[Click Here] for a printable PDF file

 

Dear Leader,

This may date us all, but there was a popular show a few years back that had a great theme song. I’d like for us to look over the lyrics together...

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot
Wouldn’t you like to get away
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You wanna be where you can see
The troubles are all the same
You wanna go where everybody knows your name
You wanna go where people know
People are all the same
You wanna go where everybody knows your name"

I’m sure you all know this song and have been singing along as you read the lyrics. We all need a place for encouragement, and this song reminds us of that need. In this month’s E4 we are going to learn the importance of giving and receiving encouragement.

Serving alongside you,

Craig

 

Life At The ATM…

"Depositing Encouragement In The Lives Of Others"

Hebrews 10:22-25

September 2005

 

E1 - Encouraging Quotes and Verses

 

Quotes:

 You can easily determine the caliber of a person by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage them.

Author Unknown

Effective ministry to today’s children goes beyond a basic understanding of development issues or simple babysitting. It requires taking risks to walk alongside children weighed down with burdens of divorce, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, over-committed parents and stress-related disorders.

Dr. Gary McIntosh

The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards so he can breathe without letting go. Do we hold on to the hope we have with the tenacity of a bulldog?

Winston Churchill

 Not “How did they die?” But “How did they live?”

Not “What did they gain?” But “What did they give?”

Not “What was their station?” But “Had they a heart?”

And “How did they play their God-given part?”

Not “What was their shrine?” Nor “What was their creed?”

But “Did they befriend those really in need?”

Not “what did the piece in the newspaper say?”

But “How many were sorry when they passed away?”

Were they ever ready with a word of good cheer, to bring back a smile, to banish a tear?

These are the units to measure the worth of a man or a woman regardless of birth.

Author Unknown

 

Verses:

 But what a person says with his mouth comes from the way he thinks. And these are the things that make him unclean.

Matthew 15:18 ICB

If you give up when trouble comes, it shows that you are weak .

Proverbs 24:10 NCV

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

James 1:2-4 NLT

Anxious hearts are very heavy, but a word of encouragement does wonders!

Proverbs 12:25 TLB

 When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right!

Proverbs 15:15 TLB



E2 - Equipping Resources


50% off Leading Edge "Life at the ATM" What makes a healthy team? What if we were to do the little things, that make the little difference, that make the big difference? Welcome to this new series that will break down the ELEMENTS of our lives. This month’s Leading Edge will introduce us to the first six elements that are the essential building blocks for a healthy team. We will discuss what it means to trust our team, test our team in a way the Bible teaches us, and what it means to speak truth that is honoring and valuable. Teamwork is more than just people working towards a common goal. We have to have relationships that keep us connected to one another. All the believers kept meeting together , and they shared everything with each other. Acts 2:44 GW


Treasure Quest Activity Books
Follow along with us through this fun activity book as we explore how to store up treasure in heaven! You will learn how to have a heart that is trusting, respectful, enthusiastic, appreciating, serving, understanding, responding, and eternal. You will also memorize eight verses, a different verse for each week. Packed full of coloring pages, mazes, rhyming pages, word searches, hidden pictures, decoding pages, and lots more! Come on! Let’s go on a Treasure Quest!


 

E3 - Energizing Stories  

  • Illustration 1: Train Conductor

A train conductor was taking tickets on a train when he came upon a guy who was incredibly obnoxious. He refused to give the conductor his ticket. He berated the conductor and called him every name in the book. He screamed, ranted and raved for about five minutes. The entire time the conductor calmly listened without yelling or repaying the man with like attitude. When the situation was resolved and the conductor went about his business, another passenger had said, “Why didn’t you give him a piece of your mind? I mean the guy was an idiot to you.” The conductor said, “He has to live with himself all the time. I can put up with him for five minutes.”

 

  • Illustration 2: More Clearly From The Inside:

Al Bryant relates a story of a woman who was a member of a church but seldom attended. The minister told her that he was sorry and that she was missed. The lady responded, “I don’t have to go to church to have faith.” And to this the minister readily agreed. Glancing up at the stained glass window above the door the minister said, “You don’t have to go to church to see that either, do you?” She shook her head curiously. He asked her if she would step inside for a minute. A stream of light form the afternoon sun fell across the window. It was pretty incredible. The figure of Christ, only faintly visible from the outside, stood out boldly. There was no mistaking who it was. The minister said, “Clever isn’t it?” “Well yes’” she admitted, “You can see Him much more clearly from the inside.”

 

  • Illustration 3: Stained Glass Window

Jamie was on a field trip with her kindergarten class to an old church. They saw many things at this church, but one interesting piece of artwork caught her eye. It was a stained glass window pane that the light was shining through, placing a shadow on the floor of this church. When the teacher noticed she was missing she went back to look for Jamie. She found her staring at the floor…at the shadow that was being cast through the stained glass window. Jamie asked her teacher what that was. Jamie’s teacher pointed to the wall and said that’s a picture of a saint. Later, when Jamie returned home after the field trip, her mom asked how her day was. Jamie told her about all the things she had seen, especially the really cool stained glass window of the saint. Her mom asked Jamie “What is a saint?” Jamie says, “Mom, a saint is someone that light shines through.” So let me ask you…are you a pane or someone that light shines through?

 

E4 -Empowering Leadership

Think of Encouragement like an ATM Machine

You will usually do one of two things at an ATM…make a deposit or make a withdrawal.

 

  • There is a sequence for encouragement in Hebrews 10:22-24

(22) Let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting Him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (23) Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. (24) Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:22-24 NLT

 

Verse 22 – Refers to personal devotion

Verse 23 – Refers to living consistently

Verse 24 – Refers to our obligation to others

 

 

A doring God

Let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting Him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22 NLT

 

What comes out of our mouth is from what is on the inside.

