Serving Him

God is doing something right here, right now, and anybody can be a part of it. All this week we talked about giving. In the How To Be Rich series, we explained that giving is not something we have to do, rather it is what we get to do. But we are also rich with gifts from God, and we are called to use those gifts to advance the Kingdom of God.

Some of us prefer to be hitchhikers. What do I mean? A hitchhiker wants the benefits of a car without the costs involved. The hitchhiker is basically saying to the owner of the car, “ I want you to sacrifice the cost of the car, the insurance, the gas, as well as having the ability to stay awake and driving safely. The hitchhiker just chills and enjoys the ride. He or she gets the benefits of the cars without any of the responsibilities of owning a car.

There are hitchhikers when it comes to giving and there are hitchhikers when it comes to serving. Our intentions are always honorable. We will give and we will serve: “When I’m rich, I’ll be more generous.” Or “When my profession matches my level of education, then I’ll start working for the Kingdom.” And finally, “Once I’m through this busy season of my life, then I’ll make more time to do what God wants from me.”

What if you believed that what you have right now, not tomorrow, next week or next year, but right now, that you already have what makes you rich? Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The sin of respectable people is that they run away from responsibility.” As we have said many times in the series, we are rich, richer than most people in the world could imagine. The question is what are we going to do with our riches? Right here. Right now.

Let me get off topic for a second and suggest that one of the best ways for you to use your gifts is to serve. Our desire is to help those who are seeking God discover how He has uniquely wired them with gifts, talents and passions and then equips them to be a solution by serving in their church, city and world. Every believer has access to spiritual gifts, so each person can discover how God has gifted them. Some discover their gifts by stepping into service opportunities they are passionate about.  To help you in the process, Northstar has developed a 301 ministry class.  We want to help you realize what makes you so unique. This class will help you discover how your personality, gifts, passions, and life experiences work together to fulfill God’s plan for your life. Find out the class schedule by talking to your campus pastor or sign up on your connection card.

We pray that, in serving here, God would mature and strengthen all of our gifts and create in every person a servant’s heart that would bleed into all areas of our life.

Permit God to guide you to the ministry in which He has created and designed you to serve. Don’t be afraid to step out and try something new. He will always enable you to do what He calls you to do.

Questions:
1. Pray about and enroll in the 301 Class.
2. Am I willing to answer the call to ministry, even in the smallest of ways?
3. Am I using my time and talents to accomplish the ministry God has for me?
4. Am I living a life of gratitude by joyfully donating a portion of my time and talent back to God?

Take the 90-Day Challenge

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” – Malachi 3:10

As I said in the daily devotional post on tithing, I understand that giving away your income can be a big – and often frightening – commitment. We work too hard for what we have. So for many, the idea of tithing, bringing the first 10 percent of our income to God seems overwhelming.

God repeatedly challenges us to trust Him with our finances, promising that when we give Him our first and best, He will bless the rest. Exodus 34:26 says “Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God” and Proverbs 3:9-10, 2 Chronicles 31:5, Leviticus 27:30 all contain similar messages.

Countless people experience God’s blessings when they tithe, but often the first step is the hardest one to take. That’s why we created the Three-Month 90 Day Tithe Challenge, a money-back guarantee of sorts. To help you take that step of faith, we encourage you to start tithing on Sunday at Northstar. If, after 90 days, you are not convinced of the blessings that tithing adds to your life, we will refund 100 percent of your gifts – no questions asked.

I think you will be amazed to discover how much better you will live on 90 percent of your income trusting in God, versus 100 percent of your income and just your own strength. When we bring our first and best to God, He promises to bless the rest.

So, take a step of faith and take the 90-Day challenge. It will deepen your walk with God and allow you to experience your Christian faith in new and vibrant ways.

Questions:
1. So – what do you think? Are you ready to take the 90-Day Tithe Challenge and experience God’s best for your life?

Giving Back

I’m not sure why, but talking about money has always been somewhat awkward for most pastors. Talking about Christianity in all its counter intuitive depth can also be awkward. So when you are teaching a series on money and Christianity, it can be awkward squared.

That’s because most of us have been trained since childhood to believe that money is personal, private, no one else’s business, and that it’s something polite people don’t talk about. Still, I thought it was important enough to spend some a series on, but not for the reasons you may think.

My goal in the How To Be Rich series is simply to give you some solid biblical principles and verses to consider as you live the life of a follower of Jesus. Our goal, and my desire as your pastor, is that every person that calls Northstar their home church would tithe and develop a culture of generosity. I want you to live with that spiritual discipline, acknowledging God with the first and the best, and experiencing the consistent blessing of God that comes from obedience to His word.

