What is Christmas?

Read - Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20.

What does the Christmas Holiday mean to you?

God is a giver, not a taker

Love is the greatest gift of all, and it is given to every human being who has ever lived or will live--the ability to give of ourselves to God and to each other. Without this gift, life would be very empty indeed.

In the mad rush of the holiday season, the true meaning of giving is often forgotten. What is meant to be a time of blessing and joy becomes instead, a time of stress and depression.

Why do you think someone would say that “What is meant to be a time of blessing and joy becomes instead, a time of stress and depression.”

KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

By Larry Burkett

It irritates me when I see Christ being taken out of Christmas. That is not limited to only non-Christians--even Christians have adjusted to the commercialism of the holiday season. Obviously, not all of it is bad--in fact the holiday season provides the opportunity for families to reunite and also provides a pleasant break from our routines. I personally look forward to these days as an opportunity to visit with friends who are much too busy at other times in the year to just stop and relax.

But we have become terribly imbalanced. We give a myriad of useless gifts at Christmas because it's expected of us and we feel guilty if we don't. The commercialized world now makes a $100.00 toy seem perfectly normal. It's easy to observe the stress that our imbalanced society places on family members. Christian parents who cannot provide the latest indulgences to their children are often depressed and distraught. Obviously, no one purposely makes them feel unworthy or insignificant, but the overwhelming emphasis we place on giving at Christmas certainly does.

So great is this social pressure that the closer we get toward Christmas Day, the more depressed and unworthy those who can't indulge feel. Unfortunately the pressures don't end once Christmas is past either. Those who can't afford to compete in their gift-giving often dread congregating with their friends immediately after the holidays, because at "show and tell" time they don't have much to show. It is not a conscious act on the part of most people to openly display their pride. Rather, because we are in a competitive society we often determine a person's worth by his ability to buy things.

It talked earlier about how the “overwhelming emphasis we place on giving at Christmas” causes social pressure and sometimes depression and stress.  Do you think that we place an overwhelming emphasis on the right kind of giving or the wrong?  What would some examples of the Right and Wrong kind of giving be?

As we look around the world this holiday season, let us stop and consider Who's birthday we are celebrating. Let us not forget to offer sincere thanks to our precious, precious Lord for His many blessings in our lives. And let us show our thankfulness by our actions! Let us offer the same mercy that God has given us to those around us. Let us press deeper into the heart of God, that we may have something to offer this world besides the same old cycle of greed, pride and rebellion. Let us not be ashamed to become the servant of all, showing our love for God by laying down our rights, our plans, our time and money for the sake of others. Let us demonstrate our love to God by giving Him the very things we are afraid to lay down, trusting that He has the best plan for our lives and would never use or abuse us. Let us truly fulfill the greatest commandment, which is to "Love the Lord our God with all our mind, soul, and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourself" (Luke 10:27). Each of us is destined to make a profound difference in the world. Let us not fall short of our destinies! Let us give the greatest Christmas gift that we have been afforded to give; one that we can give year-round--to bless the heart of God!

ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS

By Pastor William Mark Bristow

ORIGIN OF ST. NICHOLAS

Every year Christians ask me, "Should I celebrate with all the traditional customs of Christmas? They all seem so materialistic. Aren't some of these customs really pagan?" So every year, I endeavor to bring out a few facts from our Christian heritage. Let's start with the real shocker -- There really was a Santa Claus (however, he is not the one that people know today). The real Santa Claus was a PREACHER!! Yes Sir! His name was St. Nicholas and he lived and worked as the Bishop of a little town of Myra, (now in the country of Turkey). Tradition says he was born in Patara, a seaport, and traveled to Egypt and Palestine as a young man. Eventually he became bishop of the church at Myra. During the period of persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian, he was imprisoned, but he was released by Diocletian's successor, Constantine the Great.

