First and Ten week 3

First and Ten week 3

Matthew 6:21 NKJV
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

*There are more than 500 verses in the Bible concerning
prayer and nearly 500 verses concerning faith, but there are
more than 2,000 verses on the subject of money and
possessions.

*Jesus talked about money in 16 of His 38 parables.

*15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic
(money and possessions)

*Of the 29 recorded parables, 16 deal with a person and his
money.

*In Matthew, Mark and Luke, 1 out of every 6 verses talk
about money.

When we talk about stewardship and giving, its more about the position of your heart than the presentation of
your offering.

HOW you give is more important than HOW MUCH you
give!

Proverbs 3:5-10 NKJV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

When He has your heart, you will. . .

I. Set The Priority

Proverbs 3:9 NKJV
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

Colossians 1:18 NKJV
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Genesis 4:1-7 NKJV
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord .” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord . 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Exodus 23:19 NKJV
19 The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

I Corinthians 16:1-2 NKJV
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Malachi 3:8 NKJV
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

When He has your heart, you will. . .

III. Manage the provision

Proverbs 3:9 NKJV
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

Philippians 4:19 NKJV
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

James 1:17 NKJV
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We can’t afford to let our NEED or our GREED keep our money from being our SEED!

When God has your heart, you will…

III. Believe the Promise

Proverbs 3:10 NKJV
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

THIS PROMISE IS NOT OUR MOTIVATION BUT
OUR REWARD!

II Corinthians 9:6-8 NKJV
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

II Corinthians 9:10 NKJV
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

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You Have the Power to Change

You Have the Power to Change Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.Romans 12:2

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As I write this, the New Year is just around the corner and people everywhere are hoping that the next 12 months will be different than the previous 12. Even those who had what they would describe as a great year have habits they hope they will be able to overcome and desires they pray will come to pass.

Maybe you can relate. Perhaps there is something you’d like to accomplish this year that you haven’t been able to accomplish before. And, maybe you’ve tried and failed so this year you’re telling yourself, “Why try? I always fail.”

I recently read 2 Peter 1:3 and it spoke to me about making life changes and reaching goals, and it encouraged me. I hope it encourages you too.

The NIV version of this passage says: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

The NLT is even more punchy: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.”

A godly life is living God’s way. A godly life is doing God’s will. It’s not being ruled by anything that is not of Him—but instead—being ruled by His Spirit. A godly life is having the right relationship between yourself and God in every way—which has everything to do with New Year’s resolutions.

For example, perhaps you have been thinking you want to overcome the compulsion to overeat. You know that taking care of your body is what God desires for you, but you feel you just can’t—and you have been telling yourself you can’t for years. But you can. Why? Because, self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. And, the Lord has given you what you need to live a godly life, including being self-controlled. Now, you just need some practical tools to implement into your daily life, and perhaps some support, coupled with the belief that you can. You have the power to change. God has given you the power to change because He has given you everything you need to live a godly life.

Perhaps you have had a difficult time in relationships and you say yes far too often. In the new year, you want to have better boundaries. You know you are being ruled by fear, and that fear is not of God. According to 2 Peter 1:3, since He has given you the power to live a godly life, you don’t have to be ruled by fear. Now, you just need some support—perhaps some good counsel—coupled with the belief that you can overcome fear, along with some practical tools on how to say no, and then you have the power to change. God has given you the power to change because He has given you everything you need to live a godly life.

Maybe you want to overcome an insecurity that causes you to shrink back when you want to take career risks. You feel that God is calling you to serve Him in a new way, but the thought of moving forward feels frightening. So for years you’ve been putting off stepping out to become more of who God made you to be, and you’ve been telling yourself, “I can’t.” But you can, because He has given you everything you need to live a godly life, which includes serving Him in the ways He has called you. Now, pray, make a plan, surround yourself with others who say you can, and move forward in the face of fear. You can because He says you can.

