BLESSED TO BLESS
BREAD
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
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. Ephesians
1:3 (NIV)
3 Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and
the God of all comfort, 4 who
comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)
14 Yet it
was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days
of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one
church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in
Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a
gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment
and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus
the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice,
pleasing to God. 19 And my
God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:14-19 (NIV)
7 But
just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete
earnestness and in your love for us --see that you also excel in this grace of
giving. 2 Corinthians 8:6-7 (NIV)
6 Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart
to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all
grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you
need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)
BUTTER
“The heart that
gives, gathers.” Marianne Moore
“A
cheerful giver does not count the cost of what he gives. His heart is set on pleasing and cheering him
to whom the gift is given.” Julian of Norwich
“Gain all
you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
John Wesley
“Maturity is for ministry!
We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and
more. We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to believe.
Impression without expression causes depression. Study without service leads to
spiritual stagnation. Most of the time we’re more interested in “serve us” than
service. We say, “I’m looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me,”
not “I’m looking for a place to serve and be a blessing.” We expect others to
serve us, not vice versa. But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives
should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of
Jesus stops asking, “Who’s going to meet my needs?” and starts asking, “Whose
needs can I meet?” Rick Warren
“Remember that when you leave
this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received -- only what
you have given: a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and
courage.” St. Francis of Assisi
“Take note of what
God gives you. Then you will also know
the task He gives you.” Heinrich Emil Brunner
HEART SAVOR
·
My life
is be a conduit through which God’s blessing and grace freely flow.
·
To the
one much has been given, much is expected.
·
Knowledge
puffs up, love fleshes out.
