you call yourself a cheerful giver? Why or why not?

How have you seen God bless your finances or provide for you as you have been faithful to tithe?

In what ways does your life reflect gratitude for God’s grace?

-by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for the gift of grace that meets us where we are, even when we fall short. Open our hearts and minds to understand the depth of Your love and the beauty of Your mercy. Teach us to see every blessing, both big and small, as a reminder of Your goodness.
      When we face confusion, grant us wisdom to see with clarity. When we are impatient, remind us of the patience You have shown us. Let our gratitude grow deeper each day, so that our lives reflect the kindness and compassion You have poured into us.
      May we never take Your grace for granted, but instead live in a way that honors the gift You so freely give. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Overestimating Strength

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 

1 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT)

Failure is part of life. No matter who you are or what your story is, you’re going to experience failure at some point. It’s part of living as an imperfect person in an imperfect world.

Before Jesus went to the cross, on the night that he was arrested, his friend Peter failed him in a significant way. Peter denied Jesus—not just once but three times.

During the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples he was going to be arrested, die, and three days later come back to life. He said to the disciples, “Tonight all of you will desert me” (Matthew 26:31 NLT). Yet Peter kept insisting he would never deny Jesus. In fact, Peter said three times, “I will never”!

Peter overestimated his strength—and it eventually led to his failure.

Overestimating your strength is still a common cause of failure today when you think you’re stronger than you really are—when you believe you can handle temptation.

When people overestimate their strengths, there are dire consequences: Businesses fail, battles are lost, and spouses are tempted into affairs.

You might think, “That could never happen to me.” But 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall” (NLT).

No one is exempt. Given the right situation, you are capable of any sin, and so am I.

When you don’t pay attention to your strengths, they become weaknesses. In other words, an unguarded strength becomes a double weakness because you have a sense of pride about it.

Peter’s biggest failure, denying Christ, happened right after the Last Supper, a very intimate and powerful experience. The very area where you’ve had a major victory may be exactly where you stumble next.

Resist the temptation to overestimate your strengths. Instead, remember you are a sinful human who needs God’s grace and mercy. Keep your strengths in perspective so they don’t become your point of failure.

Talk It Over

When has overestimating one of your strengths led to failure?

What is a strength you know you need to pay more attention to so it doesn’t become a weakness?

How does God’s Word help you keep your strengths in perspective?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

            Help us to remember and trust that our strength comes from You, not from our own abilities, and that we are to walk humbly before You. We come before You today with a heart that longs for confidence - not the kind that boasts in our own strength, but the kind that is rooted in the truth of who You created us to be. You are our Maker, our Shepherd, and our Guide. Yet, Lord, there are moments when we doubt ourselves, when fear and insecurity creep in, and when we feel unworthy or incapable. 

       We confess that we often rely on our own power, forgetting that Your grace is sufficient for us, and Your power is made perfect in our weakness. We ask that You fill us with a holy confidence - not arrogance, not pride, but a deep, unshakable assurance that You have given us everything we need to fulfill Your Plan for our lives and for Your kingdom. Help us to see ourselves through Your eyes, not through the lens of our past failures, our weaknesses, or the opinions of others. 

     When we feel afraid, remind us that You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. When we feel inadequate, remind us that Your grace is sufficient and in You, we lack nothing. Lord, silence the lies that tell us we must be strong on our own. Replace them with Your Truth - that our strength is not found in ourselves, but only in You. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen

Promise for Today - Sustaining Grace

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

1 Peter 5:12 (NLT)

There are three things that can cause you to stumble in your race and not finish well in life. But in each of these situations, God’s sustaining grace will get you through.

1. God’s sustaining grace helps you avoid sinning when you’re tempted.

Temptation is the first thing that can cause you to stumble. The Bible says, “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT). God will provide the sustaining grace you need to escape. It may mean turning the channel, running out the door, or changing the way you’re thinking. But God will provide a way to escape temptation.

2. God’s sustaining grace helps you keep standing when you’re tired.

Sometimes you’re not tempted. Sometimes you’re just tired! Life requires a lot of energy, especially when you’re trying to do the right thing rather than the easy thing. But where do you get the power to do the right thing when you’re tired? “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has . . . identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NLT). The key is the Holy Spirit in you, who gives you the energy to do the things you can’t do in your own power.

3. God’s sustaining grace helps you keep going when you’re troubled.

There are some hurts in life that are unrelenting and undeserved—and they hurt the most. What do you do in those situations? You first stop playing the “if only” game and instead focus on Christ and his sustaining power. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (NLT).

Talk It Over

How has God’s sustaining grace carried you through difficult times?

What do you think it means to play the “if only” game? When have you used this excuse?

