You Can’t Do Life Alone

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” –  Hebrews 10:24-25. 

Do you remember the movie Cast Away? Tom Hanks plays a Fed Ex executive en route to an assignment in Malaysia when his plane crashes over the Pacific Ocean during a storm. The sole survivor of the flight, Chuck, washes ashore on a deserted island. When his efforts to sail away and contact help failed, Chuck learns how to survive on the island, where he remains for years, accompanied by only his handmade volleyball friend, Wilson. He counts the days necessary to catch the northeast trade winds that he hopes will take him into the shipping lanes and rescue. Chuck isn’t certain where he is headed, but figures that he would rather die at sea than spend the rest of his life alone on the island.

No matter how tough you are, no matter how independent or self-reliant you are, and no matter how much you pride yourself in the belief that you don’t need anyone, it just is not true.

You and I cannot do life alone. Even in the perfect Garden of Eden, God said to Adam, “it is not good that the man should be alone.” We were created to be in community. We were designed to need and want other people. Life is meant to be shared and experienced with others. There is strength in numbers.

One of the most important things for a Christian is their desire to belong. They don’t just want to be another face in the crowd, people want to be known and cared for. When a group of Christians get together, it creates an opportunity to listen and talk to each other.

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 says, “two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We need each other.

Going to church is obviously essential and even commanded, but you worship in a crowd and fellowship in a small group. That smaller group is what you need. We need to trust, rely on, and depend upon other believers. God gave us each other to walk alongside, encourage, and spur one another one in the faith.

James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” We are to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), care for each other’s practical needs (Romans 12:13), and rejoice and mourn with each other (Romans 12:15).

I wish I could talk to each of you about small groups and community. Unfortunately I can’t. But, I encourage you to join a group if you are not already part of one.

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Do you participate in a small group? If not, why not?
  2. What do you see as the benefits of being in community?
  3. Join a group this spring.

Growing People Change

“…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”- 2 Peter 3:18.

In every story in the Bible where someone meets Jesus, that person is changed. The story of Zacchaeus (Matthew 19:1-10) is just one example. The same is true today. Jesus meets us where we are, but once we know Him, we will never be the same. As Christians, growing in our faith simply means being changed and becoming more like Jesus. 

God expects us to grow spiritually and His Word encourages personal examination as an element of growth:

  • “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!” – Lamentations 3:40.
  • “Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.” – Haggai 1:5.
  • “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.” – Galatians 6:4.
  • Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,” – Ephesians 5:15.

It is important to remember that spiritual growth is a process, not a program. And as a process, it takes time, but more importantly it takes active involvement. Unfortunately we will not grow by osmosis or by association. We need to evaluate where we are and decide where we want to be both short and long-term. We can start with some key elements in growth: going and serving in church and small groups, studying the word of God, attending the Growth Track classes, and reading books or listening to podcasts, etc. in the area of spiritual growth. In addition to those, here are a few additional thoughts to consider.

Ask yourself when was the last time you did something new, or at least different than what you have always done. What have you tried in 2015 that you have never tried before. Trying new things, and sometimes failing is one of the best ways to grow. If you attend church and participate in a small group, what have you learned and more importantly applied in the last few months? How intentional have you been about learning and making them part of your life. James tells us to be doers, not just listeners. (James 1:22)

What have you been doing to manage or facilitate your spiritual growth? It is hard to grow if we are on the sidelines. Take control of your spiritual growth and if you are not where you need to be, take the steps to get there. 

And finally, pray daily. Prayer is simply talking to God. You don’t have to use big fancy words. There are no right and wrong words. Just be yourself. Give thanks to the Lord daily for your salvation. Pray for others in need. Pray for direction. Pray for the Lord to fill you daily with His Holy Spirit. It will help you grow spiritually.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What person has most encouraged you in your spiritual growth?
  2. When you are growing in the Lord, what are some changes you have seen in your life as evidence of growth in your walk with Christ? What are some changes you have seen in other’s lives as evidence of that growth?
  3. What event/activity/season of life caused your spiritual life to grow the most?
  4. At what period of your life would you describe as the time when you were closest to God?
  5. What changes would you have to make in your life now in order to grow more spiritually?

