Give with a Pure Heart

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

Many new believers struggle with Jesus’ command to give. They have come to God with needs, and he has begun to meet them. Some come with a felt need for forgiveness. Others need deliverance from demonic influence. Others are fearful of death, but they learn to trust Christ for eternal life. 

So, it comes as a surprise to them when their disciple-maker tells them about Jesus’ command to give. They thought that the Christian faith was a matter of receiving blessings from God. They have begun to discover that God is a good, good Father. But they didn’t know they were called to be a blessing to others by giving generously. They didn’t understand that God loves a cheerful giver. But he does. And he expects his children to be like him. 

Many new believers come from families in which saving and being careful with money was the highest virtue. They were taught from an early age to save seed from this year’s crop, so they have something to plant next year. When they got married, they made sure their spouse did not spend every last penny. They want to be prepared for emergencies. So, for them, the teaching that Christians tithe by giving 10% of the profits from their work seems impossible to fulfill. 

For all these reasons, teaching new believers to give is one of the hardest lessons for church planters to teach successfully. The root of the matter is faith. Until Christians come to believe that God is a good, good Father and will meet their needs, they will not give generously. And besides observing the blessing of God in the lives of others, one of the only ways to learn that God is good and He will provide is to begin to give. 

One day Jesus was in the temple of Jerusalem. Luke 21 tells us he saw wealthy people putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” 

This poor widow had learned a valuable lesson. God will meet our needs. We do not need to be afraid to give. And we do not need to impress others with the size of our gifts. Wealthy people sometimes try to do that. Jesus is not impressed. But he and his Father rejoice when the children of God begin to give with generosity, knowing that God their heavenly Father will meet their needs. 

So, my brothers and sisters, as you make disciples and teach obedience to Christ, do not be afraid to teach your disciples to give with generosity. This command of Christ may not be easy to obey, but it develops a faith that is praiseworthy. Teach by example. Share your testimony of how you learned to give generously to the work of God. Share the stories of other generous givers you know. Invite your disciples to trust God by giving. When they do, they too will learn the teaching of Jesus is true: He says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.”  

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #GiveGenerously

Give Generously

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and I would like us to first look at  2 Corinthians 9:6-7    But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

God loves a CHEERFUL giver. 

When we give, it is a trust thing that says, Lord, I don’t know how you can use this or how many lives will be changed, but I trust you to multiply the fruits of this in which I give, with anticipation of your work to be done through it.

 God is pleased when we give with a generous heart. We should always want to bring pleasure to God, and we are fulfilling His word in and through our giving to His kingdom. Philippians 4:19: And my God will liberally supply your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

There are times in my life when I would give to something and then, in the moments to come, would say something like, “Lord, you know I gave to that, but now I am the one in need.”

Simply, God was wanting me to expand my heart to trust Him and rejoice in the fact that the moment I gave, I could give. I learned that I could trust Him for the future needs that He could supply when my heart was giving and receiving with the right heart. God’s ways are not our ways, and He may choose to give back to us in ways that far exceed the funds that were given.

God desires cheerful givers, and this can be a challenge at times, and yet God’s heart is blessed because it’s not really a human’s response when giving, but it is a spiritual action that God delights in. If we long to please the Lord, it will be easier to have a generous heart of giving.

Malachi 3:10: Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there may be food in My House… 

Leviticus 23:9-14: God spoke to Moses about a first fruits offering to be given before the harvest was collected; thus, His blessing would be upon the harvest.

So if we dedicate our first tithe and offering, God has the opportunity to use what is left to multiply His faithfulness to His word. He can prove to us that He is our supply, and we are the vessels to allow Him to work.  

I love the story of when Jesus fed the multitudes, and they only had so little to do so much, and yet as He blessed the fish and the bread, it miraculously multiplied with excess. We can see this happen when we are so in love with Christ that we allow him to work in us and through us for His kingdom work. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this podcast with today? Lord bless you!

Meditate on God's Word Daily

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast

that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Christian leaders all across Africa appreciate your Village Church Planting work.

They appreciate VCP’s interactive training and the vision of a church in every

African Village by 2050. But one of the most frequent compliments we hear is

“VCP is so practical.”

I can tell you that this is no accident. VCP leaders from 2003 until today have

been very intentional about making this ministry more than just a theoretical

course of Bible study and theology. Each and every leader has taken seriously

James’ command that we should be doers of the word and not hearers only

(James 1:22).

