Your Faith Can Move Mountains: Mark 11:22-24 (CEV)

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Your Faith Can Move moved?

What’s the thing that seems


Mountains like it can never change? Maybe God
wants your faith to supersede the laws
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 1, 2021 of nature to move that mountain.

“Have faith in God! If you have faith God is in the mountain-moving


in God and don’t doubt, you can tell business. He has moved them in the
this mountain to get up and jump past. He is moving them today all
into the sea, and it will. Everything around the world. Do not doubt or
you ask for in prayer will be yours, underestimate what he wants to do in
if you only have faith.” your life too.

Mark 11:22-24 (CEV)

Faith opens the door to miracles. If


you study the Bible and history, you’ll Matthew 13:58 says, “[Jesus] did not
find that every time God moves on do many miracles there because of
earth and does a miracle, it’s because their lack of faith” (NIV).
somebody believes.
Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24, “Have You might say, “I don’t see many
faith in God! If you have faith in God miracles in my life.” Are you looking
and don’t doubt, you can tell this with eyes of fear, or are you looking
mountain to get up and jump into the with eyes of faith?
sea, and it will. Everything you ask for
in prayer will be yours, if you only Let 2021 be the year when you see
have faith” (CEV). faith open the door to miracles.

Faith can move mountains! Talk It Over

God has set up the universe in a  What is something in your life


hierarchy of laws. The law of faith is you have given up on or believed
actually higher than the laws of would never change?
nature. That’s where miracles come  How do you think God wants you
in. When someone has faith, the law to start praying for that thing?
of faith goes into practice and can What does he want you to do in
actually do more than the laws of faith?
nature. The law of faith makes  What does it mean to see with
miracles happen. eyes of faith and not eyes of
fear?
Does God still perform miracles
today? Of course he does. Every time What Faith Does to
you stretch your faith, God does Your Dreams
miracles—every single time.
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 2, 2021

My question for you is this: What


mountain in your life needs to be “Glory be to God, who by his
mighty power at work within us is
able to do far more than we would are nothing compared to what God
ever dare to ask or even dream of— has planned for my life. God says,
infinitely beyond our highest “Rick, think of the greatest thing you
prayers, desires, thoughts, or could ever dream of, the greatest
hopes.” thing you think I could do in your life.
Guess what? I can top that.”
Ephesians 3:20 (TLB)
If you were to cry when you arrived in
Through faith, God-given dreams heaven, those tears would simply be
become reality. Nothing happens until for all the things you could have done
dreams and faith start working if you had just believed God a little bit
together! more. To me that would be hell—
The Bible is full of people who had being shown everything I could have
God-given dreams. Abraham dreamed accomplished and become as a
of being the father of a great nation. husband, father, and pastor if I had
Moses dreamed of setting God’s just believed God a little bit more.
people free. Joseph dreamed of
saving a nation and his own family. But there aren’t any tears in heaven,
Throughout Scripture, all kinds of and God gives you everything you
people were inspiring dreamers, need right now to accomplish what he
including, Daniel, Paul, and David. has planned for you. So dream big
about your relationships, marriage,
family, and career. Your faith can turn
those dreams into reality.

God is able to do far more than you


would dare to ask or even dream of.

Talk It Over

 How do you know if your dreams


Ephesians 3:20 says, “Glory be to are from God?
God, who by his mighty power at work  What does it mean practically to
within us is able to do far more than apply faith to your dreams?
we would ever dare to ask or even  Why don’t all of our dreams turn
dream of—infinitely beyond our into reality?
highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or
hopes” (TLB).

Now, if there were ever a “blank


check” verse in the Bible, that’s it. God
is able to do far more than you
would dare to ask. What are you
afraid to ask God for? He can do far Grow, Sow, and Go in
more than you can even dream of. Faith
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 3, 2021
I don’t know about you, but I’m a
pretty big dreamer. However, dreams
“Let your roots grow down into another place God promised to give
him, and let your lives be built on him. He left his own country, not
him. Then your faith will grow knowing where he was to go” (NCV).
strong in the truth you were taught,
and you will overflow with
thankfulness.”

Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

God wants you to focus on growing, Would you do that? Abraham was in
sowing, and going in faith. his retirement phase, just about to
First, God wants you to grow in faith. hang it up and settle down. Then God
He doesn’t want you to be a spiritual said, “No, dust yourself off, and get
baby. The Bible says in Colossians ready for the greatest journey of your
2:7: “Let your roots grow down into life.” When you live by faith, it involves
him, and let your lives be built on him. going, often to places you were never
Then your faith will grow strong in the planning to go.
truth you were taught, and you will
overflow with thankfulness” (NLT). Why is it so important for you to
develop your faith? The Bible explains
God also wants you to sow in faith. He it over and over again:
wants you to learn to become
generous—because you cannot “Without faith it is impossible to please
become like Christ without becoming God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).
generous. The Bible
“Let it be done for you according to
says, “Remember this: Whoever sows
your faith” (Matthew 9:29 CSB).
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
whoever sows generously will also “Anything that is not done in faith is
reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 sin” (Romans 14:23 GW).
NIV).
Everything God does in your life is
This is the law of sowing and reaping, done by his grace and through your
and it’s true in every area of life. If you faith.
sow criticism, you’re going to reap
criticism. If you sow love, you’ll reap Talk It Over
love. If you sow kindness, you will
reap kindness. And you always reap  How have you grown in your faith
more than you sow. When you plant in the last six months?
one corn kernel in the ground, you  What would the people who are
don’t get one kernel back. You get a close to you say you are sowing
whole stalk. You always get back in your life?
more—positive or negative—of what  Has God asked you to go
you put out in life. somewhere in faith? Did you
obey or not? What were the
Then, God wants you to go in faith. effects of your obedience or
disobedience?
Hebrews 11:8 says, “It was by faith
Abraham obeyed God’s call to go to
God Wants Whatever In John 6:5-6 Jesus asks, “‘Where
You’ve Got shall we buy bread for these people to
eat?’ He asked this only to test him,
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 4, 2021 for he already had in mind what he
was going to do” (NIV).
“‘Where shall we buy bread for
these people to eat?’ He asked this Jesus wasn’t worried about how to
only to test him, for he already had feed 5,000 people. He already had in
in mind what he was going to do.” mind what he was going to do. He
saw the need long before the disciples
John 6:5-6 (NIV) did. And he had a plan.
Do you remember the story of Jesus You need to understand this truth
feeding 5,000 people with only five today: God always has the answer
loaves of bread and two fish? I think before you even know the problem.
it’s amazing that, out of 5,000 people, God is not worried your unsolvable
only one person brought a lunch. problem. It’s not too late in the day for
Jesus. He saw your problem long
before you did. He knew it was
coming, and he already had a plan for
it. God knows the solution to your
problem before you even recognize
it’s a problem.
I’m thinking a lot of people were
hiding picnic baskets under their robes So why are you worrying? Just admit
because they didn’t want to share with you have an unsolvable problem, and
anybody else. then give God everything you have.
But one little boy offered the bread Watch him take your loaves and fish
and fish he packed for his lunch. He and turn them into a feast.
gave Jesus what little he had, and
God used it not to just feed a lot of
people but also to show them how
much he cares and how powerful he
is.

God always starts with what you have.


You may not have much time. Your
finances may not be worth much. You
may not think you have much talent.
Talk It Over
But you can give God everything in
your life. Give him your heart. Give  When you face an unsolvable
him your reputation. Give him your problem, is your first reaction to
past, present, and future. It may not look at your own resources or
be much, but you can give him your God’s promises? Why?
five loaves and two fish.  What does it mean to give God
something?
 Why do you think God wants us
to surrender what we have before
he works a miracle?

