Share your faith!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 20: Sharing My Faith”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“Do you really believe the message of the Bible?”
“Of course,” I thought.
“Do you really believe that the ONLY way to heaven is through trusting that Jesus lived, died and rose again for you?”
“Of course,” I thought.
“Do you really believe that anyone who DOES NOT believe will perish eternally in hell apart from God?”
“Of course,” I thought.
“If we believe that this is the truth of Scripture and that Jesus Christ is the only solution for sin and eternal life in heaven, then why do we struggle so much to share that good news?”
“Guilty as charged,” I thought.
Before I go on, I realize and I want you to realize you too are loved and forgiven in Jesus Christ. However, this dialogue I heard is compelling.
The Scripture is clear:
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
The Scripture is clear:
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
The Scripture is clear:
Mark 16:15 [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
The privilege is real.
Sharing our faith assumes we have faith to share. This is the first blessing. God has worked a confident trust in our hearts to believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The gift we have to share is first the gift we have been given.
The need is real.
All around us are people who don’t believe in Jesus, let alone know who Jesus is. The need for investing time in people, hearing their story, and connecting their story to Jesus is not lacking. Jesus encouraged: Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
The Gospel is real.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
So I pray the devotions this week are encouraging and practical to equip us all to better communicate fearlessly and clearly the mystery of the Gospel to the people we know and care about.
Ephesians 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Apply: Which of these Scriptures encourages you the most when you think about sharing your faith with others?
Prayer: Lord we pray that whenever we have opportunity to share our faith, you enable me to communicate your wonderful message of grace with boldness and clarity. AMEN.
Generosity…How can I do it more?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 19: Giving My Resources”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Generosity…How can I be more generous?
As we wrap up our week reflecting on generosity, perhaps the practical question is, “How can I be more generous?”
In the heart of a believer, God’s Spirit works a desire to give. Sometimes that desire gets stuck on the practical question, “How?”
So here are a few reflections on what helps a person be more generous.
- Always put the Lord first.
When you put the Lord first, you ask a different question. Instead of asking, “How can I use my money?” I ask, “Lord, how do you want me to use the wealth you’ve given to me?” When I ask this question, the answer always is, “Put the Lord first.” Set aside the first 10% of your income to give to the Lord. Honor the Lord with these first fruits.
But how can I afford to give 10% to the Lord?
- Plan the use of your money.
A regular budget allows you to plan your spending and help you make decisions on what to say “Yes” to and what to say “No” to. Spending more than you make leads to financial hardship and stress. Giving each dollar a plan helps to prevent over spending and foster generosity. A great resource to become debt free, plan every dollar and be extremely generous is Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. This program along with the “Every Dollar” App is a resource built on biblical principals to enable a strong and consist plan for the use of your money.
- Step out in faith, confident of the Lord’s promises.
In the area of giving, the Lord invites us to test him and see if he will not open his hand of blessing even further. In Malachi 3, he promises: 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
- Seek opportunities to be generous.
Look around at your church, people in your community or organizations with whom you interact. Start small and give a gift, help a cause, or bless an individual. Not only is their joy in the recipient, but the blessing comes when we give as well. Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
I’m sure there are more tips and experiences you have had – share them if you’d like.
Remember in all aspects of generosity:
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Apply: What is one thing that you can do today that will move you a baby step toward more generosity?
Prayer: Thank you Lord for all the generosity you have shown to us. Help us by your Spirit to live generously every day. AMEN.
Generosity…Is it worth it?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 19: Giving My Resources”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
What makes generosity so blessed?
For what would you ask if God invited you to ask for whatever you want and he would give it?
Tempting to ask for millions of dollars, a big new house, or the ability to ask unlimited requests of God.
One person was given this opportunity: Solomon
2 Chronicles 1:7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”
Solomon asked for wisdom. God gave that. Solomon didn’t ask for riches and wealth. God also gave that.
So not only was Solomon one of the richest men the world has ever known, he was the wisest.
So, it would make sense we could learn something about the blessings of wealth (and dangers) from the wealthiest, wisest person of all time.
Here’s a few of his sayings from the Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Generosity from the Lord leads to generosity toward the Lord which results in generosity from the Lord.
The blessing of giving to the LORD first is that he is faithful to bless you through what remains. While we don’t “give to get,” we do give and the Lord gives. With the earth being the Lord’s, I pretty sure you can’t out give the generosity of the Lord!
Proverbs 11:24-25
One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Generosity is counterintuitive. It would seem the more you give away the less you have. However, the more you give away, the more you “refresh others,” the more you will be refreshed.
The blessing of generosity is a heart that holds on to stuff loosely, to bring blessing to others.
Proverbs 11:28
Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
Wealth can give a false sense of security when we trust it more than the Lord. Wealth is not bad or evil, but the love of it is. If our heart trusts money to give us value, worth, and security, we are trusting wealth to do something only the Lord can do. When you think about it, why would you trust in the wealth God gives instead of trusting in the God who gives it?
There are many passages about wealth…the blessings of it and the warnings about it. When you focus on the blessings and promises about generosity, there is no reason not to be generous. Try it and see how the Lord blesses you!
