"These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."
Joshua 4:7b

Joshua had instructed the people to carry large stones from the bed of the Jordan River and place them on the Canaan side of the river.  These stones provided a memorial of God’s power, provision and purpose for the children of Israel.  The Israelites would periodically return to this place, Gilgal, to express their gratitude for victories won in this new land.  They were commanded to bring their children with them on these occasions.

Carefully read Joshua 4:19-24.  When the people of Israel were obedient to God’s instruction regarding these twelve stones, it provided a great opportunity to teach and instruct the next generation.  "He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendents ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’" (Joshua 4:21).  A child’s natural curiosity opens the door for a parent to testify of God’s remarkable power.  Parents should lead their children back to the place where God has demonstrated His timely provision.  It may be a story, a place, or even a picture, but whatever it is, let them see it over and over again until it becomes a defining moment in their lives and a monument to God’s grace.

The X Factor is an excellent opportunity for the entire church body, member by member, to build a "memorial of gratitude."  Communicate to your family members and friends that this memorial is not merely a building or a piece of property; it is, more importantly, the experience of trusting God and seeing Him come through.  Gilgal was not just a pile of rocks.  It was a powerful reminder of our indebtedness to God.  The greatest heritage we can leave to the next generation is such a memorial of God’s goodness.

Prayer Focus: Take some time to reflect on some memories of God’s power and goodness in your life.  Was it an event? A Baptism?  A worship song?  Message?  Was it a special prayer time?  Some special blessing? Remember Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

There are two ways people live their lives as they pass through this world – either remembering God or forgetting Him.  They either acknowledge His presence and live their lives in dependence on Him, or they pay no attention to His claims on them and live a life on the basis of their own understanding and abilities.  The worst tragedy and cruelest deception is the man who says feebly with his lips, “I trust God,” but an examination of his calendar and checkbook shows no difference between him and the man who does not make that claim.  The question we must ask ourselves today is, “Do we trust God?”

The very nature of this question produces two possible meanings:  First – “Can you ‘trust’ God?”  That is, is He trustworthy?  Can He handle the decisions and the problems in your life?  Secondly – “Can ‘you’ trust God?”  That is, do you have the ability to trust Him?

These verses reveal some important things about trusting God:

• The matter of trust is an all or nothing thing.  Notice how many times the word “all” is used.
• The command to trust precedes the promise.  Blessing comes after trust is expressed.
• The promise is conditional.  Unlike many of the unconditional promises in the Bible, this promise of direction is given only to those who exercise trust in God.

Prayer Focus: Pray your faith and trust in God will grow.  Pray you will allow God to be in control and you will utterly depend on Him and .desire His will be done.  Pray the fruits of our deepened trust in Him will result in guidance from Him.  Ask God to identify an area of your life where you need to yield to Him.  Then give it to Him and look for His provision.  Hey – we say we trust God.  We want to trust God.  And now it’s time to actually take that to the next level

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6

A personal relationship with God is established by faith and a continuous fellowship with God is maintained by faith.  Paul told the Colossians, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6, NKJV).  We receive Him by faith, and we walk in Him by faith.  Without faith we cannot please God, and we cannot live effectively for Him.  “Without faith,” the Bible says, “it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

Second Kings, chapter 5, records the story of Naaman, a powerful Syrian military leader who was suffering from the most dreaded disease of that era, leprosy.  Someone told him Elisha, the man of God, could possibly heal him, so he sought the prophet’s help.  Elisha instructed Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River to be healed.  The great soldier became angry at such a ridiculous suggestion.  “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy,” said Naaman to his servants (2 Kings 5:11).  At first he refused, but without any other remedy, Naaman at last went into the river and was healed.  The act made no human sense, but in the divine plan, it was an act of faith.

Prayer Focus: Why do we need faith?  It’s how we relate to God.  In His infinite plan, He has determined “the just shall live by faith.”  On your own or with your family, identify one thing you consider would be an act of faith. 

Determine to do that thing, and keep a record of the evidence of God’s blessing on obedience in that behavior.  Then tell someone about it!

“Trust in the Lord…Fear the Lord…Honor the Lord”
Proverbs 3:5-9

In order to receive the blessing of God, we must trust Him.  Trusting God is not some mere token confession you make from time to time.  Trusting God must be complete, total, daily reliance upon the promises of God.  Every day you will face the choice of either relying on your own understanding or trusting in Him.

You and I must choose to trust God.  When you come to those places in life where the line is drawn and the question is “Can I trust God?” your answer determines whether you grow or shrivel spiritually.  The issue is, “Which am I going to choose?”  When God told Noah to build the ark, it had never rained.  Noah chose to trust God.  Abraham left everything behind because he chose to trust God.  Joshua was faced with a decision, and he said, “Choose today whom you will serve… but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Do you have this kind of trust in the Lord?

