How to Live Life Generously (Step Up Series)

How to Live Life Generously

Generosity is more about what God wants for you than what He wants from you.  Today's scripture passage is in 1 Chronicles 29.

Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord wholeheartedly, and King David also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

“But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. ¹⁵ For we are strangers before You, and temporary residents, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. ¹⁶ Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours. ¹⁷ Since I know, my God, that You put the heart to the test and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.  - 1 Chronicles 29:9-17

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

What if there was one specific practice in life that would guarantee the following?

1.  Bring you constant joy

2.  Bring others joy

3.  Meet your greatest need while meeting the needs of others.

4.  Open up the windows of Heaven and invite God's blessings into your life

5.  Protect you from envy, greed, comparison, and self-absorbed living

Here is the one word that brings these results - generosity.  Generosity is more than meeting a need.  Meeting a need is great, but to be generous is to "give to overflowing."   All God puts into our hands should flow from our fingertips to others. What keeps us from living life wide open with generosity?  STUFF

There is nothing wrong with having things, but it is wrong when things have you.

How to Live Life Generously

1.  Ownership

All we have belongs to God.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who live in it.
² For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers. - Psalm 24:1-2

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. ¹³ Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

¹⁴ “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:11-14

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God is the source.  We are not the source.

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. - 1 Timothy 6:7

 “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes which I am commanding you today; ¹² otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, and you build good houses and live in them, ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks increase, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have increases, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ¹⁵ He who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions, and its thirsty ground where there was no water; He who brought water for you out of the rock of flint. ¹⁶ In the wilderness it was He who fed you manna which your fathers did not know, in order to humble you and in order to put you to the test, to do good for you in the end. ¹⁷ Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. - Deuteronomy 8:11-18

If you don't own it, you don't worry about it.  Let the Owner, God, worry about it.

2.  Stewardship 

God entrusts some things to me.

For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:14

For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. - Matthew 25:14

God is trustworthy?  Are we trustworthy?

We don't own our stuff.  We just manage all that God has entrusted to us.

3.  Worship

Everything is entrusted to us for His glory. 

Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours. - 1 Chronicles 29:16

Trusting God is an act of worship.

Every time we act generously, we are reflecting the heart of God. 

I want to say to God, "God, You are worthy of my trust.  I want to honor You with all my stuff." 

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How to Life Life Generously

Becoming a World Changer in a World in Need of Change (Step Up Series)

 

Becoming a World Changer in a World in Need of Change

We are, as Christ followers, called to do great things.  If we don't step up and into God's calling, we are going to miss out on His blessings.  Christ raised us up and He wants us to step up to always walk with Him.

Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. - Colossians 2:6

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "World Changer."  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

 

 

To recap our 2021 focus:

In 2021, I am going to step up by making Christ first, walking banded together, advancing as a force multiplier, and sacrificing as a world changer. 

 

Becoming a World Changer in a World in Need of Change

Christ First

I put Christ first by studying God's Word.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:1-2

Banded Together

I band with others in authentic relationships, through valleys and victories, for the joy of doing life together.

So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. - Romans 12:5

Force Multiplier

I make disciples to multiply gospel impact, launching them to disciple others.

However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith. - Romans 12:6

A spiritual gift is whatever God wants to do in the world through His church.

World Changer

I will change the world by shining the light of Jesus to every person, culture, and cause.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ When they had entered the city, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying, that is, Peter, John, James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ All these were continually devoting themselves with one mind to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. - Acts 1:12-14

The world has yet to see what God can do with a person who is fully consecrated to Him.  By God's help, I aim to be that one. - D.L. Moody

 

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Our world needs change.  As Christ followers, we are called to be world changers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷ Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. ¹⁹ Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” - Romans 12:14-20

Imagine how we could change the world for the better if we all, as Christ followers, would step up and live out God's truth.  This means shining the light of Jesus to every person, culture, and cause.  We CAN change the world.  

 

God has placed you in the neighborhood where you live, in the job you are in, in the school you attend, and in the places where you go.  These are the places where you (and me) are to step up.

 

How do we bless people where we live, work, and play?  Consider the following acronym. 

 

B - Begin with prayer.

L - Love and listen.

E - Eat (Invite your neighbors and coworkers to dinner.)

S - Serve them.

S - Share the Gospel with them.

 

When we step up, God shows up! 