You Can’t Change by


Accident A lot of times we think we’re waiting
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 5, 2021 on God to change us. No, you are not
waiting on God. God is waiting on you!
“Throw off your old sinful nature He’s waiting on you to say, “Yes, Lord,
and your former way of life, which I’m willing to make these changes.”
is corrupted by lust and
deception.” We have to make intentional choices
in order to grow. There is no growth
Ephesians 4:22 (NLT) without change, there is no change
without loss, and there is no loss
Change requires making choices. It’s without pain. If you are going to grow,
not enough to dream of changing. It’s you will have to change, and change
not enough to desire change. In order means you let go of some old things
for you to change, you will need to and grab hold of some new things.
make a decision. You must choose to
change. It’s like swinging on a trapeze: The
Change is intentional: Are you going trapeze artist swings out on one bar,
to be any different in six months? Are and then she has to reach out and
you going to be better a year from grab the other bar. At some point,
now? Are you going to be healthier, she’s got to let go of one to grab the
stronger, and more mature? Are you other, or she’s not going to make it to
going to be happier? Are you going to the other side. If she thinks she can
be in less debt? Are you going to be hold on to both, what happens? She
more like God wants you to be? gets stuck in the middle, and she’s
going down.
I can tell you the answer right now: It
will only happen if you choose to Perhaps you’re stuck in the middle,
change, because it isn’t going to and you’re going down because you
happen accidentally. You need to haven’t let go of old patterns, old
think ahead to where you need to be habits, and old ways of thinking. You
at the end of this year and where you have to let go of your old ways.
need to be in three years, six years,
and a decade from now. I want you to The Bible says, “Throw off your old
be better in 10 years than you are sinful nature and your former way of
today, but you won’t be unless you life” (Ephesians 4:22 NLT). In other
choose to be. words, let it go. Those old habits,
those old hurts, those old patterns,
Change requires a choice. those old sins in your life—let them
go. The Bible says to throw them off
and trust that God is working in
you “to will and to act in order to fulfill
his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 are telling you to do and instead trust
NIV). in God and respond to darkness with
his light.
Talk It Over
You fight darkness with light. You fight
 Why does change require loss? hatred with love. You fight unkindness
How has this been true in your with kindness. You don’t let evil
life? overcome you. You overcome evil
 What old habits and patterns do with good.
you need to “throw off” in order to
grow and change this year? That’s tough to do. But it gets even
 What promises can you claim tougher: “Love your enemies and pray
from God’s Word to help you for those who persecute
make the choice to grow and you” (Matthew 5:44 NIV).
change every day?
Is that easy? No. Is it unusual? Yes. Is
it a choice? Absolutely. It’s your
choice to be better than the bully.
Choosing light over darkness means
walking the way of Jesus. And Jesus
wouldn’t just walk away from a fight
How to Fight Darkness and forget. He would lay down his life
with Light if that’s what he needed to do to show
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 6, 2021 how much he loves someone—and
that’s exactly what he did.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:21 (NIV)

I don’t know if there’s anything more


counter-cultural in the world today
than responding to evil with good. And
because it’s so counter-cultural, it can God doesn’t want you to retaliate. He
be one of the hardest things to do. also wants you to do good. He wants
When there’s a bully trying to make you to show love to even the hardest
trouble in your life, you need to hearts by praying for them and asking
respond positively. “Do not be God to give them hearts like his.
overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good” (Romans 12:21 NIV). Jesus gave us the greatest example
of responding in love and praying for
That’s a step of faith, isn’t it? Because enemies. When you follow his
everything in you probably wants to example, you’re going to stand out in
overcome evil with evil and fight a world where everyone thinks of
darkness with more darkness. That’s themselves first.
what the world tells you to do: Fight
dirty. That’s why it takes faith to go Taking the step of faith to overcome
against what your flesh and culture evil with good will not always be easy,
but it will make you a powerful witness you will accept me into your eternal
for Jesus. home in heaven one day.

