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DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Fri. 21/4/2017

The Nobles Of Tekoa

Neh. 3:5

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild city walls of Jerusalem. Because of the enemies within and without, the rebuilding wall project was divided into portions, one of which was assigned respectively to each of the great families which had returned from the captivity. They were to commence the work simultaneously. In Nehemiah 3:5, the Bible talks about a group of people with unusual attitude. “The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors”. Here we have the nobles of Tekoa, people who are rich and capable in their days but they refused to be part of the project. These men were the only people mentioned that did not support the rebuilding of wall project in Jerusalem. Every group, even churches will have those who think they are too wise or important to support God’s project in the church. They don’t participate and also discourage people who are willing to work and support the work. These nobles were mentioned and singled out here not for good reasons but for their refusal to support God’s own project. If you are like the nobles of Tekoa, God expects you to repent and change so that you could be remembered for your good deeds and store up treasures in heaven. The way we give is an indication of our love for God. All things belong to God. God says in Psalms 50:10, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” Everything we have received has come from God. God has only loaned them to us.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Every group, even church will have those who think they are too wise or important to support God’s project in the church.

PRAYER POINT: Lord Jesus don’t let me stand out in Your household for wrong reasons in the name of Jesus.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Thur. 20/4/2017

The Offering That Pleases God

Mk. 12:41-43; Matt. 6:1-4

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd put their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. In Matt. 6:2, some wealthy people even had a trumpet fanfare to announce their offerings before dropping them. Unnoticed among these proud and prominent men was a poor widow. “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents”. Jesus saw her and was so impressed by her offering that He called His disciples to Him to use her as an object lesson for the kind of giving that pleases God. He said, “She gave more than all the others.” God has an altogether different way of judging the value of our gifts. We look at the actual amount and are impressed or not impressed by it (Matt. 6:1-4). Beware of practising your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honoured by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.



POINT OF EMPHASIS: God has an altogether different way of judging the value of our gifts.

PRAYER POINT: My Lord and my God, give me the grace to change in the area of giving so that my giving can command Your blessings.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Wed. 19/4/2017

In Giving, Your Motive Is Crucial

Gen. 4:3-4; Matt. 5:23-24

God is concerned with the condition of your heart. In the beginning of the Bible, we see that Cain and Abel brought an offering to God. The Bible tells us that God did not respect Cain and his offering, but He did respect Abel and his offering. The reason for this is because God looks at the condition of the heart first. He was looking at Cain’s heart before looking at his offering. However, Cain already had sin lying at the door. We see that he did not master the sin, rather it mastered him and he ended up killing his brother Abel. Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24, that if you are bringing an offering to the Lord and you have something against your brother, you are to leave your gift, go and reconcile yourself to your brother, then come and offer your gift. Cain’s attitude was improper or perhaps his offering was not up to God’s standards. Proverbs 21:27 says “the sacrifice of the wicked is detestable – how much more than when brought with evil intent” ! God evaluates both our motives and the quality of what we offer Him. When we give to God and others, we should have a joyful heart because of what we are able to give.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: God evaluates both our motives and the quality of what we offer Him.

PRAYER POINT: Lord Jesus, I receive the anointing of giving that opens doors in the name of Jesus.

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16/4/2017 LESSON 7

TITHE – GOD’S MANDATORY PORTION

Quarter’s Theme: UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP

Unit 3: Pathway To Prosperity (Lessons 7-12)

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 75, 311

Devotional Reading: MAL. 3:10-12

Topic For Adults

HAVE YOU SURRENDERED ALL TO GOD?

Topic For Youths

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S KINDNESS?

Topic For Intermediates

CAN YOU SHORT-CHANGE GOD?

SCRIPTURE LESSON

DEUT. 4:22-23; 1 COR. 16:1-2

(SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS)

MEMORY VERSE

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. Mal. 3:10a (NKJV)

BACKGROUND

The importance of understanding God’s demand from believers cannot be overemphasised. Many times some people’s view of obedience to God is short-sighted. There is nothing God asks us to do that doesn’t make sense. The Bible is explicit enough on His demand that we should bring one-tenth of our income into His storehouse so that there can be enough food in His house. This is not man’s postulation, it is God that ordained it. It is God’s mandatory portion.

