In God We Trust

1 Timothy 6:17-18 ^”Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

Read It:

In God We Trust.  Is it just a lip-service motto printed on our money, or is it a foundational belief written on our hearts?  Do you and I really trust God with our finances?  Trust means reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence; confident expectation of something; hope.

In these days of incredible instability, it’s hard to find anything we feel we can trust. Be sure of this:  In God we CAN trust.  He does not lack integrity, strength, ability or surety.  What God says, He will do. So you and I can trust Him with confident expectation.

We often have difficulty trusting God with our finances, because it is the source of our livelihood, our survival.  God knows this and that’s why, over and over again in His Word, He instructs us to approach our finances with trust and with wisdom.  The same God who was strong enough to deliver us from sin is the same God who can deliver us financially.  If we can trust Him with our souls, we can surely trust Him with our dollars.

To trust God with our finances means we surrender to His principles of money management.  We begin to realize that “our” money is really His and He can ask us to do with it what He desires.  We can trust that God is not out to get our money.  He doesn’t need it.  What God is after is our hearts.  He wants us to trust Him to provide for us, not a number on a bank statement.  He wants us to be free to live and to love generously, not to live nervously tied to watching stock numbers and economist projections.  So take the challenge to trust God today like you never have before in your finances.  Obey the principles outlined in His Word.  Let every dollar, every financial decision proclaim “In God We Trust!”

Pray It:

God you are trustworthy.  There is no one like You, nor will there ever be.  Thank You that You are faithful, even when I am faithless.  God, I lift up my finances to You today.  No matter how circumstances change, Your faithfulness does not.  Please help me to trust You and to obey what You ask of me in my finances.  You are a good Provider and I can rest in that.

Download it:

Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Apply it:

1)    Spend some time writing out a rough list of all of your monthly expenses.  As you do, ask God to show you how you can grow in trusting Him more with each area of your finances.

2)    Ask God to show you one way you can stretch your faith in the area of finances this week, and do it.  Maybe it’s believing His promise about the tithe, maybe it’s giving out of your own need to others, maybe it’s helping someone you know could use it.  Step out in faith and trust Him!

The Master of Money?

Remember

Deuteronomy 6:12-14 “then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.  You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you…”

Read It:

Don’t forget where you came from.  Don’t forget Whose you are.  Over and over again throughout the pages of scripture, God encourages us to remember our roots.  To go ALL IN with Christ, we must have the right pursuit – Christ Himself, we must proclaim His truth to those around us, and we must always remember that we are His people.  One of the spiritual habits of a healthy home is to understand the role of church in this world and in our life and to understand how to honor it.

Some people have been wounded by the church.  Others have been exposed to all the hypocrisy there.  As a result, some have little to no respect for the church.

While it’s true that there is brokenness in the church, we must not forget that the church is called Christ’s bride.  If it’s valuable to God, it must be valuable to us.  We can’t be pro-God and anti-Church.   There is a dimension of God’s power that we can’t find by ourselves.  And there is part of our destiny that we’ll never discover apart from the body.

The church is not a belief, a building, a country club, or a social outlet.  It’s not a place for good business contacts.  We don’t make church decisions based on how it makes us feel.   The church is a group of imperfect people whom Christ died for. We collectively gather to remember all that is True, about God’s love, His faithfulness, His redemptive work on the Cross, and His continuing work of changing us to be more like Him.  Together, we remember Whose We are and all that He has done for us.   Being part of the church is not just about a building to hold formal ceremonies of weddings, dedications and church services.  It’s about an ongoing opportunity to walk with others in discovering all that God has for us in this life and the next.  It’s the place we learn to apply God’s truth to every arena of life and to live ALL IN.

Pray It:

God, help me to see the church the way you see it.  Help me to see that it is something you created to help me grow in life.  I pray I would not see it as a chore, a country club, or a snake pit.  Instead, I pray You would give me eyes to see that the church is Your people, bought with Your precious blood, each of us living daily by Your grace and mercy.

Download it:

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

Apply it:

1)    Pray for your church today.   Pray for the hurting people who attend.  Pray for those who’ve been hurt by others in the church.  Pray for the staff and leadership of the church.

2)    Look for one way you can build up your church this week.  (Write a note of encouragement to someone in the church, help with a special project, join the prayer team, etc.)

Be a Truth Proclaimer

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.“

Read It:

What story is your life telling?  Is it the story of Jesus?  You see, all of our lives are telling a story, about what we believe and who we are.  The way we live, in every arena of life, tells more about our beliefs than what our mouths say.  God knew this and that is why He challenges us in His Word to be truth proclaimers.  He challenges us to live our lives in such a way that they naturally tell His story of grace, redemption and forgiveness.

