WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:05.120 Hey everybody, welcome to lesson 10 of the Foundations Course. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:07.599 Hey, you've made it all the way to the end. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:08.560 Congratulations. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:09.839 This is a big deal. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:18.000 And we're going to finish today by talking about what God wants me to do with the things that He gives me. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:31.839 One of my favorite things to talk about is looking at what God has done for us now, how He's made us, and how can we take our uniqueness and how can we glorify Him and bless other people through it? 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.799 So, what we're really talking about here is we're talking about stewardship. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:41.520 And a steward is someone who is put in charge of what belongs to another person. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:51.600 So when we see ourselves as bought with a price, redeemed by Jesus, that we're not our own, but we glorify God in our body. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.759 We glorify God with all the things that we that He has given us. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.399 We see that we're not our own, which means we belong to someone else. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:05.200 And we have to understand that the things that we are given are not ours either. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:07.599 They're really God's. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:13.359 And we are in charge of doing the very best thing that we can with them. 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:16.400 We're in charge of stewarding them well. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:26.400 And so in Romans 14, 11 and 12, it says, as is it is written, As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, every tongue will confess to God. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:33.599 So then each of us will give account of himself to God. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:53.280 You know, Jesus told this story of the parable, uh, a story of uh the parable of the talents, which he he mentioned that these uh these men were given uh talents uh by their master, and the master went away, and they were supposed to do something with them. 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:55.680 One was given 10, one five, one one. 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:58.640 And so what do you what do you do? 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:00.159 Uh what did they do with it? 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:05.359 Well, they took the first two took them and they increased them. 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:12.319 The other one took it and was afraid that he might lose it, uh, so he hid it in the ground. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:19.520 When the master came back and gave them and draw them and brought them into account of what they had done. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:23.919 Well, the first two said, Hey, we have taken what you gave us, and we made more. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:30.479 And he blessed them and he even gave them more because they were faithful. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:40.639 The one that had hidden it in the ground, he rebuked very harshly because he was holding this thing in and not stewarding it well. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.400 He was hiding it in the ground. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:44.000 So, what is God given? 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:48.159 What has God given to you to be steward over? 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:56.240 In Luke 16, verse 10 through 12, Jesus said, Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much. 00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:01.199 And whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:09.520 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with spiritual, true treasures? 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:14.800 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:16.479 Here's this is the idea. 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:21.199 Whatever we're given, we need to take it and multiply it. 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:24.319 So from God's perspective, it's a matter of trust. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:25.360 I trust you with this. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:28.159 From our perspective, it's a matter of stewardship. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:30.800 What we're given, we do something with. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:35.360 So as Christians, I'm not my own. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:37.360 My stuff is not mine. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:38.879 It belongs to Jesus. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:40.319 Everything belongs to Jesus. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:45.599 How do I serve Him and serve people with it for His purposes? 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:49.439 Okay, so you might be thinking, I may not, I don't really have a lot. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:52.159 Uh I don't have anything. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.000 Really much to steward, right? 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:56.000 Well, let me give you a little list here. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.000 It's in your book, if you want to look at it. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:03:59.199 Uh, your time. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:02.240 You can be a steward over your money. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.560 You can be a steward over possessions that God has given you. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:11.759 And over your spouse, loving them and respecting them as they ought to. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:17.199 Over your children, if you have children, are you raising them in the fear and admonition of the Lord? 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.000 You can steward your relationships and friendships. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:29.360 We can steward your burden or your calling from the Lord, your thoughts, your words, your actions, your spiritual gifts, your employment. 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:32.480 You can steward your job and do it well. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:55.199 Your employees if you're over them, over some people, your witness for Christ, your position of influence, your vote, your talent and skill, your estate, your knowledge of scripture, your knowledge of ethics, your knowledge of general things, your uh maybe a word of prophecy that was spoken over you. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:57.920 There's a stewarding of that prophecy as well. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:02.800 Your body, taking care of your body and keeping it pure. 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:07.759 Your trial or your suffering, what you're going through right now, you can steward that well. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.360 You can turn that into something that glorifies God. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:26.800 Your hands, your feet, what you do where you go, the care of the earth, all these things are areas that we all have opportunity to, from or at least most of these, we all have an opportunity to be a steward over. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:39.360 So at some point, the way I think of it is, what am I, what am I given that I'm going to stand before Jesus one day and say, here's what you gave me, and here's what I did with it. 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:44.079 And that's a great thing, maybe to make some notes down there in your book. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:51.279 What are those things that you have that you'll stand before Jesus and say, Here's what I did. 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:54.319 Here's how I was faithful with what you have given me. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:57.120 So we're going to talk about a few things here, okay? 00:05:57.279 --> 00:05:58.720 Um, some specifics. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:03.680 We're going to take some of those out of that list and talk about how that, what that looks like in our lives. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:06.079 First thing is my time. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:18.720 Ephesians 5, 15 through 17 says, Be careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:24.480 Some versions say, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:29.600 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:44.240 There is something connected with using our time correctly and understanding our times, what we're supposed to be doing in this season, that is connected to understanding God's will for your life. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:49.120 If you want to know God's will for your life, you have to discern your time. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:50.800 What is this time? 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:53.920 Maybe your time is you're raising your children. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:55.680 This is God's will for your life. 00:06:55.839 --> 00:07:07.439 To put your effort and your most effort into your children, the worst thing, I think, would be to uh lose your children. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:15.279 Gain uh promotion in your job, gain money, gain uh ministry or recognition or something, and lose your children. 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.439 Okay, so maybe you're the time in your life is you're raising children. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:25.120 Maybe the time in your life is you're past that and you're in your empty nest years, and now you're ready to do something else. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:31.519 But but knowing the will of God, understanding wisdom is connected to understanding your times. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.680 So be careful how you live, make the most of every opportunity. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:43.680 Today, today, I have an opportunity to make the most of my time for the kingdom of God. 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:51.120 In Psalm 90, we see an interesting thing about time. 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:57.199 First of all, we see Moses is the author of this uh psalm. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:01.839 And so Moses understood some things about time because he lived to be a very old person. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:05.519 We see in the scripture he lived to be 120 years old. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:08.560 He had three different sections of his life. 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:25.839 The first 40 years, which were preparatory in Egypt, the second 40 years, which were preparatory in uh the wilderness while he was raising a family and shepherding sheep, and God was dealing with things in his own life as well. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:31.839 All this was preparatory for what he was going to do the last third of his life. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:40.720 And it's interesting, isn't it, that you could actually be prepared for 80 years for what you're gonna step into on your 80th birthday. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:42.000 It's possible. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:43.840 It's possible. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:45.440 But he says something interesting. 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:58.639 He says, Teach us in chapter 12, uh, chapter in Psalm 90, verse 12, teach us to number our days right, that we might gain a heart of wisdom. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:00.240 Now, this is interesting. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:02.879 You kind of break this thing down here, right? 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:04.399 So teach us. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:08.960 This means that we don't have it in ourselves normally. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:19.679 Uh there's something in the orientation of human beings that we don't always know what to do with our time and our seasons of our lives. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:20.960 We need to be taught. 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:22.320 There needs to be humility. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:25.519 God needs to teach us the value of time. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:30.159 Teach us to number, and that word means number, or it also means order. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:33.919 Teach us to order order, bring order to. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:37.759 Is your life defined by the order that you bring to it? 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:40.559 Are your days defined by purpose? 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:44.720 And then it says, teach us to number or order our days. 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:45.600 Days. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:46.559 Days. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:53.120 It doesn't say teach us to order, uh, number our years or our months or our weeks, even. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:54.559 It says our days. 00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:04.639 Interesting that he breaks it all the way down into that small segment of uh revolution of the earth, right? 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:11.360 And so our days, because if we get our days right, we get our weeks right. 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:14.720 And if we get our weeks right, we get our months right. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:18.799 And right months make right years, and that makes a right life. 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.879 It's like you can't win the tennis match unless you win the point. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:35.200 You win the point, so you can win the game, so you win the set, so you can win the match, and you have to, but you have to work on the point in order to win the big picture, right? 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:42.399 Teach us, Lord, we don't know how to order our small increments of time days correctly. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:52.879 There's a right way to order them in a wrong way, and that leads into wisdom so that we can gain a heart of wisdom. 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:58.240 Ordering our days, spending our time right, is wise. 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:06.720 It's one of the most uh one of the things that scripture speaks of, using your days, um, which brings wisdom. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:12.799 I was thinking of the sons of Issachar, it says that they understood their seasons and so they knew what Israel should do. 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:23.519 They understood their times, they were discerning of what was going on, so they knew they were, they became wise as to what needs to happen. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:25.600 So time is a great leveler. 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:26.879 Everybody has the same amount. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:28.720 I have the same amount as you. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:36.159 We don't have the same amount of talent or of money, uh, but we have the same amount of time, right? 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:38.720 We have we have everybody is the same. 00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:44.799 So what we do with what we're given makes the difference between my life and your life. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:51.759 So the greatest use of time is to spend it on something that will outlast you. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:57.279 And yet, I think there's nothing in our culture that we squander more than time. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:04.559 We literally can scroll for we could scroll for hours on our phone. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:11.919 We could binge a show on TV for hours, and our days are gone. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.960 So how do we measure our days right? 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:20.080 If we waste our days, we waste our destiny. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.799 God teach me to do this correctly. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:30.000 There's some there's a couple of questions in your book you can talk, you can answer, and maybe meditate on that and journal on that. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:31.679 My talent is one thing. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:37.440 Another thing that I can um that I can be a steward over is my talent. 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:42.720 What is it that God has given me that I bring to the people who are around me? 00:12:42.799 --> 00:13:01.360 What's my my unique perspective, my unique spiritual gifts, my unique um personality, my unique calling or heart passion, my abilities that I have and not everybody has, my experiences that not everybody has experienced. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:12.559 All of these things shape me into what God can use to you to make a unique influence and impact on my sphere of influence. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:16.399 So, what are the talents or strengths that God's given me to steward them? 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.000 And am I stewarding them well? 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:27.200 One of the great things you'll have a chance to do uh if you're part of Trinity Community Church, is to come and uh take part in a fit class. 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:36.960 Our fit class, it stands for fitting in at Trinity, but it really is fitting in in the kingdom of God, and we talk about those very things. 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:38.399 What are my spiritual gifts? 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:47.600 Paul gives um three lists of spiritual gifts, and that's in Ephesians 4 and in Romans 12 and in 1 Corinthians 12. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:54.960 There are things that God is giving to each of us, and we have different ones, and you have abilities and gifts that I don't have. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:14:02.159 So you have a way to love God and love people that I don't have because of your unique uh spiritual gifts. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:15.440 Uh, we talk about the calling of God on our lives, the the heart passion, the thing that makes our uh makes us um cry, that brings us to a place where we know something has to be done about this. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:19.679 And this is probably a burden in my heart that I need to do something about. 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:36.000 Uh we talk about our spiritual gifts, our heart passion, our abilities, uh, skills that have been given to us, our uh personalities, unique way that we view things and we express things and our experiences, all those things. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:38.000 We talk about all those things. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:42.799 And we talk about uh this we also use the Clifton Strengths Finder. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:49.759 We add all that together and we say, hey, what are the ways that you are unique and how can you uh bless people around you? 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:54.080 I love what Peter says at 1 Peter 4, verse 9 through 11. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:15:06.240 Each one should use whatever gift he's been given to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:11.200 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:22.159 If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.320 So each one of us is unique. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:27.840 And I love how Paul says it too in Romans chapter 12. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:42.159 He says, For by the grace given to me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:56.879 Just as each one of us, uh just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:00.799 We have differing gifts according to the grace given to us. 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:05.440 If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.519 If it's serving, let him serve. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:09.600 If it's teaching, let him teach. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:12.080 If it's encouraging, let him encourage. 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:13.840 Do you see a pattern here? 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:16.960 If it's contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously. 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:20.159 If it's leadership, let him govern, let him govern diligently. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.320 If it's showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:29.919 But Paul is basically saying there's something that you've been given, a measure of faith and a gift of grace. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:32.639 Okay, and whatever you've been given. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:37.360 So it's interesting that he says, don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think. 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:38.720 Okay, we can understand that. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:44.320 Don't be proud and haughty and have an overly high view of estimation of your worth. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.200 But he also says, think soberly. 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:50.639 In other words, don't think more lowly than you should think. 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:57.440 Don't think too high, don't think too low, because you have been given a measure of faith and a gift of grace. 00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:00.399 And whatever that is, use it. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:03.120 If it's prophecy, prophesy. 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:07.119 If it's serving, serve, if it's giving, give, if it's teaching, teach, if it's encouraging, encourage. 