A Beautiful Thing : Part 2 | Colin D

This message was preached by Colin D at Word of Grace Church on  February 25th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

Let us remind ourselves what we heard in last Sunday’s sermon. We got to know that Jesus spoke more about money. According to the research made, there are 2350 verses in Bible which talk about money and possessions. Statistics show that 15% of Jesus’s recorded words are about money. What is that He knows and we don’t know?

How we handle our money is the barometer of our spiritual health. How do we know the health of our spiritual life?

Matt 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be

The true test of our heart is to see where it is. If we want our heart to be in the right place, we should know where it is.

We all know about the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Zacchaeus was a short man and hence he had to climb the tree to see Jesus. He was a tax collector. In Jesus time, the tax collectors were as respectable as a prostitute.

Matt 9:11 – When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Matt 21:32 – For John came to you to show the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did……

Tax collectors were of very low ranking and were looked down. But why were they looked down upon? The tax collectors were Jews who used to collect the tax and give it to the romans with some of the tax going into their own pockets.

Luke 19:5-8 – When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So, he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.

When Zacchaeus’s heart was touched, he changed. When Jesus asked him to come down, Zacchaeus did not say Lord’s Prayer or sinner’s prayer. But he did the right thing and a generous thing.

When there is a call to giving, we tend to decide on some safe amount. But we need to align every area of our lives according to God’s word.

Last Sunday we saw how Mary, Martha’s sister gave. It was not a safe quantity. It was a generous and sacrificial quantity. It was worth one year’s wages. Today, we’re going to see the longest content on money.

2 Cor 8:1 – And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.

1.      Giving is a result of grace

If we don’t understand grace of God, then we cannot give.

Stage 0 – There is no grace. People struggle to give.

Most of the people in the world are like this. But sadly, most of the Christians are like this too.

We see many advertisements on TV. All these are help people part with money.

People don’t mind spending money on themselves. It could be a new model phone or any new gadget. But they have a problem spending the money on others

When we as Christians, truly understand the grace of God, we will know how to be gracious in giving.

The richest people on the earth cannot buy salvation. We’re so blessed to have salvation, though we don’t deserve it. Hence, our response should be amazing. When we die, we can’t take anything with us.

Matt 6:19-20 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Jesus has no problem with you storing up treasure. He wants you to store up the treasure in heaven.

How do we store up treasure in heaven? As we give to the poor, to gift offering , help others, we store up treasure in heaven.

2.      Financial situation / Difficult time

Some people may say that their financial condition is very bad or they may be genuinely going through some difficult times.

Let us see what Paul says about the Macedonians.

2 Cor 8:2 – In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity

How could the Macedonians give out of severe trial and extreme poverty? It’s because of God’s grace and immense joy that was overflowing

2 Cor 8:3 – For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.

Stage 1 – Able

Stage 2 – Beyond ability (sacrificial)

We always want to increase the standard of our living. But God wants us to increase the standard of our giving.

Whatever Jesus spoke is recorded in the gospel lessons. But only one is recorded outside the gospel lessons and that is in Acts

Acts 20:35 – In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”

3.      Attitude

What was the attitude of the Macedonians?

2 Cor 8:4 – they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

2 Cor 8:7 – But since you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you – see that you also excel in this grace of giving

Here is a question for all of us – Am I excelling in giving?

Jesus watches us when we give.

Jesus saw the old lady giving 2 copper coins. As the disciples were calculating who gave the most, Jesus said that the old lady gave more. It’s not the amount alone that is important. How much do we keep and how much do we give? We don’t compare ourselves with others.

2 Cor 9:6 – Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

If we want bananas, we need to plant the banana tree. If we want tomatoes, we need to plant tomatoes plant. Similarly if we want money, we must plant money that is give money.

Once, my mom told me that they were planning to get small houses built for the homeless. So, she asked me to give some money towards it. I gave. Then, my mom blessed me that one day God will bless me with a beautiful house. Today, I have a beautiful home.

