Faith & Life Connections A Daily Devotion &

Resource Guide for Your Spiritual Journey From the Sermon-Teaching

Ministry of Fairhope UMC

“The Art of Love: Relationships”- Week of January 15, 2012

Extravagant Generosity Week 2Deuteronomy 6: 4-6, John 13:34-35

Reflections on this week’s message:“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD yourGod, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Our Christian life is about relationships; with God, with each other and with the world we are called to reach. The primary characteristic of any healthy relationship is love. The foundation of all this must be our relationship with God, that’s why the passage from Deuteronomy 6:4-6 is all important; it tells us to love the Lord with everything we have and with everything that we are. It is also vital to love our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to be witnesses of our faith for a world in need. An important gauge of our love is our generosity. Extravagant Generosity should spring from our love relationship with God.

If we follow the command of Deuteronomy 6, we will be people who are dedicated and devoted to God above all else in our lives. When we enter into a relationship we should take it seriously and be committed to the one with whom we relate. Our love should be evident to even the most casual observer. You see, God’s love for us is evident; you don’t have to look very hard to see that His love for us knows no bounds. God’s love for us is extravagant, lavish, sacrificial, and unconditional. Out of His love for us He has given us the most precious gift and He continues to give above and beyond anything we deserve. All our Lord asks in return is our love.

Are you in a loving relationship with God? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do you love your sisters and brothers in Christ? Are you reaching out to the world around you in God’s love? Does your giving reflect your love for God? Do you love and give extravagantly?

Love, Pastor Joe

This Week’s Challenge:Practice Extravagant Generosity!

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Listen to this week’s sermon teaching by clicking the Online Sermons link at www.myfairhopeumc.net.

Faith & Life ConnectionsBegin with Prayer:Getting Started: Grab your bible & find a quiet, comfortable spot to begin your daily Bible reading. Light a candle & spend a few minutes relaxing, quieting your mind. Keep a notebook nearby to jot down distractions that interfere with your focus to put them out of your mind to deal with later. You may want to play your favorite hymns or praise music softly in the background. To quiet your mind & prepare to focus on God & His Word try one of the prayer exercises found under Spiritual Growth Resources. Then pray the suggested prayer starter personalizing it to your needs & desire for God’s guidance.

This Week's Prayer Starter:Gracious God, Be with me as I read and study your Word this week. Open my heart & mind to more fully experience your extravagant love. Help me to grow in my knowledge and understanding of you and your ways. Knowing you is the key to Extravagant Generosity. The more I know you and experience your extravagant love for me, the more I want to bless others by generously giving of myself and my resources. It amazes me that the more I do this, not only are the lives of others changed, but my own life is transformed. Thank you, Lord! Show me how I can improve my generosity more and more, so that eventually it becomes as easy and natural as breathing. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

day 1day 1 week of January week of January 1515

Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9Are you in a loving relationship with God? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? ____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you love the Lord with everything you have & everything you are? ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe how Extravagant Generosity springs from your love relationship with God. _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ What will result if you take God’s Word seriously & follow the command of Deuteronomy 6? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In what ways are you sharing God’s ways in your daily life? Impressing God’s commands on your children? Telling future generations of God’s extravagant love & generosity? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spend some time with the Lord today. Worship Him. Express your love for Him. Give Him the glory & honor He is due!

Memorize this month’s memory verse, Proverbs 3:9"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first of all your crops."

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Faith & Life Connectionsday 2day 2 week of January 15week of January 15

Read 1 Corinthians 13 & John 13:34-35How does the dictionary define love? How would you describe the Biblical definition of love? How is the very nature of genuine love generous? ______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does Jesus teach about love in the John passage? How will others know you are Jesus’ disciple? How does a follower of Jesus love generously? _____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In what ways is the love described in Corinthians more than just a feeling or an emotion, but a deep concern for others & a desire to be good & generous toward others? _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you love and give extravagantly? Does your giving reflect your love for God? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Who are examples of generosity & love in your life? In what ways do they make a difference in your spiritual life? _____ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God for someone in your life who has been an example of love & generosity for you. Write them a note & thank them for making a difference for Jesus in your life.

