Acts 4:32-37 | All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 2:43-47 | Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Matthew 6:1-4 | “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, help me become more generous.

DAILY THOUGHT: GENEROUS SHARING
The early Christian community was a remarkably generous community. You can catch glimpses of the ways in which they shared their lives with each other when you read the book of Acts (see 2:43–47; 4:32–37; 6:2–7). Their generosity had many different dimensions, ranging from the interpersonal to the material. They gave time to each other, eating and praying together; they shared their goods in common and gave to the needy around them. Little wonder thousands of outsiders were attracted to their life together. There was something radically different about the way they lived. Rather than cling to whatever they possessed, they shared generously their lives and their possessions with one another. They were a sign of contradiction in a greedy and stingy world. Can this be said about us and the faith-communities to which we belong?

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. In your quiet time sit with God and make a list of the different ways in which we can be generous. We can share our time, our abilities, our material and financial resources and so much else. Think of one specific way in which you can extend yourself for someone else over the next twelve hours. It may be by giving them your time, or helping them out with one of your skills, or giving a financial gift. As always, though, speak with God about which one way you are going to be generous. And remember, a good guideline is to ask, “Lord, what will most express your love where I live and work?”

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

Matthew 6:1-4 | “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, help me become more generous.

DAILY THOUGHT: DIFFERENT REWARDS
Did you notice Jesus’ words about different rewards in the Bible passage? When we do good deeds to be seen and praised by others we get one kind of reward. This reward is that we are seen and praised by others. This is what we wanted and this is what we receive. When we do good deeds in secret, our Father who is also in secret, rewards us. While Jesus does not specify exactly what this reward is, we do discover what it is in our own experience. At the very least, we come to know God better and experience the joy of being God’s friend and partner in doing good. God’s reward, we learn, is truly out of this world!

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. With God reflect on what happened as you carried out your plan of serving someone without talking about it. How did you feel doing it? How did the other person respond? What was your experience of God in this experiment of secret service? Share your thoughts and feelings with the Lord and listen to what the Lord may be saying to you. Plan another small action of secret service for the next twelve hours.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

Matthew 6:1-4 | “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, help me become more generous.

DAILY THOUGHT: ALMSGIVING
When Jesus speaks about giving alms in our weekly Bible passage, the word sounds strange and old fashioned in our modern ears. Essentially what it means is giving to those who are poor. Learning how best to go about doing this can be very challenging. Often our giving to others can take away dignity from those on the receiving end, increase the distance between them and ourselves, and perpetuate unjust systems that should not be there in the first place. On the other hand, when we do not share what we have with those in practical need, their desperate situation may become even worse. We need much wisdom and insight if we are to take Jesus’ words about generously sharing seriously.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. Read the Bible passage for the week again, paying particular attention to Jesus’ words about almsgiving. Think about your experiences of generous sharing with those in need. Here are some reflection questions: How generous do you think you are? Would you like to grow in generous sharing? Has your sharing with others built healthy and mutual relationships between yourself and others or has it hindered such relationship? Share your reflections with the Lord and listen to what he may say to you.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

Matthew 6:16-18 | “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, deepen our focus on you.

DAILY THOUGHT: WHENEVER YOU FAST
Quite clearly Jesus expected his followers to fast. In the weekly Bible passage he did not say, “If you fast…” but rather “Whenever you fast…” (Matthew 6:16). He must have known that there are immense spiritual benefits to the regular practice of fasting. As we have emphasized throughout this week, it helps tremendously to develop our Christ focus. This in turn often leads us into first-hand experiences of God’s amazing resources. We find ourselves empowered to do things for God that otherwise we would not have been able to do. For this reason, it is highly unusual to find any Christ-follower in history doing great things for God without a sustained practice of regular fasting.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. Reflect today on the past week. How has the Lord responded to your daily prayer request during this week? After you have thought about this question, take some time to think of the future. How can fasting become a sustained practice in your walk with God? You may want to begin with a small step like missing out on one meal each week, or a bigger one like making one day a week a fast day.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W

Matthew 6:16-18 | “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, deepen our focus on you.

DAILY THOUGHT: A MEDIA FAST
Many of our distorted desires are formed by the images we receive through different social media. These images bombard us with ideas about things we must buy, how we are supposed to look, clothes we have to wear, where we should eat, places we must visit, games we must play, and the list goes on and on. Our constant media exposure not only creates in us unhelpful appetites; they also rob us of time that we could have given to activities that are far more creative and life giving. For this reason a media fast could be a fun experiment. Not only may God use it to grow our Christ focus, it may also open our lives to a greater freedom and contentment.

DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray the daily prayer request. Today plan a media fast in the evening either today or tomorrow. This fast includes the Internet, television, newspapers, radio stations, video games, all use of iPhones and iPads, etc. Think about what you will do during this time of fasting – you may decide to play with the kids, have coffee with a friend, go for a walk, or maybe just be quiet on your own. This fast will be your way of saying “I refuse to live under the dominion of the media. I choose to live more freely and lightly with Christ.”

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. W