By the 6th century his burial shrine was well known at Myra. In 1087 his remains were moved to Bari, Italy, which became a crowded pilgrimage center in his honor. Devotion to him spread throughout the Christian world, and he was chosen patron saint of Russia and Greece. Thousands of churches throughout Europe have been named for him. His feast day was set on December 6. He was credited with many miracles. In one story he saved three officers from by appearing to Constantine in a dream. In another legend he provided bags of gold to a poor man as dowries for his three daughters.¹ When he died on December 6 in the year 345, he was revered for his generosity and kindness. It became the custom to give gifts to loved ones on his saint's day, the date of his . Later Christians adopted St. Nicholas for Christmas day, which commemorates the date God gave the greatest gift of all, Christ Jesus for the redemption of the world.

WHAT TO DO?

By anyone's standard, the way Christmas is celebrated today is a gross commercialism of the most important birth in history. But we don't need to preach to the unsaved world to put Christ back into Christmas. They shouldn't; we should. One thing I learned a long time ago in counseling is not to try to overcorrect too quickly. Not only are past habits, such as overindulging at Christmas, difficult to change, but quite often others around us don't see things just the way we do. If you attempt to stamp out all Christmas gifts suddenly, you'll end up with a revolt on your hands. The correct way to is make some positive steps to establish a better balance.

One method that has proved successful to many families is to commit an equal amount spent on gifts to feeding the truly needy. In many areas of the world, an amount equal to most of our gift purchases would feed and clothe a family for several months. By giving to a specific family through a Christian organization, your children can see the purpose and value of your sacrifice and theirs.

 "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).

CHRISTMAS GIVING

By Walter E. Isenhour 

As you think of giving presents
To your friends on Christmas Day,
Don’t forget the poor and needy
That you meet along life’s way.
Give them something that is helpful,
That will tell them of your love,
For such giving pleases Jesus
As He watches from above.

If you cannot give abundance,
Give a little in His name;
For a little given rightly,
With His blessings on the same,
May be bread upon the waters
You will find again sometime
Multiplied to loaves of blessing
That are wondrous and sublime.

Give and help to spread the Gospel
On the mission fields of Earth
Where the natives by the millions
Have not heard of Jesus’ birth.
Give to causes that are worthy
Of your money with a prayer;
Give and help to share the burdens
That so many people bear.

Let the Christmas thought of giving
Go with you throughout the year,
Then your life will be a blessing
And you’ll have the thrill of cheer;
For in making others happy,
You will get a great supply,
As our Lord who reigns in heaven
Will then bless you from on high. 

Awestruck 4: Psalm 51

Awestruck: Receiving His Restoration

Agree or disagree? Discuss quotes.

Forgiveness is a funny thing; it warms the heart and cools the sting.

Of all acts of man, repentance is the most divine. The greatest of all faults is to be conscious of none.

I restore myself when I’m alone.

·        Is forgiveness, repentance, and restoration difficult to get? Why or why not?

·        Today we’ll look at these concepts and how they relate to sin in what is considered one of the saddest Psalms written.

Before we study Psalm 51, let’s take a minute and look at the history behind it.

·        Read 2 Samuel 12:1-14

·        King or not, David had messed up big time. When confronted here by the prophet, David’s grief stricken spirit collapsed before God. What resulted was David’s response to God’s conviction of his sin and a model of how we should regard sin, repentance, and divine restoration.

·        Regardless of whether or not we have committed David’s exact sins, we have all missed God’s mark for how to live so Psalm 51 contains relevant instructions for us about what to do when we do sin.

Read Psalm 51: What do we do when we sin?

1.     Sin must be confessed to God (read verses 1-4).

o   What about God’s character does David appeal to for the blotting out of his sins?

