The Gathering

What is the state of your offering? Tips or tithes?
God takes something simple and normal and changes it into something complex and beautiful.
First it must be offered to God.
Sacrifice - to turn over something to the holy, not to give something up. More like an offering. Our whole life is full of holy possibilities.
Often we give our leftovers for God’s ministry.

Sin is something that keeps us from God. Anxiety can rob us from seeing God’s presence. Our worries and anxieties keep us from seeing the joys around us. Anxiety about things we don’t have keeps us from appreciating what we do have.

The parable of the tenants. The results of treating something not ours, as if we own it, can be devastating. What do I make available, from my own life, for God to use?

Along the journey of following Jesus are you a stepping stone, stumbling block or doormat?

Inaction is one of the worst mistakes you can make over the course of your life. In the long term, you will regret your inactions/missed opportunities, more than your actions. Paul pictures a fully mature faith for the church in Ephesus. Maturing requires more than just the passage of time. If you are growing, it is helpful to have an image of where you are going. God's work continues through us. We need to gain an understanding of our gifts and offer them for the benefit of something greater than ourselves. We find ourselves by moving beyond ourselves. In serving Jesus, we will find ourselves at the deepest level. The last milestone is Instrumental Faith. You exist to be an instrument/to contribute to something much greater than yourself. People often regret the way they held back their gifts, time, and talents. How does using your gifts for God impact your faith?

Jesus expects more and more as people follow him. The wealthy man asks Jesus, what do I need to do so inherit eternal life? What is the price for being all in? If you want to fully develop your faith, you need to be willing to give up everything you have. When God invites us into new ways of living, there is always something required of us. We need to invest ourselves in a new way if we want faith growth. God will call us to respond to what he is doing in our lives. Our response will require a shift in us/ a surrender of sorts. The more we are invested in the way our lives currently are, the harder it will be to surrender. A mature faith requires investment on our part. The 3rd milestone in a life of faith is Responsive Faith. How is God calling you to respond?

Parable of the Sower, Jesus's message has a huge front door, but being a follower of Jesus also has a big back door. At some point, God is going to challenge your expectations. At some point, the church is going to disappoint you. At some point, our self oriented faith (initial milestone of faith) is going to enter into a stage of crisis. Things aren't going to go as we expect. In addition to God doing something for us, he will want to do something with us. Critical Faith is the next milestone. A transition to faith with more complexity. Our faith will bump up against challenges. In those challenges, we can grow roots. Critical faith is faith in the face of crisis. Crisis in faith is an opportunity for growth. How do we respond to a crisis of faith?

Everyone has gone through a wilderness.

God's gifts are for everyone, not just a few. What does God want from you?