11 November 2007--Three Great Truths Emerging

focusPoints: Just when we’re sure of our direction, God may have other plans.

In I Kings 17:8-16, we meet a widow who is in dire straits. She and her son are facing starvation. He had just enough flour and oil for one last meal. But God had other plans! He sent his prophet Elijah to ask this widow to share what she had with him. It didn't make much sense to do this, but as it turned out, God provided. The woman and her son were the big winners. Her supply of flour and oil never ran out. Elijah helped to bring the miraculous power of God into action.


forwardPoints:

Three great truths emerge from this Scripture from I Kings 17:

1. No one is so poor or weak or helpless as to escape God's notice.

2. The widow's security was not in her possessions.

3. God will out-give us every time.

Additional Scriptures to ponder:
+ Malachi 3:10
+ Luke 6:38

(Fookes: Stockwell UMC Worship Message, 11 November 2007)


fellowshipPoints:

Conventional wisdom tells us that if we give, we will have less to live on and to spend. But the Gospel truth is that if you give out of gratitude and obedience, God will out-give you every.

Personal stories of faith unbind the Gospel for others making it relevant for today. But sharing one’s faith is only a good first step. The Christian faith is built upon relationships, including a Trinity of Relationship—with God, with people outside the church, with people inside the church. Stories and relationships lead to transformed lives; that's what new members want and current members need to remember.

(Reese: Unbinding the Gospel)

findingPoints:

Considering Fookes illustration points (God notices us, our security need not be in our possessions, and God out gives us) with Reese’s Trinity of Relationship (with God, with people outside the church, and with people inside the church), reflect on the following:


When is a time I recall that God noticed me? How did I know God was noticing me?




How does my relationship with God help me understand that my security is not in my possessions?




How do I react when “God out gives me?”




How would I explain my relationship (or the relationship I would like to have) to God to someone else?




How do relationships with people inside the church hinder my relationship with God?




How do my relationships with people outside the church increase my relationship with God?




faithPoints:

Meditate in prayer on discovering how you can make yourself willing, ready, and able to implement God’s plans in your life.