Faith & Life Connections



Faith & Life Connections A Daily Devotion & Resource Guide for Your Spiritual Journey From the Sermon-Teaching Ministry of Fairhope UMC “Give Jesus Your Best”- January 1, 2012 Matthew 26:6-13Reflections on this week’s message:While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Matthew 26:6-13A woman came to Jesus carrying what was probably her most valuable possession, an alabaster jar of expensive perfume. Had it been used sparingly, it would have lasted her lifetime and beyond. Instead, she chose to pour it all out on Jesus’ head, anointing Him, honoring Him. She was criticized for her act of generosity; the disciples chastised her for her extravagance. Jesus, however, came to her defense saying, “She has done a beautiful thing to me . . . she did it to prepare me for burial.”Somehow this woman knew that it was right and good to bring everything she had to Jesus.We are turning the page on the calendar and beginning a new year. The ushering in of a new year always seems like a chance to start fresh. Maybe the year just past wasn’t everything we had hoped it would be. Maybe we made some mistakes. Maybe we fell short in our expectations for ourselves. Do you have a desire for the New Year to be better? Are you willing to take steps to make your life more complete; more fulfilled? I can’t offer you a magical formula to make 2012 a wonderful year. I can, however offer you a formula that will complete you: Matthew 6:33, look it up. The way to fulfillment is to put God and the things of His Kingdom first in your life. If you hope for health and prosperity in the New Year, the most important area of your life is your spiritual health and prosperity. Our physical bodies and even our minds break down and wear out. Material wealth is fleeting at best. Your spirit is made to last forever, and God wants you to be forever with Him. Did you offer the Lord all that you are and all that you have in 2011? Can you do better in 2012? Take a cue from the woman who anointed Jesus and give Him the best that you have! HAPPY NEW YEAR!Love, Pastor JoeThis Week’s Challenge: Give Your Best To Jesus! Give Your All To Jesus!Listen to this week’s sermon teaching by clicking the Online Sermons link at . Faith & Life ConnectionsBegin with Prayer:Getting Started: Grab your bible & find a quiet, comfortable spot to begin your daily Bible reading. Light a candle & spend a few minutes relaxing, quieting your mind. Keep a notebook nearby to jot down distractions that interfere with your focus to put them out of your mind to deal with later. You may want to play your favorite hymns or praise music softly in the background. To quiet your mind & prepare to focus on God & His Word try one of the prayer exercises found under Spiritual Growth Resources. Then pray the suggested prayer starter personalizing it to your needs & desire for God’s guidance.This Week's Prayer Starter:Lord of all Creation, as the page of the calendar turns and the new year begins, I pray for a fresh start in my life. Help me to honestly examine my spiritual heart and truly keep You first & foremost in my life. I say you are my King, but too often my actions & attitudes speak otherwise. I am so undeserving, Lord, but I cling to your promise of new life. Make me new, Lord! Thank You for this precious gift of life that we are given in Christ. Help me to more fully understand the significance of the extravagant gift of perfume the woman in this week’s message lavishly offered you. How can I give you the best of all that I am & all that I have? Show me the way, Lord! Lead me & guide me & help me to surrender all that I have & all that I am to you. I love you & need you, Lord! All glory, honor, & praise be yours! In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.This Week's Reflection:Read Matthew 26:6-13, Matthew 6:33, John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Isaiah 43, Proverbs 3:1-18, Psalm 32:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 1:3-6, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11God has given us His best – His only Son, Jesus.Reflect on your blessings. Thank God. You are so blessed. Are you giving God everything He deserves?Spend some time reflecting on what it means to give God your best.Why is putting God and the things of His Kingdom first in your life the way to fulfillment? What can you learn about extravagant generosity and giving from the woman’s gift of perfume?Are you bringing your best to Jesus? Do you pour out yourself for your Lord?Why is your spiritual health & prosperity important? What steps will you take to nurture your spiritual heart in 2012?Are you willing to offer all that you are and all that you have to the Lord in 2012?Pray John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer as you surrender yourself to the Lord and seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength as you begin this New Year. You may want to consider rewriting the prayer in your own words.John Wesley’s Covenant PrayerI am no longer my own, but yours.Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;put me to doing, put me to suffering.Let me be employed by you or laid aside by you,enabled for you or brought low by you.Let me be full, let me be empty.Let me have all things, let me have nothing.I freely and heartily yield all thingsto your pleasure and disposal.And now, O glorious and blessed God,Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,you are mine, and I am yours. So be it.And the covenant which I have made on earth,let it be ratified in heaven.Amen.After reflecting & praying through this week’s reading & sermon teaching, I feel God is nudging me to take these steps: “Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33Faith & Life ConnectionsDig Deeper: 2012*New Year *New BeginningsJanuary marks the beginning of the calendar year. The start of a new year often triggers thinking of new beginnings & new opportunities. Have you given any thought to a New Year’s resolution? What is your hope for the coming year? Are you hungry for a new life in Christ? Are you in need of a new beginning spiritually, missionally, financially? What kingdom dream is God stirring in your heart?Fairhope's mission focus reminds us that we exist to love & serve God by loving & serving others for the purpose of making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Where are you in this journey of knowing, loving, & serving God? Jeremiah 29:11 reveals that God has plans for us. Matthew 6:33 reminds us that we are to seek first God's kingdom & righteousness & God will take care of everything else. Are we willing to surrender our hopes & desires & submit to God's will for us?Jesus taught his disciples to pray “...your kingdom come, your will be done...” Do we pray as Jesus the night he was arrested? ”Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”The Great Commandment (Mark 12:28-31), Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), & the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are powerful Biblical teachings that instruct us in how we should live. Are these commandments reflected in your daily living & your goals for the coming year?Do your New Year's resolutions reflect a desire to give God your best & put Him first in your life, above all else? Do your plans for the new year involve being committed to Jesus, resolving to be more like Christ, a desire to move on to perfection aiming to live as Jesus lived? (Philippians 2:1-11 & Matthew 25:34-40)What are you willing to allow God to change you so that your life might become a reflection of Him so the world will see Jesus in & through you?What will you bring to Jesus this year? How do you celebrate his birth, life, death, & resurrection? What could God do in your life if your goals for 2012 included studying the Word of God, daily prayer, alone time with God to listen for His leading, practicing extravagant generosity, being intentional in honoring Christ through your membership vows of prayers, presence, gifts, service, & witness, getting involved in a small group, serving Christ without selfishness or restraints, living those Three Simple Rules: Do No Harm, Do Good, & Stay in Love with God, surrendering all areas of your life to God & putting your complete hope & trust in Him?During the coming year Fairhope UMC will be providing opportunities & resources to nurture your spiritual growth & support you as you grow in Christ. We encourage you to find one thing that stirs your soul & take a step towards opening your heart to fall deeper & deeper in love with God. The journey of knowing, loving, & serving God is exciting. God wants to use you. He wants you to trust Him so he can make you into a nurturing vessel of love that He can use to build His kingdom & change the world. Put God first in your life this year. Give Him your New Year's resolution & be blessed as he works in & through you to make a difference for Jesus in the coming year!A good place to begin discovering some areas of your spiritual life to include in your New Year’s resolution is with the Spiritual Growth Assessment Tool. Use this tool as a guide to assess your spiritual journey. We know the importance of health check-ups, financial assessments, job evaluations,?& student examinations, but how often do we evaluate our?spiritual heart, which should really?be the most important priority of our lives.?We pray that the?Spiritual Growth Assessment?will?be a helpful tool to encourage you to spend some time with God,?asking him to guide you in evaluating your spiritual journey & help you set some goals for the coming year. Another helpful tool is the Gifts & Skills Inventory. Contact your pastor or director of education to learn about your spiritual gifts. Spend some time exploring how God has equipped you for his service & pray for his guidance in using your gifts & skills to build His kingdom. Download these resources from the Faith & Life Connections page by clicking on Spiritual Growth Resources.Fairhope UMC’s Mission Focus: We exist to love & serve God by loving & serving others, for the purpose of making & maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Faith & Life Connections ResourceFamily Connection:Goal SettingAs a family read Jeremiah 29:11-13. Talk about what it means that God has plans for you & what it means to seek the Lord’s guidance in all that we do. As a family pray for God’s guidance & direction in the coming year. Then set create some goals in each of the following areas of your family’s life:Spiritual:Family:Service/Mission:School/Work:Physical/Recreation:Try to consider goals that you can either do as a family or support each other as a family. For example, a spiritual goal may be to pray together as a family before every meal, or to read the Bible together one day each week. An example of a family goal may be to eat 3 meals together each week, turn off the TV, cell phones, & computer one night per month & talk to each other, or hold a family game night once per month. In the area of service/mission you may consider working on a service or mission project together, volunteer at a local food cupboard, help someone in your neighborhood with yard work, or give up fast food for a month & donate the money saved to a mission project, or carry out one random act of kindness in the name of Jesus each month. In the areas of school or work you may set some individual goals for which you can support each other. Examples may include kids improving study habits or grades, while adults may consider setting goals to improve in an area related to their employment. An example of a physical goal may be to prepare & eat healthy foods or to participate together in a physical activity