Promise for Today - Give It Away

Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

John 12:24 (NIV)

What does a farmer do when he has a barren field that’s producing no income? He doesn’t complain about it. He doesn’t even have to pray about it! He just goes out and starts planting seed, because nothing is going to happen until he plants the seed. He can pray all he wants, but prayer doesn’t replace planting.

Maybe you think you’re waiting on God. You think you’re waiting on God for that job. You think you’re waiting on God for a spouse. You think you’re waiting on God for the windfall. But God might be saying to you, “You think you’re waiting on me? I’m waiting on you! I’m waiting for you to plant a seed.”

Everything in life starts as a seed: a relationship, a marriage, a business, a church. And nothing happens until the seed is planted. Why does God require you to plant a seed? Because planting is an act of faith. You take what you’ve got, and you give it away. That takes faith, and it brings glory to God.

Jesus described this principle of sowing and reaping when he explained why he came to earth to die on the cross. In John 12:24, Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (NIV). Jesus was saying, “People will be saved and go to heaven because of my death and resurrection. I’m going to plant a seed, and the seed is going to be my life.”

Here’s the principle of sowing and reaping: Whenever you have a need, plant a seed. Whatever you need—more time, more energy, more money, more support, more relationships, more wisdom—just plant a seed. If you need more time, give more time to your kids. If you need more money, give it away to someone who needs it. If you need more wisdom, share what wisdom you have with others. Give yourself away!

It may not make sense to you to give away something that you need more of, but that is exactly the kind of attitude that God wants to bless and that will produce fruit in your life.

Talk It Over

What need have you been waiting on God to provide?

What do you think God might be waiting for you to do about that need? What seed can you plant today?

What kind of results do you see in yourself and others when you plant a seed and give of yourself? How is God building your character through that?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

           We come before You, asking for Your grace to transform us into more generous people. Help us to see that everything we have—time, talents, resources, and love—comes from You and belongs to You. Remove every form of selfishness, fear, or reluctance that holds us back from giving freely .
         Lord, we pray for a cheerful giving heart, one that flows from joy and gratitude rather than obligation. Teach us to give without reservation, whether it’s our time, our words, our encouragement, or our material blessings. Let our generosity reflect Your boundless love and compassion, and may our actions be a beacon of hope and kindness to those around us.
         Help us to overcome the fear of lack and to trust that You are our Provider. Give us wisdom in how, when, and where to give, so that our generosity blesses others and glorifies Your name.
         We ask You to break down the walls of scarcity in our spirit and replace them with a desire to bless. May our lives overflow with generosity, and may we be a vessel of Your grace, pouring out love and compassion to all we meet. 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 - Wise Investments

Though I appreciate your gifts, what makes me happiest is the well-earned reward you will have because of your kindness. 

Philippians 4:17 (TLB)

Every time you’re generous, you invest in your eternal home.

Jesus called this principle “storing up treasure in heaven.” He actually used this phrase six times in the Bible! When Jesus says something six times, you'd better pay attention. If you don’t, you’re going to miss seeing the blessing.

In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal”.

Most people get less than 100 years on this planet. And when you leave, you leave all earthly treasure behind. But you will get to enjoy your heavenly treasure for eternity.

So how do you store up treasure in heaven? How do you send it on ahead? One of the best ways to do that is by investing in people. And I’m not talking about earning your salvation, because that’s already been secured by Jesus.

God wants you to invest in people because those investments have eternal effects and rewards. There are only two things that will last forever: the Word of God and people. People will spend eternity in either heaven or hell, and your investment in someone could make all the difference.

Philippians 4:17 says in The Living Bible paraphrase, “Though I appreciate your gifts, what makes me happiest is the well-earned reward you will have because of your kindness.”

Paul wrote to the Philippians to express his appreciation for their support. But he said what meant the most—what brought him the most joy—was knowing that their sacrifice and generosity gave them treasure in heaven. They invested in him, but they also invested in their eternal home.

You will be rewarded for everything you’ve given away. Are you giving away your time? You’re going to be rewarded in heaven. Are you giving away your energy? You’re going to be rewarded in heaven. Are you giving away your money? You’re going to be rewarded in heaven.

There are opportunities all around you to be generous with your love, time, energy, and money, and invest in your eternal home. Don’t miss them!

Talk It Over

In what ways are you using your time, energy, and money to invest in people?

Is it hardest for you to be generous with your time, with your energy, or with your money? Ask God for faith to be generous in that area so that you can experience his blessing.

How can you cultivate a lifestyle of storing treasure in heaven rather than here on earth?
- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Forgive us for being selfish with our love, our time, energy, and our money. Help us to keep uppermost in our minds to be like You - indescribably, overwhelmingly generous to all and in all. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Simple Truth

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."
Hebrews 13:5 NLT

Money is not evil. The issue is when someone loves money, they can never get enough and oftentimes will compromise or altogether abandon their moral compass to gain more. The love of it is evil because it will corrupt one's life - greed, selfishness, envy - all leading to discontent. 

Having wealth is not evil. Keeping everything submitted to the Lordship of Christ keeps everything holy. It's that simple... and that difficult. The simple truth is God has promised that He will never fail us nor ever abandon us. He is I AM. There isn't anything money can buy that Jesus hasn't already brought to the table. Colossians 1:15-17 tells us, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Knowing this simple, yet extraordinary truth is why we can be more than satisfied with what we have. 

Prayer:

Father, 

          You are the Great I AM, Maker of Heaven and Earth. You pursued us, loving us so much You sent Your Son to pay the price to redeem us, and He willingly came. Help us to be submitted to You and Your will like Jesus was and is submitted - in all things, laying down our will and our desires for what You have ordained. In His Name we pray. Amen

What Are You Doing with That?

