Scripture:

John 4:4,25-26

4 But He needed to go through Samaria.

25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

When I read this portion, I am reminded that He came for the "Whosoevers," the "Outcasts," the "Not So Likely," the "You never would have thought's," the "Broken," the "Lost."   This speaks of the great plan of God: "That none should perish."   See, I was lost, beyond lost, and Christ came into the darkness and rescued me, so I know how I fit into this picture, and I have never been the same since; my encounter with Him has changed my life. 

Let me expose some things about this portion and why I chose these verses.  In Jesus day, Jews would walk a 17-mile stretch referred to as the Jerusalem-to-Jericho road to avoid going through Samaria because they disliked them, so when it says, "He needed to go through Samaria."  This isn't because He needed a shorter route; He intended to meet this woman. Up until now, Jesus had not outright told anyone that He was the Christ, but He told this woman.  Christ came where no Jew would go to meet a woman that no one cared about, to reveal Himself to her, to give her life; let that sink in.    Because of this encounter and her witness the whole town of unreached "whosoevers" were saved and believed in Christ.   This is a reminder that Christ will spare no length, no barrier, to reach you and the ones you love with the message of salvation; let that sink in.

Today our God-Shot is to remember that it was because of His great love for you that He spared no cost to reach you, gave His life for you, and endured the cross, that there is no depth to which He won't go to bring life to those who are lost, hurting, broken, outcast, unlikely, because John 3:16 reminds us that He came for the whosoevers.

Father, I pray for those who have no heard the good news, that you would help us reach them, to share the good news that saved us, the spread the word that none should perish, that everyone would have the opportunity to know you and the life you bring, I pray in Jesus' name, use us, let us be part of your plan to save this world, every day put us in Jesus, put us in. Amen

Scripture:

Luke 5:5-6

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 

Something to catch this morning, a reason perhaps, a reason for our exhaustion at times.  We see it in this story with our friend Peter.  It is in his words: exhaustion and frustration: "We have toiled all night and caught nothing."  I am going to pause for a moment, and you should too, to allow that to sink in.   How many times have we been frustrated with things that we were doing, even things for Him, but were doing them, listen: without Him? Whether or not we do it without Him, it is that process of doing it alone that is exhausting and frustrating; we might even accomplish it, but in the end our self-reliance wears us out.   Remember Paul's words in (Philippians 4:13): "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."  That is what Peter discovered: "Your way is better, Lord."   All things through Christ, this means I need Him. Check it out: IN ALL THINGS.

Today our God-Shot asks the question:   What have you been doing without Him, and what has the process looked like? Can you see how it has worn you down, frustrated and discouraged you?   Today is your opportunity, like Peter, to say, "Lord, your way is better; at your word I will do it."  Now is our opportunity to listen for His voice, heed His direction, and reap the abundance that comes out of that obedience. 

Q: What will be your "Lord, at your word I will do it" moment?

Lord, your way is better; your thoughts are higher; there is nothing beyond your reach, beyond your comprehension. Forgive us when we have tried to do anything without you; teach us to be near, teach us to plan with you that our plans may be fruitful and that they may glorify you in the mighty name of Jesus, amen!

Scripture:

Luke 3:10-14

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”  12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

Jesus said in John 14:15: "If you love me, keep my commandments."  There is this call to action in the Kingdom of God; it is the gift that demands action in our lives.   But really, when you find your person, the person you love, doesn't that change you? Don't you want to do whatever you can for them?   See, John came with a specific message: "Repent and be baptized, for the Kingdom is at hand."  But it is those who came; it was their response that caught my attention.  "What should we do?"  The gospel still calls us to act, to be transformed, to be doers of the word, not just hearers, and that is the shift even for those religious leaders who came to be baptized by John, whom John said: "who warned you..."  Even they heard a call to action. 

Today our God-Shot is more of a question:  What about you? What's your call to action, what has the Kingdom produced in your life? Are you still asking the question of the Lord today?   "What Should I Do?"  Are you still in love with Jesus to the measure that you want to do whatever it takes to show Him?  Maybe today is a call to remember, remember your first love, remember how you felt when you first gave your life to Christ, what He did for you, how that changed your life and you too can ask again: "What can I do Lord?"

