This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

The Devine Dare

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Mark Shields

This past weekend’s message at First United Methodist Church Waco was titled “The Devine Dare”. God dares us to be generous and giving to the church is meant to be a celebration of what God has blessed us with. We should make giving, serving, and worshiping God a joyous experience by following what He says to do and watching what we make happen to change the world.

Below is an outline of the message. The words in black are notes provided by the church staff and the notes in blue are notes I added as I listened to the Podcast.

1. DARING GENEROSITY.
“ ‘Should a person rob God’? But you are robbing Me. You ask, ‘How have we robbed You?’ ‘You have robbed Me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops… Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in My house. Test Me in this,’ says the Lord All Powerful. ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.’ ” – Malachi 3:8-10a (NCV)

God dares us to be generous and He promises to bless us.

2. TITHING GENEROSITY.
“I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.” – Numbers 18:21 (NIV)

“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling of His Name so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” – Deuteronomy 14:22-23 (NIV)

“Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.” – Deuteronomy 14:26 (NIV)

Tithing is meant to be a celebration of what God has blessed us with. How do you make giving, serving, and worshiping God into a joyous thing?

“…and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” – Deuteronomy 14:29b (NIV)

Follow what God says to do and watch how He blesses.

3. FIRST FRUITS GENEROSITY.
“Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.” – Exodus 23:19 (NIV)

“Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation… and now I bring the first fruits of the soil that You, LORD have given me.’ Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before Him. Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.” – Deuteronomy 26:5-7(NIV)

Paul said Jesus is the first fruits of God’s best crop. He planted His Son; the seed had to die to live and that seed came out of the ground called the resurrection.

Give God your best not your leftovers.

4. HARVESTING GENEROSITY.
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.” – Leviticus 19:9 (NIV)

5. OFFERING GENEROSITY.
“These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering.” – Leviticus 7:37 (NIV)

6. SABBATH GENEROSITY.

Giving to the church results in people being changed, kids being blessed, college students in a new place; you will see what you make happen to bless our world. I found this video that brings out some of the main points in the message and I hope it will inspire your day as much as it has mine: When Love Sees You – Mac Powell. God Bless 🙂

Feel free to use this outline and message to study or share with others. There is also a Podcast of all sermons at First United Methodist Church Waco Podcast.

Where Does Your Success Come From? (work4christ.wordpress.com)
Committed to Giving! (jacobjuncker.wordpress.com)

Posted in Thoughts From Sermon | Tagged Book of Deuteronomy, Celebration, First Fruits, Generosity, Giving, God, Jesus, Podcast, Serving, Tithing, Worshiping | 3 Comments

Many Read Our Actions

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Mark Shields

Reflecting upon Zechariah 7, our gratitude for God’s love might be to find what it is that we can do to help others and take every opportunity to make it happen. Only a few may read the Bible day after day but many read our actions.

Here’s an old video about an idea a church came up with and carried out around 2007. Hillside Christian Church in Amarillo Texas gave away $100K to members to help others in the community: Generosity Revolution.

Christian churches hold broad spectrum of views (syracuse.com)
Findlay Street Christian Church project moving forward (beaconhill.seattle.wa.us)

Posted in Zechariah | Tagged Actions, Amarillo Texas, Bible, Christian Church, Christianity, Church, Community, findlay street, Generosity, God, Gratitude, Help, hillside christian church, Love, religion, Religion and Spirituality, Texas, Zechariah 7 | Leave a comment

How Each Day Is Lived

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Mark Shields

In my journey through Zechariah 7, I have learned that the outward signs of goodness are not keeping the formalities in religion like showing up to church or being a part of a certain group but in how each day is lived. Is there honesty in our dealings? Are we reliable and upright? Do we treat people with respect? Are we concerned about our neighbor; the widow or fatherless, those going through difficulty or sickness, and those who can’t support themselves? Are we generous in sharing with others and hoping good things happen to others because we see our neighbor as a member of our team?

