Faith-Promise Missions Devotional Guide northsidebaptistlakeland.com
A FIVE-DAY FAITH-PROMISE DEVOTIONAL GUIDE It is both the privilege and the duty of the Christian to send missionaries by means of generous financial gifs. In ways beyond all human understanding of logic or of math, God takes our gifs, multiplies them, uses them, and repays the giver with blessing. This is what Faith-Promise is all about. Your Faith-Promise for missions holds the potential to have a greater impact on your spiritual life than any other event this year. Faith-Promise is not designed to replace your normal giving, but to increase it and, in increasing your giving, to expand your faith. The Faith-Promise is about money, but it is about more than money. Faith-Promise is essentially about your heart. The Faith-Promise concept has been used in many churches over the years. Of the 23 churches in the United States with the largest mission budgets, 20 (almost 90%) utilize this program. More importantly, God has used the Faith-Promise strategy to turn believers hearts to Himself. I pray that God will use this five-day devotional guide to instruct your mind and touch your heart regarding the biblical concept of Faith-Promise missions giving and your involvement in it. Pastor Dan Northsidebaptistlakeland.com
DAY ONE Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 In today s text, Paul explains what Faith-Promise giving is all about. The churches in Macedonia were weak and poor, yet they distinguished themselves by begging for opportunities to give and then giving out of their poverty far more than anyone could expect. This attitude is the foundation for Faith-Promise giving. Faith-Promise does not begin with the question, How much can I afford to give? But rather, How much will I allow God to give through me? The proper understanding of Faith-Promise revolves around the fact that we are stewards who own nothing yet control everything. As stewards, we hold all that we have in trust for God. It was this single revelation that sparked the giving of the Macedonian Christians. They first gave themselves to God. They didn t give only a part of their lives and possessions, they gave everything. They understood they belonged entirely to God; therefore, they gladly gave everything to God. As you consider your faith promise commitment, tell God that nothing is off limits to Him, it is all His already, and ask God to make the behavior of the Macedonians real in your life. 1) How does understanding that God owns it all change your perspective on Faith-Promise giving? 2) How does changing the question from, How much should I give? to How much does God want me to give stretch your faith? 3) After prayer, study, and reflection, write down a preliminary Faith-Promise commitment and keep this figure in reserve until you complete the next four daily devotionals.
DAY TWO Read: 2 Corinthians 8:7-9 Today s text gives us a profound insight into the Christian life: We cannot expect to excel in faith and love unless we abound in giving. If we want to grow in faith, we must grow in our giving; if we want to expand our giving, we must extend our faith. Learning the truth that faith and giving are connected, and that each will expand the other, is one of the most important results of Faith-Promise. This is what Faith-Promise giving is all about. It has been well-said that one can give without loving, but no one can truly love without giving. By faith our promise becomes the concrete way we prove that the life of faith and the life of giving are the same life. When we fail to abound in this grace of giving we rob ourselves of the privilege, the joy, and the blessing that accompanies the Faith-Promise. God wants to stretch our faith through our giving so that we may abound in grace (v. 7) and prove the sincerity of our love (v. 8). 1) How are faith and giving connected in your life? Are you abounding in each or is there room for growth? 2) How will making a Faith-Promise commitment grow your faith? 3) The forwardness of others in verse 8 means that others are eagerly awaiting your gift. How will the sincerity of your love be proven by your Faith-Promise commitment? 4) What dollar amount is God impressing upon you today? Don t make your commitment yet, but continue to pray. Northsidebaptistlakeland.com
DAY THREE Read: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Today s text explains that God s resources are never limited. He gives us all we need for daily living and then extra to give away. As one Bible version interprets verse 11, He will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And that your giving, through us (i.e., Faith-Promise) will cause many to give thanks to God. The Faith-Promise method of giving can be vulnerable to misuse if we are not careful. First, we must never think we can dictate an amount to God and then promise that we will give that amount if He provides it sometime during the year. Second, we must never assume that the promise is ours -- the promise is God s. And third, we must understand that the promise we make is not to God, but from Him. Faith-Promise is not telling God what you will give, but rather asking God what He would have you to give by faith in His supply. God is always 100% faithful to His promises. The key to Faith- Promise giving is hearing from God. That is what these daily devotionals are about listening for the amount that God promises to give to us so that we, in turn, can give to missions. Faith- Promise Missions Conference is a time for us to hear from God and affirm our faith in Him by making a commitment. 1) How are vv. 6-8 related? How do they relate to Faith-Promise giving? How do these verses play-out in your life? 2) How does John 16:24 relate to Faith-Promise? Philippians 1:6? Matthew 10:29-31? 3) In what way does giving by faith, based on the promises of God, change your attitude about Faith-Promise?
DAY FOUR Read: 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 2 Corinthians 9:15, reveals that the indescribable gift of God s Son to us is the foundation of our Faith-Promise. Our Faith- Promise commitment shows that we love God and those whom God loves the missionary and the lost. Before we ask what our Faith-Promise will be, we must ask what our Faith-Promise will do. Though participating in Faith- Promise, we experience the privilege of being instruments of God s grace. Second Corinthians 9:12-15 reminds us that Faith- Promise is an experiment in faith that supplies the needs of the missionary and causes everyone touched by our gift to thank and glorify God. Our participation in Faith-Promise also shows our subjection to the Gospel and our gratitude for God s unspeakable gift to us. Giving to God s kingdom work is far too important to be simply a duty. Through Jesus, God gave us righteousness for our sin and riches for our poverty. Our Faith-Promise proves that the Gospel is at work in our lives. 1) Do you consider Faith-Promise as a duty, a privilege, or both? Why? 2) Have you been praying about your Faith-Promise? What amount are you now thinking about? As you have studied God s Word and prayed, has God stretched your faith? (refer to Day 1, Question 3) 3) How have you given to missions in the past? Will your giving change this year? In what way(s)? Northsidebaptistlakeland.com
DAY FIVE Read: Philippians 4:10-17 C.T. Studd was a pioneer missionary to China and India, before dying on the mission field in Africa in 1931. Studd believed in the providence of God to supply missionary expenses. He practiced what he preached by giving away to missions the vast fortune he inherited upon his father s death. It was Studd who wrote, Only one life, twill soon be past, only what s done for Christ will last. This was the guiding principle of C.T. Studd s life. As today s text reminds us, Faith-Promise is all about eternity and our heavenly bank account (see v. 17). Like C.T. Studd, we who participate in Faith-Promise also believe in a providential and promise-keeping God. Remember, Faith-Promise is not telling God what you will give, but asking God what He would have you to give. Faith-Promise is not based on our promise to God, but God s promise to us; not our faithfulness in keeping our promise, but God s faithfulness in keeping His promise. Faith-Promise is not a promise to God, but a promise from God that He will supply. When we hear what God promises to give through us, we must believe and act by faith. The amount God wants you to give is up to Him. How God supplies this promised amount is also up to Him. Just as God is not limited in His resources, He is not restricted in the sources He may choose to supply His promise. However, we should be aware that God has used the following avenues as conduits for His supply in the past: 1) From unusual or unexpected sources of income (be aware that this is given to you, but it is not for you) 2) By giving you creative ways to generate additional income 3) Though money-saving and/or cost-cutting changes in your life-style 4) Giving to Faith-Promise out of your abundance (savings, sale of appreciable holdings and valuables, etc.) QUESTION FOR REFLECTION: 1) What is the amount God has promised to supply to you? If you are not sure, will you prayerfully repeat the study?