We often make that more difficult than it is.  We think that proclaiming truth is only about memorizing some spiritual laws, or steps to peace with God, or some other formal gospel presentation.  We make it about following rules and practicing traditions.  But declaring truth is more than just giving a formal reason for the hope we profess, it’s personal.  As we walk, and drive, and work, and play – everything we do in life is telling the story of what we believe.  Our attitudes, our emotions, our words are all a reflection of what’s going on in our hearts.

That’s why it’s so important, as we learned yesterday, that we’re starting with the right pursuit, that we’re proclaiming the right Truth – which is Jesus Christ  – alive and moving in you and me by His power.  When we pursue God, His life and ministry flow in us and overflow through us to others.  We naturally proclaim the truth that Jesus really does save, in every sense of the Word.   When Christ changes us from the inside out, we find that it affects each area of our lives:  our marriages, our families, our jobs, our emotions, everything.  We simply share those stories of change with others along life’s journey.  It’s that simple. We believe God is real.  We let His grace write a new story in our lives. We trust and obey; and we share with others out of the overflow.

Pray It:

God, I know that every day you are faithful.  You have proven it in my life.  Help me to share with others out of the overflow of all You have given, all You have done, all I have found You to be.  As I move throughout the everyday rhythms of life, help me to share the truth of Who You are.

Download it:

Psalm 145:4 “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.”

Apply it:

1)    Ask God to bring to mind someone in your circle of influence with whom you can tell the stories of what He has done in your life.

2)    Take the opportunities that arise today with that person to share from the overflow of what God is doing in you.  Share in love and invite them to journey with you in knowing Christ.

Be a God Chaser

WOW!  What a day yesterday.  It was awesome to celebrate with 10 people
following Christ through baptism.  That never gets old!  In part, that’s why
we exist as a church – to see lives changed!

Yesterday was tense and tough.  I’ve never seen so many people squirm in
church.  Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable.  This week, I’m posting 3
devotions as the action steps from Sunday’s message.  Today, Be a God
Chaser.

————–

Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Read It:

What are you chasing these days?  The latest scores?  The next paycheck?  That seemingly unattainable rest?  Your own agenda?  What if you started chasing something different?  What if you went ALL IN and chased God with everything you had – heart, soul, mind and strength?   Life would be radically different.  All of life.  Marriages, families, friendships, work environments, schools….these would all be transformed if each of us had the courage to begin living ALL IN, because pursuing God changes everything.

To live ALL IN for Christ means you are pursuing God with everything you are, with your emotions, your intellect, your decision making–all of life.  It means you allow God priority access into every area of your heart and every action of your days.   Some people only seek God when all hell is breaking loose or when they’re strapped financially.  God is not a means to an end!  The pursuit of God requires you to see all of life as spiritual, not just a couple of hours on Sundays.   How you spend your money, how you drive in traffic, what you do on the weekend, the ethics that guide you in your business life, the choices that you make in your private life, how you treat your spouse and children – every area of your life is linked to pursuing God!

So pursue God!  Study His Word and His ways.   Choose to trust Him enough to obey the life giving principles He gave you.  Lay down your rights, your agenda, your schedule and live all of life trusting that God is sovereign and He is good.  You can trust His leadership in your life, and not just in a general sense.  You can trust Him with your marriage and with your children, and your business, and your past – with everything.  God is worthy of your wholehearted pursuit.

Pray It:

God, I admit I often try to marginalize or compartmentalize You in my life.  Thank You that You cannot be contained.  I know to live the best life I can live I’ve got to get first things first.  Teach me to love You with all of my heart, soul, and strength.  May my desire for You grow more and more.  Teach me to walk in Your ways all of the days of my life in every area of my life.  I welcome you to lead me and to speak to me in every area.

Download it:

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well.”

Apply it:

1)    Are you living ALL IN, or are you playing hokey pokey with your faith-walk (putting one foot in and taking one out)?  Ask God to help you answer that honestly.

2)    Ask God to lead you into loving and seeking Him first.

3)    Ask God to show you one action step you can take in one relationship today to put Him first instead of your own wants and plans.

How to not end up on the couch!

Grow!

You hear me say often, spend time with God in prayer and devotion.  Our process of discipleship at Sugar Hill Church is centered around three action words:  Love, Grow and Serve!  Two of the greatest ways we grow is by having ongoing communication with God by reading His Word, the Scriptures, and praying.  These are two critical components to growing as a Christ follower.