This week’s lesson focuses on the need for Christians to put God first and abide by His injunction so that God can bless us more. We should realise that we are stewards of our possession. God is the owner.





NOTES ON THE TEXT

PART 1: PURPOSE OF TITHING (DEUT. 14:22-23; 1 COR. 16:1-2)

God specifically mentions His demand for one-tenth of the income of His people. He tells us when, what, where and how to give our tithe. This is not negotiable, if God is truly having the first place in our heart (Deut. 14:22-25). It is guaranteed that if we give according to His demand promptly and accurately, He will recompense us with His blessings. Since a steward is expected to be faithful, we must give good account of our stewardship by giving God one-tenth of our income.

A man of God – Sam Adeyemi says “you are not doing God a favour by tithing. It is His. He factored it into your income from the beginning. If you agree that order creates increase, you will agree that the first thing to take out from your income is your tithe.

Also, the purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives. It is a proof that faithful tithers fear God and have put their dependence on Him for their provisions because they know that they are not self-sufficient. The man of God mentioned above positioned that “it is like circumcising your money which purifies the remaining of it”. God’s blessing is not limited to monetary reward alone, He is talking about the blessing that brings the blessings”.

Tithing should be done according to the measure by which God has prospered individuals. It is not subject to any human preference or control; it is an action of the will based on divine standard as stipulated in the word of God (1 Cor. 16:2)

It is a means of God’s provision for the Levities i.e. those that are working in His vineyard because they completely depend on God. You must, therefore, do it truly, faithfully and promptly (Deut. 14:22)

PART 2: FACTS ABOUT TITHERS AND NON-TITHERS (MAL. 3:6-10A)

The mixed multitudes are not good as the on-lookers while the on-lookers are not like the committed ones. This is a paradox that fits the congregation in our church today which ought not to be. There are good numbers of people who are not tithing at all while some are paying non-challantly below their income levels. Those who pay one-tenth and above are very few. Tithing is a vital part of our faith. Whatever may be your reason for not paying shows that you are faithless. Remember Jesus asks a vital question in Luke 18:8 “When the Son of man comes will He find faith on earth?” (NRSV).

A researcher gives six top reasons why non-tithing Christians are not faithful to their tithes.

¨ Some claim they could not afford to tithe

¨ They owe many debts (bankrupt).

¨ Their spouses or partners did not agree on tithing

¨ They believe in proportionate giving

¨ Their book-keeping or finances are not in good order

¨ They believe that tithing is Old Testament practice

Defaulters! You that are cheating God, what is your reason for not tithing? Take this appeal from the lesson, ‘pay your tithe so that things will not be tight with you’.

Many Christians are not ignorant of the necessity of paying tithe but some have developed a close mind to this biblical injunction. God will open their eyes of understanding to see the benefits of paying tithe so that they will not continue to rob God.

Start paying your tithe accurately and promptly. Ask yourself, what do I gain from robbing God. Also, encourage your spouse and children to start paying their tithes faithfully.

PART 3: OBEDIENCE BRINGS BLESSING (MAL. 3:10B-12; DEUT. 28:1-13)

In Malachi 3:6, God spoke that He never changes, He wants those who are disobedient to His command to change their ways of life so that they can receive His blessing in abundance. We must first do the work in our own part and then trust Him for the reward. God says ‘prove me now’ and see if I will not bless you to the extent of getting more than you need. However, the blessings God promised is based on this promise “nothing ventured, nothing gained’.

Sir John Temptation says, “I have watched over 100,000 families over my years of investment counselling, I always see greater prosperity and happiness among those families who tithed than among those who don’t.

Aside from what sir John Temptation says, there are other blessings which accrue to those who pay their tithes faithfully.

¨ Tithing Christians are better off financially than non-tithing Christians

¨ Tithing Christians are highly active in their local congregation

¨ Most tithers regularly read their Bible.