Saved People Serve People

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” – Matthew 25: 35-40.

Mother Teresa once said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” The idea is that there is so much that needs to be done and only so much we can do. Rather than everyone serving others why not have everyone serve themselves. That eliminates the concerns of who best to serve and how best to serve them.  There is one problem with that idea.

God serves others and He wants us to do the same. He’s set it up so serving others accomplishes almost everything He wants for us. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus tells his disciples that, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Because Jesus gave Himself up as the ultimate sacrifice for us, we are also called to serve others. At Northstar, we believe that the Church does not exist for us. We are the Church and we exist for the world. We have the responsibility and the opportunity to show the love of Christ by serving other people. In other words, saved people serve people so that served people can become saved.

Northstar is not built on the gifts and talents of a few, but on the sacrifice of many. One of the character traits that has marked us as a church has been the incredible volunteer spirit of the many people who make up Northstar. It’s one of the reasons that I love my church – because Saved People Serve People. And it’s never about excluding people, but about including people. Helping people find their fit – what makes them unique – and then fitting them in – helping them find a place of service.

I encourage you to serve if you haven’t yet. Ask yourself what it is that you do better than anyone else. God has perfectly designed you with a place of service in mind (Romans 12:6). That means that your skill set is a blueprint for where you should serve.  See what needs to be done. Look around and see a need and fill the need. If it looks like we’re in need of extra ushers, why not step up. Or maybe you notice that the check-in lines are getting long when you drop off the kids. Maybe that’s a perfect place for you to get involved.

The point is we need you. We want you to be a part of God’s body in the way He designed you. You’re here because of Him, and we know He put you here for a reason. Let’s find out together.

There are many opportunities to serve at Northstar. We want you to find the one that best suits your passion, personality, and availability. We believe that serving is key to your spiritual growth. Remember that saved people serve people.   

Discussion Questions:

  1. Every Christ-follower has at least one spiritual gift (Ephesians 4:7-8). Some people have not yet opened their gifts. What does Romans 12:1-2 suggest as reasons they may be having difficulty unwrapping their gifts?
  2. What does 1Corinthians 12:18-27 indicate is the purpose of our spiritual gifts?
  3. What hurdles do you have discovering and using spiritual gifts?
  4. How can you discover where God wants you to use your gifts? How can you tell you are fully using your gifts? 

Found People Find People

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” – Luke 15: 4-7.

There is a story of two brothers that is hard to believe. After years of trying to find each other, two long-lost Newfoundland brothers discovered they live just yards apart. Tommy Larkin, 30, and his brother, Stephen Goosney, 29, were adopted as children by separate families. Both Larkin and Goosney spent years searching for their biological family but had no luck. Little did they know, they had spent the past seven months living almost directly across the street from each other. The unusual thing was, despite living across the road from each, they couldn’t really ever remember seeing or speaking to each other, until an unlikely encounter. Since reconnecting, the brothers said they have been spending a lot of time together. 

Jesus and His Word makes our mandate pretty clear. Our mission, the driving force, the thing that should get us up and keep us up and that we should be expending our energy on is people who are far from the heart of God whether they are across the street or across the planet. Matthew 28:19-29 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…”  He reveals that our understanding must be that found people find people.

Jesus drives this home with words, but also His actions! Jesus was constantly on a mission to find people. In John 1:43-45 He found Philip. The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, were from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

He found Philip. Jesus was about finding people. And then He expects us to in turn find others.

So the question is who are we finding? Who have we gone out of our way, purposely set out, planned, to find? It is impossible to really love Jesus and not be concerned about people who are lost and haven’t come to Christ!

Are you found? Who will you find? 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do we have a willingness to find others?
  2. What does finding others mean to you?
  3. What is preventing us from inviting others to church? Is it our schedule? Is it fear? Is it comfort? Is it apathy?
  4. Read Romans  2: 6-11: What does Paul mean when he states, “For God shows no partiality.”
  5. Pray and ask God for the courage and the opportunity to invite people to church and to talk about your faith.

