Posted on July 12, 2018 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
July 15 – 21, 2018
We Are Most Like God When: We Give
By Joe Davis
Ephesians 3:16 says, “…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,”(ESV). I don’t think that there is a single person anywhere that doesn’t want to have peace, or at least some kind of it in their lives.
My own life is full my restlessness in my mind and heart and some days I am simply overwhelmed. And it’s so interesting that in the midst of this I still have a desire to be obedient to God. One of those ways is by my giving, or tithing. Tithing is what God asks of us as a show of devotion and obedience to him (as the giver of all things) by giving 10 percent of our earnings back to him. I have struggled for so long with feeling the conviction–or spiritual nudge–to tithe, but not actually doing it. My family is on a very tight budget and we need every dime. I finally got the courage to just pull the trigger try it. I told a couple of friends, one of whom prayed over my decision right before I dropped the check into the box. I felt some peace about being obedient, but mostly I felt nervous. I knew in my head that God would honor my decision, but my heart did not feel that at all. My heart was so nervous about finances and how things would work out.
Fast forward a few weeks and I needed to pay some bills . . . and we were coming up short. My stress level started to rise with how things were going to work out. Then a friend of mine reminded me about a gun that I had purchased from him that I was going to resell. I had forgotten about it. I was able to sell it for twice what I paid for it and literally had just enough money for the bills that were coming up. At the time my immediate thought was it was a little miracle. But deep down in my soul I knew that God was providing that just in time. I was overwhelmed with the timing of it. In my moment of panic, God pulled to the surface exactly what I needed.
As I think about how God provided, it stirs up in me the desire to be able to provide for someone just in the nick of time. Almost like a super hero, but with no cape. We are created in God’s image, we bear his thumb print on our souls. And in turn, some of his desires become our desires. But we are only able to do this through the Holy Spirit. It is the power of God’s spirit in us that enables us to be like Jesus and live that out.
I may not have a lot of money to be able to give someone in the nick of time, but there are other things that I can do to give of myself to others. Some of these things I know about, and other things will reveal themselves when the time comes. This only happens because God wants to use me to show others of his presence.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Do I truly want to give to others? How do I allow the Holy Spirit into these parts of my life? When have I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to gift something to another?
{personal reflection and bible reading plan}
As you read the verses each day, make notes of questions you have about what you’re reading as well as answering the reflection questions below. Grab a friend or two to discuss what you are learning and what God is doing in your lives.
To dive deeper into Luke Part 2, CLICK HERE or on the image below and check out this great video from our friends at The Bible Project.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: What do you observe happening in this scene? Who is present? If you were Peter, John and James hiking up a mountain with Jesus when these events occurred, what would you be thinking and feeling? How would you explain this experience to your closest friends?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: As the scene continues, consider how the actions happening contrast with one another. Have you ever had an amazing "mountaintop" experience in life, followed by a challenge or difficult situation? What was that like? Did one prepare you for the other? If at the end of these experiences you heard Jesus say what he did, what would you believe? How would you go forward from this moment? When life gives us highs and lows in such contrast, how can we focus on the invitation/challenge, "This is my son, my chosen one. Listen to him."?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: These passages shed light on what it is like to follow Jesus. Where do you find it hard to follow him in your daily life? Try asking Jesus where he wants you to go (in a meeting, in your day, in a conversation with someone). Are you willing to follow wherever he leads?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: In these verses we see the contrast of invitation and challenge. People are being invited to follow Jesus, and experience the peace of God’s kingdom. And they are being challenged with what will happen if they choose not to follow. Where have you been both invited and challenged as you follow Jesus?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: What must it be like, being Jesus? How do you think he bore the weight of humanity hanging in the balance between the kingdom of heaven and the reality of evil and peril in this world? We were born of this time, a people that Jesus called and taught to see, to follow, and to share the great hope of having our names written in heaven, too. Take some time to express your thankfulness for this amazing gift.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: The story of the Good Samaritan runs deep in our culture today. Who do you call neighbor? Are you able to call those who are different from you neighbor? Those who you disagree with? Those who you directly oppose? The heart of this parable is the incredible challenge to invite all neighbors–all people–into the world of love and grace that God has created. Let’s take some time today to consider how we are doing that personally, where we live, work, study and play. We are praying with you for a breakthrough in your situation!
{community discussion questions}
We weren’t meant to experience the life of Jesus alone, so we encourage you to rally a few others to discuss what you are hearing, reading, and reflecting on together. Whether you are meeting as a Journey Community group, talking with a few friends throughout the week, or bringing up spiritual conversations around your table at home, feel free to use some of these questions as conversation starters on your journey.
Can you name a takeaway or challenge from the Sunday message?
How has that been relevant, challenging, or meaningful to your life this week?
What have you observed about God, Jesus, yourself, others, or God’s plan for you from these readings?
Where do you need a breakthrough from God this week?
Who do you need to share what you’re learning about God with?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources).
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get a free Bible for your phone, tablet, and computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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