"Money is God's way of filtering the wannabes from the gottados. Jesus told us to count the cost of following him, but not to go bargain shopping for something else. What is not expressly stated in scripture, but is found to be true by anyone who dares to follow God's vision anyway, is that although the cost is high, he provides the resources." Quote from church planter Ben Arment on his blog
The way we view life and money and responsibility speaks volumes about who we are. Be careful with your view. Be careful to not let the world or something else test your success or your interest by something that even the standards of God don't touch.
I have come to understand that God always comes through. Yesterday we talked about Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel (also from my Sunday sermon). Elijah went big time out on a limb, and God showed up. An old question: what would we attempt for God if we had endless resources and knew we could not fail? Another question: what can't God do? Think about it.
This verse below has stood out for me since going through Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God . One thing he said in the book was (and I quote from my poor memory), "one reason why the world is not seeing God in the church is because the church is not attempting anything that only God can do." Makes perfect sense to me. How about you?
Psalm 20:7 (NLT) --- Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
I want to close out our time today by giving you some verses from a church and a people that fell in love with serving God and were willing to try anything. My prayer is that our faith will increase and that we will attempt stuff that will point people to God. May the world look on and see that only God can....
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (The Message) --- Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians. This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.
The way we view life and money and responsibility speaks volumes about who we are. Be careful with your view. Be careful to not let the world or something else test your success or your interest by something that even the standards of God don't touch.
I have come to understand that God always comes through. Yesterday we talked about Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel (also from my Sunday sermon). Elijah went big time out on a limb, and God showed up. An old question: what would we attempt for God if we had endless resources and knew we could not fail? Another question: what can't God do? Think about it.
This verse below has stood out for me since going through Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God . One thing he said in the book was (and I quote from my poor memory), "one reason why the world is not seeing God in the church is because the church is not attempting anything that only God can do." Makes perfect sense to me. How about you?
Psalm 20:7 (NLT) --- Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
I want to close out our time today by giving you some verses from a church and a people that fell in love with serving God and were willing to try anything. My prayer is that our faith will increase and that we will attempt stuff that will point people to God. May the world look on and see that only God can....
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (The Message) --- Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians. This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.
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