Make an intentional effort to be loving & generous toward someone else today. Do it for Jesus!

day 3day 3 week of January 15week of January 15Read Deuteronomy 10:12-22

According to verses 12-13, what does God want from his people? What kind of relationship with God would these responses produce? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How will you follow verses 12-13 this week? _____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How does your relationship with God affect how you earn, invest, share, & spend your money? Other resources such as time, gifts, talents? Have you ever changed how you earn, invest, share, or spend because of your desire to follow Christ more fully? ________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ If a church changes its culture one person at a time, what can we do as individuals and as a team to encourage and model the kinds of changes necessary for us to become a church that follows God’s commands found in today’s passage? One that practices Extravagant Generosity? How can we be more intentional, strategic, & frequent in the way we interact in the community & the world as a generous organization? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Pray for God to increase your understanding of his love & generosity & help you fall more deeply in love with him.

Faith & Life Connectionsday 4day 4 week of January 15week of January 15

Read 1 Peter 4:1-11 & Luke 6:27-36According to this passage, what are some priorities that a Christian should have in their life? How do these relate to extravagant generosity? _____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________Is your love for God evident to others? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you love your sisters and brothers in Christ? In what ways do your express your love for others? What does Jesus’ teaching in the Luke passage teach us about who & how we should love? How does this challenge you? _____________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fruitfulness for congregations means effectiveness is fulfilling the mission & purpose God has given. Fairhope UMC’s mission focus: “We exist to love & serve God by loving & serving others for the purpose of making & maturing disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world.” How does our mission focus challenge us as individuals & as a congregation to practice Extravagant Generosity at Fairhope? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How do you show love & generosity? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pray for your church’s ministry & for the courage, vision, & generosity to offer your utmost & highest to serve the purposes of Christ. Read Luke 10:25-37 for another example Jesus gives regarding love & generosity.

day 5day 5 week of January 15week of January 15Read Matthew 25:31-46 & 1 John 3:16-24

The best way to experience the love of Christ is to express it. How might you demonstrate this love? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What do you learn about love & practicing generosity from these passages? How is John’s definition of love different from the world’s definition? What are the results when Christians truly love others? _____________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Are you reaching out to the world around you in God’s love? ________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________Have you ever witnessed an extraordinary & unexpected act of generosity? How has another person’s generosity influenced your practice of giving? Who is learning from your examples of generosity? ___________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________When you give do you consider Jesus words in Matthew 25:40, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’? How might this passage impact your generosity? How could you be more generous with your love for others? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

In response to God‘s extravagant, lavish, sacrificial, & unconditional love for you, practice Extravagant Generosity! Resources: Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations & Exravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving by Robert Schnase

Faith & Life Connections Dig Deeper:Dig Deeper:

"John Wesley, founder of Methodism, wrote & taught about the use of money, the dangers of riches, & the im-portance of giving. Read 2 Corinthians 8:9. Then read the following quotes attributed to John Wesley.

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, In all the ways you can, in all the places you can,At all the times you can, to all the people you can,As long as ever you can.”

"Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can."

How does knowing God lead to generosity?How might using our material wealth to further the Kingdom deepen our relationship with God & increase our positive impact for God's purposes?

After reflecting & praying through this week’s readings & sermon teaching, I feel God is nudging me to take these steps:

“Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33___________________________________________________________________________

THINKING ABOUT MAKING A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION?

Your physical heart requires a balanced diet to be healthy & so does your spiritual heart.

Check out the Spiritual Growth Resources tab & use one of the suggestions to help you develop spiritual habits to cultivate a heart that is completely committed to Christ.

Download this assessment to explore core traits of discipleship.Where you are on the journey of knowing, loving, & serving God?

http://fairhopechurch.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/traits-of-discipleship-assessment-questions.pdfDownload this Spiritual Growth Assessment & spend some time reflecting on your spiritual heart.

http://fairhopechurch.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/spiritual-growth-assessment-tool.pdfWhat’s on your spiritual plate?

