Faith & Life Connections A Daily Devotion & Resource Guide for Your Spiritual Journey From the Sermon-Teaching Ministry of Fairhope UMC Bucket Lists: Vision & Hope - Week of January 22, 2012 Extravagant Generosity Week 3 Joel 2:28, Colossians 3:1, & Matthew 6:33 Reflections on this week s message: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 Do you plan for the future? What does that process look like for you? Is God a part of your planning? Do your plans, hopes and dreams for your life line up with God s plans? Do your plans and hopes for the church line up with God s plans? Wait a minute, preacher; how can we know God s plans? Have you thought about asking? When God says that He has plans for us, He isn t saying that he has hidden plans. God wants us to know what He plans, what He intends. One of the problems with people is that we tend to seek after our own will and chase our own hopes, plans and dreams. We forget that God s plans are best. We forget that God s way is the right way. This even carries over into the church; we seek our own way and forget that it is never about us. A theme that is woven throughout scripture is the call to seek God. That s what vision is all about. God admonishes us to seek after His will, to desire the things of His Kingdom above the things of Earth. Those who seek are often given vision, insight into God s plan and will for their lives and the life of the church. God s plans for you and for His church are extravagant! We are called to come along side of God as He carries out His plan. We are called to fully participate in God s agenda. We are called to be generous with our resources in seeking and following the vision we are given. Are you extravagant with your gifts, your time, your finances, your prayers? Are you seeking God s will and laying aside your own desires? Love, Pastor Joe This Week s Challenge: Practice Extravagant Generosity! Listen to this week s sermon teaching by clicking the Online Sermons link at www.myfairhopeumc.net.
Begin with Prayer: Faith & Life Connections Getting Started: Grab your bible & find a quiet, comfortable spot to begin your daily Bible reading. Light a candle & spend a few minutes relaxing, quieting your mind. Keep a notebook nearby to jot down distractions that interfere with your focus to put them out of your mind to deal with later. You may want to play your favorite hymns or praise music softly in the background. To quiet your mind & prepare to focus on God & His Word try one of the prayer exercises found under Spiritual Growth Resources. Then pray the suggested prayer starter personalizing it to your needs & desire for God s guidance. This Week's Prayer Starter: God of vision and hope, Thank you for the plans you have for this day. Be with me as I read and study your Word. Open my heart & mind to more fully experience your extravagant love. You are the One who enables me to dream dreams. Today I ask you to help me set my mind on things above so that I might dream your dreams. Align my priorities with yours so that I will desire to make changes in my life changes that will result in Extravagant Generosity. Help me to give my life to you so that you can take the pieces of my life and make them into something beautiful and useful. Forgive me for placing my desires above yours. Forgive me for my selfish behavior. Replace my greed with contentment and my complacency about the needs of others with a passion to give and serve as Christ did. Move me out of my comfort zone, Lord, and fill me with faith so that I might practice greater generosity and grow in my love for you and for others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. day 1 week of January 22 Read Joel 2:28, Colossians 3:1-2, Matthew 6:33 According to Joel 2:28, on who will God pout out his Spirit? Who will prophecy, dream dreams, and see visions? How are you experiencing the presence and work of the Holy Spirit? On what do you normally set your heart? On what does the Colossians passage teach us that we are to set our hearts? Why? What spiritual practices encourage you in cultivating a heart that seeks God? What does the Matthew passage teach us about what we are to seek? What aspect of your life occupies most of your energy? How does your life reflect a desire to seek God s kingdom and righteousness? What do you learn about vision & hope from today s passages? What are your hopes & dreams for our church? Are you seeking God s will and laying aside your own desires? Why is this challenging? Pray for our church! Pray that our mission, vision, hopes and dreams are aligned with God s plans.
Faith & Life Connections day 2 week of January 22 Read Jeremiah 29:11-13 What does God promise he will do when we call upon him and pray to him? What will happen when we seek God with all our heart? Do you plan for the future? Is God part of your planning? Do your plans, hopes and dreams for your life line up with God s plans? Do your plans and hopes for the church line up with God s plans? What hope do you find in today s scripture reading? Seek God today! Thank Him for all that you have and dream of what God might yet provide! day 3 week of January 22 Read Matthew 19:16-26, Mark 10:17-27, Luke 18:18-27 Why is it so difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven? On what basis is it possible for anyone to receive the kingdom? Why did the rich young man ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life? What does his question imply about his viewpoint on eternal life? What might have been missing in his life? By choosing his wealth over a loving relationship with Christ, what was the rich young man gaining? What was he giving up? What would you do if Jesus asked you to sell everything you had and give the proceeds to the poor? What challenges do you face in practicing extravagant generosity? What in your life could Jesus point to as something that is preventing you from receiving the kingdom? What would Jesus say holds you back from being a completely committed follower? What do you need to surrender in order to more fully embrace God s kingdom? Imagine yourself standing before Jesus looking into your eyes revealing the depth of his love for you. Now imagine him asking you to give up something that is very precious to you. How do you respond?