You can prove your trust in Him.  Trusting Him is real when you (1) acknowledge Him, (2) depart from evil, and (3) honor the Lord with your time, talent, and treasures.

Prayer Focus: Claim the following Scripture today and personalize it for Impact and for yourself: 

Hebrews 10:35-39, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith.  And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

How does this apply to you personally?  Let God speak into your life.  How does it apply to Impact?  What do our people need to keep doing to move the ball forward at Impact?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

God expects His people to trust Him, and He is a trustworthy God!  We were created to live our lives in dependence on Him.  Our knowledge is incomplete, our wisdom is inadequate, our power is ineffective; so… we need our Creator.  Sin in its very essence is failing to trust God.  These verses in Proverbs tell us how we are to trust Him.

We are to trust Him entirely (verse 5).  God wants us to trust Him “with all of our heart.”  That means everything from our salvation to physical, mental, and social needs.  That includes trusting Him with our families, marriages, jobs, relationships, finances, abilities, weaknesses, health, accomplishments, and failures.

We are to trust him exclusively (verse 5).  God commands us to not depend on our own understanding.  Why?  Because it’s fundamentally flawed with an infection of sin.  God knows it all from beginning to end.  He even knows the number of hairs on your head. 

So follow His leading from His Word, prayer, and Godly counsel.  He is on your side, so trust Him!  In all you do, in every decision you make, you are to trust His wisdom, not just with big things, but also with the little things.

Prayer Focus: Pray Impact will be fully convinced of His trustworthiness.  Take time to praise Him today for who He is and what He does.  Take time to thank Him today for His direction on your path and the path your church. 

Truly, we are making a difference together.  Pray this continues and even expands.

"Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever."
1 Chronicles 28:4

This expression from 1 Chronicles followed the greatest disappointment of King David’s life.  He had just learned from God that he would not have the honor of providing leadership for the building of God’s Temple.  David had said in 1 Chronicles 28:2 that his heart had been set on building a magnificent dwelling-place for the God of Israel.  Later, he describes the energy, enthusiasm, and unbridled generosity he had already invested in this God-honoring project:  "With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God — gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze…Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver…" (1 Chronicles 29:2-3).

After all of this sacrifice and preparation, David learns that he would not be the man to build God’s Temple.  What was his response?  What would we do in the face of such disappointment?  His response teaches us one of life’s greatest priorities:  focusing on the goodness of God.  Instead of throwing a "pity party," reflect on how wonderfully gracious God has been to you.  That’s exactly what David did.  Upon learning he would not be personally involved in building the Temple, he reminded himself and others around him of the incredible honor he already enjoyed:  "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever" (1 Chronicles 28:4).

David did not allow this disappointing circumstance to rob him of his joy, nor did he regret having sacrificed so much to build the Temple.  He did not pout over his loss; he rejoiced in the honor that had been given to him as king and gave generously to the Temple project.  David’s lost opportunity could have made him resentful or bitter.  Instead, he maintained an attitude of gratitude and remained focused on the big picture of God’s purpose and glory.

Prayer Focus: Regardless of the disappointments you are faced with today, take some time to reflect on all the special expressions of God’s goodness in your life.  Put perspective on your disappointment.  How many good things are still a part of your life and your family’s life?  Are there others suffering more?  Thank God for how he has already blessed you.

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18

An attitude of gratitude puts everything in the proper perspective.  It enables us to see the big picture and helps us to focus on God and His glory rather than on ourselves and our personal trials or triumphs.  Such an attitude, openly expressed and lived-out, sends a powerful message to our family and friends:  God is in control and I’m glad He is!  Otherwise, we can become self-focused and lose sight of what God is accomplishing in the greater scheme of things.

Baking a cake requires using a number of ingredients, which, if eaten by themselves, are mostly distasteful:  flour, raw eggs, baking powder, etc.  But, if these same ingredients are carefully blended together and baked for the right period of time, you end up with a delicious dessert.  God is at the "mixing bowl" of our lives.  Our "flour and raw eggs" experiences, however distasteful, are the ingredients of a wonderful creation.  We can give thanks in all circumstances because of our faith in God, knowing the end result of all our experiences will be a perfect blend for our good and His glory.

Prayer Focus: Individually and in your family, encourage each member to identify at least one good experience and one bad experience they have had recently.  Take the time to give God thanks for both, remembering that from God’s perspective they are equally beneficial. 

Read Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  Do you believe that?  Live it!