I’m not teaching on this subject to judge your heart or check your giving record, or to put the full-court press on you to give more money, or to condemn anyone that is not giving to the church. The truth is we don’t need the money. God doesn’t either. We shouldn’t be afraid of talking about generosity and giving because Jesus certainly wasn’t afraid to talk about it. You’ll find more than 1,000 references to money in the Bible, second only to love.

“Marty, I understand what you are saying, but, I am the one who will get their electricity cut off if I don’t pay the bill. Yes, I am a little of a control junkie, but my finances can change in a heartbeat. Stop for second and think about all the things outside of my control that could affect my family finances – a fender bender, getting sick and missing work, my wife getting laid off, and my son Joey beating all the odds and making the traveling baseball team. And what about taxes? I pay taxes too and they keep going up. It sometimes feels that God and the government are after my money. Given all that, will I have enough left to meet our expenses?

While I empathize, let me say this. God is in complete control and we should not try so hard to hang on to something that is clearly safer in God’s hands? Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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.” My prayer is this series will change the perception that generosity as an unfortunate obligation that leads to personal loss into what the Bible sees as an opportunity for gain for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Take Proverbs 28:27: ”Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.” And don’t forget Malachi 3:10 which says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

The simple truth is this: Of all the areas of life we try and hang on to, finances are an an area where we need more of God, not less of Him. For those who are just getting started and not sure you can step out and fully tithe, it may be wise to start where your faith is and move up from there. So if you can, in faith, commit to giving say, 5 percent of your income this year with hopes of moving it up to 7 percent next year, I think God will take you up on that. At the same time, I don’t think mature believers who are living under the blessing of God should stop at 10 percent.

Remember this is not a legal requirement, but a starting point for Biblical generosity. I do not think God would condemn anyone who is attempting to bring a consistent percentage of their finances, but I would encourage you to examine your heart, be honest before the Lord, and do your best to increase your giving as God blesses you.

Questions:
1. If “Money Talks”…what is our money saying about our relationship with God?
2. What is the point of tithing? In other words, what do you think God really wants from us through our tithe?
3. Pray about how you could be generous, either with time or money, during the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas?
4. Start tithing today; Start with a percentage that you are comfortable meeting. Then commit to being consistent as an act of worship and increase that percentage as your faith increases.
5. If you are a regular tither, what are some of the blessings you’ve experienced through your tithing?

Do Well? Do Good!

“Because we have more, we will give more.” – from week 3 of the How To Be Rich message.

Or, in other words, if  you are doing well, you should do good. The people who have a lot of experience doing well, have two principles they follow. The first one is strategic giving. Or, you can substitute the word responsible. Being responsible or strategic is nothing new. It is a staple in every successful business. Being strategic is the opposite of reacting immediately and equally to everything. Wisdom and experience have taught us that generosity, like so many other things in life, is most effective when thoughtfully undertaken. Using our head and heart will make our generosity go further.

True generosity is giving away something we want and need to someone who doesn’t have the ability to obtain it any other way. It is responding to the obvious need of another, without calculating how much we stand to gain or lose. Luke 6:38 tells us, “For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.”

The Psalmist adds his own endorsement to generosity, “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.” (Psalm 112:5) Proverbs tells us “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” (Proverbs 11:25).

Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” At Northstar, we strive to do all things in a quality and strategic manner which honors God, inspires people, and accomplishes His work.

So what does strategic giving look like? Influenced by vast needs worldwide each church and each individual can be tempted to spread their giving throughout the world. This could result in support being too thin. Strategic giving means deciding where we will have a substantial impact rather than simply giving broadly. Even the largest churches with all their resources understand this concept. To achieve the most impact, Saddleback Church strategically focuses its energy in Rwanda, while Willow Creek in Chicago works intently with World Vision in the Dominican Republic. As I mentioned on Sunday, we work with a community in Kiu, Kenya. It would make little sense for many churches to work with Kiu, when so many other areas need assistance from God’s people.

Whether on a personal or the local church level, we do best by giving strategically. None of us can afford to give something to everything, so we as individuals and churches need to decide where we can make our greatest, most strategic impact. It involves seeking God’s guidance to make contributions to the things that matter to God or into the work related to building Christ’s Kingdom.

Questions:

1. Take a few moments in gratitude, thanking God for all the riches He has given us rather than dwelling on what we do not have. Psalms 117:1 says, “ Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Compile a short list of what God has already blessed you with. Do you have it good? Does knowing what you have make it easier to share with others?