Father, today we are challenged to remember, to remember how we first loved you, how we wanted to serve and do for you, how our love had action, tangible movement in our lives, I pray that this would stir each of us up, cause us to remember, cause us even to fan the flame, to stir the embers and draw near to you, in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Matthew 2:11

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They Worshiped Him

While I think the Christmas story is beautiful, its telling may miss the details the Bible reveals.  You have heard the saying "There is more to the story."   Well, when you dig into the word of God, you will see there is always more to the story.   Today, in our portion, you might miss the connection to this mysterious group of wise men from the east and their connection to Daniel, Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and their potential influence on the wise men of the east. We know from their response to King Herod that they are quoting a prophecy from Micah 2, which means they had been taught the Scriptures.  But today let's focus on the gifts and what they mean; why these gifts? Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh?

• 
  Gold: Traditional gift presented to kings and monarchs. Offering gold recognized Jesus as the King of the Kings, ruler over all creation.
• 
  Frankincense: This fragrant gum resin was burned by priests in the holy temple as an offering to God. It symbolized divinity, prayer, and Jesus' role as our high priest who bridges the gap between God and humanity.
• 
  Myrrh: This bitter spice was commonly used for medicinal purposes and, most notably, for embalming bodies before burial. It foreshadowed the suffering and death that Jesus would endure to pay for human sin.

The Connection:

• Portrait of Jesus: Together, the three gifts present a complete picture of the Gospel. They declare that the baby in the manger: 
• King of Kings 
• God with Us
• Suffering Savior

Today our God-Shot is more of an act of surrender.   Let me explain: Just as the wise men brought their most valuable treasures to lay at the feet of Jesus, we too should WORSHIP HIM all our days, offering the best of our hearts, resources, and lives to Him.  

Our Greatest Gifts:

• Our Pursuit
• Our Life
• Our Hearts

His gift is priceless (gold)

His ministry is mighty (frankincense)

His sacrifice paid it all (myrrh) 

Wise men still seek Him...

Q: Will you worship Him with all that is within you? Will you bring your gifts before Him, your heart, your resources, your life?

Father, I pray we never drift from our pursuit of you, that all of our days we seek to know you, to understand your word, to apply it to our lives, to be transformed by it.  I pray that, like the wise men of that day, we would not stop until we find you, and that our goal would always be to lay our best before you, the best of our hearts, our resources, our lives.

Scripture:

Malachi 3:8-11

Do Not Rob God
8 “Will a man rob God?  Yet you have robbed Me!  But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 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, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts;

It's a Test

One of the most controversial topics Is Tithing; the world would love to convince us that it is an Old Testament thing and that we are not obligated to do it or honor God with it.  But the fact is the New Testament has plenty of references ( 2 Corinthians 9:7,1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8:3, Matthew 23:23 / Luke 11:42, Hebrews 7:1–10).   But really today  I want you to see that this is a test; God is saying that you and I should give OUR HEARTS.  See, God knows where you are invested, where your treasure is; your heart is (Matt 6:21).   Ask yourself, where is my treasure? Am I invested in things that perish and ultimately have no value; they neither add or give me life.   That really is the test; let that simmer.    He doesn't stop there; He says, "Try  Me now in this."   Test Me!   Maybe you missed this: when you give your whole life to Him, when you really begin to trust Him, yup, even with your finances, everything changes; that's the fact.  He says He will:

• Open the windows of heaven for you
• Pour out blessings you cannot contain.
• Rebuke the devourer for your sake.
• Your sowing will be fruitful.
• Your vines will not fail to bear fruit.   

So, today's God-Shot is more of a question:  "What/Who do you trust?"   Are you robbing God of parts of your life? What do you need to surrender?  What have you been holding back that you have not trusted Him with/for?   

God has changed my life through giving, tithing, and offerings, giving.  Even when my math didn't add up, God's math did if you get what I mean.   My life has been transformed through promotions, through gifts, through changes that only God could have done.    You want to stormproof your finances? I challenge you to be a giver, not just of your finances, but of your time, your treasure, and your talents, and see that God will use them, multiply them, be glorified in them, and as a result, your life will be TRANSFORMED.

Father, I pray that today, whatever it is that we are holding back, you would reveal that to us; if we have been storing rather than being a vessel through which you pour, show us that blessing is an exchange program, that as we are blessed, we become a blessing which makes room for more blessings in our lives. Make us a channel through which you pour.   More importantly, let us give all that we have (are) to you; if tithing is lacking, let that change; if serving is lacking, let that change; if we are not using our talents to honor and glorify You, let that change, in Jesus' name, amen!