As we shovel into God’s Kingdom, God will shovel back into our lives. The good news is that the shovel used by God is bigger.

2 Cor 9:12 – This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

So, as we give, it not only meets the needs of the people but is an overflowing of thanks to God.

Here is the promise –

2 Cor 9:10-11 – Now, he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving. To God

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

A Beautiful Thing Part 1 | Colin DCruz

This message was preached by Colin D at Word of Grace Church on  February 17th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

Money!

When it comes to money, most of us get embarrassed. We get embarrassed to reveal our salary or sometimes, even to pay the bill at a restaurant. We must have heard people say that it’s not right to talk about money during a church meeting.

But we see in the Bible that Jesus talked about money. In fact, out of whatever Jesus spoke in the Bible, 13% of it is about money. He spoke more about money when compared to heaven, hell, and discipleship. So, do you think money is important? Yes! There is something significant about money.

Every year, in the month of November, we take a gift offering from all the churches under Regions Beyond across the globe. I am very blessed through Word of Grace church because of their generous giving every year towards Gift Day offering. The money that we receive towards gift day offering is used for different purposes. We send a part of this money to other Regions Beyond churches, we use a part of this money for the poor and the other part of the money is used to develop the infrastructure of our church. Well done church!

When we do not understand how to handle money according to the Bible, it can get very legalistic. We are going to look at Mark 14, which tells us about a woman called Mary, who breaks open the alabaster jar and anoints Jesus. However, before going through that, let us understand the relationship that Mary and her siblings share with Jesus.

John 11:5 - Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus

Jesus loved Martha, her sister, Mary and her brother Lazarus.

John 11:1-7

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

When Lazarus fell sick, his sister, Martha, and Mary sent a word to Jesus about Lazarus. Jesus, by Spirit, knew that this will not end in death. Jesus stayed for two more days and then decided to return to Judea.

John 11:17 - 17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

By the time Jesus reached the village, it has been 4 days since Lazarus was dead and buried.

Jesus, after seeing Martha and Mary run to him and cry out saying, “If you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died”, Jesus wept too and was deeply moved by the Spirit.

John 11:38-40

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Imagine any one of our family members in place of Lazarus. How would we feel? Wow!!! We would not stop praising and thanking Jesus. Jesus has rule over life and death. For those who put their faith in Jesus will rise up when he returns and go with him.

In Mark 14, we see that Jesus was visiting Bethany again. How was he welcomed?

Mark 14:3 – While He was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon, the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

John 12:2 – Here, a dinner was given in Jesus’s honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Where was the dinner? Simon, the Leper’s house. The dinner was given in Jesus’s honor. Why was Simon called “Simon, the Leper”? If he were a leper, he would not have been living with the community. Therefore, what we understand is that Simon who was a leper who got healed by Jesus.

At Simon’s home, what did Mary do? She did not put perfume on Jesus with her finger. She broke the jar of alabaster and poured the whole perfume on his head. What is so special about it? That perfume costs a year’s wages.

What devotion! The disciples felt,” What a waste!” They rebuked her. The disciples were calculating in their heads. However, Mary was doing with her heart. Jesus raised her brother, Lazarus to life. Breaking the jar of alabaster was the response to what Jesus did for her brother.

When the disciples rebuked her harshly, Mary did not say anything. However, Jesus said, “Leave her alone”. The King of Kings, Greatest of all said that.

Mark 14:9 – truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

Wow! What a privilege!

We see three things –

1.      Jesus says, “It is a beautiful thing to me”.

Mark 14:6 – “Leave her alone”, said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She had done a beautiful thing to me.

End of the day, whatever we do, what does Jesus think about it?

2.      Mary’s giving was timely.

Mark 14:7-8 – the poor you will always have with you, and you came help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.

Can you imagine? The perfume that was poured on Jesus was so much that the fragrance would not have left him until he was buried and stayed inside the tomb for three days.