¨ Tithers come from all income brackets and location

Think about your attitude to tithing with a view to obeying God’s command and His blessing will be yours. God will open the window of Heaven for you (2) Divine blessings will be yours (3) Devourers will stop from eating your crops (4) Destroyers will not destroy the produce of your land (5) Your fruits will not be aborted (6) You will be called ‘blessed’ by all Nations because God will make you delightful.



CONCLUSION

A true child of God will know that these blessings are surfix to bring the desired change, whereas the disobedient are cursed with everlasting curse – Deut. 28:1-12; 15ff. Take this opportunity to do the right thing.



QUESTIONS

Who commanded that one-tenth of our gross income should be paid as our tithe?

What are the reasons for tithing?

Mention some facts about tithers and non-tithers

How did God describe non-tithers? Is it good to rob God?

What are the blessings that God promised tithers?

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Sat. 15/4/2017

Don’t Rob God

Mal. 3:6-9

God doesn’t change as against the thinking of some people in the days of Malachi. God remain faithful to His covenant. It is in view of this that they were not destroyed despite Israel history of unfaithfulness (verse 6). Many people in the world have made cheating to become their way of life. Some Christians have emulated this lifestyle to the extent of robbing God by withholding what rightly belongs to God. Are you among those that are robbing God? The consequence is far beyond your temporary gain. God is calling you to repentance so that you will not experience calamities.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Will a man rob God? (verse 6).

PRAYER POINT: I vow not to withhold what rightly belongs to God in the name of Jesus.

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Thurs. 13/4/2017

Reasons For Paying Tithe

Deut. 14:22-23

In the Bible passage read this morning, it states the habit of setting aside one-tenth of income and returning it back to God. First, it shows we are not the owner of our income but we are just stewards of it. Second, it is a way of praising God for He generously gives to you; He wants us to celebrate His generosity and wants us to give back to Him generously. Furthermore, it is God’s standard way of paying tithe. In addition, it is a means of supporting God’s work and our spiritual leaders who labour for our spiritual well-being. In addition, it shows that we fear the Lord. Without the fear of the Lord, our worship is purposeless. If you love God truly, be reasonable to fear Him and abide with the standard which He sets out for His children. For you not to have problem with reasons for giving tithe, first of all give yourself unto the Lord (2 Cor. 8:5).



POINT OF EMPHASIS: The reason for giving tithe is convincing enough for godly children to pay their tithes.

PRAYER POINT: I receive grace to reciprocate Your generosity over my life oh Lord, I will henceforth be faithful to the payment of my tithes

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Wed. 12/4/2017

There Are Blessings In Paying Tithe

Mal. 3:10b-12

Obedience brings blessing of covenant, those who have been faithful in payment of their tithes would affirm that there are blessings for tithe payers. The law of sowing and reaping operates in the area of financial giving because God has promised to reward us according to how we give to Him (1 Tim. 6:18-19). Perhaps you have not been faithful, God is giving you room to repent and return to Him. As a result of your repentance, begin to pay your tithe in order to support God’s work and be obedient to His commands. Your obedience will make you to enjoy the following: God will open the windows of heaven for you and pour on you His divine blessings (verse 10), you and your work would not be infected. Your produce and crops would not be destroyed. You would become a preferred and delightful candidate. There is no other way to make all these blessings yours than to obey Him. Start paying your tithe faithfully and you will see the changes that will come your way.



POINT OF EMPHASIS: Test the Lord with the prompt payment of your tithe to see if He will not pour His blessing on you.