Talk It Over “I confess my sin, and I believe you


are my Savior. You have promised
 How did Jesus show us how to that if I confess my sin and trust you, I
overcome evil with good and love will be saved. I trust you when you say
our enemies? salvation comes by grace, through
 Why do you think God wants us faith, and not by anything I do. I
to pray for the people who bully receive you into my life as my Lord.
or harass us? What difference Today I’m turning over every part of
should it make? my life to your management. You
 Have you ever consistently have the right to call the shots in my
prayed for one of your enemies? life.
How did your heart change
toward that person? “I want to use the rest of my life to
Today is the day to take a step of serve you instead of serving myself. I
faith by trusting in Jesus. Here’s commit my life to you and ask you to
how you start. save me and accept me into your
family. In your name I pray. Amen.”
The Bible says Jesus laid down his life
to show how much he loves you. You If you just prayed to accept Jesus,
don’t have to earn God’s love or work please email me
your way into heaven. The Bible at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me
says, “For it is by grace you have know about it. I’d like to send you
been saved, through faith—and this is some free materials to help you start
not from yourselves, it is the gift of your journey with Jesus.
God—not by works, so that no one
can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Let Trials Make You
More Like Jesus
If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and
committed to following him, why wait BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 7, 2021
any longer? If you’re ready to step
across that line and make the decision “For you know that when your faith
to believe in Jesus Christ and follow is tested, your endurance has a
him, pray this prayer: chance to grow. So let it grow, for
when your endurance is fully
“Dear Jesus, you have promised that developed, you will be perfect and
if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever complete, needing nothing.”
done wrong will be forgiven, I
James 1:3-4 (NLT)

We know the end of the story: Jesus


is coming back! When he does, he will
make all things right and just. And if
you are his follower, you will spend
will learn the purpose of my life, and eternity with him.
Knowing how the story ends should What you can do is work on getting
change everything. One of the biggest spiritually fit in preparation for the
ways it affects your life is that it should coming of Jesus Christ.
motivate you to use adversity to
become stronger spiritually. It’s important to stay physically fit and
take care of your mental health. But
you cannot neglect your spiritual
fitness. You don’t have to be the
strongest, fastest, or healthiest when it
comes to being spiritually fit. You just
need to keep working on it and
recognize that the trouble you face is
often an opportunity to grow in faith.
That’s what James says you should
do while you’re on earth waiting for If you’re out of work, if you’re sick, if
Jesus’ second coming: “For you know you’re feeling the weight of prejudice,
that when your faith is tested, your turn to God’s Word and his promises.
endurance has a chance to grow. So When it feels like you’re falling apart,
let it grow, for when your endurance is remember that God is still working to
fully developed, you will be perfect make you more like him, and he can
and complete, needing use even the most difficult
nothing” (James 1:3-4 NLT). circumstances in your life to do it.
You will undoubtedly face stress,
problems, difficulties, and trouble in
this life. In the time between now and
when you die or Christ comes back,
you should use those trials to develop
endurance and become more like Talk It Over
Christ in character.
 What trials in your own life are
Does becoming like Christ sound you questioning God about? How
impossible? The Bible says God can might they help make you more
do that work in us: “May God himself, like Jesus?
the God who makes everything holy  Why is it important to have
and whole, make you holy and discipline when it comes to your
whole” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 The spiritual growth?
Message).  How do God’s promises help you
when you feel overwhelmed by
Are you whole—like these verses say stress and adversity?
you can be—or are you fragmented?
Are you put together, or are you falling Let Your Trials Lead You to Jesus
apart? These days, we all feel like
we’re falling apart a little—and that’s Jesus says those who share in his
okay. You’re not supposed to have it suffering will also share in his reward
all together. You’re not perfect, and in heaven. But the first step toward
you won’t be while you’re here on this is to follow Jesus as your Lord
earth. You can’t change that. and Savior. God says today is the day
to follow Jesus: “‘At the right time I some free materials to help you start
heard your prayers. On the day of your journey with Jesus.
salvation I helped you.’ I tell you that
the ‘right time’ is now, and the ‘day of Do You Really Need
salvation’ is now” (2 Corinthians 6:2 Everything You’ve Got?
NCV).
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 8, 2021
Why wait any longer? Today is the
day to step across the line and tell “Sell your possessions and give to
Jesus Christ, “I want to have a those in need. This will store up
relationship with you.” treasure for you in heaven! And the
purses of heaven never get old or
How do you do that? Start by talking develop holes. Your treasure will be
to him in prayer. He’s listening to you safe; no thief can steal it and no
right now! He’s already done moth can destroy it.”
everything that needs to be done.
That’s why he came to earth. That’s Luke 12:33 (NLT)
why he died on the cross and was
resurrected. Did you know there’s a bank in
heaven?
He wants to give you a gift, and the There is! The book of Luke talks about
way you accept it is by telling him in storing up treasure in heaven. As a
prayer, “Today, Jesus, I want to take Christian, this should be the bank
the first step toward you. I want to get where you make your greatest
to know you. I admit I don’t investments of your time, talent, and
understand it all. But, as much as I resources.
know how, I want to open up my life to
you. I want to receive your gift for me. In the book of James, the writer
Replace my guilt with your gift of emphasizes the generosity of God
forgiveness. Replace my worries with toward his followers in five different
your gift of peace. Replace my fear of places. He says everything you have
death with your gift of eternal life. is because of God’s generosity. You’d
Right now I invite you to come and have nothing if it weren’t for God. You
make your home in my heart. I pray wouldn’t even exist! Every good and
this in your name. Amen.” perfect gift comes from God—it’s all
because of his generosity.

