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 - 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

Trouble Ahead?

 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get. And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.

Luke 6:24-25 The Message

    There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it. “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

Luke 6:24-38 The Message

Prayer:

Father,

        Help us to remember that our task is to be true, not popular. Give us the courage to stand up for what is true and not popular. Remind us that it's not all about us and what we want, when we want it. Cause us to give away our lives as You gave Yours for us. Show us the way, Lord, and help us to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lay Up Your Treasure...

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
Isaiah 32:8 NLT

I was reminded of this tonight and wanted to share it again. It's a great story of God's blessings and rewards for a generous heart. 

I had lunch with an old friend who I hadn't seen in awhile. We tried to catch up on everything we could, talking non-stop in an extended lunch visit. It was good. My friend told me an amazing story of how their extended family had been lost from them for more than 40 years, and over the years, they had tried to find them without success - but how they were finally able to search out the cousins, the offspring of an aunt who had always been very kind and very generous. I could see love's glow remembered in my friend's eyes and I could tell just how loving the woman had been. It was a wonderful story to hear and I was very excited at all the good news of it.

The cousin who was first found later went to her sibling and said, "You will never guess who called me." To her shock, her brother said my friend's name without hesitation... keeping in mind, it had been 40 years. When asked how he knew, he replied that his cousin had been on his mind for a couple weeks... the same amount of time my friend had been searching this last time around! God has such a sweet way of answering the desires of our hearts.

We talked the rest of the time about all their plans to reunite face to face and as we were standing in the parking lot saying goodbye, my friend said, "Before we go, I want to tell you one more thing about my aunt..."  

It turns out that the aunt and cousins were very poor when they were all growing up, but it never stopped them from giving to others. The woman's life personified generous hospitality, with the emphasis on generous. The daughter of the amazing woman told this story. Her mother used to go to the grocery store and pick up the wooden fruit crates from the trash bin in back. She would then take them home, break them down, and tie them in bundles to sell for firewood to have money to buy coal to heat their home. One Christmas, the woman worked twice as hard to get enough money - not for toys for her children - but to get enough to buy an extra load of coal.

When the coal cart driver came, she pressed that money into his hand and said, "I want you to use this to buy coal for the poorest family on your route. I can't bear to think of anyone being cold on Christmas."

The driver was overcome by emotion and tried to hand back the money, but she insisted. Finally, when he could speak through his tears, he replied, "Missus, you are my poorest family..."

Poorest by the world's standards, but richest in the eyes of God.

Today, all three of her children are very successful in their careers of choice (which involve helping others in one form or another) and all are able to travel to different parts of the world. God's Word has much to say about those who are generous in spirit. Don't you just love it?

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for orchestrating such a wonderful reunion for my friend! Such a loving and generous thing for You to do!! Lord, change our hearts and cause us to be more like You! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Is There Trouble Ahead? *

But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get. And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.

Luke 6:24-25 The Message

    There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it. “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

Luke 6:24-38 The Message

Prayer:

Father,

        Help us to remember that our task is to be true, not popular. Give us the courage to stand up for what is true and not popular. Remind us that it's not all about us and what we want, when we want it. Cause us to give away our lives as You gave Yours for us. Show us the way, Lord, and help us to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen