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This is Us” Devotional Guide

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Page 1: This is Us” Devotional Guide - fbcwimberley.com · “This is Us” Devotional Guide. This is Us 7 week stewardship devotional Over the next seven weeks, I want to help you expand

“This is Us” Devotional Guide

Page 2: This is Us” Devotional Guide - fbcwimberley.com · “This is Us” Devotional Guide. This is Us 7 week stewardship devotional Over the next seven weeks, I want to help you expand

This is Us7 week stewardship devotional

Over the next seven weeks, I want to help you expand your thinking about giving and God’s plan for your life. I am calling this devotional ”This is Us.” We began our journey together in July of 2017. Together we have experienced a lot of excitement and change. God is moving in our lives in an amazing way. It is my desire, as your pastor, to always challenge you to live a deeper life of devotion to King Jesus. I want us to consider where we are as a church family, where you are as an individual believer, and learn the lesson of generosity.

When we started our adventure together, no one knew we would need to expand our campus. By faith we relocated here and built what we thought was enough space to reach the people God had for us. Although we had developed a master plan of our campus, it didn’t include additional space for children, space for students and for larger fellowship gatherings, a new auditorium, additional office space, building for mixed use that would attract folks onto our campus to hear and respond to the gospel while enjoying a wholesome environment, and cottages for visiting pastors and others in need of lodging. We didn’t consider these things...but God did. Now we are moving forward to see this campus ex-pansion become reality.

To accomplish this will require us to trust God and give. The “This is Us” spiritual alignment campaign is a perfect time to consider where your life has taken you and where you desire to go - or better said - where God desires you to go.

Paul told the church in Corinth that he didn’t want them to miss the joy of giving and that is the same desire I have for you.

The next seven weeks are designed for you to focus on generosity. This devo-tional is best read in a quite place of your choosing. You might chose your break-fast table, a coffee shop, or somewhere in the outdoors. You choose, but choose to lean in and allow God to help you reshape your thinking and your behavior. The goal of this experience is to shape your heart and focus your life on all God has for you.

Read and reflect through this guide alone then, if you choose, invite a friend or two to interact with you and what you are learning. Each week there’s a theme along with a memory verse that is guided by daily questions, scripture, or thought that supports the theme.

Keep this guide with other devotional materials like your Bible, journal, or other such materials. I pray that God enriches you as you engage in “This is Us” Cam-paign. Remember, we are aligning all our experiences around your God time, your Group time, and our weekend Gatherings.

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Outline

Week One: Everything Belongs to God

Week Two: The Deception of Wealth

Week Three: Stealing from God

Week Four: Treasure in Heaven

Week Five: Money Can’t Bring You Happiness

Week Six: The Needy

Week Seven: Dream Giving

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Week One: Everything Belongs to God

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and the people belong to Him. Psalm 24:1

This week remember that everything you have comes from God. Your life will have a deeper sense of worth when you really grasp that truth. If you let it, money and the desire to have things will destroy your life. God wants you to have a full and meaningful life not controlled by things, but by Him

You need to remove the word mine from your belongings including your money. You need to shift your thinking that your money is really God’s money and He has given it to you to manage for His glory. By doing this you break the grip of selfishness and start to rethink what truly brings you joy... it is the Lord!

Try this thought. Trace the source of all that you have. If you keep pulling on the thread of your belongs you will find God at the source. He is the giver of all things. When I understand this truth I start opening my hands to him and not clinching my fist in greed. That truth sets me free.

I can trust God to provide for me and not rely on my abllities. When He “blesses” me I can be generous in return. That sets me free. Giving then becomes an act of worship. You have heard me say, “I am not after your money, but your heart.” That is true. When we realize the truth that God owns it all I can worship him through giving! Wow! You might notice we receive an offering every week at our gatherings. We never “take” an offering. We give an offering as an act of worship. Some churches just provide a box in the back to receive the gifts of people. While that is a choice some make, and I am not judging them, we choose to make giving a part of our worship gatherings. Giving to God is our way of saying, “I trust You to care for me.” That’s the first act of worship... giving yourself to God.

Memory verse: The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it belongs to Him. The world and all its people are His. Psalm 24:1

Day One: Where do you think your money comes from? Does money have a strong hold in your life? Do you ever worry about money? What are your next steps toward releasing your finances to God?

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Day Two: Has the power of money destroyed your walk with God? Is the power of money ruining your marriage or other relationships? Have you seen this happen to other people? What are you doing? What should you be doing?

Day Three: Have you caught yourself saying, “that’s mine,” “I own it,” “I bought it.” Write about that below. Is that kind of thinking ok?