God’s generosity with you should


make you generous with other people.
You should use what you’ve been
given to help others.

Whatever you use to point people to


If you just prayed to accept Jesus, Jesus Christ will be stored in your
please email me bank in heaven. You’re making an
at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me investment in eternity when you use
know about it. I’d like to send you your resources for the most important
thing: helping people have a reflect a worldly or an eternal
relationship with God. investment?
 How has your desire for more
earthly things kept you from
focusing on eternity and helping
people get to heaven?
 What do you think it looks like to
have treasure in heaven?

One day a very wealthy man came to Your Gifts and Talents
Jesus and asked him how to prepare Are Not Just for Your
for eternity in heaven. This man had Good
far more money than he needed or
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 9, 2021
could even enjoy. He wanted to know
how he could have eternal life.
“I always thank my God for you and
Jesus gave this man some investment for the gracious gifts he has given
advice: “Sell your possessions and you, now that you belong to
give to those in need. This will store
up treasure for you in heaven! And the
purses of heaven never get old or
develop holes. Your treasure will be
Christ Jesus. Now you have every
safe; no thief can steal it and no moth
spiritual gift you need as you
can destroy it” (Luke 12:33 NLT). In
eagerly wait for the return of our
other words, liquidate some of your
Lord Jesus Christ.”
assets here on earth and send them
on ahead to heaven, where your 1 Corinthians 1:4, 7 (NLT)
treasure will last forever.
When God thought you up, he created
What about you? Do you really need you with a number of different gifts,
everything you’ve got? Or is Jesus talents, abilities, and skills. There are
speaking to you through these verses certain ways you think and things you
—telling you to give some of what you do that you’re just naturally good at.
have to help people who have a lot Those gifts and abilities are how God
less? shaped you. But God did not shape
you uniquely for your benefit. Your
When you’re generous, it changes
gifts are not just for your own good.
your perspective on what you actually
Your gifts are for the benefit of
need. And, more importantly, every
everybody else. And that
time you choose generosity, you’re
means their gifts are for your benefit,
storing up treasure in heaven.
too.
Talk It Over
One of my gifts is teaching. I’ve put
 Where do you invest most of your that gift to work for many years now
time, talent, and money right for the benefit of other people. In the
now? Do those investments
same way, your gifts can benefit the Don’t waste your God-given abilities.
people in your life. Use your gifts to serve God by serving
others.
You may already know what you’re
really good at. Why do you think God Talk It Over
made you good at those things? He
wants you to use those gifts for  Have you wondered what your
others! purpose is? How do you think
your gifts and talents play into
How should you use those gifts or your purpose?
talents in the time left before Jesus  What is one new way you can
comes back? Well, you should use use your talents and skills to help
them to reach others for Jesus. You someone this week?
should use them to be an ambassador  If you knew Jesus was going to
of love in the world. In fact, if you’re return in three days, how would
not using those unique gifts the way you spend those three days?
God intended, then you’re really just How should that perspective
wasting them. change the way you spend your
time every day?
God didn’t give you gifts just to use
them for yourself. James 4:17 says it There Are
like this: “Remember, it is sin to know
what you ought to do and then not do
Consequences for
it” (NLT). Disobedience
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 10, 2021
If you know what you’re good at and
you know that many people in the “In the wilderness their desires ran
world probably need your help, what wild, testing God’s patience in that
are you going to do about it? Who are dry wasteland. So he gave them
you serving? Who are you going to what they asked for, but he sent a
help between now and when the story plague along with it.”
ends and eternity begins?
Psalm 106:14-15 (NLT)