PRAYER POINT: Help me to reap the reward of what I sow to You through my tithe here on Earth and Heaven to come. Bless me according to the proportion of my giving

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Mon. 10/4/2017

Love God, Justice And Pay Your Dues

Lk. 11:42-44

Jesus opposed the hypocritical practices of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Some have used this Bible passage to justify that Jesus opposed payment of tithe. This is erroneous, reading from different versions of the Bible will give us better understanding of what Jesus meant. God’s word for students Bible reads “How horrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give God one-tenth of your mint, spices, and every garden herb, but you have ignored justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without ignoring the others” Jesus denounced the Pharisees though they were faithful in payment of their tithes in everything but they failed to love God with their whole heart and refused to love justice. This attitude is a fact that one does not have the Holy Spirit with His regenerating grace (Rom. 8:5-14). If you remain in this condition, how can you escape the damnation of hell? (Matt. 23:33). Re-appraise your life to see whether you are faithful in loving God, justice and payment of your tithe. Jesus expects you to be faithful in both.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Don’t ignore justice and the love of God. Also, pay your tithe accurately and faithfully.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, by Your grace I will not ignore loving You and justice. I will also pay my tithe faithfully.

9/4/2017 LESSON 6

STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE

Quarter’s Theme: UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP

Unit 2: Your Stewardship (Lessons 3- 6)

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 69, 236

Devotional Reading: 1 CHRO. 29:10-14

Topic For Adults

THE TREASURES ARE NOT YOURS, YOU’RE A CARETAKER

Topic For Youths

TREASURES YOU WILL GIVE ACCOUNT

Topic For Intermediates

ALL WE HAVE, GIVEN FROM ABOVE

Scripture Lesson

GEN. 1:1; 1 CHRO. 29:12-14; PS. 24:1;

MAL. 3:6-12

MEMORY VERSE

The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. Hagg. 2:8 (NKJV)


BACKGROUND

One of Satan’s most effective ways of deceiving people is the idea that happiness consists in the things that we posses. Through his deceitfulness, he has erected a golden calf, an idol called materialism. Christians with a spiritual calling and heavenly assets are neither automatically exempted from Satan’s schemes or from his disease of materialism nor inoculated against infection from the deadening. Jesus Christ made it clear that a mark of true Spirituality is a right attitude towards wealth. The mark of a godly and righteous man is his preoccupation with God and Heavenly treasure. Therefore treasures are trusts given to us by God which we are to invest for God’s kingdom and glory.

NOTES ON THE TEXT

PART 1: GOD OWNS ALL (GEN. 1:1; 1 CHRO. 29: 12-14; PS. 24:1)

We must be conscious that “the earth

is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof”. No matter how hard we have worked or how talented we are to make wealth, once we start to unwrap where it all came from, we end up at God’s front door. We, along with everything in the world, are His creations. Man, regardless of his status, is under absolute control of God. We’re at His Mercy. What God does is, He handed the dominion over earthly creatures over to man. Man is to make good use of all things created and not to abuse them. He is expected that man will give detail account of all the resources entrusted into his care.

Sad enough, man fails to acknowledge this. In most instances, rich and wealthy people tend to be arrogant, thinking that they have achieved everything by their power, wisdom, connections and smart-ness. Far from it! Nothing is received except it’s given from above.

God is generous, therefore, we must be generous. He is a giver. When we are giving, we are reflecting the likeness of God.” We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give”.

In other words, we only give back to God what comes from His hand.

PART 2: THE LANDLORD’S DUE (MAL. 3:6-12)

Our secular landlords, based on mutual agreements, expect something from us at the end of every month or year as the case may be. Likewise, the agreements initiate and sealed by our Heavenly Landlord, and which is binding on us is “bring ye all the tithes unto my house.”

We need to know that everything we have belongs to God. 100% of our income belongs to God! Everything we have is a gift from Him. If it wasn’t for His grace, we wouldn’t have any of these things. When we realise this, and that we are mere stewards of His resources, it makes it easier to think about how we use the resources He has entrusted into our care.

Tithing is a way of showing apprecia-tion to God from the material,

finance and blessing given us to enjoy. God commands it. It is one tenth (10%) of our income. There is no one who cannot pay tithes. Obedience to this shows our commitment and faithfulness to the giver.

The issue of tithe is a two – edged sword – God wants us to love Him enough to obey His commands to pay the tithe, and in return to bless us beyond measure. In as much as we dare not default on our agreements with our secular landlords without risking dire consequences, we should not expect less from our divine Landlord. So, let’s honour our part of the agreement by giving Him His due and thereby enjoy continued tenancy of His divine favours.