The Power of Praise

“Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” – Psalm 150

The book of Psalms has a lot to say about praise. In fact, it gives any number of reasons why praising God is important. It also gives various ways of how to praise God. Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 147:1 says, “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!”

Psalms also highlights the attributes of God that are worthy of praise. First, God is full of glory: “May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.”  (Psalm 138:5)  God is great: “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” God is wise and powerful: “ Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.” (Daniel 2:20) He is the One who saves us: “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!” (Psalm 18:46)

To try to list all the things God has done is impossible, but it is a worthwhile exercise because it turns our hearts back to Him and reminds us of how much He has done for us. Revelation 4:11 says this: ”You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,  for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

All too often, praise to God is something that many people leave behind when they leave church and get ready for the week ahead. But praise is not a church only event or something we do in the company of other Christians.  Praise should be a part of our life, at home, at work, actually anywhere for that matter. “…I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalms 34:1).

Praise is an expression of faith. It says that we believe God is with us and is in control of the outcome of all our circumstances (Romans 8:28). Praise is a “sacrifice,” something that we offer to God sacrificially, not just because we feel like it, but because we believe in Him and wish to please Him. Hebrews 13:15 tells us, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”

How is praising God possible? Singing songs and hymns, clapping our hands, praying even jumping for joy…the list is endless. We can give glory and praise to our God with the use of our physical bodies, with our hearts and minds, and with our deeds. There are many ways to praise God! No matter how you praise and worship God, it should result in humble recognition of God’s power, love, and grace for all of us.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In what ways have you been amazed by God this past year?
  2. What habits can you develop to help you learn to praise God more?
  3. How does praising God more help you to trust him more? What other activities help us to trust God more?
  4. What are the things in life that prevent us from resting and trusting and praising God? 

In Everything Give Thanks

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” –  Colossians 3:15-17

It is Thanksgiving 2015, 395 years since the first one in 1621. There are a lot of things I like about the Thanksgiving holiday and there are a lot of things I am thankful for. Number one on the list is I am thankful for a God who loves me and a Savior who came to die in my place and rise again for my salvation.  I am nothing without Him. 

I am thankful for the woman God put in my life.  Angela continues to be an incredible blessing from God. I am thankful for my son, Andrew and my daughter Ashleigh. Nothing prepares you for being a father, but there are few things better than being a dad.  

I am thankful I have the opportunity to be a pastor. I thank God for blessing my life with a church family filled with compassion and love; giving me the honor of serving as your Pastor, walking alongside you, working together, laughing together, crying together, in ministry and mission that transforms lives with the good news of Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t trade the Northstar family for the world.  

I am thankful for the church staff. These men and women have dedicated their lives to serve people. Thank you for going to God on our behalf and praying for us daily. 

I am also thankful for our campus pastors. Thank you for walking with us through tragedy, marital troubles, raising children and life’s great challenges. Thank you for the periodic phone calls, texts and emails just to see how we are doing. And most of all, thank you for not quitting each Monday.

I am thankful for all our volunteers. Many of the tasks that need to be done in a church setting happen behind the scenes; in a place where you will not get noticed or applauded. Your love of God shows in your willingness to get involved and in your willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

I am thankful to live in America. To enjoy the freedoms we have is an incredible blessing which all too often I have taken for granted.

If you have a second you may also want to read Psalm 136 which starts out, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever…”

This Thanksgiving, let us give thanks as we reflect upon all of God’s blessings in the past, present, and future.  

Delight In His Presence

“Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!. The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:14 – 17

A little background may be in order before we go on. The book Zephaniah is a small book, nestled in the midst of the Minor Prophets, toward the end of the Old Testament. The book of Zephaniah was written during the reign of King Josiah, likely between 635 and 625 BC.

In the passage that began this devotional, we see a picture of the delight that we can have with the Lord: Verse 17 tells us that yes, “the Lord your God is with you” and then it says that “He will take great delight in you.”  … and rejoice over you with singing.” So we are to delight in Him and He will delight in us.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” While our delight may be found in many different things, the Bible commands us to find our delight in the Lord.  That same “delight” that we try to find in so many things, we are to find in Him.

