Word for Today, Thu, 17 Nov 2005: A purpose and a challenge

#1 · November 17, 2005, 11:45 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on November 17, 2005, 11:45 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Thu, 17 Nov 2005: A purpose and a challenge
Dear friends,

Do you believe that God is able to work all things according to
His purpose, and that His purpose is altogether good? That's
what we discussed the last time I wrote to you.

Today's message is a continuation of a message Larry Davies has
written before, and also a theme that he has carried forth. In
fact, inflation has struck! A number of years ago, Larry wrote
another story, not quite like this one, but with a similar
theme: Someone lacked $7.43 to pay for some of their bill at the
store. At that time, Larry posed the question of what we could
do with $7.43 if we were to share it, and what might we give up
in the process, yet what else might we gain.

This message, which has also been shared in the past in a similar
form, asks what might happen if we challenged people, gave them
each a ten dollar bill and asked them to multiply it with
encouragement and good deeds.

Remember, do it all for Christ, realizing that He gave His all
for us. When our motivation for serving comes from the One who
sacrificed His own life, and also demonstrated complete
selflessness throughout His earthly life and ministry, we can
become like minded. Read Philippians 2:1-11 to consider the mind
of Christ and remind yourself of what He did for us. Then read
Larry's message and realize that when we multiply our gifts in
the Name of Christ, they are not in vein, but multiply throughout
the earth and through time.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

______________________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

To see Part one on our website, click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/$10Challenge.htm

"The $10 Challenge" Part 2 Larry Davies

"We'll never forget how the "Ten Dollar Challenge" began. Our
daughters opened the envelopes and were they ever surprised to
find a REAL ten dollar bill inside. Immediately they both said,
"Let's have a Bake Sale!" The girls asked a few more friends
from four other families, if they would like to join in.
Everyone wanted to bake together but no one had a kitchen big
enough, so we decided to use the church. Through it all, a great
time was had by the whole crew. The day of the Sale finally
came. The children were so excited; we all got to church early,
which is a rarity. It was a huge success! Please use this money
for God's work. It is given by many cheerful hearts!" Signed,
Six Happy Families

* Two families put on a Sunday night concert.

* Another family clipped coupons and donated the savings.

* Our youth leader sponsored a basketball tournament.

"After a long time their master returned from his trip and called
them to give an account of how they had used his money. The
servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said,
'sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled
the amount.' The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good
and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this
small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.
Let's celebrate together!' (Matthew 25:19-21)

"Our three families took a combined $30.00 along with the help of
fellow employees and we put on a luncheon to benefit our local
Free Clinic. This small seed planted, resulted in over $800.00
in contributions. The only word to describe it is AWESOME. "

* One Sunday school class organized a bus trip and donated the
profits.

* A local artist offered to provide an oil painting or portrait
for a raffle winner and raised $1000.

* Many families used the money to buy supplies and sold crafts
or baked goods.

"I am an amateur herpetologist and spend my spare time raising
and breeding reptiles. My idea is to buy feeders with the ten
dollars for my animals. As they begin to breed, lay eggs, and
have babies, I will take the money made from a clutch of babies
and give it back to the church."

* Several taught special classes on finance or donated computer
expertise.

* A group of children made and sold snow cones.

* Two families purchased baby chickens to send to an
underdeveloped country.

"Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold,
with the report, 'sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest,
and I have doubled the amount.' The master said, 'Well done, my
good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling
this small amount, so now I will give you many more
responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' (Matthew 25:22-23)

"I interpreted the $10 challenge in a different way. I thought
of how many people might be reached with a total cost of only
$10. I teach college students and we are not allowed to witness
in words but actions are okay so here's what I did. I took my
$10 and bought 60 rolls of sweet n' sour candy that had wrappers
with verses from the Bible on them. Any student would have to at
least see and read the words in order to open the wrapper. I
also passed out several contemporary Christian CDs. Those two
actions allowed me to silently witness to 62 different college
students. I was so happy!" Sharon

* One family gave up fancy coffee and another fast food
breakfasts then donated the savings.