Day Four: What have you boasted about owning/having and failed to give God the glory for it? Why is it important to remember that everything comes form God?

Day Five: Read Mark 10:17-31. How willing are you to share what you have with others, understanding that everything you have comes from God? What does it mean that it’s difficult for a rich man to enter heaven?

Day Six: Read Mark 10:29-30. What do these verses say to you?

Day Seven: Who is your master? Is it God or money? What are you willing to give for God’s glory?

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Week Two: The Deception of Wealth

A rich man was asked how much money did he need? He said, “A bit more than I have.” It seems there is a snare in money. We can be deceived into thinking that money will make us better people, give us more prestige, or even buy happiness. That’s a lie. When the very wealthy J. Paul Getty passed away, someone asked his accountant how much he left. He accountant replied, “All of it.”

Is God against wealth? No! Some of the richest people who ever lived are in the Bible. God gives to us so we can be a blessings to others. Money is a tool, not a reward or a way to measure one’s worth. When you have a lot of money, you have a lot of responsibility. It’s very cool to think that God can trust you with wealth. God wants you to be a giver not a taker. Giving is a big deal. God even says to test him on giving... you can’t out give God!

How you give reflects a devotion as well. The best way I know is to give to God first. When I give Him the first of my income, I can trust Him to take care of the rest of my needs. Tara and I have done this for years and found God to be faithful. God deserves the first fruits, not our leftovers.

I have also discovered that relationships make life rich. Delight yourself in God and your relationship with Him, then allow money be a tool to bless others, not a master that controls your life. You need to value Jesus more than anything. You are rich in Him... and your relationship with me makes me rich as well! You raise my “net worth” by being in my life.

Memory verse: Don’t love money, be satisfied with what you have, for God has said, “I will never fail you, I will never abondon you.” Hebrews 13:5

Day One: Read Mark 10:17-22 again. What did the rich young man give up for money? Have you ever let possessions come between you and God?

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Day Two: Have you ever lost anything because you chose to follow Jesus? What might you loose if you made that choice today?

Day Three: If you have to get out of your house in a hurry, what three things would you grab? What does that say about what you value?

Day Four: What are your thoughts about Hebrews 13:5? Write them below.....

Day Five: How does the love of money rob you of contentment?

Day Six: List all the things you can’t live without. Are possessions that important? List the people you can’t live without. Do you see a difference in your list?

Day Seven: What can you do this week or this month to learn to rely on God rather than focusing on things you own? What people do you need to bless and encourage this week?

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Week Three: Stealing from God

Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say “How are we robbing You?” In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me...the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there will be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of Hosts, see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing....Malachi 3:8-10

This is a big deal. God doesn’t need your money, but you have a need to give. God expects you to return a tenth of everything you have as an act of dependence. Jesus says that you show you belong to Him by obeying His commandments. Well, this giving is a big commandment. Jesus also said your treasure reveals your heart. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to steal from God.

Here is the cool part. God says be generous and He will be even more generous in return. You don’t give to God to get but you give to God because you love Him. It is a matter of the heart. I hear people say that when they get out of debt they will give to God. That’s upside down thinking. Give to God and He will help you. Rob him, and, well... bless your heart!

If God doesn’t need our money then why should I give? Why should I give to the church? That’s easy! Giving grows my heart, makes me more like Jesus, and shows that I trust Him more than anything. Giving to the church shows I believe that God uses the church to do the good that needs doing and spread the love that needs spreading. Also, giving makes me feel like I belong! I invest in God’s work! That brings me Joy! Ownership means investing and investing brings ownership. I don’t own the church, God does, but when I invest in the work of God through the church, I put my commitment into action.

Remember, giving is the only place God says test Him. So go ahead test Him. He loves to show off! He will pass the test!

Memory Verse: Bring all the tithe into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my temple. “If you do,” says the Lord of heaven’s armies, “I will open thewindows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Put me to the test!” Malachi 3:10

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Day One: How do you feel when the offering basket is passed? Pressured? Guilty? Do you fake putting something in? Make change? Are you excited? Do you feel grateful? Why do you feel the way you do?

Day Two: How do you decide how much to give? Is it enough? Too much? Do you make excuses and just don’t give? Do you give God the first of what you have or what’s left?

Day Three: You have a challenge from God. Are you going to take him up on it? Are you scared? If so, of what?

Day Four: Here’s the deal... what are you going to do? Write down your commitment... go for it! Don’t miss the blessing! The “This is Us” campaign is asking us to give over and above to expand our space to reach people. We are going to have to step up and trust God if we are going to obey Him and reach people. Maybe it’s time to start praying about what you are going to give above the tithe in order to be a part of this great endeavor.