Are you feeding yourself a well-balanced spiritual diet? What steps will you take to nurture your spiritual heart in 2012?

Are you willing to offer all that you are and all that you have to the Lord in 2012?

Fairhope UMC’s Mission Focus: We exist to love & serve God by loving & serving others, for the purpose of making & maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Our Our SpirituSpiritual al PlatePlate

Generosity is a Matter of the Heart!

Faith & Life ConnectionsDig Deeper:Dig Deeper:

The practice of Extravagant Generosity reveals what is in our hearts.Throughout the week, use The Prayer of Examen to help you check your heart for a generous spirit.

Examine your daily habits & patterns. How is your heart?In what ways are you practicing extravagant generosity? In what ways do you need to

grow?How did you experience joy in giving today? Do you recognize the abundance God has given you?What do you need to have to be content? Are you willing to share?How does the knowledge that all you have belongs to God impact your life?

Reflect on your blessings. Thank God. You are so blessed.What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

Reflect on what it means to give God your best.Are you giving God everything He deserves?

Are you practicing Extravagant Generosity with your thoughts, time, talents, energy, resources, & abilities?

The Prayer of ExamenThe prayer of examen might also be called an introspective prayer. The word introspection means looking within.

The prayer of examen encourages assessing one's life before God on a regular basis. Recollection is the root of the prayer in which we focus on the last twenty-four hours of our life. This prayer is about noticing God's presence in our life, noticing & thanking God for his goodness, recognizing the movement of the Holy Spirit throughout our day, & acknowledging how we have failed God. Psalm 26:2, Jeremiah 17:10, & Psalm 139:23-24 are good Biblical references asking God to test us & examine our hearts & minds. The examen begins by recognizing that we are in the presence of God, recalling the events of our day with gratitude, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and reviewing our day making ourselves aware of the ways Christ has been at work as well as ways in which we have fallen short. When we intentionally notice these areas of our lives we become more conscious of our relationship with God, & as we become more conscious, we grow.

During this reflective prayer time you may want to ask yourself some of the following questions:

What am I most/least grateful for? When did I feel a sense of love, peace, or joy (the fruit of the Spirit)? When did I feel exhausted, dead, drained, angry, mean? When did I notice God? Toward what actions, activities, or attributes is God drawing me? Where did I fail? Were there things I should have avoided? When did I show love? In what ways was I kind to others?

Examine the habits & patterns of the day. Do my habits help me face my day with love or do they hinder me?

Preparation: Begin by quieting your body, mind, & spirit before the Lord. Gratitude: Review the previous day looking for events, conversations, & experiences that provoke gratitude.

Remembering that no matter how bad a day has been, God continues His work in our lives. This prayer shapes us into grateful people.

Awareness of God: Review the past twenty-four hours in your mind looking for God's presence. Sometimes this is easy, other times it may be difficult. Ask God to help you become a person whose life is constantly aware of His presence.

Confession of Failure: Recall the past twenty-four hours alerting to the times you have failed the Lord, not acted in love, or refused the work of the Holy Spirit. Seek the Lord in confession and repentance & ask for forgiveness.

Thanksgiving: End your prayer by thanking God for his grace and love.

Faith & Life Connections ResourceFairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Family Connection:Family Connection:Drive-Thru Generosity

Practice Extravagant Generosity with your family! Print out a few copies of the following form.

When you are in line at a drive-thru, whether it be at a fast food restaurant, for coffee & donuts, car wash, parking garage, or even a toll booth if you are traveling, practice Extravagant Generosity by paying for the person in line behind you. Ask the clerk to hand them this coupon!

Pray for the person who was the recipient of your generosity! Have fun blessing others with your generosity!What other ways can your family bless someone else?

We are blessed to be a blessing to others!

