Without faith it is impossible to please God, because those who come to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him — Hebrews 11:6.

If you had to take the concept of “Knowing God” and explain it practically, how would you do that? I don’t mean the theology behind salvation (which is important, but not for this particular post), I’m talking about the practical outflow of that salvation. What does it mean for my life, that I know God?

Growing up, my dad would sometimes set a rule in our house, that I, in my 12-year-old wisdom, felt was foolish. So instead of obeying, I would push the boundaries and see how close I could come to not obeying and not get in trouble. On a couple of occasions where I was pushing on those clearly defined boundaries, my father would say, “Don’t test me on this.” In other words, he was going to punish me if I crossed the line; if I gave him a test to see what would happen, he would pass it with flying colors and a few swats on my behind.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” — Proverbs 11:24

Give away $20 today. 

 Give:

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion" — 2 Corinthians 9:7

As you head out to worship the Lord in His house today, I want to remind and encourage you to give generously at the church where you gather. Remember God’s stern warning AND promised blessing to Israel concerning this matter:

“I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.

   “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

   “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

   “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 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 there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty — Malachi 3:6-12

Are you ready?

Have you ever wondered why God blesses us?  I mean, isn’t it enough that He gave us His Son Jesus making a relationship with Him possible?  Yet beyond that He pours out His incredibly rich blessings.

Why?

Read Psalm 67 and see if you can figure out the why.  It’s an amazingly different way to think about blessing when you think that God’s purpose in blessing isn’t just to make you (or me) happy, or comfortable or fulfilled.  It, of course, has something to do with Him.  Meditate on Psalm 67 and see if you can uncover God’s amazing truth for blessing.

2 Corinthians, 47 of 66

Why does God give you anything?

I got a GPS for Christmas. For those of you who did youth ministry with me you know I can’t find my way out of a paper bag. My first youth group trip I took four kids on a hike. We got lost in the forest. Now when I say we got lost we left around noon with no food, no water, and no clue of where we were going. After about a half hour my four junior highers wanted to go back–no problem. I am sure camp is ahh, mmm over there! To make a long story short, my kids got dehydrated, several hours later we had the search and rescue team looking for us and me their fearless leader trying endlessly to find my way back to camp. Eventually we found another camp and someone (praise God) new the way to our camp. So a GPS is much needed. 

It’s easy to love those who constantly show me love.

Think about it, and then let God speak to you through His Word.

 Jesus never said one negative thing about Himself. This is a pattern we should begin to develop in our lives. There is a verse that I think will help us with this. It says this, 

Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

- Philippians 3:16

The past does not define who we are! We need to live up to what we have already attained in Christ. What has God already attained for us? –Blessing, hope, forgiveness, future, redemption, and the list goes on and on. These are the things that need to define our present. Once we start living up to the things that have already been attained for us, we will experience the life God designed to be lived in and through us. Read that last sentence again. So the question is: What has God already attained for us that reveals who we are in Him?