§  Mercy, love, compassion

§  David knew he deserved punishment; God was not required to forgive him. He did appeal of who he was or what he had done, but on the basis of who God is.

o   These characteristics make it possible for only God to cleanse mankind of their sinfulness. Think about the cross… it took all three of these for a sinless man to die on a cross not meant for Him.

o   If you are going to confess anything, you admit to wrongdoing. How do we know that these verses are David’s confession? We know that David took ownership of his sin in verse 3… my transgressions, my sin. He also confesses in 2 Samuel 12:13, “I have sinned against the Lord,” to which Nathan replies “the Lord has taken away your sin.”

o   Ultimately, David realized that God alone is the ultimate judge of all sinfulness (verse 4). Only He has this authority; but the first step is admitting (out loud or on paper) you have sinned against Him.

2.     We cannot fully live without repentance and God’s restoration (read verses 7-13).

o   In looking at these verses, there are certain “markers” of a sincere repentant heart…

§  According to verses 7-8, how does God show His acceptance of our repentance (what can He do for a truly repentant heart)? Makes us clean, return joy and gladness

·        Hyssop was used in the OT to cleanse the lepers, one of the most outcast people groups of that day. He restored the outcasts and He can restore us.

§  In addition to joy and gladness, what does God restore for David in verse 10? A pure heart and a right spirit

·        David wanted God to do a new work in his life; he literally felt that there was nothing in David’s heart that God could use. He wanted to be a new creation.

§  David’s repentant heart wants desperately to be in His presence or the presence of the Holy Spirit (verse 11).

·        David remembered was happened to Saul and he didn’t want to be rejected by God (1 Samuel 13:14). However, since the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit does not leave believers; it is a permanent indwelling.

§  In verse 12, we see more of what restoration produces: the joy of salvation, a willing spirit.

§  As a result of his forgiveness and restoration, David vows to teach others about sin and the grace of mercy of God (verse 13).

·        How do we respond to God’s forgiveness? Telling others, vocal worship (mentioned in vs. 14-15)

o   David is expressing the desire to get back to life as it is meant to be lived—in fellowship and obedience to God.

o   William Wallace (Braveheart) believed that he had spent his life well when he stated that “every man dies, but not every man really lives.”

o   If we know that God willingly restores those who come to Him in repentance, how can that allow us to really live?

3.     Sin is a greater issue of the heart than the hands (read verses 16-17).

o   David isn’t referring to the historical sacrifices that God Himself told His people to perform.

o   If God delighted in the heartless offerings of sinners (those who didn’t really feel they needed forgiveness) or if He accepted offerings to overlook forgiveness, what would that suggest about God? His forgiveness could be bought, that we didn’t need grace, our forgiveness could be controlled

o   God wants physical acts of worship (offerings/sacrifices) to be the outer expression of inner change of heart.

o   Sin is heart issue because it determines what a person does with his or her actions.

Does David’s grief as expressed in Psalm 51 seem appropriate for the magnitude of the sin that he committed in 2 Samuel 11-12? Why or why not?

Why is it appropriate for believers to respond with grief over their sins like David did? Because God has no tolerance for sin, neither should His people. We should be grieved to some extent over every single time we fail God. The good news? For as much as we should hate sin, we can rejoice in the total restoration our God offers. His grace really is “greater than all my sin.”

One last thought… read James 4:17. Do you ever consider that we don’t just sin in the things that we do against God—but that we also sin in the things that we don’t do for God? What are some of the good things that we “ought to do” but often don’t do? Excuses, excuses…  Make sure when you have a time of confession that you also include these “sins of omission.”

Awestruck: Psalm 23

Living for His Name’s Sake

Read Psalm 23

When David wrote this Psalm, he used an image that was both common and meaningful.  The image of the Sheppard was also used throughout the Old Testament.  Look at some of the ways this image was used.  Read through examples on page 1 in lesson.

Verse Interpretation:

Psalm 23:1 – The Psalmist David began by acknowledging that the Lord was his shepherd.  The work shepherd includes the function of taking care of or herding the sheep.  The word can also include being a companion or making a friend.

Based on his understanding of the role of the shepherd, the psalmist wrote that he would not want or lack anything.  The idea that the shepherd was a provider was ingrained in Israelites and included many assurances.