2. How do you define strategic when it comes to giving?

3. What do you want to achieve through your generosity? And what criteria do you use to decide what to support through your generosity? Is it important to know the answers to those questions or to simply trust God to use your giving to His benefit?

Choosing Generosity

“We make living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

I started Sunday’s sermon with a confession. Nothing too shocking. Nothing that should lead you to fire me as your pastor, at least I hope not. But, a genuine confession, nonetheless. As I stated Sunday, I was not a poster child for generosity in my youth. Many people are not. The main reason is I saw generosity as a luxury, not a necessity. I have learned over the years, however, that I was wrong,

Generosity was very personal for me. I’d rather not have to think about this subject, because like most people, I have mixed feelings about how much stuff I have. Part of me really likes my stuff and wants more of it, and part of me feels guilty about having too much stuff.  Maybe you can relate. So, it was easier to simply not address the issue and thus postpone any action on generosity into the future.

But here is a fundamental truth. The very fact that we are resistant to talking about the subject, and resistant to changing our behavior, is proof we do need to talk about it and even more importantly act on it. Because it is an area that is genuinely unsettled in many of our lives, a place where we truly need God’s direction, even though a part of us tends to resist it.

I am no longer reluctant to talk about this subject. And it is not because the church or God needs your money. We are undertaking the How To Be Rich series because I am excited about generosity making our lives better. Raising money is important, but building a culture of generosity is more important than just getting the money. A culture of generosity is built by continually giving to others. We want generosity to be a common thread that runs through the entire church. Generosity is the antidote to the greed so prevalent in the world. It’s the tangible expression of God’s love in the world.

  1. Questions:
    Is generosity a tough subject for you? If so, why? Do you believe generosity contributes to true meaning and satisfaction in our own lives?
  2. Why are Christians not as generous as they should be? Generally there are four reasons: (1) We lack the means to give generously; (2) We want more time to save more, build up our retirement, pay off debt, etc. We live in areas where there doesn’t seem to be any legitimate needs, and (4) we do not understand that giving generously is a key element in our life with God. Do you fit into any of these categories? Are these legitimate excuses?
  3. Each of us has something to give. Some have wealth, some have talents, some have time. What gifts do you have? Do you give them generously?
  4. Take some time and pray to the Lord. Ask Him to give you a truly open heart to generosity. Ask Him to take away your resistance to giving.  Ask Him to teach you how to be generous. Come up with a first step toward becoming more generous.

If Only…

If only I had a little more ________?

If I took an impromptu poll, I believe most people would write “money” in the blank. Some might have written in love, others Jesus, still others wisdom. While those are all good answers, it is not what I would have penciled on the blank. My answer would be grace.

It is easy to look around and see people and judge them by our standards. We think to ourselves, “I wouldn’t do it that way.” I wouldn’t spend so much money on a car.  They have way more than I will ever have.” Money can effect us in so many ways, including distancing ourselves from the people who may need us the most. Our level of income does not stop us from being good examples. We all need a little more grace.

It is probably easier to be a millionaire than to fully embrace the attribute of grace. It is not easy to ooze kindness, compassion, patience or love. It is easier to be jealous, emotional, impatient, judgmental, and contemptuous. The last being what I save for those teams playing Florida State.

We are known by our character as Christians and our character is not determined by our W-2. Galatians 5:22-26 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

We are to act in such a way with everyone because we are no longer our own. We belong to Jesus Christ. Galatians 2: 20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” A great barometer of how well we live up to this verse is in how we treat others. Do we interact and think in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control? Do we show grace?

Being, or not being, a person of grace is all about our attitude; our spirit. Whether we are rich or poor, we will meet people who are far from the heart of God. Whether we are also struggling because we lost our job, or in debt, or discouraged because we have not been as fortunate as others, God expects us to show those that are seeking answers that there are people who are different. People who display grace because God has been so gracious to them. This week, be a person who is known by the fruits of the spirit, and shows grace and mercy to those around her. After all, we could all benefit from the riches of having grace.

Questions:
1. What amazes you about God’s grace in Jesus?

2. How can I be a demonstration of grace in my family, in my workplace, in my church and in my community?

3. In the coming week, meditate on the importance of grace in your life. How has grace changed your life? How would you like it to change your life? Ask God to show you where to make the changes.

4. In your personal Bible study, take special notice of God’s instruction on grace.

Lord, give me patience, but please hurry

…For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.”– James 1:4 (TLB)

We are in the second week of our Be Rich series at Northstar. We have talked about the subject of riches and the corollary messages of prosperity, blessings and generosity. My hope is that as we talk about these important subjects, you will be in prayer seeking God’s will and guidance on how to best apply the principles we are teaching to your life. First, we need to be patient.

