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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Dare to Believe   CURRENT TV SERIES Dare to Believe

The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.                                              --Proverbs 10:22 Money is a gift from God. But many people have a poor relationship with it—including many Christians. Believers should have different attitudes about money than the culture at large. Because the Bible tells us there are things more important than money. For example, Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches….” Proverbs also tells us that wisdom (3:13-18), character (23:23), intelligence (20:15), and human relationships (15:17) are more important than money. Even Jesus concluded in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” In commercial office buildings, there are firewalls that protect the structure and its inhabitants from fire. When you’re online, there are firewalls that protect your computer from viruses. And in order to protect your family from the dangers of money, you need to build a financial firewall around your life. You do this by earning your money honestly, managing your money wisely, and giving your money generously. As a believer, you should have a different attitude about money.

Getting Ready to Run

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end. If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?”
Jeremiah 12:4–5

Up until his retirement from the Lakers, Kobe Bryant was one of the top players in basketball. He won numerous NBA titles, was one of the highest scoring players in the history of the game, and was known for his intensity on the court. Though Bryant was very talented, his success did not rely primarily on talent, but on work. During the off season each year, he would run for two hours, lift weights for two hours, and practice his basketball skills for two hours—six days a week. During the season, he had a personal rule that he would not leave practice until he had hit at least four hundred shots. It is little surprise that his basketball career was so successful.
The Christian life is not lived successfully by gifts and talents. Instead, it requires intense discipline and dedication. The active opposition of Satan requires that we develop our spiritual muscles by using them again and again. “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). If we do not discipline ourselves before the battles begin, we will not know how to respond when we face the most severe tests. Every day we must grow in grace and build our faith—using that faith to overcome the enemy.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The challenges we will face in the future require that we develop our spiritual skills today.