God has given you all the rules you


need for living. The Bible is the
manual for life! In it you find all the
laws God established for living a
God has given you—like the church
happy, healthy, and holy life.
the apostle Paul wrote to in 1
When you follow God’s plan, things
Corinthians—everything you need to
work out well. But any time you forget
serve well. “I always thank my God for
God and ignore the playbook, things
you and for the gracious gifts he has
start to fall apart in your life—
given you, now that you belong to
physically, emotionally, financially,
Christ Jesus. Now you have every
relationally, and in every other way.
spiritual gift you need as you eagerly
wait for the return of our Lord Jesus
Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4, 7 NLT).
that honors God, you’ll find that great
blessings follow.

You hurt yourself—and others—when Talk It Over


you doubt God’s goodness and
disobey him.  What have been some of the
biggest consequences because
This happened many times in the of your disobedience to God?
Bible. Every time a person or a group  Think about a time when God
of people forgot God and turned away didn’t give you everything you
from him, they had some major wanted. What did you learn about
problems. him from that experience?

Psalm 106 tells us about one such


scenario: “In the wilderness their
desires ran wild, testing God’s
patience in that dry wasteland. So he
gave them what they asked for, but he
sent a plague along with it” (Psalm
106:14-15 NLT).  How has God used the pandemic
to draw you into a more intimate
If you say to God, “I want to do what I walk with him? Have you been
want to do when I want to do it,” obedient to what he has called
sometimes he will give you what you you to do during this time?
want. But there are often unwanted
consequences to getting everything How Much More Do You
you want.
Need?
Having all you want to eat, whenever BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 11, 2021
you want to eat it, can lead to obesity
and high blood sugar. Having all you “Keep your lives free from the love
want to drink, anytime you want to of money and be content with what
drink it, can lead to alcoholism and you have, because God has said,
heart disease. Ignoring God’s very ‘Never will I leave you; never will I
clear guidelines about his gift of sex forsake you.”
can lead to STDs and broken families.
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
When you ignore the healthy
principles God teaches in the Bible, Many people are feeling financial
you’re telling him you think you know instability these days—no matter how
better. But disobedience always has much they have in the bank. Some
consequences, sometimes big and are wondering, Am I going to have a
sometimes small. job next week? What’s going to
happen to the economy? Will I have
There is no better time than today to enough to do the things I want to do
start making choices in obedience to with my life?
God’s Word. When you live in a way If you’re asking those questions, then
you need to remember God’s promise
in Hebrews 13:5—“Keep your lives  What are some promises from
free from the love of money and be God’s Word about his presence
content with what you have, because and how he takes care of you?
God has said, ‘Never will I leave you;  How does your bank statement
never will I forsake you’” (NIV). reveal where you put your trust?
How does it show your faith that
Did you see that? God’s promise to God will provide?
never leave you is connected to your Trust in Jesus more than your
financial future. He’s saying there’s no finances.
need for you to love money. You can
be content with what you have. You The Bible says true security comes
don’t need to hoard your resources— when you trust in God, not in your own
because you have the assurance of wealth and abilities. The only way to
God’s presence. God always sees you get to heaven is by trusting in God
and always knows what you need. through his Son, Jesus Christ. You
And because God is love, he will don’t have to earn God’s love or work
never forsake you, including when you your way into heaven. The Bible
are in need. says, “It is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this is not
What are you trusting for your future from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
financial security? Are you trusting in not by works, so that no one can
your possessions or in God’s boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
presence?
If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and
If you have a hard time letting go of committed to following him, why wait
money, tithing, or being generous, any longer? If you’re ready to step
then you are revealing a lack of faith. across that line and make a decision
to believe in Jesus Christ and follow
him, pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that