We live in a culture of instant gratification, so we expect instant answers to our prayers. And we have developed a predetermined idea about what that Yes answer will look like. It is human nature to ask God to guide us and immediately after we say amen, we walk away to start assisting God by wading into fixing the problem without waiting for an answer. We pray from our Be Rich series text in 1 Timothy 6: “God, I want you to give me wisdom; help me not to be arrogant or put my hope in wealth. Help me to put my hope in You, who richly provides me with everything. Help me do good and to be generous and willing to share. Lord, help me take hold of the life that is truly life.” But we think God needs our help. So we start doing our part. We start figuring out what changes we need to make.

God has promised to give us wisdom, if we will ask. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Wisdom is the ability to make decisions the way God makes decisions. God never makes a bad decision. He never makes a mistake. He says if we trust him and listen to him, He will guide us. But only if we ask and wait for His answer.

Listen to what James 1: 5-7 says: “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way and then that. If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.” (TLB)

There is a beautiful song that is part of the Fireproof movie soundtrack by John Waller called “While I’m Waiting.” The chorus says, “I will serve you while I’m waiting. I will worship while I’m waiting.”

I do not know what God may be trying to teach you through the Be Rich series. But I do know that if He is calling you to seek His will on the subject of riches and any other subject.

Questions:

1. If we are going to seek God’s will and plan form the blessings and riches He provides us, what do we need to believe about them?

2. Are you ready to open your heart to really listen in prayer, to be patient for His voice? Even when we do not initially agree with or understand the answer?
3. Habakkuk 1:5 (TLB) says: “The Lord replied: “Look, and be amazed! You will be astounded at what I am about to do! For I am going to do something in your own lifetime that you will have to see to believe.”Pray and ask God for the trust and faith to understand that when it seems nothing is happening. a lot could be happening behind the scenes. You just can’t see it.

4. Ask God to help you seek Him in very situation, not when we hit rock bottom. Why do people seek God in the bleakest moments? How can you change that in your life?

Too much money. Too much dependence.

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” – 1 Timothy 6:10-12

Jesus is rich. Jesus is the Son of God, and God is the Ultimate Owner of Everything. That means Jesus owns everything, and owning absolutely everything meets every possible requirement for being rich. But when He came to earth as a man, Jesus came as a poor human being who was born in a place where animals were kept. He gave up His claim as The Owner of Everything to become a lowly servant, so that he could teach us the truth. Jesus did not preach about being prosperous, or making more money. Instead, He warned us, again and again, about the dangers of allowing the heart to become focused mainly on the accumulation of wealth and earthly treasures.

A prime example of a rich man losing his way is Howard Hughes. At age 45, Hughes was one of the most glamorous men in America. He dated actresses, piloted exotic test aircraft, and worked on top-secret CIA contracts. He owned a string of hotels around the world, and even an airline. By age 65, Howard Hughes was worth 2.3 billion dollars. But you would never know it. He lived in small dark rooms atop his hotels, without sun and without joy. His once powerful 6’4” frame had shrunk to about 100 pounds. Life held no meaning for him. Finally, wasting away and hooked on drugs, he died at age 67 for lack of a medical device his own company had helped to develop.

The lesson of Howard Hughes is that even though Hughes had it all, he did not enjoy what he had been richly given. This is what happens when God is left out of the equation. All that this world has to offer can be incredibly empty and unsatisfying apart from God.

George Bernard Shaw once said that “there are two tragedies in life: one is not to get your heart’s desire. The other is to get it.” Consider the following statement: wealth is a greater test of character than poverty. A Romanian church leader who spent time in the West made this observation: “95 percent of believers who face the test of persecution pass it; 95 percent who face the test of prosperity fail it.

While that statement seems counter intuitive, I believe it is probably accurate, even if the actual numbers vary somewhat. Money does not ensure the great life most people believe it does. Because no matter how rich you are a life spent apart from God is a poor life.

Is it God’s desire that we have no money? Should we aspire to live in poverty in order to live a life that is pleasing to God? Is ambition a sin? No, no, and no, I’m not saying it is a sin to be rich, or even to desire to be rich. I’m saying it’s necessary to be honest with yourself, to search your heart for your motives, to make sure that what you desire is a way to better follow, serve and glorify God with all He has blessed you with.

Questions:
1. Life is often about or comforts. Are you comfortable? Do you feel safe being dependent on God?
2. Don’t be afraid to take risks for the Lord. Ask God to make you a little uncomfortable and more dependent on Him. Ask Him for guidance on how to tithe. Pray. Read His Word. Be generous to others. Share your faith.