·         God was their Provider for everything: abilities, family, material possessions, rain, good fortune, and health.

·         God was their Protector.  The shepherd used his rod or staff, and slingshot to protect the sheep against predators, such as lions, bears, and wolves.  God protects us from any “predators” that we face.

·         God was their Guide.  Shepherds scouted and found new grass as the sheep grazed in a field.  He scouted places away from cliffs, from probable dens of carnivores, or places with lots of hiding places from which predators could attack.

Psalm23:2 – Green pastures or meadows meant a time of ease.  With green grass, sheep ate less, were nourished better, and spent more time resting, gained weight, and growing wool as a result. 

David acknowledged the quiet times that God gave him.  The shepherd led his sheep to quiet waters.  If sheep fell into swift-moving water, their wool easily absorbed so much water that they were too heavy to fight the current and would drown.  The shepherd had to be careful and concerned even with where the sheep drank water.

Psalm 23:3 – The use of the word renew or restore credited God alone with “bringing back” a soul when it is devastated.  The word also means “return,” “reverse,” and “revive.”  The use of the work testifies that God alone can return us, reverse our course when we’re headed into danger, or revive us when we’re cold, dry, or dead.

God, as a guide, showed one clear option: the paths of righteousness.  God provided the way for  His people to be fair, to find a just way to handle their challenges, and to carry out their lives.

Psalm 23:4 – Sheep passed through ravines twice a year when heading up to summer gazing and then back down to winter pastures.  Those steep places with high walls were hard for the sheep to climb over boulder fields, and so they became great places for ambush.  Thus, they passed through the valley of the shadow or shade valley usually as a group.  Yet in spite of the dangers of the journey, God continued to provide and care as He personally guided the shepherd.

Psalm 23:5 – David moved from the image of a shepherd to the image of a king here.  He described the Lord as a king eating a meal in his tent or palace after beating his enemies, who were then forced to watch him eat.  If a king had former kings eating at his table, that was an even greater sign of power.  David implies that we leave our victories in God’s hands.  Although David was a great tactician, he was always mindful that God made up his deficiencies and gave the victories. 

David further described living with God’s abundance of provision.  To be rich enough to wear oil and perfumed hair was a huge sign of status.  For the cup to overflow, as opposed to being careful not to waste even a drop of wine, was to be extravagantly rich.  David credited god with his extravagant wealth.

Psalm 23:6 – Finally, David showed that he knew his place was secure in God’s household.  David understood that he was not an invited guest but a beloved resident.  The outcome of that relationship was that David received God’s goodness and love for the rest of his life.

Some of us may feel that there is no power great enough to deliver us form the terrible circumstances we have fallen into.  In these verses, however, we are shown a God who has enough power to control the entire universe.  And we know from His Word that God has provided a way for our sins to be paid for and for us to be delivered from sin’s grip.

Awestruck: Psalm 18

Depending on God

Read Psalms 18:1-3 & 18:30-36

The book of Psalms is poetry written by many authors.  The timeframe of the writing of Psalms spans from around 1500 B.C to 300 B.C.  At this time poems were set to music and sang much the same as our hymns are today. 

King David reigned from 1010 B.C. until 970 B.C. and wrote Psalms 18 as part of worship and thanks to God.

David had many trials in his lifetime.  He had many great failures.  His moral failure through his affair with Bathsheba and then trying to cover it up by having her husband murdered.  He experience a lot of sadness as well in the loss of his best friend Jonathan, the death of King Saul, and the death of his son Absalom.

Psalm 18 is a mirror image of the 2 Samuel 22.  With only few variations, it is identical in theme and content and has commonly come to be referred to as “A Royal Thanksgiving Psalm.”  Based on the strength of its placement in 2 Samuel 22, it is supposed that this psalm was written at the end of David’s life.  The psalm documents the experience of an old man looking back on the events of his life and seeing the mighty hand of God.

As we mentioned last week Psalms is full of metaphors.  To fully understand more about God we are going to look at these verses individually and break down the metaphors that are there.