* Another group pooled their money and sold goods at a flea
market.

* Several groups sponsored and cooked dinners or breakfasts.

The biggest surprise came when a contractor announced during our
celebration service: "I feel led by God to build a church for my
$10!" Four years ago, Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church was blown
away by a tornado. During that time, they have been meeting in
our church. We didn't really believe it at first but donations
poured in and less than two years later there was a new church to
celebrate.

What were the results? Thousands of dollars raised for church
ministry and other charitable organizations, plus a brand new
church building and all wrapped up in a project which involved
hundreds of people with valuable experiences for us to treasure.
Not a bad lesson for just $10.

-----------------------------------

Name: Ockert, Address: South Africa., Email:
mailto:ofglobe@mweb.co.za Comments: Please pray for me and my
family. We are losing our business which is our only means of
support. I am 46 years old, am bankrupt and have to start all
over again. We have nowhere to turn to. Darkness, despair and
hopelessness is covering us. I am depressed and have recurring
suicide thoughts. Pray that God will have mercy on us and carry
us through this crises. Thank you.

Name: Barbara, Address: WA, USA, Email:
mailto:BA_Bergmann@hotmail.com Comments: I am faltering badly
after praying and enduring 19 months of a most vicious and
unending divorce battle. Please pray for my husband, my son and
me, for the attorneys and the judge as this unending nightmare
continues. Pray that I may truly rest at night, knowing and
believing with all my heart that God will not abandon me, and
will always care for me regardless of the outcome.

Sowing Seeds of Faith... devotions and world-wide prayer ministry
would not be here without support but as we expand we also find a
critical need for more help. If you have found this ministry
useful then please consider supporting our ministry. There are
at least four ways you can do so right now:

1. Include Sowing Seeds Ministry in your regular prayers.

2. Sign up for our prayer ministry:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

3. Support our Christmas Child fund used to help families
selected through our website. -
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Christmas.Child.Fund.htm

4. Become a ministry partner through either a one-time
contribution or monthly:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a
Better Life" now on sale only through our website.
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.
farechase.yahoo.com

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Thu, 17 Nov 2005: A purpose and a challenge
Dear friends,

Do you believe that God is able to work all things according to
His purpose, and that His purpose is altogether good? That's
what we discussed the last time I wrote to you.

Today's message is a continuation of a message Larry Davies has
written before, and also a theme that he has carried forth. In
fact, inflation has struck! A number of years ago, Larry wrote
another story, not quite like this one, but with a similar
theme: Someone lacked $7.43 to pay for some of their bill at the
store. At that time, Larry posed the question of what we could
do with $7.43 if we were to share it, and what might we give up
in the process, yet what else might we gain.

This message, which has also been shared in the past in a similar
form, asks what might happen if we challenged people, gave them
each a ten dollar bill and asked them to multiply it with
encouragement and good deeds.

Remember, do it all for Christ, realizing that He gave His all
for us. When our motivation for serving comes from the One who
sacrificed His own life, and also demonstrated complete
selflessness throughout His earthly life and ministry, we can
become like minded. Read Philippians 2:1-11 to consider the mind
of Christ and remind yourself of what He did for us. Then read
Larry's message and realize that when we multiply our gifts in
the Name of Christ, they are not in vein, but multiply throughout
the earth and through time.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

______________________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

To see Part one on our website, click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/$10Challenge.htm

"The $10 Challenge" Part 2 Larry Davies

"We'll never forget how the "Ten Dollar Challenge" began. Our
daughters opened the envelopes and were they ever surprised to
find a REAL ten dollar bill inside. Immediately they both said,
"Let's have a Bake Sale!" The girls asked a few more friends
from four other families, if they would like to join in.
Everyone wanted to bake together but no one had a kitchen big
enough, so we decided to use the church. Through it all, a great
time was had by the whole crew. The day of the Sale finally
came. The children were so excited; we all got to church early,
which is a rarity. It was a huge success! Please use this money
for God's work. It is given by many cheerful hearts!" Signed,
Six Happy Families

* Two families put on a Sunday night concert.