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:15.839 This is like whoever you are, be and honor God and steward your talent that way. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:21.759 Okay, then we also have the third T: time, talent, and treasure. 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:22.720 Treasure. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:24.000 What has God given me? 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:28.559 What has He put in my hands to be able to give to other people? 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:35.200 So we'll read this in Acts chapter 4, verse 32 to 35. 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:39.759 All believers were one in heart and mind. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:45.279 No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:52.319 With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.559 There were no needy persons among them. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:18:04.480 For from time to time, those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostles' feet. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:07.839 And it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:12.079 So there's this generosity of what was having. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:16.240 Now, okay, so you might say, wow, that sounds like communism, it's Marxism. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:17.519 No, it's not at all. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.279 Because this was done voluntarily. 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:24.480 This is like the opposite of communism. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.599 This was done because hearts were changed. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:33.839 From the inside out, this was this happened, right? 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:35.440 Hearts were changed. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:40.480 People saw needs, they loved people, they loosened their grip. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.519 You know, communism is from the outside in. 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:46.079 Communism requires this of you. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:50.079 Communism makes you do this, and it doesn't work. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:52.640 This is something very different. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.400 But it's it's the sign of your heart. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:58.160 You know, Jesus did look. 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:04.160 It says that he was at the treasury one day and he was looking as people were giving what they were giving. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:08.799 And a widow gave a small bit, all she had. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:13.759 Other people were bringing and giving out of their excess. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:22.720 And Jesus said, This poor woman has given more than all of them, because she gave all that she had, and they gave out of their excess. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:26.880 And so the point is, Jesus was looking at what was being given. 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:28.079 He's looking. 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:34.960 So do you honestly view your money and your possessions as belonging to God and not yourself? 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:36.160 Is it all his? 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:46.799 So um money and time uh both have to be planned. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:51.839 The way you spend them have to be planned in order for you to get the most out of them, right? 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.559 You're gonna spend money with or without a plan. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.519 Uh, and you can only spend your money one time. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:01.200 And so I need a plan for my money. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:03.039 So here's a great way to plan. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.839 Think of it this way: I plan to give. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:11.359 And the Bible speaks of tithing, and it's a good place to start in your giving. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:18.480 Tithing is an Old Testament, it began in the Old Testament, but it wasn't a law of the Old Testament. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:20.240 It predated the law. 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:23.920 It happened, it began before the law even came in place. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:27.200 So it's something deeper than a law. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:38.240 In the New Testament, Jesus said, uh, talked about the Pharisees tithing, and they tithe, but they they leave out the most important things of mercy and sacrifice and justice. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:43.519 And he said, they ought to tithe, but they ought to not forget these things. 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:46.799 And so uh Jesus never said, don't do it. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:52.880 Um, it's giving, I think, I think tithing is one thing, and giving beyond your tithe is important. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:57.200 It's a great barometer of your heart, right? 00:20:57.359 --> 00:20:59.200 So give, live like this. 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:00.880 Orphans live like this. 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:16.720 Orphans live with their hands uh grasping, you know, and closed and tight-fisted and and cross-armed, and I will not because I don't know what I'm gonna, what's gonna tomorrow's gonna bring. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:19.279 I need to, I need to provide for myself. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:22.079 And I'm this is an attitude of an orphan. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:29.680 It's not an attitude of a son or daughter who knows they're loved by a father who loves to protect and provide. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:34.160 Uh sons and daughters live with open arms. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:39.680 So their arms are open, their hands are out, stretched, their their stuff is not their stuff. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:41.200 Their stuff is God's stuff. 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:46.160 And if they want, if God wants us to use it for other people, this is what we do. 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:51.519 Give, tithe, give beyond your tithe, and then save for the future or invest. 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:53.920 Uh pay off your debt. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:56.880 Debt is unwise. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.839 Scripture says to owe no man anything except or love one another. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.720 Another. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.079 So pay it off. 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:05.759 Pay your taxes and then fund your lifestyle out of that. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:06.480 Okay. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.559 There's a lot more we could do about that. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:14.640 But um have an open hand. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:21.200 This quote from Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsay, the financial guru. 