But what a person says with his mouth comes from the way he thinks. And these are the things that make him unclean. Matthew15:18 ICB

 

  • 7 ways to get closer to God:
  • Quiet Time
  • Prayer
  • Journal
  • Scripture Memory
  • Devotional helps
  • Books
  • Worship Service
  • The danger for us is the Martha complex…

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 NASB

 

We get too busy doing children’s ministry that we forget to attend a service ourselves.

 

 

T aking hold

Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Hebrews 10:23 NLT

 

  • Verses on Discouragement

If you give up when trouble comes, it shows that you are weak . Proverbs 24:10 NCV

 

  • God perfects us through difficulty. He uses our discouragements to encourage others. Take a look at James 1:2-4 .

 

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. James 1:2-4 NLT

 

  • Even when it’s difficult, we can encourage others when we have passed through.

 

For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. When He lived on earth, He was tempted in every way that we are, but He did not sin. Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:15-16 NCV

 

 

  • There are some times when you need to be carried…

 

  • (1) A few days later, Jesus came back to Capernaum . The news spread that He was home . (2) So many people gathered to hear Him preach that the house was full. There was no place to stand, not even outside the door. Jesus was teaching them. (3) Some people came, bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus. Four of them were carrying the paralyzed man. (4) But they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd. So they went to the roof above Jesus and made a hole in the roof. Then they lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on it. (5) Jesus saw that these men had great faith. So He said to the paralyzed man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven ." (6) Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there. They saw what Jesus did, and they said to themselves, (7) "Why does this man say things like that? He is saying things that are against God. Only God can forgive sins." (8) At once Jesus knew what these teachers of the law were thinking. So He said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? (9) Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to tell him, 'Stand up. Take your mat and walk'? (10) But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, (11) "I tell you, stand up. Take your mat and go home." (12) Immediately the paralyzed man stood up. He took his mat and walked out while everyone was watching him. The people were amazed and praised God. They said, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12 ICB

 

 

First they sought Jesus

Second they brought their friend

Third they thought about a plan

Fourth others were taught

 

 

  • If you are discouraged today let me give you a couple of encouragements...

 

  • I know I can always put my Trust in Jesus because His word says, "But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting Him." (Hebrews 4:14 TLB)

 

  • Why should I be dissatisfied with my situation when the Bible says, "I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens." (Phil 4:11 NCV)

 

  • Why should I feel anxious when the Bible says, "So don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you."(Isaiah 41:10 NCV)

 

  • I know I can help heal others because the Bible says, "A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength." (Proverbs 17:22 NCV)

 

  • I'm not worried about tomorrow because the Bible says, "We can make our plans, but the final outcome is in God's hands." (Proverbs 16:1 TLB)

 

  • When I am apprehensive I need to remember that, "Anxious hearts are very heavy, but a word of encouragement does wonders!" (Proverbs 12:25 TLB)

 

  • I know how to make things go right because the Bible reminds me that, "When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right!" (Proverbs 15:15 TLB)

 

 

M otivating Others

Hebrews 10:24 NLT

Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.

Verse 25 ICB

You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing. But you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.

 

 

  • Illustration: Bear Bryant

 

 

  • Top 10 ways to encourage others (and don’t cost a lot!)
  • A Smile A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. Proverbs 15:30 NLT
  • A Positive attitude
  • A Hand-written note
  • A High five
  • A Hug
  • Applause
  • An E-mail card or note
  • Bright eyes
  • A Phone call
  • The Last 10%

 

 

  • Top 3 ways to discourage others

1. Cut your spiritual growth lifelines

2. Cast a negative non-verbal attitude

3. Whine

  •  
  • The measure of a man:

Not “How did they die?” But “How did they live?”

Not “What did they gain?” But “What did they give?”

Not “What was their station?” But “Had they a heart?”

And “How did they play their God-given part?”

Not “What was their shrine?” Nor “What was their creed?”

But “Did they befriend those really in need?”

Not “What did the piece in the newspaper say?”

But “How many were sorry when they passed away?”

Were they ever ready with a word or good cheer, to bring back a smile, to banish a tear?

These are the units to measure the worth of a man or a woman regardless of birth.

Author unknown

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

A doring God

T aking Hold (of our hope)

M otivating Others

 

 

  • Read Verbatim:

At the end of the month we get a bank statement that lists all of our transactions for the month. Our investments, deposits, our withdrawals and any errors that occurred along with their adjustments. What if we got a statement at the end of each month on our encouragement transactions? Our investments, deposits, our withdrawals and any errors that needed correcting. Would that change some of our thinking? I get a very real assessment of how careless I was with our resources or how wise I was with our resources. The bank statement tells all—beginning balance to ending balance and all the transactions in between. Maybe some of you don’t have anything left today. You are overspent. You could not encourage if your life depended on it. Then you need to tell someone—someone who at the present time has a high yield and a lot in the bank. Someone who can encourage you, lift you up. Some months are better than others, according to my statements. If you have an abundance today, review back at the top 10 ways to encourage. I would suggest a note to someone, maybe within our ministry—a co-leader, one of our paid staff…maybe a child or a parent going through a tuff month

 

 

So encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now. Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to appreciate those who work hard among you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you. Respect them with a very special love because of the work they do. Live in peace with each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:11-13 NCV

 

 

Encourage each other every day while you have the opportunity. If you do this, none of you will be deceived by sin and become stubborn. Hebrews 3:13 GWT