God’s way is a meaningful contribution or service given to others. When there is a relationship between prayer and duty. The Word is consulted along with learning from those who explain, write, or teach it along with seeking direction from God through prayer. The proper steps are taken to developing a good plan that is dutifully carried out and success is the result. It is the result not only in the individual’s life but also in the lives of those with whom they consider a part of their team.

We don’t go to worship simply to look good outwardly but to honor God and spend some time with Him with the hope of receiving a message that inspires good in our actions and motivates us to share with others so all can benefit from His blessings.

Our gratitude for God’s love might be to find what it is that we can do to help others and take every opportunity to make it happen. Only a few may read the Bible day after day but many read our actions. Pastor Steve at my church said once that a church in motion is a place of infinite challenge, intense fellowship, passionate prayer, and strong outreach.

This day with God will be amazing because it is what we make happen for others that will be given back to us. Today I’m praying that we give a smile and that a smile is given back. That we act kind and kindness is given back to us from others.

Prayer Take 22/40 (phillipbrande.wordpress.com)
How Can Apostle Paul Pray for Us? (underthecoverofprayer.wordpress.com)

Posted in Zechariah | Tagged Bible, Blessings, Christ, Christianity, Church, Generosity, God, Gratitude, Honesty, infinite challenge, Inspiration, Kindness, Love, meaningful contribution, Motivation, Outreach, Prayer, proper steps, Reliable, religion, Religion and Spirituality, spirituality | 2 Comments

Training Takes Effort

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Mark Shields

In reflecting on yesterday’s reading of Zechariah 5-6, there is a choice we make in order to become more like Christ. Training for anything be it in sports or in life takes effort. I mentioned yesterday about going out for the football team when in the 10th grade. The hot summer days with two a day practices was grueling and towards the end of our summer work outs, my football coach took the team to see Rocky. Here’s a video of the grueling training: Rocky.

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. – Colossians 1:24

Living Divine! – Colossians 3 [Darby]| Bible Resources (spiceofyourlife.wordpress.com)
James 3 (cutpaste.typepad.com)
What is Your Identity If You Are “In Christ Jesus”? (craigsturm.wordpress.com)

Posted in Zechariah | Tagged Champion For God, Choices, Christ, Christianity, Discipline, Effort, Epistle to the Colossians, God, God the Father, HolySpirit, Practice, religion, Religion and Spirituality, spirituality, Sports, Training | 2 Comments

The Choice to Obey

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Mark Shields

Disciplined study of God’s Word, acceptance of His Son, and asking for help to receive the power of the Holy Spirit leads to a bright future. Even though the book of Zechariah was written around 519 BC after the Babylonian captivity from 587 to 538 BC, we can learn lessons that we can apply in our life today because it is about returning to God.

As I journey through Zechariah 5-6, there are aspects of God’s character that one can see in the sixth vision. He is powerful and able to destroy any enemy. God has control of nature like thunder, lightning, and storms that can destroy. Thoughts come to mind about the plagues in Egypt as things were set up to allow Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land.

The seventh vision is about a woman in a measuring basket. The angel said it represented iniquity of the people throughout the land (v. 6). There is sin and God’s curse cannot be subdued but as we read on we find out about His saving grace.

Christ provides a way we can receive His power to live a disciplined life. We can diligently obey the voice of the Lord today by making a choice; the most important choice of accepting His Son and becoming more like Him, responding to the Word, being filled with His Spirit, and interacting with fellow believers. This choice requires some effort and it’s a lot like training for a boxing match, a marathon or anything that competes against us as we go through life.

When I was in 10th grade, I came out for football. The team had to get up early in the hot summer days of Texas and practice. Later in the evenings, we went through a grueling workout again. We did this for about three weeks and as the two a day workouts came towards the end, our coach took the team to see Rocky. I still remember today how the movie inspired the team and set the stage for a winning season. It’s the same in our spiritual life. Billy Graham once said, “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ”.

Today, I’m praying for discipline and to diligently obey the voice of the Lord.