~Open in prayer~

MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Welcome to the next week of 180! Did you know that knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand? We can either listen to the wisdom of mentors and elders, or we can buy our own lessons through painful experiences. In this segment of 180, we will break down the principle of stewardship and how it ties into our inheritance as co-heirs with Christ. What if the “more,” that you’ve been praying for, depends on maximizing what you already have? Let’s get started with this week’s discussion.

1. God wants us to learn the lessons through knowledge and wisdom, rather than settling for ‘learning through experience’. Because of His love, he will not release our next level (our inheritance) until we are spiritually mature enough to handle the weight of the blessing.
Read Ruth 3:1-5. Name a person that has helped you avoid a potential pitfall. Did you listen to their lesson or buy your own? What lesson did you learn as a result?

2. According to the word, I am a joint heir with Jesus (Rom. 8:17) – this means I have access to everything He has. An Inheritance is a pre-arranged blessing to be released at an appointed time. A harvest is based on what you do, but an inheritance is based on who you are, it is a blessing that never leaves. However, our inheritance is locked up for the appointed time of maturity and is based on certain voices in our lives (Gal. 4:1-8).
Imagine what would have happened to Ruth if she had not listened to Naomi. How did Naomi’s wisdom/mentorship change Ruth’s life? How does this challenge our culture’s emphasis on independence and self-sufficiency?

3. God takes faithfulness in small things and turns it into authority over great things. We will not get where we want to be in life until we are comfortable doing what we don’t want to do (everyday menial tasks) with faithfulness and diligence. This is counter-cultural to our hustle-and-grind society. Instead of following the world’s principles, let’s follow God’s Kingdom Principles to unlock our next level in Christ. (Reference: Luke 19:13-17)

• Principle #1– I must be faithful to what is someone else’s. God will judge my maturity by how I steward what belongs to someone else. Tell of a time when someone didn’t treat your belongings with respect. Would God view you as mature or immature with how you’ve handled His gifts?

• Principle #2– To qualify for something great, I must first be faithful to something small. God takes faithfulness in small things to determine authority in large things. Have you struggled to be diligent with a task/job/responsibility you are “overqualified for”? How does this scripture shift your views on faithfulness in this area?

• Principle #3– (Eph. 6:8) What I make happen for another, God will make happen for me. My obedience and faithfulness obligate God to show up on my behalf. If I have a vision, the best thing I can do is to help someone else’s vision come to pass. What vision are you trying to achieve? While you wait for your dream to become a reality, whose dream can you elevate?

CONCLUSION
If you have been struggling to be faithful to what is in front of you, don’t lose heart. Your turnaround is on the other side of your faithfulness. When we know there is more for us, it can be challenging to focus on what is right in front of us. Let’s stay committed to our current relationships, job responsibilities, and the gifts God has given us. Nothing you do goes unnoticed. We serve a faithful God who is moved by our diligence to His principles. Faithfully clarify your vision while you wait!

END IN PRAYER