DAY #6 - GIVING IN TO HELP OTHERS “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Matthew 4:19

God’s plan is that we would be givers, that we would freely, generously, and joyfully give of our time, talent, and treasure to serve others, to love them, and to advance the kingdom of God.

PRAY: Ask God to do a “giving check-up” on you. Ask Him to help you understand where He would have you give right now. Thank Him for blessing you with the means by which to give: time to share, talent to leverage, and treasure to give. Respond to His leading with joy!

DAY #7 - GIVING IN TO GOD’S PLAN “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 (NLT)

Any other plan is going to bring ultimate death. Jesus tells us the thief’s plan is to steal and kill and destroy.

God has a different plan.

Jesus wants to G I V E you life.

PRAY: Take a moment and reflect over the plan the thief has for your life. He wants to steal and kill and destroy. Ask God to show you if that’s happening to you right now. Ask God to reveal to you where you’re living outside of God’s plan. Commit to live the NEW life Jesus wants to give you, no matter the cost or consequences.

WEEK 2 – GIVING IN

In our second week, we’re going to focus on our IN relationship with our church family and ourselves.

There are few factors that will have a greater impact on our lives than our relationships.

At Vortex, we believe that a very important part of our journey is learning to accept God’s love for us and then learning to give that love to our brothers and sisters.

Let’s give in to God’s plan for community.

DAY #1 - GIVING IN TO GOD’S LOVE “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

God doesn’t love you because you’re perfect. He loves you because you’re you… the you He created.

And God’s love isn’t a notion or an idea. God’s love has action. He’s demonstrated it.

PRAY: Thank God for His love. Thank Him for proving His love and demonstrating His love. Thank Jesus for dying for you. Ask God to show you where you’ve failed to put action in your love. Confess it and ask Him to help you put action in your love.

DAY #2 - GIVING IN TO OTHER’S INTERESTS “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4

What captivates your heart? The things that interests you? Or are you moved and motivated by other’s interests?

PRAY: If you’ve been too self-interested, ask Jesus to change your heart. Ask God to give you a new chance to demonstrate your love for members of your church family by being interested in what they’re interested in. Pray that God would enable you to respond with His love.

DAY #3 – GIVING IN TO OTHER’S BURDENS “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

A burden is something that’s difficult to travel with. I remember carrying something heavy once and having a passerby make a comment about how heavy it looked and how much trouble I was having.

To be like Jesus is to help others carry their burdens.

PRAY: Ask God to open your eyes to other’s burdens. Ask Him to reveal to you how what you can do that will be helpful to them as they carry them.

DAY #4 - GIVING IN TO GOD’S CONVICTION “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23

You’re not perfect, and you’ll never be. To go on this life-changing journey with Jesus we need to be sensitive to God’s conviction: giving Him the right to tell us that we’re wrong, and then committing to respond to Him.

PRAY: Pray that prayer: “God, search me.” Allow God to speak to you and to challenge you. Don’t run to ways of thinking that dismiss your behavior. Accept that you’re wrong, confess the sin, and allow Jesus to make you new.

DAY #5 - GIVING IN TO LOVING OTHER PEOPLE “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

To the outside world, we’ll be identified as authentic disciples not by our knowledge of Scripture, but by the way we love each other.

PRAY: If you’ve struggled loving someone, confess that and ask God to change your heart. Ask God to give you more chances to love others, and let Jesus show you practical ways to demonstrate that love for others.

WEEK 2 – GIVING IN

In our second week, we’re going to focus on our IN relationship with our church family and ourselves.

There are few factors that will have a greater impact on our lives than our relationships.

At Vortex, we believe that a very important part of our journey is learning to accept God’s love for us and then learning to give that love to our brothers and sisters.

Let’s give in to God’s plan for community.

DAY #1 - GIVING IN TO GOD’S LOVE “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

God doesn’t love you because you’re perfect. He loves you because you’re you… the you He created.

And God’s love isn’t a notion or an idea. God’s love has action. He’s demonstrated it.

PRAY: Thank God for His love. Thank Him for proving His love and demonstrating His love. Thank Jesus for dying for you. Ask God to show you where you’ve failed to put action in your love. Confess it and ask Him to help you put action in your love.

DAY #2 - GIVING IN TO OTHER’S INTERESTS “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4

What captivates your heart? The things that interests you? Or are you moved and motivated by other’s interests?

PRAY: If you’ve been too self-interested, ask Jesus to change your heart. Ask God to give you a new chance to demonstrate your love for members of your church family by being interested in what they’re interested in. Pray that God would enable you to respond with His love.

DAY #3 – GIVING IN TO OTHER’S BURDENS “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

A burden is something that’s difficult to travel with. I remember carrying something heavy once and having a passerby make a comment about how heavy it looked and how much trouble I was having.

To be like Jesus is to help others carry their burdens.

PRAY: Ask God to open your eyes to other’s burdens. Ask Him to reveal to you how what you can do that will be helpful to them as they carry them.

DAY #4 - GIVING IN TO GOD’S CONVICTION “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23

You’re not perfect, and you’ll never be. To go on this life-changing journey with Jesus we need to be sensitive to God’s conviction: giving Him the right to tell us that we’re wrong, and then committing to respond to Him.

PRAY: Pray that prayer: “God, search me.” Allow God to speak to you and to challenge you. Don’t run to ways of thinking that dismiss your behavior. Accept that you’re wrong, confess the sin, and allow Jesus to make you new.

DAY #5 - GIVING IN TO LOVING OTHER PEOPLE “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

To the outside world, we’ll be identified as authentic disciples not by our knowledge of Scripture, but by the way we love each other.

PRAY: If you’ve struggled loving someone, confess that and ask God to change your heart. Ask God to give you more chances to love others, and let Jesus show you practical ways to demonstrate that love for others.

DAY #6 - GIVING IN TO HELP OTHERS “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Matthew 4:19

God’s plan is that we would be givers, that we would freely, generously, and joyfully give of our time, talent, and treasure to serve others, to love them, and to advance the kingdom of God.

PRAY: Ask God to do a “giving check-up” on you. Ask Him to help you understand where He would have you give right now. Thank Him for blessing you with the means by which to give: time to share, talent to leverage, and treasure to give. Respond to His leading with joy!

DAY #7 - GIVING IN TO GOD’S PLAN “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 (NLT)

Any other plan is going to bring ultimate death. Jesus tells us the thief’s plan is to steal and kill and destroy.

God has a different plan.

Jesus wants to G I V E you life.

PRAY: Take a moment and reflect over the plan the thief has for your life. He wants to steal and kill and destroy. Ask God to show you if that’s happening to you right now. Ask God to reveal to you where you’re living outside of God’s plan. Commit to live the NEW life Jesus wants to give you, no matter the cost or consequences.