A Year of Abundance

A Year of Abundance TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.' Jeremiah 29:11, NLT. TODAY'S WORD: What are you planning for this year? Are you planning this year according to the news reports, or are you planning this year according to the Word of God? It’s good to be informed about what’s happening in the world, but remember, God is not limited by what we see in the natural. You may be planning to have an ordinary year, but God is planning for you to have an extraordinary year. You may be planning on just barely getting by, but God is planning on a year of abundance for you. God wants to do supernatural things in your life this year! He wants you to be an example of His goodness. Start declaring that this year is going to be your best year yet. Start declaring that this is the year you will see your dreams come to pass. Start declaring that this year will be your year of abundance! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for the good plan You have for me. I trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I lift up my eyes from the natural realm into the spiritual realm. Help me see the blessing and abundance You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS...

Is Salvation Really Free? by Rick Warren “All need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:24 NCV) If you were to ask 100 people on the sidewalk, “How do you get to Heaven?” you’d get a lot of different answers that could be summarized by the idea that you have to earn your way to Heaven. You’d hear things like, “Try to be good and do your best” or “Work really hard at being a moral person” or “Do more good things in life than you do bad things.” All of these ideas are based on works, not grace. But salvation is a gift, and you don’t work for a gift. It’s free! You can’t earn it, you can’t buy it, and you can’t work for it. This is the fundamental difference between Christianity and every other religion. Christianity is the only religion that’s built on grace. Every other religion is based on works, and you can summarize them in one word: “do.” There are certain things you have do in order to gain God’s approval, to gain bliss, to gain heaven. There are always rules, regulations, and rituals — something you have to do. On the other hand, if you were to summarize Christianity in one word, it’s the word “done.” Jesus Christ has already paid the price for you on the cross. It’sdone! A guy asked me one time, “Pastor Rick, what can I do to be saved?” I said, “You’re too late!” (That kind of shocked him.) “You’re about 2,000 years too late! What needed to be done for your salvation has already been done, and you can’t do anything about it.” Jesus Christ already did it. He paid for your salvation on the cross, and it’s now a free gift to you. That’s why when he was hanging on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” He didn’t say, “I am finished,” because he wasn’t. He’s still alive today. The “it” is your salvation. The plan to provide grace for every person is finished. Romans 3:24 says, “All need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ” (NCV). You won’t get to Heaven based on what you do. You get to Heaven based on what has already been done for you by Jesus Christ. When you really understand grace, you will accept it, because it is the greatest gift you’re ever going to be offered. Talk It Over Why do you think it’s so hard for people to accept a free gift? Why would they rather work for it? What do you think God expects you to do after you’ve accepted his gift of salvation? What effect has the freedom of salvation had on your life?