HANDKERCHIEF

'I'm not regularly reading my Bible ... I'm not serving ... I'm not giving ... I'm not doing life with any other believers' ... That's the definition of a life wrapped in a handkerchief.

'I don't believe in organized religion.  It's a personal relationship between me and God.  We don't need any other people.'  Life wrapped in a handkerchief.

'Churches are greedy.  They're just in it for money and I'm not going to let them do that to me so I just say 'NO' to all that because I don't need them.'  Wrapped in a handkerchief.

'I'm busy ... I've been hurt in the past.'  All of which is your life wrapped in a handkerchief doing nothing.

But now, thru the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the Bible says we've received a great inheritance.  The Holy Spirit lives inside the people of God.  We know there will be eternal rewards for those who have been faithful.  We know there are people who need love and encouragement and a relationship with God.  So we have all these opportunities to invest our lives.

'Imagine if we took our whole life and stuck it in a sock drawer and did nothing with it.'

Imagine if we took our whole life and stuck it in a sock drawer and did nothing with it.  That's what some are doing.  They say, 'I'm not doing anything bad.'  No, they're not doing anything at all.  They've wrapped this opportunity called 'the one and only life God gave them' in a sock drawer and now they're just waiting quietly for Jesus to come back.

Jesus says, 'The least you can do is put what I gave you in the bank so it draws minimal interest so I can get a little return on it.  That's the very least you can do.'

And that's our story.  The very least you can do is serve a little bit ... give a little bit ... pray a little bit.  That's the very least you can do.  And even though it's minimal effort, at least it's something.

I challenge you with this: Start with something.  Start with anything.  If you've never served, serve somewhere.  If you've never been to a life group, go once.  If you've never read your Bible, open it this week.

Don't leave it wrapped ... in a handkerchief.

And be blessed.