3. What is one thing you can do this week to begin to put your hope in God instead of your money?

I can’t get no satisfaction

Are you satisfied? Not just in a “I just ate a big lunch” sort of way. But truly satisfied? Or does it seem like you’re always longing for something more? As if there’s something “out there” that you know will make you truly happy if you could just find it?

Do you find yourself thinking “if I can just afford/do/accomplish/be with [fill in the blank]”, then I’ll be happy only to find out it is a moving target. Or maybe you have you been let down so many times that you’ve become cynical even to the idea that anything can make you truly satisfied?

If any of those questions sound like you, you are not alone. Many of us who grew up in the United States have been fed on a diet of the American dream. We suffer from affluenza and even though we have so much more than most of the world’s population, we are never satisfied.

Let’s take a moment and compare that to what Solomon, the wisest and richest man who ever lived, has to say about the subject in Ecclesiastes 6. In the first few verses Solomon discusses the three measuring sticks of success in Hebrew society: wealth, long life, and lots of children. But as wonderful as these gifts are, unless God is in the midst we cannot enjoy them.

In 6:1-2, Solomon shares his basic premise: “I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.” The “evil” that Solomon speaks of is not being able to enjoy the gifts that God has given us, including money and our stuff.

There is a very important principle in these verses. The money, honors, and accomplishments of life can only be enjoyed if God is empowering us. Having wealth, as great a blessing as that can be, is not the source of satisfaction. Most people accumulate wealth to sustain them through a long and prosperous life. We try to eat right, work out, and make sure we look good. Yet, the truth is, many people who have been given long life do not use their years wisely for the Lord. So the issue is not long life per se, but rather how you live the life you have. The same can be said of our wealth. As so many people learned in the recession of 2008, money can disappear quickly.

The bottom line is this. We need to enjoy what God has given us today. There is no guarantee that we will have our money and stuff tomorrow. Be satisfied with what God has given you and trust Him for all your future needs.

Questions:

1. Take a few moments and ask God if you are enjoying the blessings God has given you? Then answer these questions honestly: Where does my satisfaction reside? Are there things in my life that God has been asking me to let go? What must happen for me to loosen my grip?

2. Am I satisfied or dissatisfied with what God has given me in this life? Why am I restless? What motivates me to do what I do on a daily basis? When I have success who receives the credit?

3. Does the thought of God’s hand ruling over my life comfort me? Can I accept the fact that I am not sovereign and all-knowing but still trust in the God who knows me and loves me?

How Well Do we Depend on God?

If you have watched even a small amount of TV, you have experienced an interesting phenomenon. It seems to me that the majority of advertisements on all forms of media are designed to bring to the surface, and then exploit, our natural sense of insecurity. Marketing managers are experts at identifying and exaggerating the things we are insecure about — our breath, our body, our status, etc. Once the advertisers have our attention, then they offer us something to buy — mouthwash, a weight loss program, a bigger car, etc., that will remedy our problem and make us hip or cool, or at least acceptable again.

It is understandable why this approach is effective. It is immediately tangible. Relationships, community, purpose — the kinds of things that Jesus invites us to embrace and strive for — are much harder to lay our hands on. We know what a good relationship feels like, but it’s hard to point to or produce on a moment’s notice. And being totally dependent on God is a wonderful feeling, but it’s not like you can run out to Walmart and buy it. So, we supplement our dependence on God with other things because they are right in front of us and we’ve got a whole culture telling us that this is the best way to go. Money to most people is the most dependable.

Our best intention is to be totally dependent on the God who loved and died for us. But when we have hard times, the natural inclination is to hit the ripcord and jump out of the totally dependent on God plane. Yes, we still depend on God, but we want to have some other things as a security blanket.

But here is the fundamental truth: When we depend on money, we get what money can do. Likewise, when we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do. If we depend on education, we get what education can do. When we depend on man, we get what men can do. When we depend on ourselves, we get what we can do.

But when we depend on God, we get what God can do. Depending on God means we rely on Him and depend on His reliability. Depending on God means that God is bigger, greater, and better than me – and he loves me greatly.

“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Isaiah 43:1-2.

Questions:
1. When do you replace your faith in God with worry?
2. How can I learn to trust that He is in control and rest in that?
3. In what areas of your life do you need to acknowledge your dependence on God?
4. In prayer time, ask God to help you with a work related question or decision, a relationship difficulty, or any other day-to-day issue we have always tried to solve ourselves? He longs to take your cares and concerns and fill you with His peace. Just give your mistakes, your burdens, and your busyness over to Him in prayer.