How can you extend God’s sustaining grace to others?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

            We come before You with humble hearts, acknowledging that we cannot save ourselves or sustain ourselves through our own strength. We declare that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, and this is not from ourselves; it is Your gift to us according to Your Word. (Ephesians 2:8). We thank You for the salvation, strength, and hope You freely give, and we commit our lives to daily walk in the path You have laid before us. When we feel weak, remind us that Your power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Help us to lean on You, to trust that Your mercy is always available, and that we may approach Your throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).
       Father, teach us to be humble, for You give grace to the humble (James 4:6). When trials, temptations, or burdens come, cover us with Your grace, strengthen us to stand firm, and guide our steps in wisdom and kindness. We pray that our lives will reflect the love of Jesus Christ, that we will forgive as we have been forgiven, and that we will extend to others the mercy You have shown us.
       Lord, let our daily walk be marked by our dependence on You, not on our own strength. Keep our hearts humble, our spirits renewed, and our lives anchored in Your unending grace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - What's Your Worth?

Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you. See, I have tattooed your name upon my palm.

Isaiah 49:15-16 (TLB)

When you find yourself stuck in a cycle of overworking, you need to remember your value to God.

This is the exact opposite of basing your worth on your work, your career, or your full-time role. It is countercultural and may require a major change in your thinking, especially if a little voice in your head keeps saying, “You’ve got to prove you matter.”

One reason people can't relax is that they confuse their work and their worth. They confuse their net worth with their self-worth. They think, “If I work really hard and succeed at work, then I am valuable. If I'm not productive, then I'm not valuable.” That's a lie! But in Western culture, our identity often revolves around our work, so we overwork in an attempt to prove ourselves. We believe that if we achieve a lot, then we must be worth a lot.

But your significance has nothing to do with your job, your career, or your achievements.

You don’t have to prove your worth. God says that you are already extremely valuable. You’ll never be more valuable to God than you are right now, but you’ll never be less valuable to God than you are right now, either.

How valuable are you? Your heavenly Father created you. Jesus died for you. And if you are a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you.

God doesn’t create anything without purpose or intention. The fact that you’re alive means God loves you and wants you alive. You’re priceless. You’re a masterpiece. It’s not what you do that gives you worth, but Who you belong to.

Did you know that God has a tattoo of you? The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you. See, I have tattooed your name upon my palm” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Are you perfect? Absolutely not. Are you broken? Yes. Are you a sinner? Yes. But are you of infinite value? Yes! And you are deeply loved by God.

He has already proved your worth on the cross.

Talk It Over

To whom have you been trying to prove yourself? Why?

How does knowing how much God values you help you rest?

How do you think your work experience would change if you were trying to please only God with your work and not anybody else?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

        Help us to see ourselves the way You see us - fearfully and wonderfully made, created in Christ Jesus to do the good works that You prepared in advance for us to do. Reveal and remove every lie that makes us feel less than who we are, and open our eyes to recognize our true worth and identity in You. Let our confidence be rooted in Your Truth, not in our achievements, appearance, or in others’ opinions. Teach us to embrace who You’ve made us to be, to love ourselves as You love us, and to walk boldly in the purpose You’ve set for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - In Light of Failure

When you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.

Luke 22:32 (NLT)

Before Peter had even failed, Jesus gave him a vision of how God could use his failure for good.

When you’re in the middle of a failure, it can seem like nothing good will ever come from it. But God can always bring good from your failures. In fact, your worst failure can become your greatest success. If you let him, God will use your failures to build his church!

After Peter’s failure (when he denied Jesus three times), Jesus died and then was resurrected. And when he and Peter met again on a seashore, Jesus pointed him to the good that God would bring out of his failure. Here’s how the conversation went:

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep’” (John 21:15-17 NIV).

Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Why did he ask that three times? He was giving Peter the opportunity to make up for the three times he had denied Jesus.

And each time, Jesus gave Peter another way to use his failure for good: “Feed my lambs...Take care of my sheep... Feed my sheep.”

On the same night that Peter had denied Jesus, another disciple, Judas, also failed Jesus. But ultimately, Judas became a traitor to Jesus, while Peter chose to become a teacher and a leader.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (ESV).

God is still building his church by using people who’ve failed. In fact, God only uses failed people—because there aren’t any perfect people!

What are you going to become in light of your failure? It’s your choice.

Talk It Over

What is one way you want to see God use your failure for good? Do you believe that he can do more than you could even ask or imagine?

Think of a fellow Christian you admire. How have you seen God turn a great failure into a great ministry in their life?