 Luke 24:1-2 – on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

The spices here are not to make a curry, but to embalm Jesus. But the women found that the stone was rolled away. The women didn’t get a chance to embalm him but Mary did it even before he died.

What Mary did was prophetic and timely. It would have been too late 4 days later. Sometimes God prompts us to do things and we need to do it immediately. Her giving has been immortalized in scripture for all to read. That is how impactful her giving was.

3.      How to give?

Mary, after pouring the perfume kissed the feet of Jesus. If we read the new testament there was someone else who kissed Jesus, i.e., Judas. However, what is the difference? One was a kiss of love and the other was a kiss of betrayal.

Mathew 26: 48-49 – Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi !” and kissed him.

How we give matters. We can give either extravagant like Mary or like Judas without our hearts in it. God does not want that kind of giving.

Sadly, the current younger generation is selfish. It is all about me. We need to change that. We need to teach them to give sacrificially. It should not be like we buy all the things lavishly and give very minimal to God.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION IN THE GYM GROUPS

• How do you view money? Is it something you own or are you a steward of it?
•  Have you ever asked Jesus whether you should spend on something? Have you ever asked him who you should bless?
• Have you ever been challenged to give in faith - share a story from your life?
• Should I give when I don't have? Should I borrow to give? Can I plan my giving?
• What is your biggest take away from this sermon?

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

The Peace of God | Ian

This message was preached by Ian P at Word of Grace Church on  February 10th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

God is able to give us peace in abundance. God is pouring out His peace. It is up to us to come under that and take in that peace.

How does the world receive peace?

They may sit in a room and meditate to get peace. In the UK, we have something called as mindfulness where you focus on your body and how it works. Some people say you have to be breathing and focus on your breathing to get peace.

Scandinavian people have a cult called hooger where they set fire, light candles, sit cozily with blankets wrapped around them and snuggle to get peace.

Some people think they have peace when there is no war.

But what does the Bible say about peace and receiving peace?

Shalom – God is peace

Peace is not about just one part of the body. It is about the heart, body, mind, and soul.

Where do we see first see God’s peace in the Bible?

Judges 6:11-12 - 11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrahthat belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

When Israelites lived in the land of Amorites, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern countries invaded the country, destroyed all their crops, took all the livestock. When this happened, the Israelites cried out to God for help. When Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to protect it from the Midianites, an angel of the Lord came and sat near him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”

Gideon was a very ordinary and timid man. When the angel appeared to Gideon, the angel did not see what Gideon was doing at that moment. He did not see Gideon’s timidity. But saw beyond that. He saw God’s plan and purpose in Gideon’s life. He saw what God is turning him into and called him “Mighty Warrior”

After Gideon gave an offering, when the offering was consumed by fire, he understood it was truly the angel of God. The Lord said –

Judges 6:23 - But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

That is when Gideon built an altar and called it “The Lord is Peace.”

Judges 6:24 - So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day, it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon needed to know that God was with him. That is when the angel came and though the circumstances were not in favor to them; Gideon sustained and stayed there because of God’s peace.

Most of the times, we imagine how our prayers would be answered. But God wants to meet with you wherever you are. God knows the best.

The Bible talks about a huge gap between God and us. If you try to bridge this gap, it is like putting a plaster on a gunshot wound.

We do not need a plaster. We need Jesus. His fullness and wholeness. God is very much aware of this gap. Hence, He sent his own Son, Jesus, the Prince of peace.

Isa 9:16 - For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

1.      Do you not know Jesus?

Eph 2:13 - But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

The gap is closed through the blood of Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:14 - 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 

We may have many different and barriers but we are one in Christ Jesus.

Recently, when I shared the gospel with a man, he accepted Jesus as his one and only savior. There was such joy inside me, that I called him “Brother”

Peace is a person.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus had gone back to his Father to be with Him. But He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us.

How can we remind ourselves about what He has done for us and receive Him as peace?

