Putting God First In Your Life- Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The Second Sermon of the New Year I preached at the 11:00am service was How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life.
With our Time
The truth is that the way we spend our time says a lot about what we value in life. God wants us to value his relationship with him, and we need to show God this through the quality time that we spend with him. I have found that whenever I make time for God in my life I am better for it. I get some of God’s love in my life, I get God’s thoughts in my mind, I get God’s wisdom in my decisions
With Our Sundays
He also wants the first day of every week that you live for the rest of your life. Every Sunday is God’s day. He doesn’t even make room for excuses. He doesn’t allow for us to have our own reasons why we shouldn’t give the first day of our week to him. In fact, when we Keep Sunday’s as Holy days for God, when we faithfully attend Church and use the day as a day of rest, it is a signpost to the world around us that we are God’s.
Ezekiel 20:20
Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
Of course every day is a day that the Lord has given us.
With Our Resources
You give your tithe to the Church where you go, because that is the place where you are being fed. It says, Bring all the tithes into the Church SO THAT there will be enough food in my temple.
God is saying, if we are all faithful tithers the Church is going to be able to be funded and empowered to do every single thing that God has called it to do. There won’t be lack, there won’t be decisions that need to be made according to the bank account instead of lining up to God’s direction for the Church.
We tithe so that there will be provision for the Church. This is the system that God has set up on earth to accomplish his work through the Church.
Your tithe sets your church up for success. But your tithe will also set you, and your family up for success.
Malachi 3:10-12
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight," says the LORD Almighty.
The truth is that you can’t out give God. The truth is that there is nothing like living under the blessings, provision and abundance that God promises to us and to our families if we tithe.
The truth is that by holding back our tithes, we are not only robbing God of what is rightfully his, we also rob our church and our families of the blessings, provision and abundance that God has planned and predestined for us. The choice to tithe is a choice to bring your family into the best of what God has for you.
God wants the best part of your time. And he also wants the best part of your resources, the first 10%. Commit to becoming a faithful tither and witness as the Church does more than it has ever done before and your family is transformed by the blessing, provision and abundance of God Almighty.
With Your Decisions
The final area that I want to challenge you in putting God first is in your decision making process.
Here is the standard, and the order, that each one of us needs to consider when we make decisions.
Psalms 119:105 - Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
However, since they were lamps for the feet the people could only see ahead to their next step. When you spend time reading your Bible, God will show you the next step that you need to take in life.
The church has been mandated by God to live in unity as the Body of Christ with Jesus operating as the head of the Church. A Church that is following God’s will and direction will be able to help you follow God’s will and direction as well.
Because we all have a similar cause and a similar mission, which is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to declare and establish the Kingdom of God, we all are affected by the decisions that we will make.
Church, as we continue to put God first in our life we are going to see him work wonders through our lives, our families, our Church. Our region will be completely transformed by the goodness of God. People will come to our homes and say, God is so good and here is the evidence.
My prayer is that every member of this Church will actively put God first in the way that we spend our time, the way that we spend our resources, and the way that we make decisions.
UPCOMING SERVICES & EVENTS
January 22, 2016 (Fri)
Family Friday Fellowship Movie Night (7:00pm)
Location: The Inez Berry Fellowship HallThe acclaimed feature film War Room will be shown. Food will be provided (Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Soft Drinks).
January 24, 2016 (Sun)
Afternoon Fellowship at Greater Holy St. John BC (3:30pm)
Location: Greater Holy St John BC: 5536 Morgan Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011
January 26, 2016 (Tue)
Deacon Ordination (7:00pm)
Ordination of our Deacons in Training
Bro. Lester Jason & Bro. Connell Johnson will take place.
Please come out and support the ordination service.
January 30, 2016 (Sat)
Community Block Party (10:00am - 4:00pm)
Theme: “Growing the Body of Christ” “…Compel anyone to come in, so that my House will be full…” Luke 14:23 Come and meet members in your community! Fellowship and take advantage of the following activities planned just for YOU: Job Resources, Children’s Center, Nutrition, Clothing (Kid & Adults), Music/Drama, Health Fair, Prayer, Food Give Away, Hair Styling
January 31, 2016 (Sun)
Fifth Sunday ServiceOne Service - Unitee day (10:00am), Sunday School Service (9:00am), Congregational Care Meeting Sunday Following Service
Pastor Dandridge has called a meeting for those interested in being part of the Congregational Care Ministry. Please be prepared to let us know where you can help in this ministry.
Deacon Ministry Chair Deacon Weber and Deaconess Ministry Chair Barbara Dixon to meet with him to discuss church vision and goals moving forward.
March 16 - March 21, 2016
Holy Light Annual Visit to Shiloh Baptist Church, Trenton, New Jersey to celebrate the 16th Pastoral Anniversary of our native son Rev. Dr. Darrell L. Armstrong
The dates are March 16th – March 21st. Please contact Pastor Dandridge if you are interested in making the trip this year. We have 23 members already confirmed for this trip.
Also a trip to the White House is in the works as part of the trip this year. This would be scheduled on Friday March 18th. Please be advised that the list must be submitted to the White House for all attendees. Once the White House list is submitted no new names can be added.