We hope you join us for a worship service either in person or online on Sunday mornings each week as a way to center our lives in Christ and worship God with his people. You are strongly encouraged to set aside alone time to be with God each day this week using this Your Faith Journey daily devotional or another devotional. The scripture below is based on our “Generosity and Hospitality” series. There are suggestions for daily prayer and a portion of a psalm to read to begin your devotional time each day.

 

Read the words of wisdom found in Psalm 37:1-11.

 

Read Acts 20:34-36. What do you think Jesus’ message means? How should Jesus’ message influence the way you manage your time, energy, and resources, including money?

 

Pray for:

• those who are closest to you, including family members and friends
• those who point us towards God
• leaders within the church, community, nation, and world
• those in need physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually
• yourself

Read words of wisdom from Psalm 37:12-22.

 

Read Jesus’ message in Mark 9:35-37. What does Jesus’ message reveal about how we should treat children? What is something you can do to welcome children with radical hospitality on behalf of Jesus?

 

Pray for children within your family, in our community, and throughout the world.

 

 

Read Psalm 37:23-29.

 

Read Romans 12:3-8. What gifts has God given you that can be used to bless others? How are you using those gifts?

 

Pray for God to reveal your gifts to you if you are unsure what they are at this time. Ask the Lord to guide our congregation to use our gifts together as the body of Christ to bless one another and our community as we care for the world entrusted to us by our Creator.

 

 

Read the words of wisdom found in Psalm 37:30-40.

 

Read Romans 12:13. Who are the Lord’s people in need that you can help and bless? Why is hospitality important? What are some ways that you can “practice hospitality”?

 

Pray thanking the Lord for your life, your family, your friends, our church, and the many blessings he has given us. Invite the Holy Spirit to bring to mind a sister or brother in Christ who is in need. Ask God to reveal to you what he wants you to do to help.

 

 

Psalm 37:21 (NIV) states, “the righteous give generously.” Does that verse describe you? Have you received the righteousness of Christ through faith in Jesus? Are you generously giving to others what you have received from God?

 

Read the apostle Paul’s message from 2 Corinthians 9:6-12. Have you ever prayed about your financial giving? Paul tells the Christians in Corinth to give cheerfully and decide “in your heart” how much you will give. Before telling them to make a decision, Paul reminds the Corinthians that “whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor. 9:6 NIV).

Are you managing your financial resources well so that you can sow generously? If not, now is the time to learn how to manage them well and become a good steward of what God has given you. Below are a few suggestions:

a) Create a monthly budget, that you adjust as needed, to tell your money what to do and where to go instead of wondering where it went.

b) Read the book “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey.

c) Enroll and participate in a financial management class, such as Financial Peace University. FPU is available through the

RamseySoluctions.com website.

d) Seek the guidance of an accountant and/or a financial advisor.

 

If you are currently managing your finances well, what percentage of your income is the Holy Spirit guiding you to give in 2022? In various places within scripture the word “tithe” is used in regards to giving to God. “Tithe” means a tenth or 10%. If you have never given ten percent, you could begin with a smaller percentage then incrementally increase your giving over time. To learn more about the “tithe” read the verses below: Genesis 14:17-20 Malachi 3:6-12Genesis 28:20-24 Matthew 6:19-24Leviticus 27:30 Matthew 23:232 Chronicles 31:2-8

 

Pray about your finances and your financial giving. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal how much the Lord wants you to give as an expression of your faith and your desire to serve Jesus. Pray through your day praying about all you will do or have already done, as well as for the people you’ll encounter or the ones you encountered.

 

 

Observe the Sabbath. How are you going to intentionally observe the sabbath by worshiping God, resting, and enjoying some time of recreation today or on Sunday? For most people it does not happen if it is not scheduled. You need to designate the time to do it if you want it to be a priority.

 

Read Psalm 37:25-26.

 

Solitude & Silence. You’re encouraged to find a place where you can be alone for about thirty minutes. During your time of solitude & silence with God, you may want to lay down, sit on a comfortable chair, couch, or swing, or go for a walk. During the solitude silently listen for the internal whisper of the Holy Spirit. For many believers the Holy Spirit does not speak in an audible voice. Instead, the Spirit will place a thought, phrase, verse from scripture, song, image, person, or idea in your heart and mind. Notice the physical sounds you hear and the way your body feels during this time of silence. Try to shut out the thoughts of to-do lists, plans for the day, etc. Simply be with God. You may find it helpful to read the Psalm before or during your Solitude & Silence. After the thirty minutes, then read the verse(s) listed below. Read 1 Peter 4:9. What does it mean for you to offer hospitality to fellow Christians? Why is it important to offer hospitality to people without grumbling? Have you offered hospitality to God? Have you generously opened your life, including your heart and mind, financial resources, time, and relationships to the Lord and his will? Pray for:

• those who are closest to you, including family members and friends
• those who point us towards God
• leaders within the church, community, nation, and world
• those in need physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually
• yourself

 

 

You are strongly encouraged to observe the sabbath either today or tomorrow as a time to worship the Lord, rest, reflect, and enjoy recreation. To learn more about the sabbath read the following verses:

Genesis 1:1-2:3 Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Exodus 20:8-11 Mark 2:27-28

Exodus 31:13 Matthew 11:25-30

Leviticus 16:31

Leviticus 23:3

 

The questions below can be used to help with some time of reflection:

 

Where did you see, hear, or experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control this past week? That was God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work in your life or within the lives of others (Galatians 5:22-23a).

 

Who needs to hear about your ‘God moment’ sometime in the coming days? Trust the Holy Spirit to share it through you at the right time.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online.