Investment Secrets from Heaven – Part 2
April 18, 2021
Review
- Invest in things on earth that will have value in .
- Heaven is not just a place. It’s kingdom.
- The kingdom of heaven extends to the .
- One day there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
- When this happens, the value of our investment will be to all.
- Don’t wait until you can see the value with your eyes.
- Invest now while your work requires .
The California Hussle
Matthew 6:31-33
- Commuting
- Housing
- Schooling
- Cost of Living
- Gig Economy
- Multiple Jobs
- Dual-Income Work Scheduling
- Status Symbols
Investment Secret # 1
Invest in people’s lives.
- Praying for them
- Serving them
- Spending time with them
- Teaching them
- Letting them see your life.
The Power of Discipleship
- Jesus highest spiritual moments were not with , but with small groups of disciples.
- Formal instruction is not enough for transformation.
- Our Christian growth takes off only when we spend quality time with other Christians outside of church gatherings.
- Discipleship means doing life together.
- Discipleship means exposing to people how you are to life’s ups and downs.
- Discipleship means showing people how God is with you at your worst moments.
- Discipleship means showing people how you respond to conflict and .
- One of the last statements Jesus made to His disciples before He ascended was to make disciples.
- imposes on our lives, which is why it’s an investment.
- While we will see some benefits now, we will not see the full value of discipleship until the life to come.
Knowing the Difference Between Glitter and Gold
- Another way to see the value of discipleship is to understand the consequences we face if we don’t make discipleship a priority.
- We have the capacity to large crowds to the church through marketing, staffing and programming.
- Without a focus on the priorities of the kingdom, ministry will become a transaction:
- Engaging content for views and likes
- Amenities for donations
- Entertaining stage content for butts in seats
- Having business savvy is not wrong. We just have to know the difference between the and the means.
John 6:22-27
John 6:35
© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2021