like roller skating, or bike riding once per month.Goal setting is a valuable skill children need to learn. As Christians, it is important to teach our children that God needs to be at the forefront of all we do. Our goals should be in line with God’s plans for us. Seeking His guidance in all we do is vital to living a godly life that is holy & pleasing to God. Goals should be written in concrete terms, with beginnings & endings so you can monitor your progress. Keep them simple, beginning with just one goal in each area. Goals should also be written & displayed in visible places as reminders of what you are working towards. Make a poster that includes your goals in written form as well as pictures & hang them in a prominent place in your home like your refrigerator. Encourage each other along the way & celebrate your achievements. Our Spiritual PlateYour physical heart requires a balanced diet to be healthy & so does your spiritual heart.Check out the Spiritual Growth Resources tab & use one of the suggestions to help you develop spiritual habits to cultivate a heart that is completely committed to Christ.Download this assessment to explore core traits of discipleship.Where you are on the journey of knowing, loving, & serving God? this Spiritual Growth Assessment & spend some time reflecting on your spiritual heart.’s on your spiritual plate? Are you feeding yourself a well-balanced spiritual diet? Faith & Life Connections ResourceDig Deeper: Developing a Rule of LifeQuestions For Reflection As You Seek To Grow In Your Relationship With The Lord:What do you do to renew your spirit and nurture your soul?Look at your calendars. What is in your planner? Which of these activities nurture your spirit? How does your calendar reflect who or what you put first in your life (see Matthew 6:33)?Use the following questions to reflect on the activities you have listed above? (From Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie Thompson)What are you deeply attracted to and why?Where do you feel God is calling you to stretch and grow?What kind of balance do you need in your life?Is God calling you to take a risk and try something new?Is God inviting you to look at new ways to deepen your relationship with Him?Use what you learn from your reflection time to develop a rule of prayer for your life.Find an accountability partner to check in with you & guide you in living your rule of prayer.Developing a Rule of LifeThe spiritual practices that you do regularly constitute your rule of life.What do you do to renew your spirit and nurture your soul? Remember what you did as a child or things you used to do but haven’t done in a long time.Would you be willing to call these activities ‘prayer’? How might you make this activity prayer?How might these activities help you to practice the presence of God?With the intention to honor God in all we do, the activities you listed can become the means to practice the presence of God. Take out your calendar. What is in your planner? Which of these activities nurture your spirit? How does your calendar reflect who or what you put first in your life (see Matthew 6:33)?Developing a Rule of Prayer:The spiritual practices that you do regularly constitute your rule of life.A rule of life is a pattern of basic spiritual practices.Not in a sense of breaking rules, but in the sense that it is a standard practice that we seek to followEssential parts of rule of life:Corporate worship & Holy CommunionBible study, personal & in community with other seekersDaily life of prayer for & with the church & worldPersonal prayersQuiet time in the presence of God, meditation or contemplative prayerFamily prayer & Bible readingChristian community & accountability, Small GroupEngage in the mission of the church through service, witness, generosity, & givingOther suggestions:Morning Intention (prayer) to open your heart to God’s guidance throughout the daySelect some sort of reminder during the day to refocus attention on God (watch alarm, red lights, police & fire sirens)Examen – reflection on your day in the eveningIs God calling you to take a risk and try something new?Is God inviting you to look at new ways to deepen your relationship with Him?Use the following questions to reflect on the activities you have listed above? (From Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie Thompson)What are you deeply attracted to and why?Where do you feel God is calling you to stretch and grow?What kind of balance do you need in your life?Use what you learn from your reflection time to develop a rule of prayer for your life.Living the Rule:Be gentle with yourself – developing a rule is an ongoing processPay attention to your desires, any resistance, or inability to follow your ruleAsk yourself: Is that realistic? Balance in my life?Practice graceFind an accountability partner to check in with you & guide you in living your rule of prayer.Someone you trust & can be open & honest with Faith & Life Connections ResourceUse the following calendar to track your time spent with God throughout the week. Record what you did and when. Then evaluate at the end of the week. Are you satisfied with your relationship with Christ or are you hungering for more? What activities are you doing that stir your soul? Where is there room for growth? What changes is God calling you to make?SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday Faith & Life Connections ResourceUse this calendar to map out a plan for next week. Prayerfully ask God to guide you in a new spiritual discipline to explore. In which spiritual practices is God calling you to stretch and grow? Are you as faithful in your prayer time, Bible study, & worship as you are about meetings and appointments?SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday ................
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