Faith & Life Connections day 4 week of January 22 Read Ephesians 2:1-10 If we are dead because of sin, how are we made alive? What has God s grace meant to you in your life? What in your life is due only to God s presence and goodness? What is the relationship between God s grace and good works? How does this relate to your practice of extravagant generosity? What good work do you feel God might have in mind for you? Are you extravagant with your gifts, your time, your finances, your prayers? Why or why not? Surprise someone with a loving & generous act today. See the Drive-Thru Generosity coupon for some ideas. Whatever you do, do it for Jesus! day 5 week of January 22 Read Romans 12:1-8 What does it mean to offer your bodies as living sacrifices? In what ways can you offer yourself as a living sacrifice? Paul warns us not to conform to this world. In what ways do you think many Christians are conforming where perhaps they shouldn t? How might conforming to the world interfere with practicing Extravagant Generosity? What are you doing to renew your mind? Why is seeking God s will important? Are you using your gifts in a way that is holy and pleasing to God? How do you use your gifts as part of the body of Christ? What holds you back from using your gifts more fully? In what ways are you practicing Extravagant Generosity? In response to God s extravagant, lavish, sacrificial, & unconditional love for you, practice Extravagant Generosity! As a sign of your willingness to commit to God s plans for your life, prayerfully complete the Expressing My Love for God card and/or the Membership Covenant and practicing being accountable for your commitment to Christ! Memorize this month s memory verse, Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first of all your crops." After reflecting & praying through this week s readings & sermon teaching, I feel God is nudging me to take these steps:
Dig Deeper: Faith & Life Connections "John Wesley, founder of Methodism, wrote & taught about the use of money, the dangers of riches, & the importance of giving. Read 2 Corinthians 8:9. Then read the following quotes attributed to John Wesley. Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, In all the ways you can, in all the places you can, At all the times you can, to all the people you can, As long as ever you can. Generosity is a Matter of the Heart! "Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." How does knowing God lead to generosity? How might using our material wealth to further the Kingdom deepen our relationship with God & increase our positive impact for God's purposes? A Personal Challenge Finding ways to grow deeper in our faith requires opening our hearts to prayer and a willingness to personally evaluate and challenge existing habits. One way to do this is to return a portion of our Financial blessings to God through our tithes and offerings. Our giving recognizes God as the source of our blessings. Our gifts help to create and implement ministries that change lives, transform communities, and spread the good news of Christ. Our membership vows in the UMC call us to be loyal to Christ and the church through our PRAYERS, PRESENCE, GIFTS, SERVICE, & WITNESS. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV) How much should I give? Giving comes from the heart, and prayer is essential for determining what to give. Your decision to be faithful in giving originates out of your love for God. This is best seen in John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won t perish but will have eternal life Evaluate your current giving. Does it reflect your blessings? Is it generous? Is it time for you to increase your giving to God and the work of the church? In these questions, you will find your answer. Expressing my love for God Prayerfully review this commitment card and consider how God is calling you to give of yourself for His purposes. Return your commitment card next Sunday as an expression of your love for God. Recognizing the importance of any involvement in God s work, I commit myself to: Attend Bible Study and Sunday School Attend Worship Attend a Small Group or Youth Group Serve as I Can (Committee or Team) Pray for Others Inside and Outside the Church Help Teach (Children, Youth or Adults) Help With Special events Participate in Local Service Projects Other ways you would like to serve: My Estimate of Giving I feel that what I can give to the church financially is a very important part of showing my love for Christ. I intend to return a portion of my blessings to the Lord as follows: 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% Other My tithe/offering will be given: WEEKLY MONTHLY Beginning Date Fairhope UMC s Mission Focus: We exist to love & serve God by loving & serving others, for the purpose of making & maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Faith & Life Connections Resource Fairhope United Methodist Church Membership Covenant Having professed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and being in agreement with the church s purpose and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the congregation in membership. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following: 1.) I will be loyal to Christ and the church by PRAYING. for all members and refusing to gossip for church leaders for pastor and staff 2.) I will be loyal to Christ and the church by my PRESENCE. as I attend faithfully at nurturing and equipping opportunities as I live a godly life 3.) I will be loyal to Christ and the church by my GIFTS. as I will share the gift of love with other members as I will faithfully share my resources and make tithing (10%) my goal as I invited the unchurched and welcome visitors 4.) I will be loyal to Christ and the church by my SERVICE. as I discover my gifts, talents, and graces for ministry by developing a servant s heart as I assume my area of ministry 5.) I will be loyal to Christ and the church by my faithful WITNESS....as I learn to share my faith story with confidence...as I prayerfully discern who God may be calling me to influence for Christ....by learning how to grow and mature as a faith-sharing disciple through training opportunities. Signed: Date: (Newly received member) Signed: (Pastor/Witness of Covenant) Date:
