When we play golf, go bowling, and so forth we must also be selective. While it is not bad (in and of itself) to play golf, etc., people we choose to play those game with can have a very negative effect on our lives. If those we choose to participate in these recreational activities are drinkers, gamblers, womanizers, and so forth, these attitudes will rub off on us. You know old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together."

Serving Christ With Our Talents

One of disappointments in life for me is that I cannot sing or play a musical instrument. I really wish that I could! Perhaps some day I'll be able to learn to do one or both of these. However, I do have other talents. So do you. The important thing is that you and I use what talents we do have to glorify Lord.

What better thing could we do with our talents than serve Lord? If singing is our talent, we should use it to glorify God through song during worship service or when ever we can. But if our talent lies elsewhere, we need to use it as well.

As for me, I do have some ability to write and speak. Therefore, I have this print ministry and I also do some preaching when opportunity arises. I can also teach and I use this ability as well to serve God.

But your talents may be in visiting sick or downhearted. You may be excellent in creating craft items that elderly or even children in Sunday School could work on. You may be able to provide meals to those who have lost a loved one or for special occasions at church. Your talent may be in arranging flowers for church services. It may be in meeting and greeting people and inviting them to worship service.

Whatever your talent, use it to serve Christ. If we have a talent (and we all do) and we are not using that talent to serve Christ, then we are guilty of withholding from Him that which He has given to us. Remember, our talents are from God. We could do nothing if it were not for Him. And it is through Him that we can make most of our talents and use them to glorify Jesus Christ.

Serving Christ With Our Finances

One of most touchy subjects is one of serving Christ with our finances. Most people seem to really get offended when we begin to talk about giving to church. But, this is so important – not so much for Christ, but for us!

If we truly love Christ, then we will want to support His work. That means giving to church so that gospel can be preached and lost lives won for Christ. The local church simply cannot do work necessary without support of its people. We should want to see lost souls saved. The best way this can happen is for local church to be thriving and seeking lost in community.

Another aspect of work of local church is support of missionaries. Does your congregation have missionaries which it supports? It should, perhaps even must if it is to be a church which loves and follows Christ. The work of foreign missionaries is so very important. Remember that Christ told apostles to go into ALL world and preach gospel. We should do likewise. We can do likewise by supporting foreign missionaries individually and through local church.

While these are important, real reason to give of our finances is a matter of worship. By giving generously we show Christ that we love Him and want His work to be supported. Giving lip service to Christ may fool our fellow man, but it will not fool God.

Give Our Best To The Master

Choose this day whom you will serve! To serve Christ means to give Him our best. Give Him best part of our lives, both in work and play. Give Him best of our talents. Use what we have and develop new talents to worship and glorify Christ. And give of our best of our finances. Give a tithe and then a generous gift as well.

I like old saying, "You can't out-give God." This is true in all three respects – our lives, our talents and our finances.

All Scriptures quoted are from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org

There are other hindrances to seeking God. Unfortunately, society in which we live corrupts us. These corruptions keep us from seeking God. Some of more obvious corruptions are: television (violent or sexually oriented movies, soap operas, etc.), magazines, pleasure seeking, and materialism. Some less obvious may be work schedules, family duties, leadership (community, business, church) duties, etc. There are other things as well, it is not always same for each person. The point is things we have to contend with in life corrupts our seeking God.

When I was growing up in 50's and early 60's, you never heard profanity on television. Now we see homosexuality, abortion, and extra-material affairs all promoted on television every week, not to mention a host of vulgar and profane language and violence beyond compare. These things are wrong and they corrupt our seeking God.

In all of this, however, there is good news. Jesus tells us in sixth chapter of Matthew to "seek first kingdom of God." Then in chapter seven he says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7,8)

You may feel that you are so far away from a true relationship with God that it is impossible to seek and to find Him. But that just isn't true! If you are not a Christian, then you must seek God through giving your life to Jesus Christ. You must believe that Jesus is Christ, Son of living God. You must repent of your sins, confess to your fellow man that you believe, and be baptized in watery grave of baptism. Then you are ready for a life-long journey of seeking God.

If you are now a Christian, and haven't been living as close to God as you should, now is time to start that journey. The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Confess your unfaithfulness now, and start that life-long journey of constantly seeking and finding God.

Seeking and finding God is a wonderful experience. I've noticed in my life that when I truly seek God and His righteousness, I find Him. I am so excited and joyous that I seek Him more, then I find Him. That, in turn, makes me happy and I want to seek Him more, and then I find Him. The more I seek Him, more I find Him. Jesus told us in His word, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6) What a wonderful promise, to know that if we hunger and thirst for righteous-ness, that if we seek God, we will find Him.

Don't let things of this world keep you from seeking and finding God. Jesus tells us in His word, "For what will it profit a man if he gains whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Mark 8:36) Don't let world corrupt you and keep you from seeking God. Don't let world cause you to lose you own soul.

I know that some teach doctrine of "Once saved, always saved." But this is not what Bible teaches. We are all in danger of losing our soul if we do not seek God.

So remember brothers and sisters, "Seek first kingdom of God and His righteousness..." (Matthew 6:33)

Favorite Scriptures

I have many favorite scriptures that help me make it through this world and live each day in Christ Jesus. Here are just a few.

"For God so loved world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"And if it seems evil to you to serve LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether gods which your fathers served that were on other side of River, or gods of Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve LORD." (Joshua 24:15)

All scriptures quoted are from New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org