Faith & Life Connections A Daily Devotion &

Resource Guide for Your Spiritual Journey From the Sermon-Teaching

Ministry of Fairhope UMC

“EKG: Check Your Heart”- Week of January 8, 2012 Extravagant Generosity Week 1

1 Timothy 6: 17-19Reflections on this week’s message:“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gavetheir gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4

In the brief account of Jesus watching the collection box at the Temple it seems obvious to me that what He saw in this poor widow was a heart for God. This is a woman who would probably have gone un-noticed by most folks, she was not a socialite or among the wealthy benefactors of the Temple. Her two small coins were insignificant in terms of meeting the Temple budget. Even though her contribution was small, Jesus said that she had given more n than all of the other people had given together. You see the wealthy folks would have been putting considerable amounts into the treasury as they tithed out of their wealth, but a tithe is ten percent while this poor widow gave 100%.

In the text for the sermon this week Paul tells Timothy to command wealthy people of the church to trust in God rather than in their wealth and to command them to do good works and be generous. The word, “command” is a very strong word, it is a forceful word and it demands attention. I find it interesting that God led Paul to instruct Timothy in this way. Is it possible that generosity is something that God commands us to practice? Is it possible that in order for the church to be relevant, exciting and alive, we must practice generosity? I think the answer to those questions is, “yes!” Sometimes we lose sight of our purpose and mission as Christians and we forget just how generous God is toward us. The poor widow was extravagant in her offering, but even that pales in comparison to what God has given to us.

Can we find it in our hearts to practice extravagant generosity? God is waiting to prove to us that we cannot out-give, out-serve or out-love Him. The only prerequisite for giving, serving and loving is commitment and surrender to God’s will in and through His Spirit.

Love, Pastor Joe

This Week’s Challenge: Practice Extravagant Generosity!

Listen to this week’s sermon teaching by clicking the Online Sermons link at www.myfairhopeumc.net.Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Faith & Life Connections

Begin 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:Generous God, you are the giver of all good things. You have created us in your image and called us to be generous and to do good. Help me to release my hold on all that you have given me. Help me to acknowledge that all I have and all that I am belongs to you. Help me to remember that striving after worldly possessions and selfish pursuits is hollow and empty and that the practice of giving actually directs me toward what ultimately satisfies. Help me to hunger for the life that is truly life. May my giving draw me closer to you and align me with your desires for me. Thank you for the extravagant gift of love you have given me in your Son, Jesus. May my life be an offering to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

day 1day 1 week of January 8week of January 8Read 1 Timothy 6:17-19 & Matthew 6:21

Why is putting your hope in God more certain than putting your hope in wealth? ________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ What results when we are willing to share & do good? Why is doing good, being rich in good works and being generous so vital to Christianity? What is the life that is truly life? ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does giving have to do with faith and with trust in God? _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ In the book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Bishop Robert Schnase says, “Happiness based on possessions causes people to pursue a receding goal, leaving them dissatisfied, wanting more, and never able to satiate their desires.” What do you think about this? Do you see this in your own life or the people around you? What does the 1 Timothy passage say in regards to this thought? Where do you store your treasure? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We are called to check our hearts for a generous spirit. How is your heart? Are you willing to follow God’s commands? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Think about the greatest gift you have ever received from being a follower of Christ and from life in your congregation. And then think about the greatest contribution you have ever made to the purposes of Christ and to your congregation.

What do you want your legacy to be? In what ways are you preparing a firm foundation for the future of Christ’s Kingdom

so that those not even born yet will one day praise the Lord?

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Faith & Life Connectionsday 2day 2 week of January week of January 88

Read Luke 21:1-4Who first modeled generosity for you? What was the most generous act of which you have been a recipient? What was your reaction & why? _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Does a person have to have a lot of money to be generous? What did Jesus mean when he said that the woman put in more than all the others combined? What does the widow’s offering teach us about extravagant generosity? ___________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Why do you think Jesus spoke so much about our relationship with money and possessions? _______________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you give God off the top or from what is left over; not just in terms of money but also in the giving of your time, talents, & energy? Why? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Can you recall a time when a person whom the world might ignore became a special symbol of God’s love in your life or a window through which you could see God? Whom might God be using to teach you now? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pray for your church’s ministry & for the courage, vision, & generosity to offer your utmost & highest to serve the purposes of Christ. Give yourself anew to Christ!

day 3day 3 week of January week of January 88

Read Ephesians 3:14-21 & John 3:16What stirs in your heart as you read these passages? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When have you felt overwhelmed by the love of God? In what ways have you experienced God’s extravagant generosity in your life? _______________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How does your personal devotional life relate to your experience of the love of God, your understanding of the grace of giving and your practice of generosity? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does it mean to be rooted in love? What might happen if more people were rooted in the love of Jesus Christ, experiencing His boundless love? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What do you love most about our church? How do we cultivate the spiritual quality of generosity in generations to come? __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 8week of January 8

Read Malachi 3:8-12How had Malachi’s peers robbed God? How does the Lord challenge the people to put him to the test? What was futile about worshipping God with a ‘what’s in this for me’ attitude? _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________In what ways do you rob God? What is the greatest obstacle to your generosity? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What does it mean to really believe that God is Lord of all of our lives, including our financial resources? ____________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Does God challenging the people to test Him surprise you? What does this reveal to you about generosity & giving in the eyes of the Lord? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What motivates you to give? Is it possible that in order for the church to be relevant, exciting, & alive, we must practice generosity? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Reread verse 10. Are you up to the challenge? How will you respond to God? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

day 5day 5 week of January 8week of January 8Read 1 Chronicles 29:1-20 & 2 Corinthians 9:7

What is extravagant generosity? How is it different from ordinary generosity? How are churches characterized by extravagant generosity different from other churches? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How does David’s use of money become a model of loyalty? According to verse 9, with what kind of spirit did the people give? What can we learn about extravagant generosity from their example? ____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What is the most fun you’ve ever had giving? What made the experience delightful, memorable, & meaningful? What happens to us & to others when we give freely & joyfully? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________What does it mean to serve God through giving? How do you feel about giving to the church’s ministry? _____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________Can we find it in our hearts to practice extravagant generosity? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net

Reread verses 10-13. Pray David’s prayer of praise as your own.Resources: Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations & Exravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving by Robert Schnase

Faith & Life Connections Pray John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer as you surrender yourself to the Lord and seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength as you begin this New Year.

You may want to consider rewriting the prayer in your own words.

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.pdf

Download this Spiritual Growth Assessment & spend some time reflecting on your spiritual heart.http://fairhopechurch.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/spiritual-growth-assessment-tool.pdf

What’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?

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

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

John Wesley’s Covenant PrayerI am no longer my own, but yours.Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;Put me to doing, put me to suffering.Let me be employed by you or laid aside by you,Enabled for you or brought low by you.Let me be full, let me be empty.Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all thingsto your pleasure and disposal.And now, O glorious and blessed God,Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,you are mine, and I am yours. So be it.And the covenant which I have made on earth,let it be ratified in heaven.Amen.

Our Our SpirituSpiritual al PlatePlate

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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Call us at 330-875-2028 Faith & Life Connections Resource

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 13:34-35

Read 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 How can your family live in love with those whom you struggle to like and with those whom may even hurt you?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 How can members of your family support each other and help each other to be accountable to living this command?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 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 ways. Pray also that he would help your family grow in their desire to live in love towards each other and to others.others.

Generosity is a Matter of the Heart

Fairhope United Methodist Church – www.myfairhopeumc.net