But what does delighting in the Lord look like in practice? What specifically are we supposed to do? King David was a person who was able, for much of his life, to find his delight in the Lord. What did he do?  For one thing, He got up early to spend time with God.  Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” This indicates the commitment that David had to walk with God in prayer first thing in the morning. If we want to seek God and to delight in Him, then we too need to make a commitment to to start our day with Him.   

David also sought God in His word. Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 55:17 tells us, “Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.” That did not mean that he only prayed at those three specific times, but that at every portion of the day, he was found walking with God, delighting in Him. This is what we must do, too, if we would delight in the Lord; we must walk with Him constantly throughout the day.

I fall short of the depth of what it means, to really continually “delight yourself in the Lord.”  And I imagine that some of you could say the same thing. But that is what I am working toward and I know you are too.  Because the bottom line is this: Our greatest help is not going to be found somewhere else, because what we need more than anything, is to delight in the Lord. 

Because if we really learn to delight in Him, then we will have what it takes to live truly enjoyable lives no matter what happens with all the other things that we think will bring us delight. And the truth is, even if you have all of these other things, you will never enjoy life as God intended us to do, until we learn to delight in the Lord. My prayer this week is that God will help us to learn to “delight ourselves in the Lord.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you spend a few minutes with God each morning? If not, why not?
  2. In what circumstances are you most tempted to stop delighting in God?  If you were to talk to Him in those circumstances, what would you want to hear from Him?
  3. Do you delight in God in between the big moments in your life?
  4. If you changed the way you delighted in God, what would that be? If God were to change the way you delight in Him, what would that be?

God’s Love Never Fails

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:37-39

As a pastor, I constantly catch small glimpses, these small moments where I see Jesus, alive and well, moving and mattering, showing up everywhere, in the lives of many in any number of ways. God’s love is all around us. C.S. Lewis said that, “though our feelings come and go, God’s love does not.”

To see God’s love, we need to get our eyes off our shortcomings and the distractions in our lives. We need to learn to open our heart and our life to the perfect love of Christ, and experiencing his presence and his presents in our life. This process will give us the eyes to see and the heart to experience His love. 

But let me ask you a question. Do you find it hard to believe that God loves us that much? Is it difficult to fathom that the God of the universe loves us and is present in our lives on a daily basis? It can be difficult to get our head around the idea of the infinite, and unconditional love of our Heavenly Father.

I think this is because we always try to put God’s love into human terms, or terms that we can understand. We are conditioned to measure love by “if’s,” “maybe’s,” and “because’s.” “I’ll love you if you do this.” Or, “I love you because you did that.” It is hard to imagine that a love without some sort of condition even exists. Yet God wants us to know that such a love exists and we can feel secure in His love. If a person has never come to know genuine unconditional love, then he only knows the rules for conditional love. And the foremost rule for conditional love is, “you must earn the right to be loved.” You must measure up to my standards before I will love you. And of course the other horrible aspect of conditional love is that it can be taken back at any time. In other words, if you do something to displease me, I will stop loving you.

God’s love is not based on what we have, what we do, or what we achieve. God’s love is not determined by our behavior or by our conduct. It does not depend on our background or our birth or status in society. God’s love is not influenced by anything that we say or do. 

There is nothing you can do to win any more of God’s love. In fact, there is absolutely no way that you can get God to love you anymore than He does right now at this very second of your life. It is God’s nature and character to love each and everyone of us. We are told in the Bible that God is love. 

So then, because God’s love is unconditional and it’s not based on your performance, you should accept it, receive it, delight in it and experience it as a present from a loving Heavenly Father. So how can we not enjoy life in His love, His presence and His presents in our life.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is love to human beings? Why do you think it is so important?
  2. What are some words that describe God’s love?
  3. What does the phrase “God so loved the world” in John 3:16 tell us about God’s love? How big is His love? Who does He love?
  4. What is hard for me to understand or believe about His love?
  5. Have I seen His love in action in my life? In what ways?

