Saturday, June 28, 2008

Day 28. Keep on being Generous

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1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.





Gal 6:9-10 Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up. That's why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers.




Just Like In Monopoly, It All Goes Back In the Box


"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart" Job 1:21



When Charles B. Darrow proposed a new board game called Monopoly to Parker Brothers in 1934, the all-knowing executives rejected it due to "52 design errors"! But Darrow, a true believer, started printing and selling the game himself. The rest is history.



John Ortberg writes of growing up with a grandmother who was a ruthless competitor at Monopoly. She played against her grandchildren and won nearly every time.



But one day young John managed to win. As most kids will do, he made the most of his rare victory; he raked all the play money, tokens and markers toward him and gloated arrogantly in his triumph.



The grandmother smiled and said, "Just remember, John—it all goes back in the box. All the money, all the hotels and motels and game tokens; at the end of the game, it all goes back in the box!"

Source: Men of Integrity Magazine, Sept/Oct 2000 issue



Realize that everything you have, must go back in the box! You have to leave everything to someone.

Isn’t it wise to give during your lifetime to the Someone who gave you everything you have? And remember: A shroud has no pockets. And although you can’t take it with you, you can send it on ahead!



Heb 6:10-12 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.





Phil 4:17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.







Giving is a giant lever positioned on the fulcrum of this world, allowing us to move mountains in the next world. Because we give, eternity will be different— for others and for us. Randy Alcorn



I have watched over 100,000 families over my years of investment counseling. I always saw greater prosperity and happiness among those families who tithed than among those who didn’t. Sir John Templeton






Realize that everything you have, must go back in the box! You have to leave everything to someone.

Isn’t it wise to give during your lifetime to the Someone who gave you everything you have? And remember: A shroud has no pockets. And although you can’t take it with you, you can send it on ahead!

4th WEEK PROJECT



FOCUSING ON YOUR GIVING



Identify: “What ministries and projects do you care about and want to support?”



“You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ.” Philemon 5-7



WEEK #4

MAKING $ENSE:

Possible questions to think

about or discuss…



1. Are you a systematic giver, spontaneous giver or a little of both?



2. If you have children, what have you done to help them become faithful and generous givers?



3. When you filled out the worksheet for this week’s project, “Focusing on Your Giving”, what surprised you or caught your attention in doing this exercise?



4. How have you determined how much you will give to your local church? How do you give (cash, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, yearly, sporadically, loose cash you have on you, etc.)?



5. What other types of ministries or needs do you like to give to?



6. Do you take into consideration the tax implications of your giving? Why or why not?



7. What truth or Bible verse from the past 7 days of reading stood out to you the most?



8. How do you make sure you are faithful in your giving to the Lord (i.e. write the check/s monthly, keep track in a bookkeeping program, put the Lord’s money in a special place, etc.)?



9. If married, do you agree on whatever giving you are going to do OR does each person have freedom do give OR is there one of you that is the main decider on where and how much you’ll give?



10. If you have children, do your children know how much you give, where you give and why you give? Why or why not?



11. Have you ever given an amount of money to the Lord’s work that felt totally extravagant (and almost foolish) when you did it? What was it for? Have you ever regretted doing this?

Friday, June 27, 2008

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Day 26 - God blesses you financially so that you can be a blessing to others

Prov 10:16 The good man's earnings advance the cause of righteousness. The evil man squanders his on sin.

Ps 67:6 God will bless us. And peoples from remotest lands will worship him.

Prov 11:24 It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.

Deut 15:7-8, 10-11 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother….Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Heb 6:10-11 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

2 Cor 9:8 God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.


Do your givin' while you are livin'— then you're knowin' where it's goin'.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Day 24-extravagant giving


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Some people are called to extravagant giving.


Mark 10:21-25 Jesus looked at him (the young rich man) and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."





I Kings 19:19-21 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you."…So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.



Mark 14:3 A woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume (worth a year’s wages), made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on (Jesus’) head.



Acts 4:34-37 From time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.



What is the most precious and financially valuable item(s) in your life? Would you ever consider giving this item (or the proceeds from the sale of this item) so you could worship the Lord through extravagant generosity?

Day 25- The Power of one or a small group

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Day 25 - God can do great things through one person or a group that is devoted to Him

2 Chron 16:9 The eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them.

1 Sam 14:6-13 "Let's go across to see those pagans," Jonathan said to his armor bearer. "Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" "Do what you think is best," the youth replied. "I'm with you completely, whatever you decide." …So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell back as Jonathan and his armor bearer killed them right and left.

Judges 7:7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the (120,000) Midianites into your hands.”

2 Chron 14:9,11 Zerah marched out against (God’s people) with a vast army…Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."… (and) The LORD struck down the Cushites.

Zech 4:6 “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD Almighty.

1 Sam 17:45-47 David shouted (to Goliath), "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty -- the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head….And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!"
Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.
William Carey

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Day 22 - God has a high regard for a Christian in humble financial circumstances

Sorry No video today!!!

James 1:9-11 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.





James 2:5-6 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?





2 Cor 8:2-4 Though (the Macedonian Christians) have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others. They gave not only what they could afford but far more; and I can testify that they did it because they wanted to…They begged us to take the money so they could share in the joy of helping the Christians in Jerusalem.



DO WHAT YOU CAN

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything,

But still I can do something.

And because I cannot do everything,

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Edward Hale 1822