Motivational Gifts 6 – the giver

The aim of the devotional bible study is to grow in the understanding and appreciation of motivational gift of the giver (or philanthropist).

If you have 5 minutes look at this good example of a giver at work: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaWA2GbcnJU)

Scriptures

2 Samuel 24:18-25

18  And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19  So David went up at Gad’s word, as the LORD commanded. 20  And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

21  And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people.” 22  Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23  All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

24  But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25  And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

1  And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the LORD God. 2  So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. 3  Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 4  3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, 5  and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?”

6  Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work. 7  They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. 8  And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9  Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

Observations

Note: in the reading of today’s Text we will focus on the generous character and motives of King David to better understand the motivational gifts of the giver. This is one of the seven motivational gifts (also called “the gifts of the Father” according to 1 Corinthians 12:4-6) that each person is born with which drives his/her actions throughout his/her life.

1. Giving motivated people generally have the following characteristics. How can you identify them in these two events from King David?  Comment and give references from the Scripture above.
   1. They have the ability to acquire resources but rarely use it for selfish purposes.
   2. They have the ability to anticipate future needs.
   3. Givers feel comfortable handling large sums of money.
   4. They are naturally gifted with wisdom in the area of business / acquiring wealth.
   5. They can see needs and practically meet it (not only financially).
   6. They see their own resources as “God’s temporary warehouse” where things are entrusted to them to steward, not own.
   7. They experience great delight in giving with great generosity.
   8. They give wisely and for just causes – not necessarily to everyone who asks.
   9. Their generosity frequently motivate others to give as well.
2. From these two texts above, what of David’s giving stands out most for you?

Reflections:

Note: The gift of the giver is frequently called “the secretive gift” because their giving is often secretive, so people would view them as servants or some other motivational gifted person.

1. Looking at David as an example of a giving motivated person – what should a person with this motivational gift be cautious of in engaging other people?
2. Considering the characteristics listed in Observation question 1 above, why do we consider giving motivated people as “gifts from God the Father”? i.e. how do they benefit me, you and the world around us?

Application and Prayer

Note: If you have not completed the free online motivational gift test, do so now: www.gifttest.org

1. Are you a strong giver motivated person? Considering this example of David:
   1. What are you grateful for about your gift, which you must cherish?
   2. What must you be cautious about in your interactions with others?
   3. Thank God for how he made you, and pray that he would bless you greatly and grace you with wisdom to steward well and generosity to give freely where he leads.
2. Who do you know that are strongly giver motivated?
   1. Thank them for their good influence in your life – for their liberal giving to you and to just causes, as well as their inspiration to live and give generously.
   2. Thank God for them and their good influence in your life. Pray for these people by name that God will bless them with even greater wealth with the wisdom to make it grow and the generosity to give it freely as the Lord wills it. Pray that their giving will inspire greater generosity in your life and the people around you so that we may be rightly known as children of the Generous God.

Eternal Church 1

The aim of this devotional study is to grow in the knowledge and appreciation of the church.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 3:6-17

6  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  7  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  8  He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

9  For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

10  According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  11  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw–  13  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  14  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  15  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  17  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Observations

1. Paul seems to seek a fitting metaphor to explain to the Corinthian church what the church is and what their respective roles are.
   1. What metaphors do Paul use in this section – what does Paul liken the Corinthian church to? [hint: verses 9 and 12]
   2. In these images of church, what roles do ministers like himself play?
   3. In these metaphors of church, what roles do God play?
2. In these metaphors for church – does Paul refer to The Eternal Church or a local church? Why do you say that?
3. Take two or three minutes and study verses 16 and 17; explain in your own words Paul’s thoughts and progression between these terms: God’s temple – God’s Spirit – vengeance for destruction – holiness – you/the church.
   1. What word or phrase can you think of that concisely summarize that argument?

Reflection and Application

1. Why did people in Paul’s day go to a temple?  And what did visitors learn from the design and worship in that temple?  What does that imply about church as “God’s holy temple?“
2. When you think of your church – what are the first thoughts that come to mind? Explain why these come to mind.
3. Do you see any correlation between “church as God’s holy temple” and your Sunday services or midweek small group/ Bible study group? Why / why not?
   1. What makes your gatherings “God’s holy temple” or not? (verse 16-17)
   2. Can you change the nature of your church (meetings) or will it always be “God’s holy temple”?
4. If church (and its meetings) are “God’s holy temple” – how should you change your perception of going to church meetings? Why is that important?
5. How can you change your experience of church meetings to resemble the fact that it is indeed “God’s holy temple”?

Prayer

Thank God for the men and women who labored to lay the foundation and build your church, and remember in prayer those who “built you” in into this church.  Then pray that the reality and life of the Holy Spirit of God will saturate your life, and the activities and relationships in your local church.  Wait on God – does the Holy Spirit put someone in your church on your heart?  Follow His leading.

Holy Spirit 2

The aim of this devotional Bible Study is to discover the believer’s responsibility towards his body because of the indwelling Spirit of God.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

12 ‘All things are lawful for me’ [you say], but all things are not beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

13 ‘Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods’ [your saying goes], but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  14  And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

15  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16  Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “THE TWO,” He says, “SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”  17  But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18  Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.  19  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  20  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Observations

Note: It appears as though the congregation in Corinth (at the time Paul wrote this letter) were struggling with all types of fleshly cravings, which lead to debauchery various immoralities.  But they held to Greek dualistic views, thinking that the body will be destroyed when the Lord comes, and that what they do with their bodies will have no effect on their spirits (and eternal life).  In this section Paul teaches them why they ought to overcome their fleshly cravings – why what you do with your body matters.

1. Slowly read verse by verse and see if you can discover the motives why believers should master their fleshly cravings.

See how it compares with this list, and write the verses where these motives are stated.

“What you do with your body matters because…”

1. …not all things build you up [v___]
2. …your body should not be enslaved bay any addiction [v___]
3. …your body is for the Lord’s service, not self-gratification [v___]
4. …your body will be resurrected when Jesus return [v___]
5. …your body is a member of Christ’s body [v___]
6. …you are one in Spirit with the Lord (and your spirit lives in your body) [v___]
7. …you should not sin against your own body [v___]
8. …your body is a holy dwelling place of God’s Spirit [v___]
9. …your body does not belong to you since you were purchased by God (through Christ’s blood) [v___]
10. …your body exists to glorify God [v___]

Reflection and application

1. Which one of the motives for practical holy living listed by Paul in this text speaks to you most? Why?
2. Considering this text, which normal or habitual behavior you do should be stopped or reviewed because of what you have learned?
3. Consider Dallas Willard’s statement “every spiritual discipline is a bodily activity”. In this section Paul does not mention what believers ought to do because the Holy Spirit dwells in them.  From your knowledge of Scripture and Godly wisdom list ten activities you can do (with your body) that glorifies God and is edifying, etc.

Note: when you read or pray, you also use your body… there you have two already!

Prayer

Thank God for your body and its health, and thank Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit living in you!  Then take some time and consecrate your body anew to God – to glorify him and serve his purpose.  And whatever behavior the Holy Spirit convicts you of, confess and repent of.

(If you have never been baptized publically – consider doing this, because this in essence is the vow a believer makes when being baptized; talk to a leader in your fellowship about that).