What big failure have you experienced? Are you ready to surrender it to God today so you can see how he can bring good from it?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

         We come before You, acknowledging the challenges and failures we have faced. We recognize that You are the Source of divine guidance and strength, enabling us to rise above every setback. Help us to remember that failure does not define us but is a stepping stone toward success. Grant us courage to face our fears, wisdom to learn from our mistakes, and resilience to overcome and persevere in every situation. Replace our doubts with faith, our fear with confidence, and our discouragement with hope. We receive Your favor, blessings, and victory in every area of our lives, offering thanksgiving and praise to You, in Jesus' Name. Amen

Promise for Today - Think Eternal

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Two verses in the Bible are written by the same author but seem to send opposite messages:

1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (NIV). That’s pretty clear!

But John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world...” (NIV). That looks like a big contradiction right there.

However, “the world” is used two ways in these verses. The first verse refers to the world’s value system, and the second refers to the world’s people. Followers of Jesus are to love people, no matter what choices they make. On the other hand, we are to hate the world’s value system, including things like status, selfishness, and sexual immorality. The problem is that we often get it reversed. We love the value system and hate the people. We do this all the time. Instead of being different, we’re often just as materialistic and hedonistic as the culture we live in. But that’s backwards from how God calls us to live.

For the rest of your life, you’ll face great pressure to conform to the culture. This was Israel’s biggest problem for thousands of years. They wanted to be like other nations. Yet God gave them all kinds of moral, civil, and ceremonial laws to make them different on purpose.

God has done the same for you and me. We don’t live under Old Testament Law, but God has told us exactly how we should live and how to get the wisdom and power to stand out in this world: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

One reason you may not know what God wants you to do in life is that you may be too assimilated to your culture. Often this happens without you realizing it. But you can’t think like the world and think like God thinks. You have to make a choice.

The problem with following culture is that it’s all temporary. You need to follow something eternal: God’s Word.

Fill your mind with God’s truth, and let it transform your life by helping you love people without loving the world’s value system.

Talk It Over

Write down several areas of your life (family, career, church involvement, etc.) and the top five values that drive you in each area. In what ways are those values based on what culture values? In what ways are they based on God’s Word?

Why do you think that temporary things often feel satisfying in the short-term?

In what ways are you loving people like God loves them?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

         Teach our hearts the rhythm of Your own - where patience flows like a quiet river, and kindness blooms without condition. Let us see each soul as You behold them: not by the shadow of their failings, but by the light You breathed into their being. If we are wronged, anchor us in forgiveness deeper than the wound; when we are weary, fill us with the strength that serves without counting the cost. Break the walls of our selfishness, till our love is not ours, but Yours - a love that seeks no return, that gives as the sun gives, that holds as the sky holds, that endures as eternity endures. Teach us to walk in Your love so completely that we extend it to everyone around us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Unqualified?

Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.

Romans 6:13 (TLB)

There is no greater joy than to be used by God for a purpose bigger than yourself. Nothing compares to that feeling you get the moment you realize, “This is it! This is why I’m alive. I get it now.”

If you’ve never had this feeling, you’re missing out. The purpose of life isn’t to get an education, get a job, make money, and retire before you die. Your life is far more significant than your career. You were made for eternal purposes. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes” (Romans 6:13 TLB).

The problem is, many people secretly fear that God could never use them. Some people feel disqualified because of their past sins and mistakes. Others feel unqualified because they don’t feel like they have the right education, talents, or background.

Maybe you feel one of those two ways—disqualified or unqualified. But you only have to look at the life of the apostle Paul to know that God wants to use you in ways you can’t even imagine.

Nobody in history has been used by God more than Paul. Paul almost single-handedly spread Christianity all over the Roman Empire. He planted churches everywhere. He wrote about half of the New Testament. He lived with purpose to please God.

But do you know what Paul was doing before he became a preacher, a pastor, and a church planter? He was an anti-Christian crusader. He went from village to village persecuting Christians, having them thrown into prison. Paul was the exact opposite of someone you’d think God could use.

Paul wrote, “You know what I was like . . . how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. . . . But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace” (Galatians 1:13, 15 NLT).

Your past does not preclude your future. Your past is past. It doesn’t disqualify you from being used by God. The same is true with the kinds of opportunities you’ve had or didn’t have. They don’t make you unqualified. God chose you and called you, and he wants to use you today because of “his marvelous grace.”

Talk It Over

What sins or mistakes from your past make you feel disqualified to be used by God? What aspects of yourself or your story make you feel unqualified?

Who in your life is like Paul—someone who made a lot of mistakes but eventually was used by God in great ways? How does that person’s story encourage you?

Describe a time you knew God was using you for a purpose bigger than yourself. What characterized your life during that time? How can you make yourself available to be used by God in similar ways today?

No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you’ve got a place in God’s forever family.
It’s ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive. Simply pray this prayer:

 “Dear God, I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and turn toward you.

“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough on my own to get into a perfect place.

“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

- by Pastor Rick