James’s half-brother, our Lord Jesus Christ, was quite clear about the

importance of doing what God’s word says and not merely talking about it.

Jesus told his disciples to teach their disciples to obey everything he had

commanded them. Knowing the importance of practical obedience, VCP

founders emphasized obedience-based discipleship. They integrated a summary

of the commands of Jesus into VCP training.

We call the summary of Jesus’ commands “The Seven Basic Commands of

Christ.” Today we are focusing on Jesus’ teaching to pray and meditate on the

Word of God daily, especially the second half of this command, “meditate on

the Word of God daily.” It is based on Jesus’ response to the devil when he was

being tempted in the wilderness to turn stones into bread. Jesus responded to

the tempter by quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. He said, “It is written: ‘Man

shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of

God.” (Matthew 4:4). Just as we need daily bread to survive physically, we

need spiritual food to survive spiritually. The word of God, the Bible, provides

spiritual nourishment to all who hear it and take to heart its teachings.

Scripture is God-breathed. So, when we take in the word of God, we interact

with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit uses the words of the Bible to comfort

us, strengthen us, guide us, correct us, and build us up.

And so, we partake of the Word of God daily. We listen to the Word of God as

others read it. And, if we know how to read, we read God’s word. The format is

not the important part. Whether we listen to someone else read or read for

ourselves, whether we have a digital copy of God’s word or a printed paper

 copy are secondary concerns. What is primary is to feed on God’s word daily.

Remember, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes

from the mouth of God.” And so, we daily feed ourselves spiritually, taking in

God’s word, meditating upon its meaning and planning how we will apply it to our

lives. Then we lead by example, helping our disciples feed themselves on God’s

word too. We work to make sure that they memorize Scripture, that they listen

to digital Bible resources on their phones, and that they get printed Bibles they

can read and reflect on. We ask them what they are learning from God’s word.

We encourage good spiritual nutrition. This is an important part of our very

practical ministry as Village Church Planters.

So, be sure you and your people feed daily on the Word of God!

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #DailyBread

Leadership Development - Jesus Explained Kingdom Values

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development, and today we want to consider how Jesus explained Kingdom values to his closest followers. As we lead leaders, it is important that we clearly communicate – and set the example – the values we hold high in Village Church Planting.

During my corporate career, I was required to complete an annual performance review, and my performance was evaluated on not only what I did, but also how I did it. My supervisor rated my accomplishments for the year, and they also assessed if my attitudes and behaviors aligned with corporate values. At the top of the company’s list of values was “Respect for People.”

As our Ultimate leader, Jesus explained God’s Kingdom values to his disciples. We read the following in Matthew 18:1-4. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.  “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

As we assist in the development of emerging leaders, we need to teach them – and show them – that humility is a prerequisite for leadership. The Apostle Paul instructed believers in Colossians 3:12, Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Other translations say that we are to “put on” humility. This must be an intentional attitude and action. Two chapters later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus had this to say in his “leadership development class” with His disciples.

But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave (Matthew 20:25-27)

Jesus’s way is sometimes referred to as the “upside-down Kingdom.” The kingdoms of this world, including too often in the Church, are hierarchical. Those at the top expect others to meet their needs, but Jesus taught and modeled servant leadership. One of my favorite verses in the Message version is Romans 15:1-2. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Pray Thanking God to Meet Your Needs

 

   Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

Sometimes I am disappointed when I read about Jesus’ disciples in the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. So often they are looking out for their own interests, fighting over petty concerns and forgetting to do the right thing. Perhaps the shortcomings of Jesus’ disciples are best illustrated by their failure to remain awake and pray for him just before he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36 – 45). 

Even so, the disciples demonstrated wisdom from time to time. One of the smartest things they ever did was to ask Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1- 13). They had seen the power and peace, the joy and the courage that came to Jesus as he spent time with his Father in prayer. And the disciples wanted that same power and peace, that same joy and courage that they saw coming to Jesus through prayer.  

So, Jesus taught them the prayer we now call “The Lord’s Prayer,” or the “Our Father.” This is a prayer you too should teach your disciples to pray. It is recorded in Luke 11:2-4.  