Conclusively, everything we own belongs to God. He entrusts His resources to us and commands us to give back to Him first 10% of everything we earn. This is minimum standard for faithful financial stewardship.



CONCLUSION

Giving a portion of financial resources is part of stewardship living. It is a powerful way of showing that we truly believe that all we have possessed are given to us by our God. That is, we involve God’s claim in what He entrusted in our hands. The Psalmist in appreciation and gratitude says “What shall I render to the Lord, for all His benefits towards me.”



QUESTIONS

What is Stewardship?

What is treasure?

The amount of treasure we have is not the most important.

What we do with our treasure is the most important.’ Do you agree? Explain.

The product of our ability, power, wisdom, connections and smartness are our wealth and riches. Do you agree? If no, explain.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Sat. 8/4/2017

The Joy of Giving

Deut. 16:17

The scripture above enjoins thus “Every man shall give as he is able.” The story below shows practical demonstration of the scripture. The academy award winning movie Shindler’s list, is the story of one man’s effort to make the most of a desperate opportunity. As the director of a factory in Germany, Shindler decided to use his position to save people by employing them in his factory. Shindler was able to rescue condemned Jews from the gas chambers. But keeping them is costly. Little by little, he liquidated his personal possessions in order to keep the business afloat so that more lives could be saved. At the end of the story, Shindler was not yet happy because he believed he had not done enough. He wished he had done more. We can learn a powerful lesson about giving from this man. Because, in the same way, even joyful givers will not look back on their lives and wish they’d done more. As for those who don’t give at all, or who give less than they can, imagine their thoughts as they stand before God in the final audit to give account of how they used their finances and are rewarded accordingly.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: If you’re a cheerful giver, you will always want to give the more.

PRAYER POINT: Lord God, please give me the grace to see the reasons to always give.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Fri. 7/4/2017

God Partners With You To Accomplish It

2 Cor. 9:9

It’s one thing to give because it puts God on your side financially. “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” At first glance, you may think, what’s that got to do with anything? A lot! God’s committed to healing the hurts of our world; that’s why He speaks of “gifts to the poor.” When we get involved with God through our giving, we’re taking our place in a plan to reach the world. This is His objective and He’s committed to it. And it’s going to cost money. Now the truth is, God will get the money from somewhere, but He’d like to partner with you to accomplish it. The fact remains that God would not drain you of your resources, without replenishing them. If you’re a partner with God, why would He hinder your ability to give towards the things that matter most to Him – the needy, and winning a lost world? The truth is, God’s going to do it with or without you. He’s just giving you an opportunity to get involved with Him. Don’t miss out on it!

POINT OF EMPHASIS: God is committed to healing the hurts of our world – the poor.

PRAYER POINT: God, give me the grace not to disappoint You in reaching to the needy.

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Thur. 6/4/2017

Get God Involved In Your Finances

2 Cor. 9:11

You need to get God involved in your finances and keep Him involved. Your finances are an area in which you can experience an interactive relationship with Him. But you need to invite Him in. Man only remembers God when the bottom drops. So what’s keeping you from asking God to get involved now before the bottom drops out? Doesn’t it make sense to position yourself to receive His direct intervention as soon as possible? Something happens when you open your hands to God, He opens His hands to you!

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Be willing to acknowledge that God controls everything.

PRAYER POINT: God, give me the grace to get and keep You involved in my finances.

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Wed. 5/4/2017

God Gives The Power To Get Wealth

Deut. 8:10-18

Man fails to acknowledge that all we have belong to the Lord. In most instances, rich and wealthy people tend to be arrogant, and look down on others, thinking they have achieved everything by their own power, wisdom, connections and smartness. Far from it! The fact remains that the power to get wealth is from God and doesn’t reside with anybody else. This realisation should make us not to be high – minded, proud and arrogant (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

POINT OF EMPHASIS: All you are and have belong to the Lord.