Dig Deeper: Faith & Life Connections The practice of Extravagant Generosity reveals what is in our hearts. Throughout the week, use The Prayer of Examen to help you check your heart for a generous spirit. Examine your daily habits & patterns. How is your heart? In what ways are you practicing extravagant generosity? In what ways do you need to grow? How did you experience joy in giving today? Do you recognize the abundance God has given you? What do you need to have to be content? Are you willing to share? How does the knowledge that all you have belongs to God impact your life? Reflect on your blessings. Thank God. You are so blessed. What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday? Reflect on what it means to give God your best. Are you giving God everything He deserves? Are you practicing Extravagant Generosity with your thoughts, time, talents, energy, resources, & abilities? The Prayer of Examen The prayer of examen might also be called an introspective prayer. The word introspection means looking within. The prayer of examen encourages assessing one's life before God on a regular basis. Recollection is the root of the prayer in which we focus on the last twenty-four hours of our life. This prayer is about noticing God's presence in our life, noticing & thanking God for his goodness, recognizing the movement of the Holy Spirit throughout our day, & acknowledging how we have failed God. Psalm 26:2, Jeremiah 17:10, & Psalm 139:23-24 are good Biblical references asking God to test us & examine our hearts & minds. The examen begins by recognizing that we are in the presence of God, recalling the events of our day with gratitude, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and reviewing our day making ourselves aware of the ways Christ has been at work as well as ways in which we have fallen short. When we intentionally notice these areas of our lives we become more conscious of our relationship with God, & as we become more conscious, we grow. During this reflective prayer time you may want to ask yourself some of the following questions: What am I most/least grateful for? When did I feel a sense of love, peace, or joy (the fruit of the Spirit)? When did I feel exhausted, dead, drained, angry, mean? When did I notice God? Toward what actions, activities, or attributes is God drawing me? Where did I fail? Were there things I should have avoided? When did I show love? In what ways was I kind to others? Examine the habits & patterns of the day. Do my habits help me face my day with love or do they hinder me? Preparation: Begin by quieting your body, mind, & spirit before the Lord. Gratitude: Review the previous day looking for events, conversations, & experiences that provoke gratitude. Remembering that no matter how bad a day has been, God continues His work in our lives. This prayer shapes us into grateful people. Awareness of God: Review the past twenty-four hours in your mind looking for God's presence. Sometimes this is easy, other times it may be difficult. Ask God to help you become a person whose life is constantly aware of His presence. Confession of Failure: Recall the past twenty-four hours alerting to the times you have failed the Lord, not acted in love, or refused the work of the Holy Spirit. Seek the Lord in confession and repentance & ask for forgiveness. Thanksgiving: End your prayer by thanking God for his grace and love.
Faith & Life Connections Resource Family Connection: Drive-Thru Generosity Practice Extravagant Generosity with your family! Print out a few copies of the following form. When you are in line at a drive-thru, whether it be at a fast food restaurant, for coffee & donuts, car wash, parking garage, or even a toll booth if you are traveling, practice Extravagant Generosity by paying for the person in line behind you. Ask the clerk to hand them this coupon! Pray for the person who was the recipient of your generosity! Have fun blessing others with your generosity! What other ways can your family bless someone else? We are blessed to be a blessing to others! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi! You don t know me, but I just paid for your order. No strings attached. I just felt like doing it. At my church we have been talking about extravagant generosity. I decided I wanted to make a difference in your life today. I hope this encourages you and I hope you will pass the generosity on to someone else. Share your story with us! Fairhope United Methodist Church 5660 Louisville St. NE Louisville, Ohio 44641 www.myfairhopeumc.net On Facebook at www.facebook.com/fairhopeumc Email us at christianed@myfairhopeumc.net Call us at 330-875-2028
Faith & Life Connections Resource Family Connection: Goal Setting As a family read Jeremiah 29:11-13. Talk about what it means that God has plans for you & what it means to seek the Lord s guidance in all that we do. As a family pray for God s guidance & direction in the coming year. Then create some goals in each of the following areas of your family s life: Spiritual: Family: Service/Mission: Giving: School/Work: Physical/Recreation: Try to consider goals that you can either do as a family or support each other as a family. For example, a spiritual goal may be to pray together as a family before every meal, or to read the Bible together one day each week. An example of a family goal may be to eat 3 meals together each week, turn off the TV, cell phones, & computer one night per month & talk to each other, or hold a family game night once per month. In the area of service/mission you may consider working on a service or mission project together, volunteer at a local food cupboard, help someone in your neighborhood with yard work, or give up fast food for a month & donate the money saved to a mission project, or carry out one random act of kindness in the name of Jesus each month. In the area of giving, prayerfully consider how God is calling your family to practice extravagant generosity with your time, talents, finances, prayers. In the areas of school or work you may set some individual goals for which you can support each other. Examples may include kids improving study habits or grades, while adults may consider setting goals to improve in an area related to their employment. An example of a physical goal may be to prepare & eat healthy foods or to participate together in a physical activity like roller skating, or bike riding once per month. Goal setting is a valuable skill children need to learn. As Christians, it is important to teach our children that God needs to be at the forefront of all we do. Our goals should be in line with God s plans for us. Seeking His guidance in all we do is vital to living a godly life that is holy & pleasing to God. Goals should be written in concrete terms, with beginnings & endings so you can monitor your progress. Keep them simple, beginning with just one goal in each area. Goals should also be written & displayed in visible places as reminders of what you are working towards. Make a poster that includes your goals in written form as well as pictures & hang them in a prominent place in your home like your refrigerator. Encourage each other along the way & celebrate your achievements.