March 19 2017 Creating A Spiritual Legacy

Creating A Spiritual Legacy

Memory Verse: Matthew 25:21 (NIV)"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!"

Mark 10:45 (NIV) Jesus, "I did not come to be served, but to SERVE, and to GIVE my life as a ransom for many."

THE TWO WAYS TO CREATE A LEGACY

1. By living a life of service.

Eph. 2:10 (NCV)"God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for its to live our lives doing."

Rom. 6:13b (LB)"Give yourselves completely to God - every part of you you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes."

Acts 20:24 (NLT)"My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about Gods wonderful kindness and love."

Mark 8:35 (LB)"Only those who give away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live."

Matthew 10:42 (NLT) And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

2. By living a life of generosity.

Deut. 15:10 (MSG) Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God's blessing in eveiything you do, in all your work and ventures."

SIX KEY STATEMENTS

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

1. I NEED TO SEE MY GIVING AS AN INVESTMENT, NOT AN EXPENSE.

Verse 6 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

2. NEVER GIVE OUT OF PRESSURE OR GUILT.

Verse 7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

3. I EXPECT GOD TO MEET ALL MY NEEDS

Verse 8 "And 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

4.  I EXPECT GOD TO MULTIPLY THE SEED.

Verse 10 "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

5. I EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE THAN I THOUGHT.

Verse 11 "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in THANKSGIVING to God!

6. LIVE WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

Verse 12 Cor. 9:6-12 (NIV)"This SERVICE that you perform will not only supply the needs of God's people but also cause the overflowing of many expressions of THANKSGIVING to God"

April 17 2016 Your Finances And God's Provision

YOUR FINANCES AND GOD’S PROVISION

GOD’S GUARANTEE:

Philippians 4:19 – God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

THE CONDITIONS:

GOD PROMISES TO MEET MY FINANCIAL NEEDS

1. If I ask Him for help.

James 4:2 – You do not have, because you do not ask God.

John 16:24 – You have not asked for anything in My Name.  Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.

2. If I learn to be content.

Philippians 4:12 – I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.  I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation.

Contentment – my happiness doesn’t depend on Circumstances.

1 Timothy 6:6-7- There’s great gain in Godliness combined with contentment for we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.

3. If I practice giving in faith.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each one should give what he’s decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And 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 about in every good work.

Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income, and He will fill your barns.

4. If I maintain my integrity.

Proverbs 16:11 – The Lord demands fairness in every business deal.

Proverbs 19:1 – Better be poor and honest than rich and dishonest.

Proverbs 10:22 – The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it.

5. I must trust Him with my life.

Matthew 6:33 – Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what you need, and He will give it to you if you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to.

1 Timothy 6:17 – Don’t put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but put your hope in God.

Psalm 111:5 – He gives food to those who trust Him, He never forgets His promises.

February 7 2016 Daring To Plant In Faith

DARING TO PLANT IN FAITH

Daring Faith: The Key To Miracles – Part 5

Genesis 8:22 (NIV) God: “As long as the earth endures, there will be seedtime and harvest. . .”

Galatians 6:7a (Mes)“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. Whatever a person plants, he WILL harvest."

GOD’S LAWS OF PLANTING AND HARVESTING

1. EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A SEED

Genesis 1:11God said, “Let the land have seed-bearing plants and trees that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their varieties.”

A “SEED” IS ANYTHING VALUABLE that I give away

2. NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL UNTIL THE SEED IS PLANTED

John 12:24 Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, it cannot reproduce. But if it dies, it will produce much fruit.”

Mark 4:26-27 (NCV) Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows.”

3. WHEN I HAVE A NEED I SHOULD PLANT A SEED

Ecclesiastes 11:6 (TEV) “Do your planting in the morning and in the evening, too! You never know whether it will all grow well or whether one planting will do better than the other.” 

4. WHATEVER I PLANT IS WHAT I WILL REAP.

Galatians 6:7b (TEV) “You will reap exactly what you plant.”

Galatians 6:7b-8 (Mes)“The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others, and ignoring God, harvests a crop of weeds. That’s all he’ll have to show for his life! BUT the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life!”

5. I’M NOT THE ONLY SOWER.

John 4:38 “I sent you to reap where you didn’t plant; others had already done work before you, and you will gather the harvest.” 

6. I ALWAYS REAP IN A DIFFERENT SEASON THAN I SOW.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. . . A time to plant and a time to harvest. . . a time to scatter and a time to gather. . .” 

7. I MUST BE PATIENT AND NOT GIVE UP

Galatians 6:9 (LB) “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.” 

8. I ALWAYS REAP MORE THAN I SOW.

Mark 4:8 Some seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, MULTIPLYING thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times.” 

9. I INCREASE MY HARVEST PLANTING MORE SEED.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously. Each one should give what he’s decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Proverb 11:24 (Mes) “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” 

10. I PLANT BY FAITH, NOT FEELINGS

Psalm 126:5-6 (NLT) “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, BUT they sing as they return with the harvest.” 

11. THE BEST TIME TO PLANT IS NOW

Ecclesiastes 11:4“Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; and those who look at every cloud will never reap a harvest.”

February 23 2014 The Choice To Rejoice

The Choice To Rejoice 

Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is joy.

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice always in the Lord. I will say it again rejoice.

Three Reasons to Rejoice

1. We have hope.

Romans 5:1-2 – Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access, by faith into this grace in which we now stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope.

2. God has a purpose.

Romans 5:3 – We rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance.

Verse 4 – And perseverance character, and character, hope.

James 1:2-3 – Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Verse 4 – Perseverance must finish its work, making you mature and complete, not lacking anything.

3. Understand God is with us.

Romans 5:11 - We all rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ who has made us good friends.

Isaiah 43:2 – When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you, your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire you will not be burned.

Four Steps to Inner Joy

1. Develop the attitude of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ.

Psalm 28:7 – My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.

2. Strengthen joy by giving.

Acts 20:35 – It is more blessed to give than to receive.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – God loves a cheerful giver.

3. Increase joy through service.

Mark 8:35 – For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospels will save it.

Ephesians 6:7-8 – Serve whole heartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not man, because you know the Lord will reward everyone whatever good he does.

4. Learn to share Christ with others.

Luke 15:10 – There is rejoicing in heaven when a person comes to faith in Christ.

Romans 10:1 – How I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved how I pray to God for them.

Jesus said – I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm, I will come to you.

January 30 2011 How To Live Generously

How To Live Generously

(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.'")

Key Bible Words: Believe, Pray, Love, Give

Luke 6:38 - "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

I. How giving benefits your life

1. Giving makes us more like God

(John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.")

2. Giving draws me closer to God

(Matthew 6:21 - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.")

3. Giving is a victory over materialism

(1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.")

(Deuteronomy 14:23 - Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.)

4. Giving strengthens my faith

(Malachi 3:10 - "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 you will not have room enough for it.")

(Proverbs 3:5&9 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops)

5. Giving is an investment for eternity

(1 Timothy 6:18-19 - Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.)

6. Giving it blesses me in return

(Proverbs 22:9 - A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.)

(Psalm 112:5 - Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.)

7. Giving makes me happy

(1 Chronicles 29:9 - The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.)

II. How to get the most out of giving

1. Learn to give willingly

(2 Corinthians 9:12 - This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.)

2. Give generously

(2 Corinthians 8:3-4 - For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.)

3. Give joyfully

(2 Corinthians 9:7 - Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.)

4. Give thankfully

(1 Chronicles 29:13-14 - Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.")

5. Give expectantly

(2 Corinthians 9:6 - Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.)

(2 Corinthians 8:5 - And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.)