Day Five: Are you having trouble trusting? Is that normal? Do you really believe that God can provide for you and your family?

Day Six: What is your excuse? I can’t afford to give... giving a tenth is not enough I should give more... I want to give a tenth, but I am scared so I’ll start with just a little... I just can’t do this... shut your pie hole, Pastor Scott! Just sayin’.

Day Seven: Why is it so much cooler to give to the “poor” or to some mission cause rather than the local church? Why should we give to the local church? What’s in it for me... wait... what? Does my attitude need to change regarding the church and giving? Which is the hope of the world - the church or some para-church organization?

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Week Four: Treasure in Heaven

Don’t store up for yourselves treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store up your treasure in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-20

The word treasure means a gathering together of things that are important or valuable. Some of the things you think are valuable will break down. The finest garments are destroyed by moths. Put a two year old in your new car and... you get the idea.

The things that matter are not things... its people. People matter. When my parents passed away, heaven got dearer to me. My treasure had gone ahead of me. When I give to the Lord, I give to see people know Jesus... to see needs met... to make heaven fuller. This is the good stuff. The difference between treasure on earth and treasure in heaven is the condition of my heart.

Rather than collecting things on earth, I can collect treasures in heaven! That is worth my life!

Memory Verse: Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

Day One: Make a list of things you are storing up on earth and those you are storing up in heaven....

Day Two: Write a prayer asking God to help you build up a treasure chest in heaven. Ask Him to show you what you need to give Him.

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Day Three: When you think about the condition of your heart, what are you thinking? What do you value? Do your values line up with Jesus’?

Day Four: What is the purpose of storing up treasure in heaven? Why do we focus on storing up treasure on earth?

Day Five: Read 1 Peter 4:7-11. Why must we love? What does love have to do with using our strengths for God’s glory? According to verse 10, what is the purpose of the gifts we have been given?

Day Six: What talent or gift are you using for your own self fulfillment? How can you use that gift or talent for God? Do you think your talents and gifts can have an eternal impact?

Day Seven: Re-read 1 Peter 4:7. Knowing Jesus is coming again should create a sense of urgency. How would your life change if you knew He was coming back this week... this month... this year?

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Week Five: Money Doesn’t Bring Happiness, or does it?

Read Matthew 6:25-34

I heard a story about some boys in Sunday School. Their teacher asked, “What’s brown, has a bushy tail, and runs up trees?” The boys looked at each other until one said, “Teacher, it sounds like a squirrel, but I’m gonna say Jesus!”

We know the Sunday School answer... money doesn’t buy happiness, but webehave as if it does. What you do speaks louder than what you say. The opposite is true for most folks who have lots of money. Their money doesn’t bring happiness - it creates more stress. I have a friend and all he does is watch his money. I have seen him check his retirement fund as many as ten times in an hour. His mood changes with each check. His happiness is tied to the stock market. It’s crazy.

The more commitment I have to Jesus the more joy I find in my life. Jesus gives us money, but more importantly, He gives us life! Joy comes from the Lord not from circumstance or possession. Happiness is fleeting. Joy lasts!

The first line in the Matthew reading tells us not to worry about anything. That’s hard. I worry! It seems that I worry about money more than anything. When will I learn to fully trust Jesus?

Remember, you cannot change on our own. We need the power of the Holy Spirit living in us to set us free and find the joy of the Lord. When that happens, I can be free to give... that is good news!

Memory Verse: I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Day One: Make a list of everything you are thankful for. Tell Jesus thank you!

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Day Two: Re-read Matthew 6:24-34. What do you worry about? Why do you worry? Is that working for you? Why do you think Jesus said this? Does this prom-ise help?

Day Three: God knows what you need. Write out what you think you need and take a good look at it. Is this list accurate? Now, keep on praying- asking God to meet your needs - then trust Him. He will come through.

Day Four: Read Philippians 4:10-13. What can we learn from Paul? What do you think Paul’s secret was for contentedness?

Day Five: If you don’t feel content these days, then why? What’s going on in your heart that needs change? Why is it so hard to stay content?

Day Six: Do you remember a time when you felt content? What was happening? Do you remember a time when you were not content? What was the difference in the two? What’s going on with you right now?

Day Seven: List all the things below that you can’t live without. Think about what you would do if those things were taken away. Bummer, right? Is Jesus enough?

