LEARNINGS TO SHARE…

Day 3
Your role is to be the trustee, manager and steward of 100% of what God entrusts to you during your lifetime.
Think about, discuss or pray about the verse that relates most to your life:
Colossians 3:17, 23-24 “Whatever you do or say, let it be as a
representative of the Lord Jesus….Work hard and cheerfully at whatever
you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward,
and the Master you are serving is Christ.” NLT
Romans 14:7-8 “None of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies
to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die
to the Lord.”
Matthew 25:19-21, 24-26 “After a long time their master returned
from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used
his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold
said, `Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the
amount.’ The master was full of praise. `Well done, my good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now
I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’…
“Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, `Sir, I know you
are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you
didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth
and here it is.’ “But the master replied, `You wicked and lazy servant!” NLT
1 Corinthians 4:2 “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” KJV
Martin Luther said,

“People go through 3 conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart and their pocketbook.  Unfortunately, not all at the same time.”

Have you gone through all 3 conversions yet?

from Brian Kluth’s 40 day journey to a more Generous Life

Day 2
God is the provider of every good thing in your life
Think about, discuss or pray about the verse that relates most to your life:
James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual
blessing in Christ.”
Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven
give good gifts to those who ask him!”
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 “Since you [Solomon] have not asked for a long
life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I
have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given
you. And I [the LORD] will also give you wealth, riches and honor.”
Proverbs 8:18-21 (God says) “Unending riches, honor, justice, and
righteousness are mine to distribute. My gifts are better than
the purest gold or sterling silver! Those who love and follow me
are indeed wealthy. I fill their treasuries.” TLB
Isaiah 26:12 “All that we have accomplished you [Oh LORD] have
done for us.”
As thunder follows lightning, giving follows grace.  When God’s grace touches you, you can’t help but respond with generous giving. Randy Alcorn

Give to God what’s right–not what’s left

from Brian Kluth’s devotional booklet “40 day journey to a more GENEROUS life

Thanks for checking out these devotional thoughts and scriptures.  My prayer is that we all will grow to another level, not only in our generosity and stewardship, but mostly our relationships with the Lord during these next 40 days.

Just for the record, I am sharing these devotionals with you from a resource that I have been going through on my own.  It is a daily devotional book written by Brian Kluth about giving, stewardship, finances and generosity.  you can find all his resources here.  Enjoy this first day and enjoy God’s favor upon your life today!!

Day 1
God is the Owner of everything
(including all that you currently have or ever will have)

Think about, discuss or pray about the verse that relates most to your life:
Psalm 50:10-12 (God says) “Every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills…and the creatures of the field are
mine…the world is mine, and all that is in it.”
Haggai 2:8 “ The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the
LORD Almighty.”
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Everything in heaven and earth is yours
(O Lord)…Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all
things.”
Leviticus 25:23 (God says) “The land is mine and you are but aliens
and my tenants.”
1 Chronicles 29:14-16 (David’s prayer after people gave generously
to a building project) “But who am I, and who are my people, that we
should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from
you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are
aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days
on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all
this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for
your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.”
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world,
and all who live in it.”

If we belong to Christ, it’s logical that everything we have truly belongs to Him.
When we give to God, we are just taking our hands off what already belongs to Him.