Driven To Give

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L: Hi Guys. Today I'm here with Joe Bridger, a local children's pastor and recent recipient of a the car you see here, through RMW's Shepherd's Call ministry. We also have his wife, Dorothy, and his two great kids, J.J. and Josiah with us to say, "Hi." They are a terrific family that loves God and is driven to serve the cause of Christ in this world.

J: On behalf of the Bridger family and on behalf of everybody that we have the opportunity to serve, we want to say 'thank you.' Because if it weren't for you giving to Joe Needs Wheels or walking up to us in a coffee shop or handing us some cash or just saying 'hey we love you and are praying for you,' if it weren't for those moments we would not have experienced the joy that we have experienced now, and now we can go and see people in a new way, thanks to your love and support.

J: You know, when you give to God it really does transport you to a new place of joy. Just like getting into a car, it takes you to a place that you may never have been before.

L: We can give to God in many ways, like with our time, money, effort, what we say, the choices we make and the people we hang out with. Joe and I feel called to put the pedal to the metal in Christian service, and have chosen to make that the driving factor in our life's work.

J: But there is a reason why we do what we do, and it is the same reason why every member of Body of Christ gives to God. When you and I accepted Christ, our hearts became an engine of compassion for the pain all around us.

L: You see Christians are designed to give of themselves sacrificially. Don't believe me? Look in the Bible at Romans chapter 6 and you will read that while we are indeed freed from sin, we have also been commandeered for righteousness.

J: Christ set a pattern of righteousness that contoured itself around touching lepers, eating with sinners and dying on a cross. And He did it all with a sense of purpose that this is what His life was meant to do. And those same master plans have been applied to you, as a Christian.

L: So, if you feel a drag on your performance, then there could be a broken valve in your compassion regulator. On account of it having nowhere to go. Maybe you've got a warped U joint that is taking up that space, and it needs to be realigned?

J: The conundrum here is that the compassion we have, actually came from God in the first place. We are simply converting the potential energy of God's grace into a combustion of service that propels us forward to live in Christ. When functioning properly, you might call it the "Eternal Compassion Engine."

L: Simply put: it's grace in, compassion out. That's all that giving to God means. The biblical book of Matthew in chapter 25 says, "...to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."

J: Isn't it cool how God's mind works? I mean, to design us in such a way that we find fulfillment in investing in other people the very grace that we receive from Him, is shear genius. It's almost like He wants us to work together in harmony and love.

L: But you know what also works together in harmony and love? That's the question for the day. Which is: "If you had to spend a million dollars in a week, what would you spend it on?"

J: Be sure to leave your interesting, creative, humorous or insightful responses in the comment section below, or on FaceBook. And if you have any questions for Locke (or me), post them and we will respond to them here. I'm Joe Bridger...

L: ...and I'm Locke Morgan with Restoration Ministries Worldwide, thanks for watching.

All: Bye!