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:23.039 Have an open hand. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:27.279 The idea of holding money with an open hand might seem to violate common sense. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:33.519 We feel that if we don't hold on tightly our money to our money and our relationships, they will slip away. 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:36.480 I'm not saying literally hold your money with an open hand. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:39.359 It represents your attitude toward money. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.920 When you give, you open yourself up. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:46.480 You allow the dollars to leave and the freedom to enter. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:48.400 This is good stuff, okay? 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.680 And then giving beyond money, giving is not just money. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:59.200 And by the way, I would say your local church is your first place to give, not to other ministries. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:02.559 I'm saying you should and can give to other ministries. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:03.119 That's fine. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:08.319 But your first place to give is those people is the place where you're being pastored. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:14.400 You know, the other ministries aren't coming to visit you in the hospital, right? 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:20.960 When you're sick, or coming alongside your family when you need counseling, or you're grieving over a loss or whatever. 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:25.519 There's a there is a place where hopefully you're connected. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:32.079 And that place you're connected is a place where you're being shepherded, being pastored by loving shepherds. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:36.960 And that should be the place where your tithe goes, in my opinion. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.119 And then uh other other places after that. 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:48.720 If you don't have money to give, you can also go to your local homeless shelter and serve food. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:52.880 And then sit at the table and eat with the men and women you have served. 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:54.079 That's giving. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.759 Uh go to a nursing home and read to the elderly for an afternoon. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:02.640 Help someone change a tire, whatever you can give. 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:04.000 You can give. 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:09.519 Okay, that's the thing. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:11.440 Time, your talent, your treasure. 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:13.440 And number four, is your temple. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:14.960 That's your body. 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:18.400 In 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20. 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:25.519 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have received from God. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:27.200 You're not your own. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:29.200 You are bought at a price. 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:31.519 Therefore, honor God with your body. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:35.039 This is specifically in the context. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.960 He's talking about a temple here. 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:41.359 He's specifically talking about this in the context of our body. 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:43.599 Our temple is our body. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:50.640 And so if I'm not owned, if I'm bought at a price, my body is not my own. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:52.480 My body is for Jesus. 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:56.400 That means I have to keep it sexually pure for Jesus. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:25:01.200 That is the context of 1 Corinthians 6, by the way, is sexual purity. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:04.240 How do I keep myself sexually pure? 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:05.599 Do I smoke? 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:06.799 Do I drink excessively? 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:08.079 Do I use illegal drugs? 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:10.799 Do I frequent all you can eat buffets? 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:12.640 What am I doing to my body? 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:14.079 How can I motivate? 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:32.480 How can I change my motivation from just receiving and satisfying my lusts of my flesh to bringing my body under subjection so that I live longer, healthier, so I can give to people and give to God more. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:33.839 That's the idea. 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:35.759 What's your wellness program? 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:40.000 You know, what I've learned is there's really three things you need. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.240 You need fuel, you need rest, and you need movement. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:49.920 So proper nutrition, proper exercise, proper rest. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:50.799 This is it. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:52.319 This is this is very simple. 00:25:52.559 --> 00:26:15.119 If you do that, if you focus on those things, if you pay attention over a long, like a marathon, not a not a sprint, but a marathon, the life, a lifetime, then you're going to live longer, you're going to live healthier, you're going to bless your family, your friends, people outside, you're going to be uh able to be used by God. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:25.119 There are some people who cannot minister because they're not able to do it in a healthy way. 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:33.119 There's some people that want would love to come on trips with me overseas, but they can't they can't do it. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:35.599 They don't have the physical ability to do it. 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:43.519 They could get they could get to that place if they work at it, but that's if they haven't taken care of their temple enough to do it. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:46.160 Okay, so there's a lot we could talk about about that. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:48.079 But we don't have time to do that. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:52.960 Uh last thing I'll say is I can steward my story. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:54.720 My story. 00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:00.640 So my time, my talent, my treasure, my talent, and my temple, right? 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:02.559 And then there's my story. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:03.440 My telling. 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:04.000 How's that? 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:04.640 We can do that. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:06.559 And my telling, my telling. 