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” – Lamentations 3:22

If you ask the average person if they wanted to be happy, they would look at you like this is a trick question.  Who wouldn’t want to be happy? In fact, if you were to make a list right now of all the things you want in your life, chances are the vast majority of things that make the list are the things that make you happy, or at least you think they will make you happy.

You may think if you have a bigger house, more money, a better car, a different job or a better boss you’d be happy. Many of those things are based on another person or on some kind of outward circumstance over which you have no control. It reminds me of the scenes from a movie where some guy is out in the desert. He’s so thirsty his mind is playing tricks on him. He thinks he sees a pool of water up ahead. It looks very real to him. He staggers toward the water. But when he reaches the water’s edge, he discovers the pool of water is just more desert. It was just a mirage—something that appeared to be something that is not really there. 

Many of us have been that poor guy in the desert seeking happiness by chasing after things that convince us that happiness was just around the corner. All we need is something that we can’t find in other people or in other circumstances. Unfortunately, those things are often a mirage.

The truth is, God wants you to enjoy your life every day. Take a look at John 10:10 (AMP). It says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” This scripture clearly tells us that God doesn’t just want us to live our life in a desert. He wants us to live with abundant joy.

I would encourage you to not wait on when, or wait on someday. So many people have the mindset that they will be really happy and enjoy life when…they go on vacation, when the kids are older, when they get higher on the ladder of success at work, when they get married…whatever we hope for in the future. We can all relate to waiting for a when in our lives.   

Make a decision today to connect to God. Remember that God loves you always. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway. We all have things about us and in our lives that need to change, but they will really only change when we’re abiding in Christ, living with the joy of the Lord.

As you go about your day today, make this your goal: Set the Lord continually before you and He will give you strength to face any problems you have to deal with, and you’ll enjoy your life while you’re doing it.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever wondered why you did not let yourself be happier?
  2. What is the secret to finding happiness in your mind?
  3. Can we enjoy our lives more? Why or why not?
  4. Pray and ask God to help you set the Lord continually before you.   

Multiply Loaves, Fishes and Generosity

“Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.” – Haggai 1:5-7

Through The Multiply series, we talked about offering God the first fruits of giving, serving and our time. Our hope was that through this series we would recognize His giving at a deeper level so that we might be able to give to Him in deeper ways, and help change the we you think about and manage what God gives you financially. The bottom line is that when we put God first in our lives, God always does more than we expect. Our motivation for this series comes from Matthew 6:33 and says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

For the purpose of summary, here are some key points from the Multiply series in no particular order:

  1. We experience abundance most fully when we ask God for the spirit of generosity. Ask God to give you His heart for others as you give, trusting Him to provide your needs.” And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” (2 Corinthians 9:8-9)
  2. God will provide more than we need if we are willing to risk sharing what we do have, even when it seems like “not enough”.  Jesus multiplies what is faithfully given when nothing is held back because we’re worried about having enough. Ask God for faith to give to Him and then watch how He will multiply it. 
  3. Whatever gifts, talents or skills we’ve been given, they are entrusted to us so we can use them to bless others. We bless others out of gratitude for the grace and mercy that God has bestowed upon us.  Intentionally share your gifts, talents or skills as an act of worship to God.
  4. Generosity opens the door to new opportunities. The law of giving and receiving cannot be suspended. When you sow seeds of generosity, you reap a harvest of opportunity. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)  In blessing others, we are blessed. Generosity is not only an investment towards a solution to someone’s plight, but an investment in your own future. So, generosity is not about money. It’s about changed lives.

I pray that you enjoyed this series and this series will help you make lasting change in your lives. We have many compelling reasons to be generous. Lives will be forever changed, including our own when we are generous.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think a spiritually-motivated and Bible-focused generosity movement is needed in the world today? Why or why not?
  2. If God is truly bigger than a paycheck, what are some ways you have seen him bring provisions into your life recently?
  3. List some of the available time, talents, treasure, and things that God has given you. What is a way that some of these things could be used for the Lord and for others?
  4. Can you recall a time when you experienced God’s crazy math and saw the Lord provide in unexpected ways?
  5. What is the greatest benefit or insight you have gained from the Multiply series?