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Hi! You don’t know me, but I just paid for your order.No strings attached. I just felt like doing it.At my church we have been talking about extravagant generosity. I decided I wanted to make a difference in your life today. I hope this encourages you and I hope you will pass the generosity on to someone else.Share your story with us!

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Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Fairhope United Methodist Church

5660 Louisville St. NELouisville, Ohio 44641

www.myfairhopeumc.net

Family Connection:Family Connection:Love One AnotherLove One Another

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 13:34-35Read the above scripture as a family. Read the above scripture as a family. Why does Jesus want us to love one another?Why does Jesus want us to love one another? How does showing love to others help the world know that you are a follower of Jesus? How does showing love to others help the world know that you are a follower of Jesus?Then discuss ways that your family can practice showing love to others.Then discuss ways that your family can practice showing love to others. How can your family live in love with each other? With other relatives?How can your family live in love with each other? With other relatives? What can your family do to show love in your neighborhood and community? What can your family do to show love in your neighborhood and community? How can your family live in love through your church? How can your family live in love through your church? How can your family encourage each other to live in love at school or work? How can your family encourage each other to live in love at school or work? In what ways can your family show love in your social & sport activities? In what ways can your family show love in your social & sport activities? How can your family live in love with those whom you struggle to like and with those whom may even hurt you? How can your family live in love with those whom you struggle to like and with those whom may even hurt you?Discuss ways that living out this command can be challenging.Discuss ways that living out this command can be challenging. How can members of your family support each other and help each other to be accountable to living this command? How can members of your family support each other and help each other to be accountable to living this command?Pray as a family for God to help your family grow in their love of him and their desire to be obedient to his ways. Pray Pray as a family for God to help your family grow in their love of him and their desire to be obedient to his ways. Pray also that he would help your family grow in their desire to live in love towards each other and to others.also that he would help your family grow in their desire to live in love towards each other and to others.

Loving Our Neighbors As A FamilyIn Deuteronomy 6, we are reminded that we are to teach God’s commandments to our children, talking about them in our homes and throughout our daily lives. Teaching our children to love others as we love ourselves is a high calling for parents. We demonstrate this love in our interactions with our children and model what it means to love others by our actions. Jesus command to love our neighbors is more than just about loving those close to us. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus makes it clear that everyone, including those who are different from us, is our neighbor. Try some of the following activities in your family and put the command to love your neighbor into action! Enjoy the blessings God will bring to you and your family and those whose lives he will use you to touch as you seek to discover what it really means to love your neighbor! Read the parable of the Good Samaritan to your family: Luke 10: 25-37. Do some research and discover how many places the command ‘love your neighbor’ is found in the Bible. Ask your family why they think God has included this message so many times? Read stories to your children that illustrate the importance of loving others. Some suggestions: Horton Hears a Who, The Sneetches and Other Stories, The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors, etc. Spend some time discussing how the characters in these stories are living out Jesus’ message in the Good Samaritan story. Volunteer to serve at a community backpack festival, meal center, nursing home, school, etc. Go on a prayer walk and pray for the families living in the homes as you pass by. Identify neighbors with special needs and decide as a family how you can create a ‘care’ basket for them. Perhaps a basket of groceries, a children’s outfit, books, games, flowers, vegetables, etc. Pray for God to guide you as you plan. Make some greeting cards and deliver them to your neighbors. Go on a scavenger hunt through your home looking for things you no longer need (clothes, toys, books, household items, etc). Research some local mission projects and donate the things you find on your scavenger hunt. Share your blessings with others! Offer to weed flower beds, water gardens, or rake leaves, etc. Host a block party to meet your neighbors and begin to develop relationships with those you don’t know. Invite your neighbors to an upcoming worship service or activity at your church. Check out the book, Raising Children to Love Their Neighbors by Carolyn C. Brown for other great ideas to try with your family! Pray! Be prepared to see God do amazing things in your family and neighborhood as you continue to be obedient to God and demonstrate love for your neighbors and reach out to your community with the love of Christ!

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net