LEGACY GIVING
1. BEQUESTS MADE THROUGH YOUR
WILL OR YOUR ESTATE CAN INCLUDE:
• Gifts of Real Estate
• Gifts of Stocks and Bonds
• Gifts of Retirement Assets
• Gifts of Cash
2. IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER
• If you are over 70 1/2, you can make
a gift directly to GFA from your IRA
and reduce your taxable income.
You can create a lasting legacy in missions through
planned giving to GFA’s Missionary Care Endowment.
Make an Impact for Eternity
Please contact GFA if you have questions
about legacy giving. We will be glad to
assist you as you seek to steward the
resources the Lord has given to you.
864.609.5500
ALAN
PATTERSON
BY
A RE:CHURCH podcast series for
all students of the Scriptures
A valuable resource for pastors, Bible study leaders,
Sunday school teachers, and more
Glean from pastors who have studied and preached
specific books of the Bible
Episodes discuss each book’s key theological passage,
exegetical challenges, and practical applications
PREPARING
TO PREACH
“
”
WATCH:
LISTEN:
Learn more at gfamissions.org/rechurch
Christians have the daily challenge
of maintaining heavenly-mindedness
in the midst of an earthly existence.
Happily, the Lord knows our weak-
nesses and has given us guidance
to meet the challenge. In the Lord’s
Prayer in Matthew 6:9–15, Jesus’
simple but profound instruction on
how to pray directs His followers to
ask for “daily bread.” This request
differs from all the others in the
example because it refers to earthly
things. It acknowledges and puts in
perspective our material needs and
serves as a guide for our prayers
about seemingly mundane matters.
First, it shows our Lord’s loving
awareness of our earthly needs. We
are not angels but flesh and blood in
need of daily physical nourishment.
Jesus’ direction to pray this way
even before we plead for forgive-
ness demonstrates that this request
in no way contradicts the pursuit
of heavenly-mindedness. As Jesus
changes the focus of His instructions
from God’s Name and Kingdom to our
needs, He begins with this request
related strictly to physical life. We are
being obedient and thus ARE being
spiritual when we ask our heavenly
Father for something to eat. The
reference to bread brings the farmer
and his toil to mind—which is about
as earthy as it gets!
Another lesson from Jesus’ prayer
guidance is that while our basic phys-
ical needs are a prayer priority, laying
up earthly treasure is not. Jesus could
have followed the exhortation to pray
for daily bread with an exhortation to
pray about laying up sufficient earthly
treasure for a comfortable, enjoyable
life. But instead of stressing further
material needs, He stresses the needs
of the heart, particularly forgiveness
and deliverance from evil.
The Apostle Paul also treats the
theme of how to view earthly treasure
correctly. Some professing believers
and even teachers have a twisted
view of God’s purposes regarding
wealth and financial gain. They view
God’s blessing in material terms. They
think that “godliness is a means of
gain” (1 Timothy 6:5)1, that is, that
religion can and should lead to pros-
perity. However, they are stressing
not the godliness but the gain and
perversely use the show of “godliness”
to increase the gain. Such people
are preying, not praying. They use a
show of godliness for getting material
profit from the unsuspecting. For
example, even if their teaching is
not biblical, they may get rich with
a well-oiled, well-advertised, popular
television presence.
Paul goes on to state that despite
appearances, their greedy pursuit
ultimately brings not gain but “ruin
and destruction,” “[a wandering]
from the faith” and “many pangs”
(1 Timothy 6:9–10). We avoid this
spiritual ruin by praying, “Lord, I
brought nothing into the world, and
I can take nothing out, so having food
and clothing help me to be content”
(see 1 Timothy 6:7–8). Are you con-
tent? How do you pray about your
needs for living on this earth?
HEAVENLY-MINDED
PRAYING ABOUT
EARTHLY NEEDS
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quota-
tions are taken from the English Standard
Version®, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, a
publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.