PRAYER POINT: Oh Lord! Give me a humble heart.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Tue. 4/4/2017

God’s Resources Entrusted to Your Care, You Will Give Account

Gen. 1:26-31

God created everything man would need on earth before man was created. God handed the dominion over earthly creatures over to man. Man is to make good use of all things created and not to abuse them. Therefore, accountability is made inevitable. Man will give account of all treasures entrusted into his care one day – the day of reckoning. For you not to be guilty of this, you need to play by the rule, that is, you should totally obey the command as instructed by the owner.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Use God’s product according to His instructions placed on them.

PRAYER POINT: Oh Lord, help me to always act according to Your divine instructions.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Mon. 3/4/2017

God Owns Everything

Ps. 24:1

All the fullness of the earth belongs to God. He only chooses to put all things under man’s care. But we fail to realise this, some feel they own the world and all the things therein. They selfishly behave as if they were immortal and careless about other people, even things of God. Man needs to acknowledge that God has ABSOLUTE control over inhabitants of this world. We are at His mercy, God can call it quit to anyone who fails to honour Him with his riches. (Lk. 12:15-21). Therefore, let’s learn to honour God with our possessions.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?

PRAYER POINT: Lord God, please give me the grace to honour You with my riches.

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2/4/2017 LESSON 5

STEWARDSHIP OF TALENTS AND GIFTS

Quarter’s Theme: UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP

Unit 2: Your Stewardship (Lessons 3- 6)

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 69, 243

Devotional Reading: LK. 19:15-27

Topic For Adults

YOU WERE GIFTED FOR A PURPOSE

Topic For Youths

DON’T TAKE THE GRACE OF GOD IN VAIN

Topic For Intermediates

DISCOVER AND USE YOUR GIFTS

Scripture Lesson

MATT. 25:21

(SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS)

MEMORY VERSE

“His Lord said to him, ‘well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things, enter into the joy of Your Lord”. Matt. 25:21 (NKJV)


BACKGROUND

Stewardship of talents and gifts – the lesson for today implies that believers are in a state of work and business. God our Creator has entrusted into our hands various talents to make gains in His kingdom. There is a necessity for habitual preparation and diligence in our work and service. The Lord Jesus Christ is the owner of all persons and things. This lesson is enjoining us to awake from our slothfulness and prepare to render account of how we have used the talents which our Master has entrusted into our care.

NOTES ON THE TEXT

PART 1: STEWARDSHIP OF GIFTS AND TALENTS (MATT. 25:14-15)

A steward is one who manages the possessions of another person. Stewardship is an act of managing another man’s resources. We are stewards of the grace, abilities, gifts, talents that God has entrusted to our care. We own nothing, not even our lives. All good and perfect gifts are from the Lord, (Jam. 1:17). God reserves the right to all gifts and talents. God gave us the responsibility to use the gifts and talents under His watchful eyes.

We cannot create any talent or gift on our own. Talents, whether those with which we are born or those we acquired through learning and self-development, are traceable to God. There is nothing a man has that he did not receive from God, (Jn. 3:27). Gifts of the Spirit are given by the Holy Spirit and He gives to men as He wills. All that we have are given to us on trust and we must justify the confidence reposed on us. Those who have acquired talents through learning should bear in mind that they have only built on the divine deposits in them. You can only improve on what is already in existence.

God created everyone and He knows the ability of each person. He has given grace, talents and gifts to each person according to their ability. He will not give a man what he cannot manage. He gave much to some but to whom much is given, much is expected. It is not how many talents or gifts one has that matters but how one uses them. Do not forget that the master did not isolate any of his servants in the parable. He gave to his entire servants and what he gave to each of them is called “gift”. Everyone has a gift except if you are not one of His own. Lastly, all His gifts are good and important.

PART 2: PURPOSE OF TALENTS AND GIFTS (MATT. 25: 16-18)

It is clear from the parable that the master has an expectation. He did not distribute his resources to the servants for fun. He expects each servant to use the talent and make it grow. The purpose of the gifts is not to make wealth for ourselves. The main purpose is for us to use the gifts to bless others, build up the body of Christ and in turn glorify God. (1 Pet. 4:10-11). You must, therefore, discover your own gifts, develop them and use them for the benefits and blessings of those tied to your destiny. You must use your gifts and talents. You have no reason to fail and no amount of excuses will justify your failure. Those who fail to discover and use their gifts and talents will end up contributing and enriching the wealth of the grave. The richest place in the world today is the graveyard. This is because many people with great gifts and talents have been buried there with unutilised potentials.

