Agape Christian Fellowship

06/01/2026

Planting and Planning

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
Mark 12:17

To get out of debt God’s way, we must first learn how to plant. Any financial counselor will tell you to invest in that which gives you the greatest chance of a good return. And God will always give us the greatest return on anything in life. God is our greatest investment, and if we do not honor Him with all He has given to us, everything else is out of line. God should be our first financial priority—His is the first bill we pay.

In today’s verse, Jesus taught that we are to give God His due and to give the governing authorities their due in the form of our taxes. Regardless of what we believe about the current tax system, God is greater than the government, and we answer to Him. He says to give to the government what is due the government. God is our greatest resource, and we should plant our investments in Him.

The second thing we must do to get out of debt God’s way is to plan. Proverbs 27:23 says, “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds.” Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.” We must stop guessing about the state of our finances and make a purposeful plan to use our resources wisely. A budget helps us track the way each dollar is allocated, enabling us to better plan for a productive future.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

Equipping Time: 10am
Worship: 10:30am
Fellowship 12:30pm

05/31/2026

The Reality of Debt

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
Ecclesiastes 5:5

Financially speaking, there are three kinds of people: the haves, the have-nots, and those who have not paid for what they have!

Debt has become a way of life in America. “In 2004, the average credit-card-indebted family allocated 21 percent of its income to servicing monthly debt compared to the 13 percent dedicated to debt payments among all households.” We must understand that when debt rules, debt ruins. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Debt puts you in slavery.

There are several reasons for debt, including ignorance, indulgence, poor planning, and emergencies. Debt is owing something you cannot pay, and that kind of debt should be abnormal for the Christian because it is outside of God’s will. Debt is first and foremost a spiritual issue.

I believe that God provides a way for us to live without being controlled by our debt. “The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” (Deuteronomy 28:12).
We can be set free from the tyranny of debt through four steps: plant, plan, prioritize, and pray.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

05/30/2026

The People of Ministry

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

Some people believe Christianity is self-service only. But the truth is, we can’t simply take in the gospel for ourselves and not share it with others. God wants to empty us of ourselves so He can fill us with something new. Then we can give to others out of that which He has given to us. This is accomplished through ministry, or as the Bible also calls it, good works. A good work is always done to benefit someone else and glorify God, as today’s verse demonstrates. Our good works give the world a glimpse of God. Hebrews 10:24 encourages us to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”

What constitutes a good deed? Jesus said that anyone who gives a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple will not lose his reward (Matthew 10:42). We do good works to give Jesus the credit and the glory.

Ministry is for the benefit of several groups of people. We are to minister to those who minister to us—our preachers and congregational leaders (Galatians 6:6). We are to minister to the poor. Deuteronomy 15:11 says, “Freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.” And we are to minister to the unsaved by sharing the gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission. We are all called to give to others out of the abundance we have received.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

05/29/2026

The Ministry of Stewardship

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house.
Malachi 3:10

Understanding who we are as the people of God is critical for success as stewards of His kingdom. We are God’s safety valve, the ones God has called to demonstrate what kingdom solutions look like. Ministry occurs when God’s people serve others for eternal purposes. Ministry touches lives with eternity in mind.

Ministry takes place in God’s house. In Old Testament times, this was the temple. In fact, today’s verse, which talks about tithing, also refers to God’s house.

Ephesians 2:19,21-22 tells us that Christians are now God’s temple: “You are…of God’s household…the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

If our church is the dwelling place of God, the Word will be taught, the needs of the saints will be met, and the community will be impacted.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

05/28/2026

God’s Commitment to Bless

I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing.
Genesis 12:2

God has a blessing for everyone—including you.

In Genesis 12:2-3, God promised Abraham that He would both bless him and make him a blessing. Shortly thereafter, Abraham rescued the city of S***m, which had been taken captive.

Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand” (Genesis 14:18-20).

S***m’s king told Abraham he would give him money, power, and prestige. Look at Abraham’s response: “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say ‘I have made Abram rich’” (verses 22-23).

Abraham refused to make a deal just to get some money in his pocket. He chose to trust God. When you are a good steward, you have options. You’re no longer limited to earthly options; your trust is in God Most High. You live the truth that in life, you only have one source—God. He is your source. Everyone and everything else is just a resource. So if God is your source, you only have to please one person—Him.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

05/27/2026

Types of Blessings

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.
2 Corinthians 9:8

What blessings will God give you when you honor Him? The definition of blessing is the enjoyment of God’s divine favor. Blessing isn’t just about having more stuff. It’s a function of stewardship—using and enjoying the stuff you have. Remember, blessings aren’t necessarily material things.

First, as a steward, you can expect God to hear your prayers. “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:14-15). When prayer is mixed with honor, God will answer.
Second, you can expect God to meet your needs. God knows all we need even before we do, and He has all the resources of the universe at His disposal.

When you honor God rightly, you may also enjoy a reversal of fortune, where God changes your circumstances. “God turned the curse into a blessing” (Deuteronomy 23:5). And, in Joel, God promised, “I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25). We often try to honor, defend, and promote ourselves, but if we will let Him lead, He can reverse our negative scenarios and make good come from them.

Another blessing of stewardship is emotional well-being. If you’re serving God and valuing Him above all else, you don’t need to worry about anything—God will take care of you.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

05/26/2026

Expecting God’s Blessings

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3

Sometimes people view working toward a reward as less than honorable. They think it’s not right to serve God just to get a reward. But these people may approve if the reward is only one reason for serving Him. However, God’s Word shows us that He is vitally concerned about rewards. “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age…and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

God honors those who honor Him, and God wants you to expect to be blessed. If you’re a Christian, you’ve already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. If God can trust you to be generous with the earthly treasures He’s given you, He will have every reason to supply you with more.

Giving is the way to receiving. Most Christians have it backward. They say, “Lord, give to me, and then I will give to You.” But here is a fundamental difference between us and God: We can trust God, but He can’t trust us. Many times He gives to us and never sees it again.
When we honor Him first, He promises to respond to us.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up

05/24/2026

Covenant Blessing

To Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Covenants are central to God’s relationship with mankind. God has used His covenant relationships with people to accomplish His purposes throughout history. In Old Testament times, God provided the tabernacle in the wilderness as the center of covenant activity for the Israelites. The 12 tribes situated themselves around the tabernacle, where the cloud of glory was. When they went into the Promised Land, a temple was built, and this became the center of covenant activity.

Today, the center of covenant activity is the local church. This is the epicenter of God using the covenant to manage His kingdom. First Timothy 3:15 says the church is “the pillar and support of the truth.” The local church holds God’s Word, and His people are fed there by His Word. From that nourishment, the people engage in dynamic ministry, and the impact of the kingdom spreads.

According to Deuteronomy 8:18, God gives His people the power to increase through financial and spiritual blessings. God isn’t against prosperity, but He is against wasting it or letting it rule our lives. He wants us to use what we have for His glory and purposes, and He wants to give us even more to use for the furthering of His kingdom. But the question is, can He trust us with more? Are we honoring Him with what we have right now?

What you do with what you have will influence the level of your blessing.

Evans, T. (2012). A Moment for Your Soul: Devotions to Lift You Up