* Another family clipped coupons and donated the savings.

* Our youth leader sponsored a basketball tournament.

"After a long time their master returned from his trip and called
them to give an account of how they had used his money. The
servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said,
'sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled
the amount.' The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good
and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this
small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.
Let's celebrate together!' (Matthew 25:19-21)

"Our three families took a combined $30.00 along with the help of
fellow employees and we put on a luncheon to benefit our local
Free Clinic. This small seed planted, resulted in over $800.00
in contributions. The only word to describe it is AWESOME. "

* One Sunday school class organized a bus trip and donated the
profits.

* A local artist offered to provide an oil painting or portrait
for a raffle winner and raised $1000.

* Many families used the money to buy supplies and sold crafts
or baked goods.

"I am an amateur herpetologist and spend my spare time raising
and breeding reptiles. My idea is to buy feeders with the ten
dollars for my animals. As they begin to breed, lay eggs, and
have babies, I will take the money made from a clutch of babies
and give it back to the church."

* Several taught special classes on finance or donated computer
expertise.

* A group of children made and sold snow cones.

* Two families purchased baby chickens to send to an
underdeveloped country.

"Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold,
with the report, 'sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest,
and I have doubled the amount.' The master said, 'Well done, my
good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling
this small amount, so now I will give you many more
responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' (Matthew 25:22-23)

"I interpreted the $10 challenge in a different way. I thought
of how many people might be reached with a total cost of only
$10. I teach college students and we are not allowed to witness
in words but actions are okay so here's what I did. I took my
$10 and bought 60 rolls of sweet n' sour candy that had wrappers
with verses from the Bible on them. Any student would have to at
least see and read the words in order to open the wrapper. I
also passed out several contemporary Christian CDs. Those two
actions allowed me to silently witness to 62 different college
students. I was so happy!" Sharon

* One family gave up fancy coffee and another fast food
breakfasts then donated the savings.

* Another group pooled their money and sold goods at a flea
market.

* Several groups sponsored and cooked dinners or breakfasts.

The biggest surprise came when a contractor announced during our
celebration service: "I feel led by God to build a church for my
$10!" Four years ago, Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church was blown
away by a tornado. During that time, they have been meeting in
our church. We didn't really believe it at first but donations
poured in and less than two years later there was a new church to
celebrate.

What were the results? Thousands of dollars raised for church
ministry and other charitable organizations, plus a brand new
church building and all wrapped up in a project which involved
hundreds of people with valuable experiences for us to treasure.
Not a bad lesson for just $10.

-----------------------------------

Name: Ockert, Address: South Africa., Email:
mailto:ofglobe@mweb.co.za Comments: Please pray for me and my
family. We are losing our business which is our only means of
support. I am 46 years old, am bankrupt and have to start all
over again. We have nowhere to turn to. Darkness, despair and
hopelessness is covering us. I am depressed and have recurring
suicide thoughts. Pray that God will have mercy on us and carry
us through this crises. Thank you.

Name: Barbara, Address: WA, USA, Email:
mailto:BA_Bergmann@hotmail.com Comments: I am faltering badly
after praying and enduring 19 months of a most vicious and
unending divorce battle. Please pray for my husband, my son and
me, for the attorneys and the judge as this unending nightmare
continues. Pray that I may truly rest at night, knowing and
believing with all my heart that God will not abandon me, and
will always care for me regardless of the outcome.

Sowing Seeds of Faith... devotions and world-wide prayer ministry
would not be here without support but as we expand we also find a
critical need for more help. If you have found this ministry
useful then please consider supporting our ministry. There are
at least four ways you can do so right now:

1. Include Sowing Seeds Ministry in your regular prayers.

2. Sign up for our prayer ministry:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

3. Support our Christmas Child fund used to help families
selected through our website. -
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Christmas.Child.Fund.htm

4. Become a ministry partner through either a one-time
contribution or monthly:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a
Better Life" now on sale only through our website.
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click.
farechase.yahoo.com