This year I had the privilege of contributing to a new devotional book focused on prayer.  The One Year Devotional Prayer Book includes a morning and evening prayer to guide you as well as a devotional thought to help kick-start you time with the Lord.

I believe this devotional will help you as you grow your time with God each day.  Purchase your copy for your personal devotional time or get one for a family member or friend.  They are available through the church office or at the information booth in the concourse on Sunday.

Below is a video of Dr. Johnny Hunt talking about the book.

Lay It Down

Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

Read It:

Idols.  We think of them as harmless little carved caricatures that we bring home from an island vacation.  We think of them as some knick knack that ancient people worshiped because they were less civilized than us.  We think of them as music stars we vote for.  But we never think of them as something we ourselves worship.

But we should not be so easily deceived.  Idol worship is alive and well.  In fact, it is rampant.  Worship has been defined as what we give our time, our allegiance and our affection to.  An idol is an object of worship.  So, let me ask you this, what are you giving your time, your allegiance and your affection to?  What are you going to great lengths to get another round of?  Is it a drug, a person, a place, a feeling, a sensation, an outfit, a job? Are you constantly looking to food, or exercise, or twitter, or the next game to make you feel better?  What addictions are you seeking to plug the holes of your life with?  When you find them, you find your idols.

God’s Word is clear that we are to serve no other gods.  The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.  So, what are we to do when we take an honest look and discover that our lives are rampant with idols?  We admit it. We run to the only God with a capital G and by his Grace alone (also with a capital G!) we lay it down. We surrender our cheap affections for the things of this world, and exchange them for the worship of the One Who is truly worthy.  And in laying down these things we think we just can’t stop thinking about, or doing, or obsessing over, we find the True God we cannot live without.  We find that all of the holes we were trying to plug are filled by Love, Grace, Forgiveness and Sufficiency that we could have never imagined.

Pray It:

God, it’s hard to admit I have idols in my life, but I do.  I seek things and people and feelings to satisfy my soul, when I know full well as Your child, that only You satisfy.  Give me courage today to lay down these cheap imitations of love and satisfaction.  You alone are all I need.  You alone are worthy of my time, my affection, and my allegiance.

Download it:

I Samuel 15:22 “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?”

Apply it:

1)    Think honestly about the habits in your life.  Ask God to help you identify things, places, attitudes, etc. which may be idols in your life right now.   Ask God what He would say about these areas to You.

2)    Think about what it means to lay these idols down.  Ask God to give you the courage to surrender these attempts to self-medicate and to self-satisfy and to self-gratify.  Ask God to expose and to heal the root causes (the real reasons) why you have these idols in your life.

Crazy Thoughts from Abroad (Part 2)

Our trip was amazing and there was much to take in!  Below are some of the things I’m still thinking about and praying through.  The picture is of me and a Middle Eastern Pastor.

Part 2

• · We are blessed in the United States.  We don’t realize how good we have it.  If we had more persecution and a little more poverty maybe we could begin to grasp what the rest of the world has to deal with.  And maybe we’d be more like Jesus and less selfish and self-absorbed.

• · I’m working with some of our denominational leaders about how we can play a significant part in reaching the Middle East over the next 3 to 5 years.

• · I’m going to be challenging you to join me on this journey and you’ll be able to see some neat Biblical places too.

• · Acts 1:8 was not a thought or a suggestion.  It’s a command.  How are you being a Great Commission Christian?

• · I was praying for you while I was away.  I missed our church.  I missed our people.  Some dear people were in the hospital while I was overseas and it often had me awake at night, praying for them.  (Matt, you do that again and I’m going to…. Well, I’m sure it’s already been said.)

• · I’ll never ever be able to say anything negative again about people driving in the states.  It doesn’t compare to the insanity overseas.  Unless you were there, it’s impossible to explain.  The drivers I had were great at dodging people and cars.  It was great entertainment!

• · I don’t plan on having pita bread and boiled eggs for breakfast anytime soon.

• · I don’t eat McDonalds food here in the states but I did overseas because it was a touch of home.

• · We have a great staff team.  I spent some time with 4 other pastors of mega churches.  I learned a lot from them, but I was also reminded about how great our staff team is.

• · Thanks for your prayers.  Maybe I’ll say more in detail later.  It took me 24 ½ hours from the time I left the hotel in the middle east to get home to my house.

• · Trust in the Sovereignty of God and go on a mission trip.  It may not change your life (if you like living in rebellion) but it will be a once in a lifetime experience.

I’m thinking through some crazy stuff these days.  What does it mean to be a Great Commission Christian locally, nationally and internationally?  Then do it.

Much love,

Richard

Making a Joyful Noise!