We do it through the Holy Sacrament. As we partake in it, we remember what God has done for us and physically we take hold of it and receive peace.

We also do it through Baptism. Baptism is a physical thing to act out.

We die, are buried in water and rise up in Christ. When we look back in the water, we see our old self inside the water.

2.      Are you anxious?

Phil 4:6-7 - 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace comes as we find Jesus. We don’t need all the answers. We come to Jesus in faith. There are many things which we don’t understand, but we are peaceful. The reason behind it is “Jesus”. The heart is guarded by peace.

How do we get that peace?

God wants to run after you. He wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to take you on a journey with him. If you are worrying and feeling restless, you need to embrace Jesus.

3.      Are you involved in ministry?

If you are involved in ministry, you need to work from a place of security. You need to embrace Jesus. From that place of security, you can go out and share with others, the gospel and peace of God.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

The Future Will Write Your History | Navaz D Cruz

This message was preached by  Navaz D'Cruz at Word of Grace Church on  January 6th 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here.

THE FUTURE WILL WRITE YOUR HISTORY

INTRODUCTION

I have a message, the burden of which has been increasingly growing in my heart as each year goes by. This year I have felt that God has laid this as a prophetic message for Word of Grace and maybe even beyond.

I believe there is something in this message for everyone – a new believer, a not so young Christ follower and a seasoned Christian like myself.

This is also in line with the series that Colin is taking us through but coming from a different angle.

TEXT

Proverbs 29:18  Where there is no revelation/vision, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction.

 2 Tim 4: 7-8 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.

Phil3:12 -
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me

The title of my message today is this : The Future will write your history.

What will it say about you?

 Last Sunday we heard about Jim Elliot. The whole of Christendom knows about him. His famous quote is “ He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose!”

Such amazing passion, dedication and fixed focus. We may never become a Jim Elliot and that does not disqualify us or excuse us from living with purpose, passion and a perspective that ends in eternity.

What legacy will you leave behind? You will leave one behind either unintentionally or by design.

To answer that question we first need to recognize that:

1.    We were created on purpose for a purpose.

 A creator who has a design in mind created you.  You are not here by chance or by an accident. You are not a mistake.

Psalm 139:14-15 13For You formed my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.14I will praise You,for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Eph 1:11 -In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

Eph 2:10 ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This is critical to your purpose. Unless you are reconciled to your creator, you will never be free from a useless existence and be able to begin to live this purposeful life and fulfill your God given destiny here on the earth.

As Christians, we too can live like this – carelessly, without vision/purpose and a revelation of why we are here on the Earth.

Being saved is only just getting off the starting block of this eternal relay we are all running in. How then do we run this race? Many Christians sadly have lost their first love; their hearts have grown cold, distracted with the cares of this world. One day we will have to give an account for how we have lived.

 1 Cor 3:12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.

Proverbs 23:4 warns us not to wear ourselves out in trying to get rich.

2.    The second issue is sustainability.

Finishing strong is vital. Can we keep the fire burning after 2 years, 5 years, 10 years twenty 40?

If I do not stay connected and rooted in Jesus my spiritual fervour, can wither off and die.

3.    Building a legacy is in God’s DNA.

 Apart from the fact that God created you for a purpose, we need to understand the character and nature of God. He has put the same DNA in us as we are “His image bearers”.

We have been created to create, care for and contribute to the earth.

The command that God gave Adam to steward and multiply still holds good today.

We are still commanded to create and care and contribute. This has to do with every area of our life: personal, at work, in the home, our marriage, children, neighbourhood, our material possessions, our spiritual life, church community.

Jesus spoke a lot about stewardship and multiplication. Just look at the parable of the talents, the wise manager etc etc. God is always looking for ROI( return on investment)

It is there in Genesis and is there is Revelation 22:12"Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ, you are serving.

More than 40 verses talk about rewards. Look it up. This must be important.

Before we get it twisted. We know that we have been saved by grace.