Apply: Which of these proverbs is the most challenging for you? Ask the Lord to work greater trust, contentment and generosity in your heart and life.
Prayer: Lord thank you for all the wealth you have given to me. Help me to be content with what I have, generous in what you have given to me and always honoring you with the wealth entrusted to me. AMEN.
Generosity…what makes it so easy?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 19: Giving My Resources”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
What makes generosity easy?
Perhaps “easy” is a relative term. Generosity will always be a challenge as long as we have a sinful nature with which to contend.
So perhaps the question is, “What makes generosity…easier?”
The first century Macedonian Christians can help us out:
2 Corinthians 8:1-2 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
What is so ironic about the situation in Macedonia (northern part of modern Greece) is that Paul lists two situations in life that one MIGHT excuse generosity: Severe trial and extreme poverty.
Wouldn’t your first inclination be to let the Macedonians off the hook? Even though there was a need in Jerusalem and this gift was being gathered to help fellow Christians, the Macedonian Christians had a lot going on in their lives that it would be easy to say, “Don’t worry about it. Others who have more financial resources and are in a better place in life will carry the load.” It would have been easy for the Macedonian Christians to agree with that.
It is easy for us to agree with this and curtail our generosity or stop our giving when we are “in a tough time.” It is quite natural to think, “I am barely paying the bills. I will give when I have more money.” Or, “It’s a really tough time right now and we have a lot going on. When things settle down, then I’ll give.”
In severe trial and extreme poverty, it is easy to carry a selfish, scarcity mindset…and feel justified.
So what made rich generosity flow from severe trial and extreme poverty?
Grace.
That’s the only answer.
“We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.”
The message of Jesus had permeated the hearts of the Macedonian Christians. They understood that out of extreme poverty, Jesus lived. In severe trial, he died…for THEM!
This love was not something they earned or bought, it was freely given.
Therefore, it produced overflowing joy! Their trials faded in comparison to the suffering and death Jesus suffered for them. Their poverty was a non-issue when they realized the spiritual riches they had in Christ.
This overflowing joy produced by amazing grace resulted in rich generosity.
It can in you too.
It really does not matter your physical or financial circumstances, you can be generous at all times because the grace of God permeates and overshadows any physical or financial hardships.
In fact, when I focus on the Lord first, often the physical and financial hardships sort themselves out.
Jesus promised, “Seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)
The Macedonians were real examples.
Let the overflowing joy and the rich generosity that flows from the Gospel make it easy in any circumstance to be generous.
Apply: Who in your life has been an inspiration for generosity in your life? Was their inspiration because they were generous even in severe trial and extreme poverty? Perhaps!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me grace which leads to generosity no matter what my physical or financial situation is. AMEN.
Generosity…What makes it so hard?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 19: Giving My Resources”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
What makes generosity so hard?
Luke 18:18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
So what this so hard for the ruler? What makes generosity is hard?
Here’s some of my reflections. Perhaps you have others…please share them!
- Being generous means I have to fear, love and trust in God above ALL things!
Generosity entails having a heart that holds on loosely to the things of this world and holds on tightly to the things of God. Generosity means trusting that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” It means I trust that God is a God of abundance who is always willing to give. Generosity can only happen when my heart is engaged with the Lord and disengaged with stuff.
- Being generous is hard because it is always a battle with my selfish, sinful nature.
Children are naturally selfish. They want mom for themselves. They want food for themselves. They want toys for themselves. It’s the reality of our sinful nature that we inherit from our parents. Our natural inclination is to be selfish, not generous. With the Spirit’s help we can win this battle, but no one said it would be easy.
- Being generous is hard because money can become our security.
Ever stop and reflect why it is hard for you to be generous? Let me encourage you to do that. Perhaps it’s the reality that money and stuff are security and safety. If I give away too much I may not have enough for myself. It’s easy to give from our leftovers or things we don’t want. It’s these things that we give to the thrift store or junk for Jesus. It’s harder to be generous with things we are using or money we planned to use on our own needs and desires. It makes us nervous because money can easily become our security.
- Being generous is hard because we struggle with contentment.
The Apostle Paul said, Philippians 4:11 … I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Contentment is a learned expression of faith. In a country of plenty, we are bombarded with marketing to make us discontent with what we have and desire the new product that is being sold. Contentment is a status of stuff, it is a state of mind.
- Finally generosity is hard because we don’t manage our money well…or know how.
Perhaps one is so steeped in debt, living paycheck to paycheck with no margin, or just unaware of how to live on less than one earns. Practically we can spend much faster and easier than we earn. Often you can’t out earn your spending habits. Sometimes we just need help being better managers of what we do have. A great program is Dave Ramsey’s “Baby Steps” to financial freedom and the ability to give generously.
Generosity is a spiritual habit, but sometimes we just need to learn some practical skills as well.
The struggle is real to be generous. But remember what the Apostle Paul said just after remarking about learning to be content:
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”
Apply: Do you need help planning the use of your money? Look up Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Enroll online or find an in person location to help free your heart and your finances to be more generous!
Prayer: Lord, you promised that I can do all things with your strength. Give me your strength to overcome my love of money, to learn true contentment and practice regular generosity. AMEN.