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:16.960 Each of them came to know Christ because somebody cared enough to share Christ with us and share the gospel and to befriend us or invite us to church. 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:22.799 And and God gives us this awesome opportunity to be able to give that to somebody else. 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:27.759 We have a word to speak, we have a testimony to tell. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:29.759 And it's very simple. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.960 You can just say, This is the way I was, this is the way I am. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.200 And the difference maker was Jesus. 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.720 It's really simple. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:42.240 It's not something you have to do. 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:45.359 You don't have to go to school for this, you don't have to have a degree to do it. 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:48.880 You don't even have to know a whole lot of the Bible to do it. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:54.480 People see your life, and you can say, This is who I was, this is who I am. 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.839 Jesus is the difference. 00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:56.960 It's simple. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:06.160 So God gives us the awesome opportunity to work together with him on his mission to bring hope and eternal life to others. 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:17.519 So Acts chapter 1, verse 8, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:23.039 And then, so you know, the Holy Spirit's given to us for a purpose. 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:36.960 It's not just that we would feel good or have good meetings, or you know, uh all of the things we talked about in our previous session about how He was He is our guide into truth and He's our guide in grief. 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:39.279 He's our guide uh along our way. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.799 He helps us in prayer, but all that's true, but that's not all. 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:52.079 You receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you for the purpose of witnessing to your, and this was like concentric circles, right? 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:55.200 Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, all the earth. 00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:05.200 Okay, there's ways you can affect your family, your immediate friends and community, the greater area and even the world. 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:08.960 There are ways that you can you can do something to affect those things. 00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:14.640 1 Peter 3, verse 15 says, But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:25.599 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect. 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:29.200 So your story is like nobody else's story. 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:32.880 And so you've got something to say that I can't even say. 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:37.759 You have a revelation of Jesus and how he's worked in your life that I don't even have. 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:41.920 Use it, use it, be a good steward of your story. 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:49.599 Your two most powerful tools, the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, combined with your story. 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:57.200 I love it when the when Jesus healed the blind man, and then they kept uh asking him, the religious people kept asking him, what happened? 00:29:57.279 --> 00:29:57.759 What happened? 00:29:57.839 --> 00:29:58.240 What happened? 00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:01.680 And he just kept saying, you know, I've already told you what happened. 00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:02.720 Here, I don't know. 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:07.839 I don't know if he's the Messiah, I don't know any big theological things, but here's what I know. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:10.799 I was blind, now I can see. 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:12.960 That's it. 00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:14.079 And he kept saying that. 00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:15.920 This is my story, I'm sticking to it. 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:17.680 I was blind, now I see. 00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:18.720 This is all I know. 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:20.960 It's okay if that's all you know. 00:30:21.359 --> 00:30:23.359 This is a great story, right? 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:24.799 So, what was I then? 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:25.680 What am I now? 00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:27.279 Where would I be without Jesus? 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:30.720 When you tell your story, you don't have to have all the answers. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:35.359 You don't have to know fancy religious words, you just tell your story. 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:38.640 Open your heart, open your ears. 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:48.079 Open your heart means be in a posture of seeing what's around you and who God might be connecting you to or want you to speak to. 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:51.680 Open your ears to hear from the Lord and hear from people. 00:30:51.839 --> 00:30:58.079 One of the greatest things you can do to love somebody is to listen to them and then open your mouth. 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:06.720 There's your challenge this week is how do I open my heart, open my ears, and open my mouth. 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:09.440 So, Father, thank you for what you've given us. 00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:27.599 All the practical things, Lord, as we talked about today, our time day by day, our talents, what you've made us to be, our treasure, the money and the and the possessions we have, and um and our story, Lord, our temple, our body, and our story. 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:36.319 So, God, I pray for you to give us grace to be able to live lives so that when we stand before you, we say, Here's what we did with what you gave us. 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:38.000 And we're not ashamed. 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:39.759 And you say, Well done. 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:41.920 This is our prayer in Jesus' name. 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:42.640 Amen. 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:43.599 Well, thanks so much. 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:48.720 You guys have made it all the way to the end of 12 sessions of the Foundation's class. 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:53.759 And if you have any questions, you feel free to contact the office, contact one of the pastors. 00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:56.240 You can talk to me and talk to Kelly, definitely. 00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:02.240 We are so willing to open up and uh like talk to you about the things that we've covered here. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.400