We have not been saved by works bur for works

We function from acceptance not for acceptance

We lives from the identity of sons and not to get identity

We have been blessed so that we can bless

We live from victory and not for victory

When we know our identity, we will know our destiny.

SO NOW WHAT?

 What version of Christianity will your children or grandchildren enjoy because of what you invested into the kingdom?

Will it be a diluted version or even better than what you have known and experienced.

Our ceiling should be the floor that the next generation stands on. Legacy builders think about the quality of their life not so that they can enjoy a good life on earth but so that generations after them can reap the fruit of it too. Are you a legacy builder?

Mature sons and daughters in the house of God will learn to broaden their shoulders and be burden bearers rather than be a burden.

When we know that, we are children of God bought at a high price we will realize that our lives are about stewardship and not entitlement.

This is a difference between stewardship and Entitlement. Which column do you have more ticks?

STEWARDSHIP – A child of God with good identity	ENTITLEMENT- A child of God with poor identity.
Surrendered life	Self-centered life
Seeks to serve	Wants to be served
Contributors	Consumers
Gratitude	Feels entitled
Wants to please God	Wants God to please them
Blesses others	Seeks to be blessed
Generous	Stingy
Multiplies resources	Depletes resources
Giving	Demanding
Involved	Disconnected
Submitted	Independent
Handles resources in a kingdom way	Handles resources in a self-indulgent way
Others oriented	Self-focused
Satisfied	Always needy
Dependable	inconsistent

Word of Grace can be like a greenhouse- as long as you are in this church you thrive spiritually or may appear to thrive.

This is because the external environment is influencing you and acting upon you. But if you move away from WOG will you continue to burn hot for Jesus?

How much you internalize of the values you enjoy at WOG depends on your capacity to absorb and put into practice and make it your DNA.

You have to forge your own history with God.

Everyone’s character will be put to the test in the crucible of crises. Will you come out as pure gold?

This, will be tested when the storms of life hit us and they will. Will we be like the wise builder or the foolish one?

My prayer is that we like Paul will be able to say I have fought the good fight, I have run the race and now there waits a crown for me.

HERE ARE SOME KEYS THAT WILL HELP IN YOUR LEGACY BUILDING.

1.    PRESENCE – I cannot emphasize this more. That is why the first phrase in our tag line is Enjoying God. Apart From Him, we can do nothing. We need to stick close to Jesus every day. Practice his presence as a lifestyle.

"Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done."  –C. S. Lewis

2.    PROVIDENCE – Know that God’s favour rests upon you. He is your provider and will give you more than you can ask or imagine. “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” –Hudson Taylor

3.    PERSPECTIVE – Do not live just for today or for the next 5 years. Where do you see yourself when you are 70? Where do you see yourself in eternity? "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." –Jim Elliot

4.    PURPOSE – Do not be a drifter. Before you know it, 5 years have done by ad you will have little to show for it. Have goals. IF you fail to plan, you will plan to fail. Have goals personal, professional, family, spiritual. God is interested in all of our lives “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” –Francis Chan

5.    PASSION – Put your might behind everything you do. Do it as unto God. “If you can’t fly, then run, If you can’t run, then walk, If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” –Martin Luther King Jr.

This passion can only be sustained and fueled, in the presence of God.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Col3:23

1Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them— yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

So let us life this life worthy of our calling in Jesus. Let us fight the good fight of faith and not give up or get tired of doing good, because what we build will be a legacy that will last forever and one day the future will bear witness to it. LET’S PRAY

DISCUSSION POINTS FOR GYM MEETINGS

. Do you recognize that you have been created by design? What unique gifts and talents has God blessed you with?

. HAve the core values we talk about at Word of Grace become yours? Or is it an extranl influence?

What are some of the goals you have for life?
. Are you a legacy builder? 
What will you change to become more focused and live purposefully? Do you have a year plan and a 5-year plan?
. What will you do differently in your Christian calling to leave a legacy behind?

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.