Psalm 18:1 – David had an intimate relationship with God. He heard from Him personally, and heard from Him prophetically through men like the prophet Samuel.  David acknowledges that his strength came from that relationship with God.

Psalm 18:2 - In this verse, David uses images from his military background and experience to herald the dependability of God.  He uses the term rock twice.  He uses it first to signify a place of hiding.  The second time, he uses it to refer to a mountain to describe the immovable characteristic of God.  David describes God as a “shield.”  We all know a shield is a source of protection on the battlefield that cannot be pierced.  Lastly, David used the term stronghold to refer to a place of safety.  The stronghold is often a place of safe hiding or a place where you have the upper hand on the enemy.  Through this David demonstrates the refuge available in the power and presence of God.

Psalm 18:3 – In this verse David describes the great dependability of God.  David knows, with confidence, that if he calls upon God through prayer that he will deliver from evil.  David recognized that God was worthy of his praise, his devotion, and his dependence.

Psalm 18:30-31 – David uses the term perfect to emphasize that there is none like God.  David focuses on the relationship that God’s people can have with God.  God will be their “shield” or protection once His people seek “refuge” in Him.

Psalm 18:32- God has provided David with “strength” and made his pathway “safe.”  David knew that allowing God to lead the way would provide a safe pathway and he would have the strength, through Christ, to pass through.

Psalm 18:33 – Deer’s feet are designed for agility and speed.  This design gives the deer the ability to navigate the narrow ledges and the dangerous and rocky terrain of mountain ledges.  David uses this image to demonstrate God’s leadership in difficult times and God’s provision of safe passage in the most perilous of times.

Psalm 18:34-36 – David acknowledges God as the provider of all that had made him successful.  To draw back the string of a bow requires strength, not to mention a bronze bow.  David states that strength could only come from God.  The shield that is again used to protect the body during battle, is used to explain the divine protection that God supplies during the attacks that will surely come.  David acknowledges that when he yielded to God, God gave him the strength to sustain the attack and then cleared a path that put him on the offensive.  As God put David on the offensive, He guaranteed David’s success by strengthening the base from which he fought.  In David’s time of need, he knew that he could depend upon God for his strength, safety, and victory. 

Closing

What a person believes God is directly affects the way that he or she handles life.  David not only believed in God; he knew him personally and gave much thought to His characteristics.  When we feel weak and confused, focusing on what we know about God as David did will bring about strength and confidence that can come from God alone.  As we begin to own our faith, it is important to reflect on God’s faithfulness to us in the past and then to be aware of the strong qualities the He has shown us on our behalf.  No matter what life holds, we can be confident in God’s strength, which He freely gives us when we seek Him.

Prayer Option

Think of a time when you were desperate in need of being rescued from an enemy and needed a rock to cling to, a shelter from the storm of life, the strength to stand firm, or the ability to fight.  These enemies could be a physical illness, a person, a situation, or a sin.  Use these thoughts and ideas to create your own prayer psalm in which you express to God how you feel about Him and thank Him for strength and salvation.     

Awestruck: Psalm 1

Is it possible to truly live righteously?  If so, how?

There are 2 kinds of people:  There are those who say to God, “Thy will be done” and those whom God says, “All right , then, have it your way.”

·         What are some defining differences between these 2 groups of people?

What purpose do rules serve in our lives – such as rules at home, at school, at work, or within our community, state and nation?  What motivates some people to live by those rules while others continually rebel against them?

·         In this passage we are going to talk about how righteous believers chose to follow God and will continually seek Him through His Word.

·         Wicked people, on the other hand, will reject and ridicule God and His commandments.

Read Psalms 1:1-3 and 1:6a

Verse 1

·         Under what circumstances do we seek counsel?

·         How would the “counsel of the wicked” differ from advice given by Christians?

·         How does following the advice of “the wicked” cause people to “stand around with sinners”?