You don’t really believe God will keep if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever
his many promises to take care of done wrong will be forgiven, I will
you. You’re living with a scarcity learn the purpose of my life, and one
mentality. day you will accept me into your
eternal home in heaven.
Try instead to start living with God’s
promises in mind. Once you do that, “I confess my sin, and I believe you
you will not have to hoard because are my Savior. You have promised
you will trust God. You will hold your that, if I confess my sin and trust you,
resources with an open hand. This is
the only way to live a purposeful life!

Talk It Over

 Do you think Christians should


stock up on supplies during the I will be saved. I trust you when you
pandemic? Why or why not? say salvation comes by grace, through
faith, and not by anything I do. I you’re not going to have enough and
receive you into my life as my Lord. when you’re tempted to hoard your
Today I’m turning over every part of resources. You need to trust in God,
my life to your management. You not in your possessions. You’ve got to
have the right to call the shots in my be God-centered, not materialistic.
life. And you should save—but for the right
reasons.
“Jesus, I want to use the rest of my life
to serve you instead of serving myself.
I commit my life to you and ask you to
save me and accept me into your
family. In your name I pray. Amen.” If you’ve never opened your life to
Jesus Christ, you’ll never be able to
In Uncertain Times, You trust him with your money or make
financial decisions that honor him.
Need Eternal Security
You don’t have the security of a
BY RICK WARREN — JANUARY 12, 2021 relationship with God that you need in
order to handle uncertain times like
“Your riches won't help you on the ones we’re in right now. But you’re
Judgment Day; only righteousness only one prayer away from knowing
counts then.” and trusting God with your life!
Proverbs 11:4 (TLB) You don’t need to know what’s going
to happen tomorrow. You don’t need
What good is your money in the end? to know what the future holds. You
“When the wicked die, their hope dies just need to know who holds the
with them. Confidence placed in future! When you have a relationship
riches comes to nothing” (Proverbs with your Creator, you’ll have the
11:7 GNT). The Bible also says in security you need.
Proverbs 11:4, “Your riches won’t help
you on Judgment Day; only To become a Christian, simply pray
righteousness counts then” (TLB). this prayer in your heart: “Dear God, I
want my security to be in something
The only way to have security that will that cannot be taken from me. I want
outlast your life is to have a my security to be in my relationship
relationship with Jesus Christ. with you, as I trust in your promise to
never leave me. I want to claim that
If you’re facing financial insecurity
promise today. As much as I know
right now, you likely will be tempted to
how, I open my life to you, Jesus
stop trusting that God will take care of
Christ. Please come in, change my
you.
priorities, my values, my purpose, and
But the Bible is very clear when it my direction. Make me the person you
comes to God’s provision. It tells you want me to be. I humbly ask you to do
that God will provide—but often in this in your name. Amen.”
ways that you don’t expect or
If you just prayed to accept Jesus,
understand. The Bible also lets you
please email me
know what to do when you feel like
at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me
know about it. I’d like to send you
some free materials to help you start
your journey with Jesus.

Talk It Over

 In what ways has your


relationship with Jesus made you
more confident and also more
cautious with your money?
 What does it mean to trust in
your possessions? Has your life
been marked by trust in your
possessions or trust in God?
 What resources are you tempted
to hoard during the pandemic?
Ask God to help you release that
desire to him and instead open
your life to sharing and being
generous with others.

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