Personal Prosperity - The Key

1. SEEK GOD IN YOUR LIVING

Matthew 6:33 says “Seek First the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”

'Seek' means 'to aim for OR to strive after'

'First' means 'to be given priority over other things in regard to order'

ILLUSTRATION video: Kurt Warner -       
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N1YQM7ssP0

We want to make our primary goal to have God rule in our life and to live right!

Acts 20:7 says that the Early Church met together on the First day of the Week to hear God’s Word being preached.

“Church on the first day of every week sets you up for success the rest of the week!”

2. SEEK GOD IN YOUR GIVING

“Honour God with everything you own, give him the first and the best” ~Proverbs 3:9

“The proof of generosity is that when you give, you always give your best!”

ILLUSTRATION Video: Answering another guy’s phone -    
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT7NgewVV2Q

“Put God first, be patient in the process and God will look after you.”

...take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name [the temple] ~ Deuteronomy 26:2

'First Fruits' simply means 'the first and best part'

There were 2 MAIN PURPOSES for this Offering:

1. To THANK God for what He’s done.

So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me. Place the basket before the LORD. ~Deuteronomy 26:8-10

We’ve got to give God thanks for where He’s brought us from and where he’s taking us to.

‘Brought out’ means ‘to move forward to something’

2. To TRUST God for what’s to come.

When we choose to put him first we can trust that He will look after us the whole year through!

CHALLENGE: When you give to God first, he takes care of the rest. Putting God in first priority in every part of our life brings his favour and his help.  Take the challenge to make getting to church EVERY week a priority.  This puts God first and it will empower you.  Choose to give God the first tenth (tithe) of every cheque that comes to you and watch him look after your needs AND even go above and beyond.