Living on Mission – The Tenth

Living on Mission – The Tenth

Many things about living missionally go against cultural norms and are sometimes even illogical when looked at through the lens of this world. Jesus teaches us that giving away our life is how we actually find it. He says to pray for those who persecute us, and that forgiving others is what opens the door for our forgiveness. Here’s another one – give a tenth of your income back to God.

Honestly, I’m learning to just go with it. When He says to do something, I need to just do it. I’m learning that His ways are not my ways, and His wisdom is way beyond anything I can understand. So, I’m learning to trust Him in everything.

I’m learning to trust Him with the tithe, too. When we think about it, the truth is that everything we have has come from Him. We like to think that we control our lives, but we don’t. He provides everything – down to each breath we take. When we embrace the fact that He gives us everything, we can learn to look at everything with a radically different view. We don’t feel the need to hang on to every penny when we truly know He is the one who supplies all we need. Our “things” lose value when compared to what really matters – loving God and loving people. When we live according to His ways, we begin to be transformed into the likeness of our generous Lord, so we may find ourselves giving more than a tenth back to Him. We might just come to the realization that it’s all His after all.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and give everything back to the One who supplies it all.

Pastor Angela

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

My parents started giving me an allowance when I was about six or seven.  The funny thing is, I don’t remember actually getting the allowance.  I don’t remember how much I got or what I used it for.  What I remember is having to put some of it in my gold bunny bank to take to church for the offering.  That part is burned into my brain, mainly because I so didn’t want to do it.  I can still picture the bookcase where my bank sat, my hand hovering over the coin slot with a nickel or dime ready to drop in, and wanting so much to put the money back in my pocket.  It seemed like such a sacrifice to give those cents up!

I wish I could say that my parents’ example helped me early on.  It didn’t.  I struggled with tithing and giving to God for over twenty years.  I heard a great analogy that really helped me see the full picture in giving to God.

Start by having different members of your family look up these verses:  Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30; Exodus 23:19; Malachi 3:10.  The Bible is pretty clear: God wants us to set aside at least 10% of what we make and give it to his church to be used for his ministry.  Let’s make this more visual.  Get out a piece of paper and draw 10 cantaloupes on one side with your family’s name written above them.  Come on, go with me on this.  Draw 10 cantaloupe circles and pretend these are your allowance or paycheck.  Ten percent of those would be one whole cantaloupe, right?  Write God’s name on the other side of the paper and draw one circle under it to stand for the one cantaloupe.  Be sure to cross out one of your ten as well, because you gave it to God.  He says this isn’t supposed to be the leftovers after we pay the bills and buy all the things on our “want” list.  He asks for our first fruits, to be the first thing we give money to.  So we give him that cantaloupe right away.  Now, looking at your picture, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.  God has just the one he asks for, and you still have nine whole cantaloupes for yourself.  Good deal!

But then life starts to happen.  You know what I mean: bills.  For grown ups, it’s paying for the house, the lights, the heat (or air conditioning), the groceries, etc. etc.  For teens it’s gas for the car and maybe the insurance.  It’s a dress for prom and movies and late night pizza runs.  Even kids have things they want to buy: new video games or Legos or the latest American Girl doll.  Suddenly those nine cantaloupes start disappearing!  (Cross some of them out.)  Now it doesn’t look like such a good deal.  Now we really want that one cantaloupe back in our pile.  After all, God doesn’t really need it, does he?  The Bible says he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, after all.  What’s he need with my puny cantaloupe, anyway?

The temptation is to take that tithe, that gift back from God.  We feel it would be smarter to wait until we’ve paid all the bills, spent all the money on what we need and want, and then if there’s extra, give that to God.  Basically, you’re cutting open ALL of the cantaloupes, eating whatever you want, and then maybe giving a piece or two to God right before the next payday…when you’re going to get 10 more cantaloupes to eat.  It seems wise, more responsible that way, doesn’t it?

Here’s the problem.  Read Malachi 3:8-9.  Ouch!  Rob from God??  That’s not what we’re doing…is it?  Well, think about those cantaloupes again.  What do you see when you cut open a cantaloupe?  Orange flesh and seeds, right?  When we eat them, we eat as much of the fruit as we can, then toss the rest.  But when we give it to God, he not only uses the entire fruit, but he also scatters the seeds.  He sows opportunities for Kingdom growth like we could never do on our own.  When you choose to invest in God, you help spread opportunities through mission works, building projects, radio messages, support for disaster victims, help for families in crisis.  Do you get it?  When we eat the fruit ourselves and just give the leftovers to God, we “steal” the opportunities in the seeds that come from having faith that God will take care of us now matter what.  

After all, that’s what it’s really all about.  We’re hesitant to give not because we don’t love God, but because we’re afraid there won’t be enough to go around.  We’re not sure God will provide everything we need…and everything we want.  But look at his promise to us at the end of Malachi 3:10: “And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”  He’s practically challenging you to take a leap of faith, to trust him to provide, and to watch for a downpour of blessings all because you were faithful to obey.  

Has your family taken the tithing leap of faith?  If so, share stories about how God has proven himself faithful in your faithful giving.  How has he come through for your family?  (By the way, we’d like to hear those stories, too!  If you have a tithing story, I’d love it if you’d share.)

If your family is still hovering at this step, talk about what’s keeping you from taking the leap.  What an awesome opportunity to decide right now to commit to give to God as a family!  In my experience, the only real way to do it is just to do it.  Make the commitment, give to God, and you will be amazed at how he shows himself faithful to you!!  Close your time together thanking God for all the ways he provides for your family and the world.  Thank you, Lord!