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Becoming a World Changer in a World in Need of Change

8 Ways to be Banded Together as Christ Followers (Step Up Series)

8 Ways to Be Banded Together as Christ Followers

Today, we continue our Step Up series with my pastor's sermon titled "Banded Together."  

Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. - Colossians 2:6-7

You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

 The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "Banded Together."

Banded Together

God is building us up and establishing in the faith.  If Christ is first in my life, I will want to spend time with Him.

Two things you can't do alone:

1.  Be married

2.  Be a Christian

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. - Romans 12:3

Thinking you can do it all is arrogance.  We need each other.  We are a unified body of Chris,t but we are all different.

For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. ⁶ However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith. - Romans 12:4-6

Desiring relationships with others is not neediness or weakness.   

What does it mean to be banded together?  Being banded together means we are together on the mountaintops and when we are down in the valleys. 

These scripture prints about Biblical love are available here.

8 Ways to Be Banded Together as Christ Followers

1.  Genuine Love

We will have a genuine love for one another.  This is a love without hypocrisy.  We must be accurate and authentic with each other.

2.  Discerning Love

This is not a mushy love.  This is not a soft love.  A discerning love is not afraid to call out sin.

3.  Devoted Love

A devoted love is not a love based on attraction.  A devoted love is an unconditional love.

4.  Honor one another.

Behave respectfully with one another.  Pursue what is best for others even when it is not the best for you.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4

5.  Serve together.

We have a shared mission and a shared vision.  We should be burdened that our friends, neighbors, and family members do not have a relationship with Jesus.  

6.  Perseverance

We might feel helpless, but we are never hopeless.  Be consistent in prayer.  

7.  Generosity and Hospitality

Look for opportunities to bless others.  Show hospitality without grumbling.

Be hospitable to one another without complaint. - 1 Peter 4:9

8.  Graciousness 

When someone else's "ship comes in," rejoice with them.  When the ship sinks, weep with them.  

Be humble.  

Walk in humility.  

Pride can keep us from being banded together.  We are all fellow strugglers.  

Stay humble.  

Don't be fearful.  

Step up.  

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Banded Together as Christ Followers

4 Steps to Putting Christ First (Step Up Series)

4 Steps to Putting Christ First

We are beginning a new series for the new year at church.  This new series is called "Step Up."  If you are a Christ follower, do you think God is calling us to step up as believers?  If you believe God is calling you to step up, you can.  You can concentrate on moving forward.  God can do big things in small steps.  The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled Christ First.  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

Christ First

Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

Sometimes we need to step away from something.  We might need to step away from a bad habit or a bad relationship.  Maybe you need to step away from bitterness. Do you feel stuck?  Then take a step into God's Word. 

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:6

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But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. - Matthew 6:33

"Our first step is to put Christ first in our lives.  The only thing Christ cannot do is to be second." - Tony Evans

Present your everything to God.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:1-2

1.  In Romans 12:1, I request is made.  

 

God is asking us, through Paul, to present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is our Spiritual service of worship.  If we don't hear God's Words, why would He hear our words?  The Holy Spirit speaks to God's people.  

 

2.  A reason is given.

Why should we do this?  God is merciful.  We deserve separation, judgement, and Hell, but God is merciful.  Therefore, we present our bodies to Spiritual service willingly.  We don't like sacrifice.  We are an entitled people, but we must know and remember that God's love is not pampering.  God's love is perfecting.  God wants all of you.  He wants your strengths and your weaknesses.  He wants everything.  God wants you all the time.  He wants your good days and your bad days.

Be holy and be wholly His.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? - 1 Corinthians 6:19

3.  God is clear on His requirement.

  

Worship is not just a song or an event.  Worship is a lifestyle.  How do you know your worship is pure?  You know your worship is pure when what you do on Sunday shows up through the week.

 

4.  A result is seen.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2

Don't be conformed to the world.  Here, God is talking about an anti-God culture and it's everywhere.  We will get sucked into it if we aren't careful. 

Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold. - J.B. Philips

The world is after one thing and that one thing is to damn our souls.  Why give our everything to a world that will not last?

Give everything to God.  A renewal of the mind must be daily.  

Get into the Word this year. The Word transforms us.  When we renew our mind, the power and glory of Jesus shines through.  

Don't be afraid of God's will.  Be afraid of stepping out of God's will.  

Stay in step with God.

 

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