You Grow What You Sow

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering Gods grace in its various forms.
- 1 Peter 4:10

Is your faith in “low battery mode?”

BIG IDEA:
You maximize the blessing you receive by managing the blessings you have.
“You grow what you sow.”

14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;

15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.

17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.

18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
- Matthew 25:14-19

The Results:
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;

25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?  
Matthew 25:23-26

A flawed perspective will block God’s power.

Before there was original sin, there was original blessing.

Scarcity Faith vs. Abundance Faith  

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)

What talents are you burying?
1. Spiritual gifts
2. Resources/Time
3. Leadership
4. Art and Creations
5. Advocacy and peacemaking  

The brave don’t live forever but the cautious don’t live at all. The only thing that’s truly terrifying is the unlived life.
— Bill See

You maximize the blessing you receive by managing the blessings you have. You grow what you sow. Time to get in the water.

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Mixer

What does your collection of coffee mugs (or other glassware) say about you?

‘Neighborly’ - Daily Devotional

To get the Daily Devotionals delivered to you every morning, text ‘dailydevotional’ to 97000.

1. In Pastor Ken’s 4/12/21 entry, Watch What God Can Do, he shares a quote from Pastor Mark Batterson: “I think faith is the small mustard seed of opportunities every day. For example, 'Am I going to love this person? Am I going to share my faith with this person? Am I going to pray that little prayer?' It really is a daily thing where you seize those little mustard seed opportunities and then see what God does.” What has been different for you this week?
2. In Pastor Harry’s 4/13/21 entry, Gone Fishin’, he challenges us to step into the day after Easter with the Risen Christ and with new capacities. How would you answer his question: “What are you doing the day after Easter? You goin' fishin'?”

Sermon Questions

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Peter 4:10, Proverbs 11:25

1. Mike challenges us to get our faith out of the “low battery mode” of 2020, and move forward in 2021. Do you put your faith on the dock when difficulties come?
2. What did the verse 1 Peter 4:10 say to you about a new mindset that gets you “off the dock” and into the water? Look at the words: each, gift, received, serve, faithfully, administering, God’s grace in its various forms.
3. Mike said “A flawed perspective [of God] blocks God’s power.” Like the one-talent servant, who didn’t trust the master and took control of the investment into his own hands, are you limiting the power of the Master (God)? Do you use your talents only when you can control, or know, the outcome?
4. From the “cake” illustration, if you know that God is going to replenish what you give away, how will that empower you to use your talents? And what could the next “cake” look like as He gives you more and more?
5. What buried gift is God challenging you to engage with today? Mike said there is unlived life within each of us - so get in the water. If you will trust God to use your unique giftings to help Him heal the world, can you show others that His water is fun and good?

Go Deeper - with Goodbook

Dr. Mark Strauss and Pastor Ken Ingold
Week 13 || Chapter 4 || The Book of Acts: The Gospel to the Ends of the Earth

1. Why do we call Luke-Acts a single two-volume work?
2. What is the central theme of Acts?
3. Can you recall the two great movements (geographical and ethnic) in Acts?
4. How does the book of Acts respond to those who were saying that Jesus can’t be the Messiah since he was crucified and since the kingdom did not physically arrive?
5. How does the book of Acts respond to those who were saying Christianity can’t be true since the Jews rejected the message and since the church was becoming dominated by Gentiles?
6. In what ways are the early Christians in Acts a good model for us today?

*Are you joining the Goodbook Q&A Zoom on Tuesday evenings? Email ken@thechurchrb.org

Serve

Mark your calendars! Our next Good Neighbor Day is Saturday, May 8! Registration is open at thechurchrb.org/serve or in the Church Center App! Grab your Table Group and together come let God multiply the “talents” He has entrusted to you!

Pray

Pray this week for those who are hurting, broken, or ill. Many losses, many devastating diagnoses, many troubles, fears and worries - but none are outside the scope of a God who loves us and is as close to each of us in every breath we take. He is ABLE and He is FAITHFUL.

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