Living on Mission and Remembering It’s His Work, His Way

Living on Mission and Remembering It’s His Work, His Way

John 3:22-26

I don’t know about you, but I prefer it when I get my way and things work the way I think they should. (Can I get an amen?)

Jesus and John the Baptist were both baptizing people. Lots of people were going to each of them to be baptized. John’s disciples didn’t think this was right. After all, Jesus began baptizing after John. Didn’t John deserve to be the big kahuna of baptism? Why did Jesus have to show up and start baptizing more people than John? John already said he’s not the Messiah, so can’t he just have this one thing all to himself?

Nope.

Truth is – Jesus could have sent someone else or even ten others to the same Judean countryside to baptize people. It was His work and He got to make the decisions. John’s disciples didn’t yet understand the work and the way it was done was all up to Jesus.

John had it right even though his disciples were not exactly on the same page. John knew that he was doing the work that was given to him to do. He wasn’t one bit worried about Jesus baptizing more people than he was baptizing. He seemed to understand that they were working toward the same purpose. He was happy to have Jesus take the spotlight. Later in the passage he says, “He must increase and I must decrease.”

This must also be our perspective. We can’t worry about what anyone else is doing; whether baptizing, or preaching, or serving. We all have a part to play, and we must remember that Jesus is the focus and He decides where we are assigned to work. He decides who does what and when.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and remember and even rejoice that when we do whatever we are assigned to do, it’s the work of Jesus and things will go as He has planned for our ultimate good and His glory.

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Street Hero - John 3:22-36

This passage from John 3:22-36 illustrates how John the Baptist recognizes Jesus for who he is, and is now willing to take a back seat, so great is his love for Jesus and others.  "He must increase, but I must decrease," states John.  

If you were to mentally ponder your typical prayers, how much of them dive right into an "I...I...I..." without acknowledging God in his power, or others in their plight?

Praying for yourself is not wrong.  You should do it.  So continue to do it.  (Psalms, anyone?)  But praising God in all his awesomeness is also a vital part of prayer, as is interceding on behalf of others.

Let John's humility, committed spirit, and love saturate your prayer life today.  

Perplexed on where to begin?  Ask for the Holy Spirit's help.  

Looking for some Scripture to assist you as you pray?

Psalm 34 is great.  An extra point to ponder in prayer:  Notice the beginning sentence before verse 1?  What behaviors do we need God's help with in changing for us to decrease and for Jesus to increase?  

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

[a] Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

My third grader has been learning about some of the laws and principles found in science.  We’ve studied things like thermodynamics, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and even experimented with the principles of sound.  But one thing that hasn’t popped up is the “more/less principle.”  That’s the idea that if you have more of one thing, you will consequently have less of something else.  For example, the more toys I put in the tub, the less room there is for me.  The more time I spend at the park, the less time I’ll have at the library.  The more mashed potatoes I eat at dinner, the less room there will be in my stomach for yummy dessert.  

You get the idea.

Sometimes this can be a great thing.  For example, the more muscle I build on my body, the less fat I’ll have.  Score!  The more time I spend focusing on my homework, the less time I’ll have to spend studying for the quiz.  Can you think of your own?   Take a minute for some creativity and see who around the living room can come up with the best “more/less” example.

John the Baptist understood the “more/less” principle in the most personal way.  By the time John’s cousin Jesus began teaching people about God’s love, John already had a thriving baptism business going.  Well, it wasn’t really a business, but people did know all about this camel-wearing preacher guy who lived in the desert and taught people to repent of their sins.  He had his own followers and they were making a Kingdom difference teaching and baptizing others.

So when Jesus and His posse start doing the same thing on the other side of town, John’s disciples get their noses a little out of joint.  You can all read about it in John 3:22-36.  See what I mean?  They were definitely battling with some serious jealousy there.  But John handled it so wonderfully.  He helped them get their eyes off of their own mission and helped them focus on God.

The best summary of John’s philosophy comes in verse 30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  I love that!  It’s the ultimate “more/less” example.

Jesus must increase.  Absolutely.  We want more of Jesus.  We want more of His love, more of His grace, more of His gentleness and His faithfulness.  In times of struggle, we strive for more of Jesus’ peace.  When we’re frustrated by others, we long for more of His compassion.  More Jesus!  More Jesus!

Thankfully, there’s plenty of Jesus to go around.  But there’s not plenty of us.  We only have so much space in our hearts and minds, and if we want more of Jesus, we need to have less of something else to make room.  

That less is ourselves.  

If we want more of Jesus in our lives, we need less of ourselves getting in the way.  What does that mean?  It means I need to focus on less about ME.  Less about what I want, what I think I need, what I wish were happening.  I need to spend less time worrying about my thoughts, my opinions, my likes, my dislikes, my dreams, my fears, my my my my.  That’s a lot of me! 

But when we can be like John and decrease some of that “me,” we make room for Jesus to grow in our hearts.  When we silence our own voices, we can suddenly hear His thoughts, His opinions, His likes, His dislikes, His dreams and plans for my life.  We end up with more of Jesus, and that brings so many amazing blessings with it.

What do you need less of in your life to make room for more of Jesus?  What can you decrease?  Less time playing?  Less time on the phone?  Less time trying to plan your own stuff?  How can you decrease those things so you have more space available for Jesus?  What can your family do together to increase Jesus?  Make a plan: what will you decrease and how will you increase Jesus time?  Close together in prayer asking Jesus for that very thing—less of us, mor of You.