One of the key phrases in the prayer Jesus taught is “Give us each day our daily bread.” The people of Palestine grew grain, mostly wheat and barley, and made bread from it. This was the basic, essential food for them, much like rice is the basic, essential  food for the peoples of tropical Africa. The disciples Jesus was teaching ate bread every single day to get energy and stay alive. They depended on bread for their very life. 

But Jesus taught an important truth when he said pray to God your heavenly Father this way, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He was teaching the disciples that they had a Father who would take care of them and provide what they needed. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think they are on their own and must provide for themselves everything they need through their own intelligence, strength, and work and those who know that they have a heavenly Father who cares for them. Both kinds of people work hard, but those who trust their heavenly Father have peace as they work. They know he will meet their needs. 

Because we trust our Father in heaven, we pray “Father in heaven, give us this day our daily bread.” We ask God to meet our needs. All of our needs. Not just our need for food, but also our need for clean water, for good health, and for shelter and safety. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is a good, good Father. He knows our needs and delights to give us what we need. But, he invites us to ask him to meet our needs. When we do, we are blessed. 

So, teach your disciples to pray the Lord’s prayer. Remind them again and again to trust God to meet their needs and the needs of their family. Give thanks with them as God provides for their needs. As they pray, God will give them their daily bread. What’s more, through prayer, your disciples will find power and peace, joy and courage in the presence of the Father, just as Jesus did when he walked with his disciples in Palestine 2,000 years ago. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #DailyBread

Pray for God’s Kingdom to Come

 

  This is Multiply, a podcast for church planters, pastors & Christian leaders, and I am the host, Daneille Snowden. Today we are reading from a part of our Lord’s Prayer that says,  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:10   

Let us make our focus always on the eternal instead of the temporary, by laying up treasures in heaven. Doing this by focusing on both the future kingdom of God & also the present spiritual kingdom of God.  Ps. 103:19 says, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”    

 Christ’s reign as the King of Kings is for here and for now plus, forever more.   As Christians, we are part of the Kingdom of God as Christ rules in us.   When we live in the flesh, we tend to promote our own Kingdom. But when Jesus rules as our Lord and King, we will promote His Kingdom.  We read in 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.”   

As I mention again in this passage of  Matthew 6, this is part of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus is teaching a prayer that He even prays.  By praying this, we are developing a prayerful desire to see God’s Kingdom increase as it is established throughout the world, for the present and the future.   We want the Lord’s Kingdom to be dominant in our own lives and then spread to the entire world.   As God’s Kingdom comes, in all lives we shall witness His nature, His power, and His saving love.   Let us pray with our Lord, “…Thy Kingdom come…” today.   

This has been Multiply; please share this podcast with others! And God bless!

Pray Daily with Thanksgiving

 

     Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  

We make disciples by teaching people to obey the commands of Christ. This sounds like a difficult if not unpleasant, responsibility. But Jesus, with great kindness and humility, says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Yes, obeying Jesus is a burden. But it is a light burden because our Lord is both gentle and humble in heart. When he walks beside us, obedience is not heavy. Instead of growing weary, we find rest for our souls. 

One of the seven basic commands of Jesus is to pray and feed on God’s word daily. But how should we pray? What times during the day should we pray? With whom should we pray? What should we say? What should we refrain from saying in our prayers? When it comes to prayer, new followers of Jesus have hearts full of these questions and more.  They may not ask all of them, but they are thinking about them. As a church planting disciple maker, you do not need to answer all of their questions at once. But you should teach them to pray just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray and Paul taught his. 

New disciples have many requests they want to ask of God. Some are bold and make their requests without reservation.  Some new disciples are timid and are afraid to ask God for anything. But both kinds of people can learn to pray with thanksgiving.  Paul told his disciples in Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7). 

So, teach new followers of Jesus to pray with thanksgiving. Before they ask God for anything, they can learn to thank him for every provision he has made.  His provisions are general, like the rain that falls on everyone’s fields and specific like the guidance he gives his children as we walk different paths.  

Teach your disciples to thank God for everything because every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). As they recall what God has done for them, their faith will grow. As they thank the Lord for his goodness, their joy will increase. As their heart fills with gratitude, their requests will line up more and more closely with the will of God for them in Christ Jesus. So, let gratitude overflow. Let thanksgiving be expressed in the morning, at noon and in the evening.   

As Psalm 100 says,  

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

    and his courts with praise; 

    give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; 

    his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #ThankTheLord