From “Solid Ground” by Mark Finley:
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
When I was a boy we sometimes played a simple game with a ball. One person stood on one side of the house, another person on the other. The first person attempted to throw the ball over the house. The second tried to catch it! The ball would go up to the top of the roof and roll back. It went up and back, up and back, up and back.
Some people’s Christian experience is like that – up and down, up and down. They attempt to pray, they study the Bible regularly, but it seems there is no life to their Christian experience.
Is it possible to attend church consistently, feasting on a spiritual banquet each week, and still die of a spiritual heart attack? Without a clear focus on service, our spiritual arteries become clogged. For this reason Jesus said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ Acts 20:35.
In giving we are blessed. As we share with others what Jesus has done for us, our own spiritual experience is strengthened. The more we give away our faith, the more our faith grows. It grows when we share it…
If you want a growing Christian experience, share your faith. Make a prayer list. Begin praying for your family members, neighbours, or work associates who don’t know Christ. Share truth-filled literature with people God leads into your life. The Lord may lead you to open your home for a small group Bible study. He may open the door for you to give Bible studies to a close friend. The Lord may even lead you to conduct your own evangelistic series.
However God leads you, be sensitive to His leading. You will be utterly amazed at how you grow spiritually by getting involved in sharing your faith. When we witness to others, the soul we save may very well be our own, for it is always ‘more blessed to give than to receive.’
How can you share your faith with others today? Is there a song that comforts you that you can link on Facebook? A video that inspires you? A testimony that you can blog? Is there someone in need that you can minister to, whether it is by being a good listener or helping out financially? Is God asking you to give more in a certain area of your life?
Who are the Adventists? Where and how did the Advent movement begin?
Download the Discussion Questions here.
Who are the Adventists? Where and how did the Advent movement begin?
Download the Discussion Questions here.
The Protestant Reformation in England was heavily influenced by politics. On the journey towards religious tolerance, many people were executed or imprisoned. One such individual was John Bunyan, the writer of The Pilgrim’s Progress. How did his story and writings reflect the ethos of the time?
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Through the 16th & 17th centuries, Western Europe experienced major shifts in economy, politics, society, and scholarship How did all this change affect the Christian Church? How should the church today respond to the changes around us?
Due to technical issues we were unable to record the sermon this week, but you can still check out the Discussion Questions here.
On 31 October 1517, a 33-year-old Theology Professor at the University in Wittenberg nailed to the door of the Castle Church 95 Theses condemning the corruption of the Christian Church. That day marks the beginning of the “Protestant Reformation,” a movement that has inspired countless students of Scripture.
Download the Discussion Questions here.