Discipleship

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? How does that play out in your life? Are you in a comfortable place, as a disciple, or are you struggling with the place God has you?

I was spending some time with a member recently, and he shared that he was not comfortable with where God had him, and he was glad. When we get comfortable, it is time to move on to a new challenge. To follow Christ is not to be in a comfort zone. It is to be stretching and moving to new places where there is faith, rather than comfort.

Have you ever read and then struggled with the following passage? These are words from our Lord.

Matthew 10:32-39 - 32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. 34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

I do not see comfortable in any of these verses. Where are you, as a disciple of Christ, going to places where you are not comfortable - serving your Lord?

Your thoughts?

All God asks is for you to bring what you can...

Have you ever thought – something that you felt God was asking you do to – was greater than you could do?

Maybe you feel something inside you urging you to work with the children, the youth, the seniors, the small groups, the evangelism and the outreach ministries of the church. But you say you don’t have the time, the ability, the Biblical knowledge, or something else. God is willing to take what you give Him and make something of it!

There’s a sermon developing here – so I won’t go into too much detail – but do you remember this Biblical story?

Matthew 14:15-17 – 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

The disciples were asked by God to feed the people – later described as 5,000 men, not counting the women and children – with five loaves and two fish! You know the story – they brought what they had and Jesus did what Jesus does – He multiplied their efforts and what they brought to God and fed that group to the full and they collected twelve baskets full of the leftovers.

Hear me when I say – God will never call you to something He will not equip you to handle!

Just something to think about as you go on your way today! (A bonus daily message for Saturday!)

I want to see Jesus!

John 12:20-22 - 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. NIV

Do you have a hunger, a need, to see Jesus? Have you seen enough of Him? Have you gotten your fill? Or are you still wanting to see Jesus?

If you want to see Jesus - what are you doing to see Him? How do you seek His face? What helps bring you into His presence? How does corporate worship help or hinder? How does your personal worship time help or hinder?

How Do You Determine What You Give?

How do you determine the amount you give in the weekly offering at your church?

The tithe was established in the Old Testament as the amount due God from His people.

Leviticus 27:30 - "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.

We're told that to not bring the tithe to God is robbing God.

Malachi 3:8-11 - 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. 10 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 you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty.

The promise of God is that He will bless those who tithe and even protect their work (their crops). This sense of God being with us as we honor Him with our tithe is throughout the Bible.

Genesis 28:20-22 - 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

A tithe or tenth is mentioned in the New Testament also as the standard for giving. It is used as a given or righteous act when folks were challenged to do this but to have a pure heart as well (Sunday's sermon) (read Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42 & Luke 18:12).

Recently we have been reading and writing about Nehemiah and his journey. When he returned to Jerusalem he found that the people had neglected the bringing of the tithe to the place of worship.

Nehemiah 13:10-12 - 10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the house of God neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. 12 All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms.

In the early Christian Church many were devote Jews and so a tithe would have been part of their religious practices. But they also practiced alms giving or giving beyond the tithe to the poor and needy.

Acts 4:34-35 - 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

So how do you figure out what you give to the church in your offering? Are you a percentage giver? Do you give what you think best? Do you give what you think you can afford?

Here's a chart that will help you do the math. I have listed a yearly household income and what 5% and 10% of that income would be weekly.

Income - - - - 5% - - - - 10 %
$ 25,000 - - $24.04 - - $ 48.08
$ 50,000 - - $48.08 - - - $96.15
$ 75,000 - - $72.12 - - - $144.23
$100,000 - -$96.15 - - - $192.31
$125,000 - - $120.19 - - - $240.38
$150,000 - - $144.23 - - - $288.46
$200,000 - - $192.31 - - - $384.62

So what is your annual household income and what do you give weekly? Are you honoring God with your gift or offering.? Are you robbing God? Are you giving unto God's work what God has asked of you?

How about some thoughts and comments on this subject?