“The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. ' "
Matthew 25:24-27 The Message

If you knew it was your last day to speak wisdom and truth to those you love, what would you say? What words would you leave with them that would and could and should make the difference in how they live out their days? Have you ever thought about that?

Jesus spent the day teaching from morning until night. He reminded them of His impending death AND His return. He instructed them to be watchful of the signs. He taught about being prepared for the day of His return. And in our Promise for Today passage, He teaches us to use well what God has given us. It's not about how much we have; it's about how we use what He has given us because we will all give an accounting come Judgement Day. Scary, hunh?

Jesus gave it ALL for our salvation. What He asks when we return to Him is that we give Him what HE gave us to begin with - our life. That's not asking too much, is it? And even if it was asking too much, He has the right...

Read what Jesus said at the end of chapter 25, regarding the one man who buried the talent that he'd been given. Matthew 25:28-30, ‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’

Prayer:

Father,
            Your Word tells us if we try to hang on to our life, we will lose it, but if we give up our life for Your sake, You will save us. Please save us, O God! Let us learn from Your example and give it ALL to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

How Do You Spell LOVE?

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
1st John 3:18 NLT

God is serious about love - that's because He doesn't just love us. He IS love. Of the 10 Commandments, six of them address how we are to be in our relationships with other people. The other four? Our relationship with God Himself.

If you've ever fallen in love, you know that the only thing you want is to be with that person. You can't wait to get out of work or school, chores are done in record time so that nothing interferes with being with that person.

How do you spell LOVE?  W-O-R-K? M-O-N-E-Y? M-O-R-E M-O-N-E-Y?

Are we guilty of trying to squeeze love and our relationships into our busy schedules? That should be a BIG hint.

How do you spell LOVE? T-I-M-E

Pr. Warren writes, "The most desired gift of love is...focused attention...Whenever you give your time, you are making a sacrifice, and sacrifice is the essence of love." He finishes that truth with these three statements.

"The best use of life is love.
The best expression of love is time.
The best time to love is now."

So...what are we waiting for?

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to see what is MOST important in life is not work, tasks, projects, things, but people. Imperfect people, at that. Teach us to love as You love - holy and wholly. And to give of ourselves as You did and do. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What'd You Do?

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:17 NLT

I've heard this story taught from every angle about money, but I think even though according to 1st Timothy 6:10, ...the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows, the root of this particular young man's trouble was in his I. What must I do to inherit eternal life? as though it was within the young man's power to do whatever it took to obtain eternal life. His reluctance and refusal to sell all that he had exposed his pride in his possessions and self-worth/sufficiency.

It is only through Christ - the way, the truth and the life - that we can get to the Father (John 14:6). Acts 4:12 tells us, There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

What'd you DO to obtain eternal life? We called on His Name - the only Name by which we must be saved.

Prayer:

Father,
             Open our eyes to see the truth about ourselves and what we hold most dear. Open our hearts to fully receive Your Word and to walk in understanding of it. Expose everything in our lives that is out of order when it comes to our relationship with You and anything that puts us in danger of self-sufficiency and pride. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In God We Trust +

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 6:24 NLT

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
1st Timothy 6:10

The American currency is inscribed with "In God We Trust" - is it true? Or is our trust in the currency itself? 

If - as a Christian in covenant with God through our tithe and offering - we lost everything we owned today, how would we respond or react?

Heart check. Do we truly trust in God or are we trusting in our paycheck, our savings account, our retirement fund?

To find the answer is really quite simple: What do we fear losing the most? 

Prayer:

Father,
          You are our Jehovah-Jireh. Everything we have is because You have provided it for us. Even in the darkest of times, Father, You never abandon Your own. And we give You all praise and glory and honor in Jesus' Name. Amen

* Yes! You Can!!

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

Matthew 25:14-15 NLT

Have you ever blown something out of proportion or been around someone who has? It's shocking to me how quickly some small, insignificant something can be so distorted. However, I guess it shouldn't be when you stop to consider the snake behind it all spewing slander, self-righteousness and false pride to fuel the flame - in his effort to divide and conquer. 

And that same devil sure has a heyday with this Scripture. Can't you just hear him back then - in the ear of the servant who only got one bag of silver (in the KJV - one talent - which refers to a weight measurement of approximately 75lbs - not a talent as we define it today - musician, singer, preacher, etc). Can't you just imagine the thoughts going through that "one talent" servant's head? What about today?

     Oh, he got five!

     Oh, he got two!

     I only got one! What's up with that? That's not fair. He obviously doesn't think I can handle more than that. Well, I know how he thinks. I'll show him. I'll hide it someplace safe so when he comes back, I'll give every bit of it right back to him."

But the Truth is, we don't know how He thinks... Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  

I cannot possibly tell you how many times I've read this portion of Scripture. And every time I've read it, I missed the part about dividing it in proportion to their abilities. God, in His infinite love and mercy, gives each of us what He knows we can do using what He Himself gives us. 

Yes, there are people who know how to make money. They're good at it - because it's a God-given ability, but those same people are generally not the same people who can sit with a hurting soul and pour in loving comfort. Is one more important than the other? I guess it depends on what your need is. That could be why one gets 5 and the other 2 and the other only 1. It could just be a matter of how much time is needed to extend or expend the gift(s). Does that put it back into proportion for you?

Can you take what God has gifted you with and multiply it to those made in His image (every living human being)? Yes, you can! Remember what He said...dividing it in proportion to their abilities.  Discover the Truth about the verse. 

One more time - God, in His infinite love and mercy, gives each of us what He knows we CAN do using what He Himself gives us. 

Go on! Do it! Yes! You can!!

Prayer:

Father,

        You are the Author and the Finisher of our faith and our ability and our very lives. Help us to see You in all that we've been given as a blessing or given to BE a blessing. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen