Stewardship - Saturday December 18

Today is a day to work out these thoughts with God. Simply pray all day. Ask God to take your limitations and bless your work. Pray for specific limitations you struggle with and those that you don't even realize. Pray that through service and knowing God better that you will become more aware and trusting of Gods' unlimited power.

As always, this is for your benefit and relationship with God, so be honest and if necessary, confrontational with yourself, especially where it's difficult.

Stewardship - Friday December 18

God created a system of limitations for our world. He could have made us see infinitely far or perfectly remember everything we experience, never get hurt or never even die. He didn't. Instead He made us with a certain amount of ability and a certain amount of inability. God Himself does not have limitations. In Christian stewardship these two ideas come together where our service meets God's plan. As we do our work, God is also doing His work alongside of us.

What does this idea mean for stewards of God? What does this mean for faith? What does this mean for us when we plan our work knowing that there is a divine person working with us that has no limitations?

Prayer: Pray that God will personalize His plan for us in light of His unlimited power.

Stewardship - Thursday December 16

Although we have grown accustomed to many limitations, we can often become frustrated when an unexpected limitation is presented to us. If we get sick, our car breaks down or we break a leg, we can feel cheated, due to our expectations of the way things "should" be.

Sometimes we are too comfortable in our acceptance of given limitations and should not be content as they can be barriers to our purpose and accomplishments. Other times, we are defeated because we have inaccurate expectations of the way life is suppose to be. Think about times when you are frustrated because of limitations not reaching your expectations. Also think about limitations you have that you should challenge in light of the momentum of your purpose. Really try to be honest with yourself and sort out what expectations you have that are healthy and which aren't.

God made us with limitations. A good steward has a strong understanding of what they can and can't do with these limitations, in light of what they should do according to their given purpose.

Prayer: Pray that God will search your heart and help enlighten you to properly view the expectations in your life.

Stewardship - Wednesday December 16

As we think of limitations, think about all of the limitations in your life that you have gotten used to,and take for granted. What could you do if you had longer arms or could remember twice as much? Some animals can fly, see more colors or move so much faster and they are all around us to appreciate and envy. Yet most people don't seriously complain about their lack of abilities outside of standard human capabilities. Why is it that we are generally content with our limitations even though they are relatively great in many regards?

Prayer: Pray that God will give you a view of your limitation and place in light of the power and wonder of all of His creation.

Stewardship - Tuesday December 15

Today, think about your time resources.

You only have so much time to accomplish things both large and small. If you need to cook a large meal then you need the better part of a day to prepare it. If you want to become a Doctor then you need years of schooling before you can achieve the title. What things do you want to do that you might have discounted because of time? What are things you do currently that leech valuable time from you?

In the largest scope of your planning, your life itself is limited in its time, allowing you to accomplish only a certain amount in your years. Knowing your purpose, as well as your time limitations, is very important in creating a sense of urgency in your life as well as often creating a sobering and healthy view of what you can actually accomplish. Understanding these very concrete limitations is very helpful when you need to prioritize your long term and short term plans.

Prayer: Pray that God will help you understand the important role time plays in your life.

Stewardship - Monday December 14

Think about your physical limitations. How many places can you be at once? How many quality relationships can you maintain at one time? How much work can you get done in a day? A week? How much can you remember? What are your gifting weaknesses? Teaching, math, organization etc.

It's important to know your limitations so that you can build realistic expectations for yourself. It also helps you to create boundaries when there are so many needs. Knowing your purpose as well as your physical limitations is very important to creating a clear path forward without putting too much on your plate.

Prayer: Pray that God will divinely help you explore physical expectations in a way that you may not have understood before

Stewarship: Saturday December 12

Today we will process these topics in the context of relational influence.

Think about the people that have helped to define these values in yourself and the effect that had on you and maybe others you know of. Have you or can you be that same sort of influence to someone else?

Are there people in your life now that share these values and maybe a similar purpose? Who could you share these ideas with that could help support you?

Prayer: Pray that God would show you the power of relationships and that He would help you find your place among your peers as a person of influence and a person to be influenced.

Stewardship: Friday December 10

As you consider your purpose, talents and passions you have probably started to think about your direction. Even before reading these devotions you may have had some ideas of direction and purpose that you want to act on.

Today, think about obstacles that may stand in your way. Are these obstacles real or perceived? We have talked about receiving permission through God's unique grace for each of us. We have talked about receiving talents and passions from God as He created us for unique purposes. You have written a purpose statement to help you discern your direction. Hold your obstacles up against these truths and see how they measure up.

Prayer: Ask God to put your difficulties in perspective to your calling.

Stewardship: Thursday December 9

When considering our purpose and the road ahead to fullfill our purpose, especially when we seek God's purpose in faith, it can help us to look at what God already has made in us.
Take a look at your natural talents. Basically, what are you good at? What have people admired in you or where do you find you consistently excel in your life? Are there areas where something typically seems so easy to you that you don't understand why others can't "get it"? Are there things that seem mundane and boring to most people that, for you, seem exciting and fascinating?

Think about your passions. What topics or causes do you consistently find that you care deeply about. Are there things that you see on TV or in you neighborhood or church that emotionally effect you in a positive or negative way? Maybe you are moved by seeing someone find healing or learning. Maybe your heart reaches out to those who are sick or you feel called to address crime in your neighborhood.

Often your calling is already clear and so natural to you that it's hard to see it as something important. Things we are the best at are often so easy we don't think they are special, we think anyone can do it. There is usually someone that admires our overlooked talents.

Prayer: Pray that God shows you the uniqueness He created you with.

Stewardship - Wednesday December 9

Consider the three exercises on purpose that you thought about Monday
and Tuesday: Your own Purpose Statement, God's Purpose Statement for you
and His Purpose Statement for the world and church.

Looking at your life in it's present situation, how do you feel you currently line
up with these statements? Do you feel you are well on track? If not do
you think you are very far off?

Prayer: Pray that God will help you assess your current direction.

Stewardship - Tuesday December 8

Think about the Purpose Statement you created yesterday. Considering
that God created you and has unique and specific plans for you, what do
you think God's Purpose Statement would be for you? Do you think that
would differ from the Purpose Statement you made for yourself? If so
why?

On a broader level, what do you think God's Purpose Statement might be
for all of humanity at this particular time considering our current
culture and events. What about His purpose for the church in this
culture?

Prayer: Pray that God's mind and purpose will be increasingly revealed
in your life.

Stewardship - Monday December 7

Monday
In the first service of the month Lisa talked about writing a Purpose Statement when she was in college which helped her focus on a life direction. As a result she mentioned many major accomplishments that have allowed her to create significant change in the world around her.

Today think about a Purpose Statement for yourself. Be BOLD! Consider your passions, reoccuring ideas and brainstorms. Consider your most important values. Give yourself permission to be you! Remember this isn't a Plan, this is a purpose which will help you focus decisions and plans in your future. Don't worry about locking yourself into this for the rest of your life, this can change as your life changes. This is for you alone.

Prayer: Pray that God will help you sort through your deepest values and help you create a guide for your future.

Stewardship - Saturday December 5

Saturday
As you have pondered deeply the ideas of ownership and offerings of your time, talents, money and efforts, what factors have you found motivate you to offer these things in a joyful way? What factors may give you uneasy feelings about these offerings? Where do you think these ideas come from?

Prayer: Pray that God gives you and honest and real picture of your heart as a steward.

Stewardship - Friday December 4

In church we talked about how God already owns everything so, when we offer of ourselves, we essentially offer back what is already God's.

When you think about offering your life's resources back to God, which are the hardest ones to offer and why? When you think about the things that maybe you should give up to make space for more valuable and healthy things, think deeply about any difficulties you have with allowing yourself to do so.

Prayer: Pray that God will teach you more about the value of your resources as you think about these issues.

Stewardship - Thursday December 3

So far this month we have thought about things to appreciate and be thankful for. Today, we will look for things you may appreciate too much.

What are things in your life that you hold high in value that maybe you shouldn't. Sometimes these can be easier to identify when you think of them in terms of what you do with your resources. Often, a quick look at your bank statement can tell you a lot about what you really value.

Think of things you give a lot of time, money, effort or thought to (pay attention to this as you go about your day too). Do these things line up with your values and mirror things you believe in? Do they line up with your plans for your future? Do they help move you to a place where your talents are better utilized and nurtured?

Prayer: Pray that God will help you find unnecessary things in your life and help align your life to better fit your purpose.

Stewardship - Wednesday December 2

Today we will also look for things to be thankful for, but with a different take. Today we will look at things we take for granted that we really should deeply appreciate.

We get used to our bodies, our planet, our relationships, and the culture around us as we are born into them and grow with them throughout our lives. Today, challenge those thoughts. Think about all of the things your body can do, all of the things that exist on our planet and the complex systems that keep them in action. Think about all of the people you have known and all of the things you have learned from them. Let your imagination take you as far as it can go. Don't edit it. See where it takes you, even if it's silly. When you get there, think about God's plan for His creation in that place.

Though this is an exercise in appreciation, it will also help show you just how large and creative God is.

Prayer: Pray that God will reveal Himself as you ponder His creation.