Read verse 2

How does meditating on God’s laws day and night change the attitude, actions and words of believers?

·         Filling one’s mind with the things of God causes a person to think, act and speak in ways that honor his or her relationship with God.  Developing a God Conscience.

What happens to the person who immerses himself or herself in God’s Word?

·         They become spiritually strong & reap the fruit of God’s glory.

Read verse 3

What purpose can a healthy tree fulfill?

·         Provides food, shelter, fruit for people, removes CO2 from the air, produces oxygen

How can spiritually healthy Christians impact their world?

In what ways does God reward the believer for his or her faithfulness?

Read verses 4-6b

What happens to the wicked?

·         Blown away like chaff & scattered to the wind

·         Condemned at the time of judgment

·         Have no place among the godly

·         Path of the wicked leads to Destruction

What is Chaff?

·         Read reference 2 out of lesson material, bottom of pg 3

·         How does god separate the righteous from the wicked?

What is the ultimate end for those who choose to live apart from God?  DESTRUCTION

One key to spiritual growth is turning to God and turning away from the kind of people who draw us into temptation.  And there is no better source for wisdom and direction than the Word of God.  When we fail to study and apply God’s Word, we tend to drift through life or follow those who do not follow God.  If we are not careful to guide our lives by God’s Word, we will be tossed around by every new fad or philosophy that comes our way.

“Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.  But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law.”

Go through Prayer Option: A-C-T-S

Awestruck: A Study in Psalms

Over the next few weeks we will be studying various Psalms through the Bible study titled Awestruck. Although this study only takes a look at a few of the many found within the book, we encourage you to discover more! For example, the YouVersion Bible app has a 31 day study of Psalms and Proverbs. See you in Sunday school!

Chapter 10: The Crux of the Matter

The Crux of the Matter

What does everything in this book mean for me?

Through this book we have talked about:

·         Remembering who we are talking to when we pray and taking a very reverent approach when talking to such a mighty God.

·         Our time could be anytime.  You never know when you are taking your last breath.  Make sure you know where you stand personally with God.

·         How we often consider those who show “Crazy Love” for God “Radicals”.  Even though God does NOT need us He WANTS us desperately.

·         Profiles of the Lukewarm – OUCH!

·         Serving leftovers to a Holy God.  If indeed God is as mighty and powerful as we say he is then why is it so difficult to put Him 1^st in our lives.

·         What it looks like to be totally in love with God.

·         Praying to the same God who answered Moses’ prayer for water in the desert, the God who gave Abraham and Sarah a child very late in life and the God who made the slave Joseph second in power only to Pharaoh.  How God doesn’t call us to be comfortable.  He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if he doesn’t come through.

·         How if we are truly obsessed with God then this earthly life is not quite as important than preparing ourselves for our eternity.

·         Examples of people throughout the not only the Bible but also in the last several years that have and are currently really living for Christ.

When Peter was preaching to the people he said in Acts 2:36-37, So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!  Peter’s words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

·         The first church responded with immediate action: repentance, baptism, selling possessions, sharing the gospel.

·         How often our responses are words like; Amen, Convicting Sermon, Great Book and then freeze up and show no action in responding to what God is calling us to do in our lives?

·         Philippians 2:12 pg 1387

Francis says on the top of pg 166 Read

“Is this the most loving way to do life?  Am I loving my neighbor and my god by living where I live, by driving what I drive, by talking how I talk?  I urge you to strongly consider and actually live as though each person you come into contact with is Christ.”

Is everyone here called to be a missionary, pastor or music leader?  Is everyone here called to build orphanages?  Is everyone here called to sell everything they have and leave there families behind to go to a foreign land?

I don’t think that is the case.  Everyone is unique and uniquely called to do something different.  Francis says on page 168, “What I can say is that you must learn to listen to and obey God, especially in a society where it’s easy and expected to do what is most comfortable.”

·         The point is that if you are called to do any of the above or anything else not listed you should have the faith to act on that calling without hesitation.

