A Lot With A Little by Matt Bird: Recent Episodes
Issachar Global with Matt Bird
The new #SoulFoodOnSunday series explores 12 #GrowthPrinciples through which God achieves ‘A Lot With A Little’.
God has a habit of making a lot out of a little. From beginning to end the Bible tells stories of people who offered God what they had through which he was able to do amazing things. Moses with a staff in his hand... the widow with a single jar of oil... the boy with five loaves and two fish... In the midst of the global pandemic we are facing challenging times yet, as we offer God what we have, he is able to make a lot out of a little.
In this final session of the series we are encouraged to make the most of the little we have because God wants to make a lot out of it. It’s so important for us to plant ourselves in the right place. When we’re planted in the right place we experience growth and God can do a lot with a little.
This is the secret of the #AbundancePrinciple, that God doesn’t want us to have just enough - He wants us to have more than enough.
He want us to have an ABUNDANCE so that we can live generously, so that we can bless others and so that we can favour people in the way God favours us.
Are you living hand to mouth or are you making wise long term decisions?
Are you investing in depreciating or appreciating assets?
How are you investing your God-given time, skills and resources?
The #GrowthPrinciple of #Investment says that growth happens when we invest our time and resources into appreciating rather than depreciating assets.
Are you in a situation where you need a turn around in your work, family or finances?
The #Principle of the #TurnAround says that growth happens when God steps in and turns everything around.
Is there something going on for you at the moment that hurts? In this talk I explore how we can grow through challenges and pain.
The #Pruning #GrowthPrinciple is about pruning what’s already fruitful to become even more fruitful.
The #Outnumbered #GrowthPrinciple is about winning against the odds, when everything seems stacked against you.
Only when you succeed against the odds will you know that it’s God.
The #Seed #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through small beginnings with enormous potential. Just like the power of a seed to grow from something small and become something enormous.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
- Matthew 13:31-33
The #Multiplication #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through multiple factors of replication. God takes a little and he multiplies it.
In the parable of the sower a farmer plants some tiny seeds and he reaps a crop 30, 60 or 100 times more than what was sown. When we entrust God with a little, He makes a lot out of it.
The #Double #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through receiving twice the gift, twice the blessing and quite often, twice the responsibility.
In his last days, Elijah asked Elisha what he can do for him before he is taken, and Elisha asks him for a double blessing.
The #Acceleration #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through receiving a quickening of the Holy Spirit to achieve something. We find we can do things we never thought we could do.
We read about an incident in the life of the prophet Elijah when, after the fires came down from heaven, he was able to outrun a chariot.
The #Addition #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through the sum of incremental gains. Just like when we learned to walk, our first steps are so important and growth comes through taking further steps. We grow through moving forward one small step at a time.
When we read about the beginnings of the church in the Book of Acts we see that the early church experienced growth through regular and consistent addition to their numbers. And look at it now!
The #Stewardship #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through maximising what you already have. The global pandemic is teaching us to be grateful for what we have and to use it well.
Listen how Moses was asked by God “What is that in your hand?” and was promised by the Lord that He would use what was in Moses' hand miraculously.
The #Enterprise #GrowthPrinciple says that growth comes through creating something out of nothing, and this is normally with some significant risk involved.
We learn how God’s people were reminded not to forget God and that wealth creation is a gift. God is the creator and we are made in his image - we are made to be creative! Wealth creation is a gift of God not a gift of capitalism.