Two14 Student Ministries

What does it look like to give wisely? Is there a certain way that God wants us to give? As we examine scripture, we find both practical direction for giving as well as an examination of the deeper motivations or our hearts.

God desires that when it comes to our resources that we would live with an open hand, that we would live out of the formula, GIVE-SAVE-LIVE. Why would we live that way? How much do you have to give to live that way? Who should we give to?

How and why are we supposed to give? Paul gives a great example to the people of Corinth of what giving looks like. We see 4 principles: 1. Giving is a response of joy. 2. Giving is of our own free will, not compulsion 3. Giving is our honor, not seen as our duty. 4. We must give ourselves to the Lord first.

When it comes to stewarding our money wisely, what does it look like to give obediently? Does God want Middle Schoolers to give as well? And if God is so powerful, why does He need our money? As we look more closely at what God has to say about giving, we find generosity addresses some big internal and external needs.

Matthew 6:21 says that where our treasure is, our heart will be also. If we want to change our treasure, we must then change our heart. When it comes to our money we must realize that God owns all money and that we are merely stewards of the resources he has given us. If you were reminded of that every time you made a purchase, do you think that it would change the way that you spend your money? Videos Used in talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vcKtBnqEuw

When it comes to our heart the true measure is what we treasure. For far too many people, even Christians, our treasure is things here on earth, not things of God. We live in a world driven by consumerism and materialism and it's infected believers as well. We must see that every time that we spend money it's a heart issue, not a dollar and cents issue, because how and on what we spend our money reveals where our heart lies.

When John the Baptist was asked what practical repentance looked like, what do you think he said? What subject did Jesus speak on more than any other in the gospels? You might be surprised to find the answer to both these questions is money. In this series we will explore the dangers of greed and deep idolatry and begin looking at the why the subject of money is so important to God.

If we truly believed that God was good, and that every single thing that God did was good, then wouldn't our response be to worship and give him glory? What does that really mean? What does that really look like? Ultimately when we see God as he truly is we would ascribe to him the value due him because of the weight that he carries.

Blaise Pascal said, "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the creator, made known through Jesus Christ." We are all searching for lives to be satisfied, filled. We try and fill it with things of this world, broken things, that won't last. Only God can fill the void that we are all trying to fill. But how do we fill our lives with him?

When we place guardrails, bumpers that keep us from greater consequences in our lives, they are only good if we actually apply them. The sooner that we not only implement but apply them to our lives the better because these moments are going to come. We must be careful though because they don't normally come at once, but from small compromises at a time that lead to large compromises. This is why living with guardrails is so important.

When it comes to our finances it is critical that we set up guardrails. Money is an area that most people feel like the have control over until they realize hey actually don't. This is why it's important to set up guardrails when it comes to how we set up our finances.

An often overlooked area but critical area is our health. If we aren't careful it will dictate what our future looks like. That's why it's so important that we put up guardrails in this area of our lives. We must make sure to care not only for our spiritual health, but our physical health as well.

The area where we must set up guardrails in our lives is when it comes to our sexual purity. The culture that we live in says that sexual immorality isn't a big deal. Yet when you look at how fragile relationships are because of lost intimacy, trust issues and more we would see the devastation that sexual immorality leaves behind. This is why guardrails in this area are vital.

If we truly believe that friendships determine the quality and direction of our lives then we would set-up guardrails in our lives to make sure that we protect ourselves from ourselves. Proverbs 13:20 gives a promise and warning when it comes to the people that we attach ourselves to. We must make sure that we place guardrails up in our lives in the critical area of friendship.

We all try and push the limits to live at the edge. The problem is that just beyond the edge is serious consequences. The purpose of guardrails is to provide a barrier between what is bad and what is worst. The same should be true in our lives. So what does that look like and where do we need to place these barriers to help protect us from real consequences.

Have you ever felt like you're missing out on something big? Have you ever felt left out during Christmas? As we continue to look at the story of Jesus's family ties, we take a closer look at the Biblical characters of Rahab and Ruth. Though it seemed as if both Rahab and Ruth were being left out of God's plan, we find that God uses their stories to show us that He is always working to bring broken sinners into His family.

As we spend these weeks leading up to Christmas looking at the genealogy of Jesus Christ, we take a closer look at the story of Judah and Tamar. In this messy, awkward story, we quickly discover that God can and does use anyone for His purpose and glory; that we are all in need of a savior, and we can have hope this Christmas because Jesus came to Earth for messed up people like Judah and Tamar.

Whether it's questions on the Bible, Christianity, or everyday life, everyone has uncertainty about what they believe. This week we tackle some big questions over living in the Spirit, tattoos, and the existence of Satan.

Whether it's questions on the Bible, Christianity, or everyday life, everyone has uncertainty about what they believe. This week, Leader Mark Barnett tackles the big question between free will and predestination. If God is all-powerful, why would He allow us to sin? Why would He not cause everyone to repent and follow Him?

Whether it's questions on the Bible, Christianity, or everyday life, everyone has uncertainty about what they believe. This week, Leader Mark Barnett tackles some questions concerning other religions including whether we should expect believers of other religions to be swayed from their beliefs, and how we as Christians should relate to other believers such as Muslims and those practicing Witchcraft.