“In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I would like to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my distinction of preaching without charge… What then is my pay? It is the satisfaction I get from preaching the Good News without expense to anyone, never demanding my rights as a preacher.”
1 Corinthians 9:14-15, 18 (NLT)

JUNE 21 - What an incredible man Paul was! The situation described here is a result of the shortcomings of the Corinthians. Though Paul was their spiritual father, the one who freely gave of himself so they could hear the Gospel, they did not treat him justly. Instead, they unwisely gave honor to people who did much less for them in comparison to Paul.

And what was Paul’s response recorded in the Scriptures above?

• He never demanded his rights.
• He diligently worked to add to the Corinthians, not to use them for his opportunistic gain.

Do you go to work adding value, or are you like crawdads in a bucket? Every time one crawdad almost makes his way out of the bucket by walking all over the other guys, another crawdad reaches up, pinches his leg, and pulls him right back to where he started. You can live that way if you choose, but you will have nothing to show for it. Instead, be the one to propel others to their promotion. Go to work to add value, not to use others.

Daily Confession

Father, I thank You that above all things I prosper and walk in health even as my soul prospers.

Family Scripture Reading

Genesis 23

Featured Resource

Spiritual Checkup Pack - CD

What is the ultimate prize that this world has to offer? The Nobel Peace Prize? An Oscar? A Super Bowl ring? A lucrative recording contract?

Certainly you can find all types of contests in which to compete and a host of valuable prizes to covet in today’s society. Are you equipped to win the prize and obtain the goal? In this package, Dr. Robb Thompson explains to you how to win the ultimate prize of life – the heart of your Heavenly Father.

Using illustrations from the lives of Biblical men and women, Dr. Thompson vividly portrays what it means to be a person after God’s own heart and how to do the necessary examining of your own heart in the process. He tackles the all-important topics of submission and covenant loyalty – scriptural concepts that are frequently shunned and swept under the collective rug in Christendom today.

As Dr. Thompson so succinctly asks, “What else do you have in life, if you don’t have the heart of the Father?” That’s a question only you can answer for yourself. Pursue the prize of your Father’s heart, and watch everything else in your life fall into place (Matthew 6:33).

Posted under Giving

“Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up,
for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.”
Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

FEBRUARY 23 - Thirty-one wonderful years of being a Christian! And what is the greatest negligence I have witnessed in the body of Christ? Consistency. So very few are prepared to consistently do something until they attain the desired harvest they are promised. After the early October rains, the Palestinian farmer rose at dawn to sow seeds, either by hand or from a box attached to his plow. Farm owners, slaves, young men and women, children, just about everyone labored from sunrise to sunset, consistently planting seeds in the ground. Even as darkness enveloped the land, many farmers stayed in the fields, relentlessly protecting their crops. It is quite intriguing that God promised all of us the same blessings, but why do some walk in more blessing
than others?

I don’t ever want to come to a point in my life and discover I could have had something if I would have only stuck with it. In America, it is easy to move from one way of doing things to another. We have a very difficult time being patient because we begin to believe the rest of the world is getting what belongs to us. We then undertake and institute the world’s philosophy instead of God’s, mistakenly looking to the world to show us how to get what we desire.

The Bible says, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it.” God’s way may seem to take a little longer than we would like, but if we continue to consistently do what He commands, we will see our desired harvest. The key is unfailing consistency!

Daily Confession

Father, I thank You that I do not give up and grow weary in doing good. I am unfailing in my life, and I undertake tasks according to Your standards and not the world’s.

Day 23: Audio Confession

Family Scripture Reading

2 Corinthians 2

Featured Resource

Excellence In Seed, Time, And Harvest -Book

Perhaps you’ve sat in church and heard the minister say, “You just can’t outgive God!” Then you looked at your checkbook balance and wondered, “Can I really trust God to take care of all the bills I have to pay, if I give what is in my heart to give?”

Or maybe you heard about someone getting blessed with an unexpected check in the mail. You were happy for that person, but a nagging question kept eating away at you on the inside: “Lord, when is a breakthrough going to happen for me?”

If these scenes sound familiar, this book is for you. Author Robb Thompson wants to show you how to use the power of the seed to break out of the socioeconomic box in which you’ve been trapped for so long. Dr. Thompson shares scriptural principles of excellence designed to help you create a bright future of abundance and prosperity — as you purpose to make giving your new way of life!

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 God’s Will for our Finances
2 The Power of the Seed
3 Your Giving Determines your Future
4 Scriptural Principles for Prosperity
Confession of Faith for an Excellent Giver

Posted under Harvest, Seed, Sowing