Those who use their talents and gifts properly and faithfully will experience increase. The only way to grow the divine deposit is by using it faithfully, consistently and correctly. You cannot afford to hide or neglect the grace, gifts and talents of God in your life. You must serve with it to bless your generation. There are people waiting to be blessed through the gifts and talents that were given to you. All gifts are important and if we all use our gifts and talents effectively, efficiently and faithfully, there will be no lack in our churches. Please note that you are not qualified for more gifts until you have maximised the ones you were given.

PART 3: GOD’S STANDARDS OF REWARD (MATT. 25: 19-30)

God cannot lose track of His resources. He knows where each of His resources is located. He watches over His investment and will make everyone to account for the grace given to him / her in due course. God will hold you responsible for what you have been given, (Rom. 14:12). God will always measure our performances against the expectations and reward us accordingly. In the parable, the master came back suddenly, each servant accounted for what he had been given. The activities of the servants were judged in line with the standard specified by the master and reward was given to each person. It is, therefore, instructive to note that Jesus, the owner of all and the giver of all will come suddenly when no man expects. He will equally measure our activities in line with His standard, and give rewards to everyone based on his or her work.

Those who used their gifts according to the will of the master were considered good and faithful. He also expects that the gifts and talents should be used faithfully. Our obedience must be total; we must use our gifts and talents wherever and whenever He wills. You must not wait for people to persuade you before you serve with your gifts and talents. On the other hand, God requires our faithfulness.

Faithfulness is keeping pace where you are kept. It means doing exactly what you were shapened and endowed to do and doing same with your strength without robbing God of His glory. God will reward those who use their gifts, and those who fail to use theirs. He will equally reward those who mismanage their gifts. Those who fail to use their talents and gifts will lose their place and relevance in divine agenda, (Matt. 25:30). One of the standards is that reward is certain as far as God is concerned.

CONCLUSION

Christ Jesus gives His followers talents proportional to their ability. The greater our talent is, the more pain we must exact in order to make profit of it. Those that are given little talents should not despise it but should utilise it and make gains out of it for God and His kingdom. God will not ask us to account for more than what He gave us. He is going to ask us to render our stewardship in proportion to our talents. Don’t bury your talent because God will ask you what you do with it.

QUESTIONS

Explain this statement in your own words whether it is true or not “we own nothing, not even our lives”.

Why does God reserve all the rights to every gift?

Is there anything a man has that he did not receive from God? Explain.

What is the purpose of your gifts?

How can you make your gift(s) important?

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Fri. 31/3/2017

Discover, Develop and Use Your Gifts And Talents

Rom. 12:4-6

The gift of God is available to all believers to enable them serve in specific ways that bless others. Knowing your gift is the first step as it will help you to function in your God-given place of service. Every Christian is endowed with at least one spiritual gift, (1 Cor. 12:7, 11). The fact is that if everyone uses his or her gifts and talent maximally, there would be no lack of resources in our churches. No one is created as an observer. It is expected that everyone who has received grace participates in building and edifying the body of Christ, the church. We are all expected to serve in the areas where there are needs. The following points would help you to discover your specific place and assignments. Passion is a driving force that transforms your thinking into action. Your passion is a pointer to your gift. What thrills you and what you enjoy doing is a pointer to your area of gifting. Any area of service where you can easily function without struggle may likely be the area where you are gifted. Whatever you can conveniently, voluntarily and consistently do even when there is no praise, recognition and incentives, may be a clue to discovering your gift. The honest assessments of those who know you intimately will help in discovering your gift. Fasting and prayer as well as regular service to God and humanity will unveil your gift. Once you have discovered your gifts and talents, you must use them to serve others faithfully and following divine patterns. The more you use the gift, the more it grows.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: No one is created as an observer; everyone must use his or her gifts and talents to meet needs in the body of Christ.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me to discover, develop and use my gifts and talents faithfully for the common good of the body of Christ.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Thur. 30/3/2017