The Bible is very clear that we will stand before our creator on day and account for our lives:

·         2 Corinthians 5:10 pg173 book

·         Jeremiah 32:18-19 pg174 book

·         Romans 14:10-12 pg174 book

How will you answer when He says, “What did you do with what I gave you?”

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8

Is This What I Want to Be Doing When Christ Comes Back?

Click here for the chapter 10 video.



Chapter 7: Your Best Life Later

Chapter 7: Your Best Life… Later

Chapters 1-5: Recognizing our need for a crazy kind of love for our Savior and recognizing the stumbling blocks for doing so

Chapter 6: Characteristics of a crazy kind of love relationship with our Heavenly Father

Chapter 7: Characteristics of a life lived for the Lord

Francis asks the question on page 114, “What does running toward Christ and pursuing Love look like in daily life?” You are either swimming towards Him or not.

A life lived for Christ, a life that bears the fruit of a crazy love kind of  relationship with Him, would have the following characteristics:

Faith.

·         Francis says that having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Why is this?

·         Read Hebrews 11:1. This “hall of faith” chapter chronicles the examples of some of the most faithful people in the Bible, and yet Francis reminds us that they were imperfect, regular people just like us.

o   Hebrews 11:32-34. Faith that produces “good” results (Jericho, Red Sea parting, Abraham & his son Isaac)

o   Hebrews 11:35-38. Faith that produces the “best” results (the martyrs, “too good for this world,” verse 38).

·         So HOW do Christians today play it safe? I believe it is as Francis says, we WANT to put ourselves in situations where we are safe “even if there is no God.”

·         We have to do things that cost us during our life on Earth but will be more than worth it in eternity.

·         We can have Hebrews 11 kind of faith because our God is the same God that empowered all of those regular, imperfect people.

Love.

·         The ultimate example of love is found in Christ. 1 John 3:16-20

·         John asks pointly, can we love Christ and not help others in need?

·         Matthew 25:45, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did NOT do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

·         How would our lives change if we actually though of each person we came into contact with as Christ?

o   How would it change how act towards those that are “hard” to love?

·         Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40 that we show tangible love for God in how we care for the poor and those who are suffering. He expects us to treat the poor and the desperate as if they were Christ Himself.

·         God didn’t give just a little for us; He gave his best—Himself. According to 1 John 3:16-20, it is no different for us: TRUE LOVE REQUIRES SACRIFICE…”our actions and truth” (verse 18).

Giving.

·         How can we as Christians give?

·         Money obviously.

·         Time (Phillip’s rice demonstration)

o   John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave…” There is an obvious connection between love and giving.

o   It doesn’t say that God contributed a portion or a percentage, but He gave Himself.

·         Giving that is not motivated by love is worth nothing.

o   As we love more genuinely and deeply, giving becomes the obvious and natural response.

·         Jesus feeding the five thousand; how ridiculous would the story have been if the disciples had held on to the food Christ blessed? Would thanking and thanking and thanking Him made it less ridiculous? Of course not!

·         But this is what we do when we fail to give freely and joyfully.

·         Is it intimidating to think about giving radically and liberally? What percentage of believers would “sell their possessions and give to the poor” (Luke 12:33)?

·         What do you think about the guy that donated his house to the church and moved in with his parents J ? hehehe….

·         What about the friend who gave 30% instead of his normal 20% after losing income?

·         Luke 9: 1-3. Why do you suppose that Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to return home for money and supplies?

o   Jesus was forcing his disciples to trust Him. God would have to come through for them because they had nothing else to fall back on.

·         Giving involves surrender, and this is part of the cost of following Christ.

Are we living lives “characterized by comfort” (page 124)? Read bottom of page.

What does it mean to “spend” ourselves as he points out from Isaiah 58? The thing that matters most in THIS life, and the NEXT, is how we use what we have been given, not how much we make or do compared to someone else. What matters is how we spend ourselves.

Hebrews 11:39-40.

Click here to watch the chapter 7 video.