Awakening Potential: Stewardship and Faithfulness in Christ

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God wants us to realize our potential to maximize the potential he has given us. Miles Monrose once said this "The wealthiest place on earth is the cemetery." He said that because buried in the cemetery are books that'll never be written, buried in the cemetery is music that'll never be heard, buried in the cemetery are dreams that have died and gone with the people that went uh went went away. [00:54:23]

It has nothing to do with the God-given potential that he's placed on the inside of every one of us amen you really do have potential in in you and if you in fact you c you cannot allow other people's opinions to stop the the potential that God has put on the inside of you. [00:55:29]

A seed goes into dirt and that seed has to be broken before it ever becomes a harvest and so God was saying I understand I'm going to put potential in you but you're going to go through some things you're going to deal with some things in life and that seed's going to have to go through a breaking. [00:57:22]

The first thing to understand about this potential is it's not yours it comes from the master it comes from God it's it's it in the story we see there's one master and three servants so quick quick quiz all right easy easy easy who's the master jesus god okay either one of those will work jesus God who are the servants we are. [01:03:59]

Our relationship with God is not God following us and our plans our relationship with God is us following him and his plans for our life another important thing we see in the story is it was the master's potential to begin with it was his it was his to give he entrusted the servants with what he had. [01:04:59]

When you understand that if you have anything in your bank account that's the goodness of God when you understand that if you have a house that's the goodness of God when you understand that you have a car to drive that's the goodness of God when you understand that you got breath in your body to breathe and walk in here today that's the goodness of God. [01:05:16]

God gives everybody something everybody has something no matter who you are no matter where you are no matter how much money you have or don't have God gives everybody something to use for his glory and his kingdom have you ever thought about how your smile is a gift smile is a gift. [01:11:25]

If my heart's not right I will always devalue what God has given me even though God gave me this I'm going to devalue this based on what other people have if I just focus and compare all the and that's what we do don't we let me see that yeah look at Look at that car man look at that house. [01:16:22]

When we keep our eyes on what other people have we're going to devalue what God has given us because this is important but it doesn't look important when I look at what you have so you got to stop comparing look at your neighbor say "Stop comparing stop comparing stop comparing." [01:17:30]

If this potential is going to be any good I have to give it to the master what does the master ask of our potential a tenth a tithe he said I just want you to give me a tithe so let me ask you a question what is a tithe of $100 $10 all right let me help you out. [01:19:38]

When you give he will give back good measure pressed down shaken together and running over so so would you rather have n 100% of everything you have and it all cursed or 90% and it all blessed i'll take that 90% and all blessed any day amen all right now you can go. [01:20:46]

Everything you bury and you don't give to God first you're going to lose every bit of it all right you understand this principle 10 in the Bible 10th are tied 10 in the Bible is associated with testing there are ten commandments to test to test to test thou shalt not kill thou shalt not murder thou shalt not thou shalt not put another god before you. [01:21:47]

If you can't let it go you don't own it anyway it owns you it owns you it owns you so whatever it is you have today potential first thing you need to do is say "God I give it to you lord I give you my talents my abilities everything the first thing I do you can ask my wife before I walk out of here. [01:26:38]

You will never realize your potential until you're in a relationship with God that's your first step maybe you would say this morning I haven't even taken that step pastor i need to do that today and I've been listening to what you're saying and I I need a relationship with God. [01:27:54]

How pastor by being faithful with what you have you can change it you might have one but God says "I just want you to be faithful with what you have and I'll give you another one and be faithful with that and I'll give you another one and I'll keep giving until you have more than enough not just for you but for everybody around you that's being faithful. [01:31:22]

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