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Week Six: The Needy

Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. Deuteronomy 15:10-11

Giving to the poor is our responsibility as a church. We should take this seriously. This is a big deal to God. As a pastor, I have learned not to judge people by their poverty but to love them as Jesus would. This includes sharing the gospel. My father-in-law said a man cannot hear about Jesus’ love over the noise of his stomach growling. We meet physical and spiritual needs through the love of Jesus.

When you see a need, you should respond and meet the need. This is giving like Jesus! You should be the most generous person on earth because you have received so much from God. Open your hands to the poor!

Memory Verse: Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. Deuteronomy 15:10

Day One: Do you know someone who is currently in need? Write down their name and make a plan to lean in and help.

Day Two: What are the current needs in the church you can help meet? With what ministry do you need to engage?

Day Three: Re-read Deuteronomy 15:10. Do you think like this? Is this your atti-tude? What needs to change?

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Day Four: Read Proverbs 14:31; 19:17; 21:13; 22:9. Write your thoughts regarding what the Holy Spirit is saying to you below.

Day Five: Read 1 John 3:17-18. How do you respond when you see someone in need? What are you doing? What should you be doing?

Day Six: Is there an advantage to being poor? How would being poor change you? Is there an advantage to being rich? How would being rich change you? Maybe the root issue is what is controlling you - God or possessions.

Day Seven: What would you like to be known for at the end of your life? What are you doing today to see that desire become a reality?

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Week Seven: Dream Giving

Read Mark 12:41-44

Dream giving is not determined by the amount we give but by the condition of our hearts. God wants you to fully trust him and then give freely. His dream for you is that you would become like Him and He is a great giver!

Jesus saw this woman give everything she had. She had no idea that the Lord God Himself was watching but He was and He took notice. He is still watching! When I was a kid, my Dad would give me a quarter to put in my offering envelope for Sunday School. He did this every Sunday. I learned to give to God and I loved it. Now, Tara and I write a check every month to First Baptist Church Wimberley. I love it. There have been times when we struggled but we never considered not giving. God is so faithful and so loving that giving has become more than a dream, but a joy. I keep telling God thank you and He keeps His promises to me!

Dream giving allows us to put God first in everything we do and to rely solely on Him for everything in our lives. Sometimes dream giving doesn’t make sense but we still trust God and His provision.

So here is a challenge... put God to the test. We are coming to an end of our “This is Us” campaign. This weekend we will make our pledges to give to expand our campus in order to reach more people. I have taken the stand to inform you of the need, help you understand biblical truth, and now it is time to trust God for the results. Tara and I have made our decision. Now, will you? Let’s see what God will do together. Pray through it and let the Holy Spirit guide your giving.

I get the opportunity to talk to Christians all the time and I believe this is an area where we fall short. Take the challenge and give. You might try laughing out loud as you give since God loves a cheerful giver. For some, a gift will be small. For others, it will be big... All for Jesus! The amount of the gift is not important - the condition of your heart is what matters. Allow God to show off!

Memory Verse: Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow and then I’ll help you.” Proverbs 3:27-28

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Day One: With whom do I identify, the rich people in the Mark passage, or the poor widow?

Day Two: How should you define biblical giving? What would keep you from stepping up to God’s challenge?

Day Three: Do you think giving will grow you spiritually? How or how not?

Day Four: What is the difference between dream giving and being a “good steward “ of your money? Do we use the word “steward” at times when we really mean “stingy?”

Day Five: What is the advantage of trusting God for a daily need, especially if you’ve never had to trust before? Write down an area where you really need to trust God. How are you willing to display your trust?

Day Six: Has God ever asked you to give in a way that didn’t make sense? How did you respond? If you never experienced this before, what will you do if God lays it on your heart this time?

Day Seven: Have you ever experienced an amazing provision of God? Write it down and email it to me to share with the church family.([email protected])

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Parting Words

Why did I take the time to write this devotional for you? Because I love you and I don’t want you to miss the joy of giving. The matter of obeying God is so important it because it brings freedom in many other areas. Giving can free you from stress, worry, and shame. Giving creates a level of ownership in God’s work that changes your life. Giving partners you with God in His redemptive plan.

I believe the church doesn’t have a money problem - she has a faith problem. We need to trust God. We have an opportunity to provide something as a legacy to future generations. God has led us to expand this campus in order to build lives that honor Him.

We often think that giving to missions is something we do for outside mission organizations but the reality is that the church - this church - is the mission of God. This is Us... let’s give to make Jesus famous... to expand His Kingdom... to reach those He loves!

This Sunday is commitment Sunday. We will gather our commitments and celebrate what God has provided.

Don’t miss being a part of this great movement... All for Jesus!

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