What changes do you want to make in the new year? Have you already given up? Begin again by beginning with belief. Without it you won’t be able to change; but with it, you’ll agree with God that He has given you what you need to overcome obstacles. Then, you’ll wholeheartedly receive His power that can help you change.

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4).

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Prayer

Lord, thank you that I can because of you. Where I am weak, you are strong. Anything that is not of you can be overcome. How I praise you, Jesus! Help me to believe you. Amen.

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Application

Take a moment and think about what you want to accomplish this year. Talk with the Lord about it and thank Him that you can overcome ungodly obstacles to live a godly life.

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Related Reading

2 Peter 1:3-9; Isaiah 41:13; Matthew 21:22

1st and 10 Week 2

1st and 10
Week 2

Stewardship is the job of utilizing and managing all resources God provides us for His glory.

The most common Greek word for “steward” means “manager” or “administrator”. God is the owner and we are the managers.

Luke 12:42 NKJV
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

A good pastor isn’t in it for the income; he’s in it for the outcome.

Tithing is an eternal principle of God’s word. According to the Bible, the practice of tithing began over 400 years before the Mosaic law was given.

Genesis 14:18-20 NKJV
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

Genesis 28:20-22 NKJV
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Genesis 31:41-42 NKJV
41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

Matthew 23:23 NKJV
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

Do you think that Jesus would’ve said they should tithe if He wasn’t tithing himself?

Hebrews 7:8 NKJV
8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

I hope you realize that tithing didn’t begin or end with the Mosaic law, but it is a fundamental principle of God’s word and applies to all believers in all times.

I Corinthians 9:14 NKJV
14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

For those of you that don’t believe in tithing, that’s your problem. You’ve got to believe the Word. Let’s put God to the test.

Malachi 3:10-11 NKJV
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts;

Jacob’s word and vow to tithe thousands of years ago made a tither out of Kerr and caused millions of dollars to be given to the Kingdom of God.

Do you have a financial fear?
Are you afraid to give?

I challenge you to let the Lord give you a release from the fear of financial failure. Put God to the test and see for yourself the supernatural power of tithing.

For some of you, your faith is rising and your expectation level of what God can do in your life is increasing… your excitement about proving God and His word has caused you to be filled with faith.

The two major rewards:
1. You release the windows of heaven to be opened. The word is “floodgates.”
2. You activate God’s rebuke against Satan—the one who devours or steals from you.

John 10:10 NKJV
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

1$T And 10

1st and 10

Stewardship – Stewardship—the job of utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God

The most commonly used Greek word for steward is “oikonomos” (ike-o-nom-os), which means “steward”, “manager”, or “administrator”

I Corinthians 4:2 NKJV
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Luke 12:42 NKJV
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

Luke 16:1-2 NKJV
1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

But, I believe God is helping us to see that most of life’s journey is picking up the ball, making a few yards, reanalyzing, asking God for his direction, and moving forward again until we eventually achieve the purpose that God has for us.

If we are to be good stewards over all that God has given us, that includes honoring God with the first fruits—the tithe (10%) and giving offerings as we are able.

I John 4:4 NKJV
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Satan is no match for us. He cannot stop us unless we believe his lies instead of the word of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 16:19 NKJV
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

II Corinthians 2:11 NKJV
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

That means we spend wisely. The enemy’s plan is for you to go into so much debt that you can’t pay your bills, much less give to the Lord’s work.

CS Lewis said, “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.”

Don’t wait for a crisis on the fourth down when you still have 10 yards to go. Follow His directions on the first, second, and third down and He will get you to the 10th yard line.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

The result? God says He shall direct your path. The word “direct” means “to make straight or smooth”. Ask yourself, “Has my life been smooth?”

“God didn’t give you the strength to get back on your feet only to run back to the very thing that knocked you down.”

Don’t ever forget: when God is in charge, every third down will result in a 1st and 10, 1st and 10s result in touch downs, touchdowns result in wins, and wins result in being a champion.