Don’t Take The Grace Of God In Vain

2 Cor. 6: 1-2

The richest place in the world is the graveyard. This is because many talents are buried there. God gave gifts and talents to each Christian but it is only a few that are using their gifts. The more a gift is used to edify the body of Christ, the more valuable and desirable it is. Do not despise or neglect the gifts of God in your life. Be a profitable servant. Some of the gifts mentioned in the Bible like the gift of mercy, service, helping people, giving e.t.c are not prominent like miracles and healing but they are very important. Also, note that the gifts of God must not be used for selfish ambitions. ‘Each one should use the gift he has received to serve others, faithfully, administering God’s grace in its various forms (1 Pet. 4:10).

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Do not deprive others of their blessings, your talents and gifts should be used to bless others.

PRAYER POINT: I shall not be wasted; I receive grace to maximise my gifts for the blessing of my generation in Jesus’ name

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Wed. 29/3/2017

You Were Gifted For A Purpose

1 Cor. 12: 7; Jn. 3:27

It is worthy of note that everyone is enriched. Each person has a gift. God has given different gifts and talents to different people and each gift and talent has its function. Some gifts are more prominent and are seen more publicly, while others are hardly noticed. All gifts, however, are needed in the body of Christ and they are important. The smallest part of the body has its function and it must be valued. The talents and gifts are from the Lord. There is nothing a man has that he did not receive from heaven, (Jn. 3:27). God did not give us gifts and talents for fun. He has reasons for giving us the talents and gifts. The talents and gifts were not given to us for show off. The purpose of the gifts is not to make wealth for ourselves. The main purpose is for us to use the gifts to bless others, build up the body of Christ and in turn glorify God. The gifts were given to us by God for the common good of every member of the body of Christ. You must therefore discover your own gifts, develop them and use them for the benefit and blessings of those tied to your destiny. A man that fails to use his gift is depriving others of their blessings as those who ought to benefit from him will not enjoy their rights. Don’t leave your world the way you met it. Don’t leave it worse than you met it. Use your gifts and talents to affect lives positively.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Gifts were given to you for the blessings of others.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me to discover, develop and deploy my God - given gifts for the blessings of others.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Tue. 28/3/2017

Occupy Till I Come

Lk. 19:13

You are a steward. A steward is a person who manages and administers what has been entrusted to him by another person. In this case, a steward is the individual who has the responsibility to manage what has been entrusted to him. God has entrusted us with variety of gifts and talents. His charge to us is that we should utilise the grace He has given us profitably till He comes. The returns on God’s investment however must be to God and not to your pocket. It is expected that you utilize, grow, increase and improve on the grace given to you. Growth is expected of every living thing. If the level of grace upon you is the same yearly, then you need to check yourself. You must continue to use your talents and gifts as a good steward until He comes.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: Do God’s business, in line with God’s standard, using the gifts and talents you have received.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me to serve You as a good steward.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

Mon. 27/3/2017

All Good Gifts Are From The Lord

Jam. 1:17

God created us with variety of talents. Talents can be natural, (those with which we were born), or acquired (those we learnt). Some people are naturally blessed with the ability to sing and it shows in them from their childhood. Some others learned musical skills and they are good at it. The fact remains that no one can create talents and gifts. Whether you were born with talents or you acquired them through learning and development, the fact remains that you cannot create them. In fact, you can only improve on what is already in existence. Those who acquired good skills through learning and development should bear it in mind that they are only building and improving on the deposits of God in their lives. Gifts are given to men by the Holy Spirit. The gifts are owned, controlled and distributed by the Holy Spirit. All good and perfect gifts are from the Lord, you own nothing.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: You cannot create talents and gifts; you can only improve upon them.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me to always remember that all gifts are from You. Help me to always acknowledge You as the source of all good gifts in Jesus’ name.