Watch this Before you Make Your New Year's Resolution

Taking a Deeper Look: Stewardship

I'm continuing a series on a deeper look at the 6 areas of growth in our Rooted in God's Love initiative.  Check out earlier posts on Study and Prayer, then dive into today's post on Stewardship!

Biblical Basis

It's easy to read the Old Testament and understand that a tithe (AKA 10%) was expected of everything.  For generations people have argued that it doesn't apply in New Testament living.  Here's 5 passages to read.  You connect the dots and see that we are to continue in this grace of giving!

Passages: Leviticus 27, Malachi 3, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Genesis 14, Hebrews 7

Growing in Stewardship

Our Rooted in God's Love formational goals range all the way from "I know all things belong to God" to "I am investing in the global church with my time and treasures."  As usual, quite a range.  However, also note that one can't simply start giving money to foreign missionaries and be rooted in stewardship.  It's a process of growth and requires much more than some of your money.

While I am for from an expert on this myself, here are some other resources that can push you to grow in this area:

Contagious Generosity by Barry Cameron
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The ABC's of Financial Freedom by Barry Cameron
Proverbs: Wealth - A Sermon by Mark Driscoll

DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying any of these resources have the ideas of stewardship perfected, but they have been partners on my journey, so I offer them to you hoping you can use them wisely as well!  Be a good STEWARD!

Some Practical First Steps

1. Step back and check if what you're giving is still a tithe.  Those cost of living raises or extra side jobs add up fast!
2. Do an evaluation of all your resources. Are there resources that could be finding a purpose in God's Kingdom that aren't being used?  Make a list of things you can use to enhance the kingdom.
3. Check your schedule.  Our responsibility to manage our time well is stewardship.  Are you wasting time that could be focused on something more productive?  Are you giving God space to work in your schedule or are you manhandling it with the things you want?

Taking Root,

Blake

Taking a Deeper Look: Prayer

Even Tebow does it...

Biblical Basis

Head to any Bible app and type in the word pray and you will be overwhelmed with the number of search results!  Here's a few of the big ideas about prayer from God's Word:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV84)pray continually; 

Matthew 6:6 (NIV84)But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 

1 Corinthians 14:15 (NIV84)So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV84)And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Growing in Prayer

Our Rooted in God's Love initiative shows a growth progression in prayer that ranges from "I know I can pray to God about all things" to "I have a constant awareness of God's presence in the world."

What are some of the big steps in that progression?  So glad you asked...

Nuts & Bolts

So many people struggle with what and how to pray, even though they feel the burden of why to pray. In the early development of a Christian's prayer life, we want them to begin to understand the basics of what prayer looks like.  Ironically, it's different for everyone!  The way we pray changes and grows as our relationship with God does.  The more we know God the better the conversation!

Consistency

As people get a grasp on how to converse with God, we want to inspire and encourage them to make their prayer more and more consistent.  This helps enhance our relationship with God and also makes our prayer more effective.

Trust

Deeper faith requires greater trust.  As our prayer life continues to grow, we need to learn to trust God more and more by beginning our endeavors with prayer as opposed to inviting God to join our current situation.  The more we do this the more trust we show in God's plan and his ability to work through us.

Awareness

The more time we spend in conversation with God, the more we hear him speak (not necessarily audibly.. not trying to be weird here.).  This phase of our growth in prayer is all about seeing God and hearing what he wants to speak in our current situation.  As we become more aware of God's presence in our world, we see more and more the part we are called to play in it!

What's my Prayer Score?

Spiritual formation and growth is difficult to measure.  It requires self-evaluation and honesty.  Click on this link for a quick evaluation that I have put together to help you get started:

Prayer Evaluation

If you'd like to get your score back and some steps to take for growth, enter your email at the bottom before submitting.  Otherwise, it's completely anonymous!

Taking Root,

Blake

Taking a Deeper Look: Study

Over the next 6 weeks, I plan to take a deeper look at our 6 areas of growth from Rooted in God's Love.  I'll clarify it's biblical basis, discuss the progression of growth we have developed in the formational goals, and provide some self-evaluation questions for you to gauge your strength in that particular growth area.  Hope you use this to grow!

12 Ways to Take Root at CCC

Looking for an option that isn't "just another class"?  

Here's 12 things you can do to get involved in serving and connect to others in our church.  Beware, these might require levels of commitment!  (In parenthesis I'll list what area of Rooted this activity could cause growth in!)

1. Commit to praying for someone outside of your usual circle everyday for a month. (Prayer)
2. Help host our quick meal on Wednesday nights. (Service)
3. Read John 15 everyday for a week and log what God reveals to you. (Study)
4. Take 1 hour to reevaluate your budget and determine what percentage of your pre-tax income is headed back to God. (Stewardship)
5. Host a night out on the town or in your home for a class or group. (Community)
6. Invite someone younger to help you with whatever kind of service you regularly do.  You'd be surprised at just how young people can: set out donuts, serve communion, clean up tables and chairs, teach children, etc.  It may seem inconvenient at times, but its biblical to pour into others through mentoring relationships! (Discipleship)
7. Buy This Book: Rick Warren's Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God's Word and take time in the next month to digest it. (Study)
8. Consider leading a group from CCC on a mission trip. (Service)
9. Start your day by praying Psalm 139:23-24 for the next week. (Prayer)
10. Reclaim your time with God by writing it into your calendar. (Stewardship)
11. Set a goal for greeting a certain number of people that you don't usually talk to on Sunday. (Community)
12. Disciple your children by having a time where you ask the question, "What did I learn about God today?"  Adults answer too! (Discipleship)

Choose just 1. Choose all 12.  Choose an area that you know you need growth in.  Just accept the challenge and choose to Take Root..

Taking Root,

Blake