CELL NOTES 8/12/08

ICE BREAKER

What are you eagerly anticipating and what are you dreading over the next three months? How are you preparing for these things?

SERMON OUTLINE

1) People go training etc. How do you train for your faith?

2) Faith can be less than satisfying, and remain a “Sunday – only” matter. We can be aware of this, part of us can want to do something about it, but we may be unsure as to how.

3) Jesus was a dangerous person – get involved with Him and you were not sure what would happen next. There are Christians today like that as well.

4) Jesus always commended faith. Not a vague belief in God, but, “Yes Jesus, I will follow you, and do what You tell me.”

5) As the book of James explains, faith which does not impact what I do is no faith.

6) Examples of Dan Cozens and the death threat, David Kereto and sending young people to school, going to pray in the pub, accepting a task for which you feel ill-equipped.

7) Faith also applies to money.

See Mat 6: 19-21, 24-27.

8) The words of Malachi are very blunt and challenging.

9) Repentance involves the area of finance. We can rob God, and then experience lack in our lives. We can honour God, and then see Him provide.  One reason for dissatisfaction in our Christian life can be that we are not honouring God in the area of finance.

10) God even invites us to test Him in this matter. (v10)

11) Money, sex and power are huge drivers in our lives. If we are not exercising faith in these areas, our faith is leaving fundamental areas of our lives untouched.

12) Are we robbing God? This message is a deliberate challenge to honour Him in the area of finance, not so much for the needs of the church (which are real) but because we have a spiritual need to do so.

QUESTIONS OF APPLICATION

Read the Malachi passage. What does the Lord say to you? How did he speak to you on Sunday? What are you going to do about it?

1) In what ways do you rob God?

2) Why do you, or do you not, give financially to the Lord?

3) How deeply satisfying is your walk with God?

4) How do you/have you walked by faith in the area of finance?

5) How seriously did you take Commitment Sunday?