Conquer Your Fears: Live to Give

Thomas Nelson Author and Hoops of Hope founder, Austin Gutwein, to host September 6 online event to focusing on themes his latest release, Live to Give.

On September 6 at 8 PM EDT, Austin Gutwein will be hosting a live Facebook web event to encourage participants to conquer their fears and use their talents to help others. The webcast will center on the themes Gutwein writes about in his latest release “Live to Give: Letting God Turn Your Talents into Miracles” (Thomas Nelson/August, 2012). At the conclusion of the webcast, the winners of a month-long social media fueled “Get and Give” contest will be announced, including the winner of a Kindle Fire and $250 donated to the winner’s charity of choice.

Join Austin on the evening of Thursday, September 6th as he shares about his own experiences and encourages others to conquers their fears and “live to give”. Austin will also be taking audience questions and interacting with participants. PLUS – there will be several “Live to Give” giveaways – books, gift certificates and much more! RSVP today and tell your friends.

Based on the John 6 story of Jesus feeding the 5000, in “Live to Give” Gutwein challenges his readers that regardless of age and talent, God can use them to make a difference. Even though God could take care of everything Himself and doesn’t really need our help, He desperately WANTS us to help Him care for others. Gutwein walks young people through discovering and embracing their unique God-given strengths and abilities, then figuring out how to use those talents to help others. Sometimes doing that takes a leap of faith on our part, and often becoming fearless in the process.

More about Austin: At eighteen years old, Gutwein speaks with wisdom and has the experience to reinforce his message. When Austin was just nine years old, he watched a video that showed children in Africa who had lost their parents to AIDS. Gutwein realized these kids weren’t any different from him—except they were suffering. Feeling called to help, he took his love of basketball and decided to shoot free throws to raise money for orphans in Zambia. On World AIDS Day in 2004, he shot 2,057 free throws to represent the 2,057 kids who would be orphaned during his day at school. Through sponsorship from parents and friends, Gutwein raised over $3,000 that day to give hope to eight orphans in Zambia. Over the past eight years, Gutwein’s efforts have created Hoops of Hope, the largest free throw marathon in the world. With an estimated 40,000 people in more than 25 countries participating, Hoops of Hope has raised more than $2.5 million to build schools, medical clinics, dormitories for orphanages, and the only computer lab in Zambia.

Enter to win a Kindle Fire and have $250 donated to your favorite charity. Click for the banner for details and entry or visit http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13528976/livetogive.


Learn more about Austin and Hoops of Hope at www.AustinGutwein.com and www.HoopsOfHope.org.

Live To Give

Recently I’ve been meeting with a young man, and we’ve been talking about how God uses us, our gifts, and even our finances to help others for His glory.  I gave him a copy of the book the God Pocket by Bruce Wilkinson that has an extremely practical way that we can purposively live this out, which I wrote about here: The God Pocket.

And then I received a copy of Austin Gutwein’s Live to Give.  Wow! 

Gutwein is the exact same age as the young man I’ve been meeting with, 18, and the author has wisdom far beyond his years. It’s amazing that God chose this young man when he was only nine to change the lives of thousands in Africa through a ministry he formed called Hoops for Hope.  And he’s been building clinics, schools, and feeding the hungry there ever since. 

Live to Give is all about how God uses what we have to help others.  One of the biggest things I took away from the book was Gutwein’s illustration of the young boy who brought the loaves and fishes that Jesus used to feed the five thousand.  The disciples went all through the crowd to see what food was available, and this was the only person who remembered to bring his lunch, and he gave it up to Jesus.

Likewise we might be the only person in the crowd who has what God wants to use to help the multitude.  Are we willing to give it up to Him? 

I’d highly recommend this book.  Be sure to check out the information below for your chance to win the book and some other neat prizes. I received a copy of this book free from the publisher for review.

Giveaway: 

About the Book: 

Want to do something for God but don’t know what? Want to help others but don’t know who? Want to know what it is you’re really good at doing? Your gifts may feel small and insignificant. But God can use them to work a miracle!

Inspired by the biblical story of the feeding of the 5,000, "Live to Give" delivers a message of hope that we all have something to give. Written in the down-to-earth, candid voice of the gifted young man who as a kid founded a relief ministry that has saved and improved countless lives in Africa, "Live to Give" is the message that every teen needs to hear: You are more special than you know, and you can do big things.

Jesus proved that no gift is too small when He used five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of thousands. And if no gift is too small, too ordinary, or too random, there is no limit to what the youth of today can accomplish!

A teenage philanthropist who has built a high school, two medical clinics, and a dormitory in Africa—all before the age of 16—Austin Gutwein shares how to take what may seem like the simplest of talents, gifts, and interests and use them for something Jesus can use to move mountains.


Meet Austin: 

As founder of Hoops of Hope, Austin started what is now known as the worlds largest Free-Throw marathon. Austin's Hoops of Hope has raised more than $2.5M to help orphan children in Africa. Austin also serves as Co-Chair of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's Youth Council. As a highly sought after speaker, Austin has spoken and shared his heart in venues around the world. In 2009, Austin was selected into the Caring Hall of Fame as one of the top 10 most caring Americans.

Austin's first book, "Take Your Best Shot" shared stories that captured readers hearts and won a Moonbeam Award. For information on booking Austin or general inquiries, please visit austingutwein.com.


Read Other Reviews

The God Pocket

As we enter the final lap of the Christmas season, it seems an appropriate time to post a review of Bruce Wilkinson’s new book, The God Pocket.

I was first introduced to the idea of the God pocket in Wilkinson’s book, You Were Born For This, and it was honestly the best part of that book.  I remember thinking that he could have just left off everything else and just wrote a book on the God Pocket, and he did.

The God Pocket is essentially a special pocket or place in your wallet or purse where you set aside money for God’s purposes, and you do not give it or spend it without the Holy Spirit’s leading.  I’m sure many of you have had the experience where money has seemed to come out of nowhere from a stranger or a friend right when you needed it as an answer to prayer.  The God Pocket essentially puts you in the place of being on the other side of that scenario and being the answer to someone else’s prayer. 

The book is full of God Pocket stories that people sent in after reading You Were Born For This.  I found myself crying a lot while reading them.

The only downside is if you’ve read the first book, you don’t need to read this one.  Conversely, if you haven’t read You Were Born For This, you can skip it and pick this one up.

I highly recommend the book.  My wife and I have started our own God Pocket and have used it a couple of times.  It’s as much a blessing to the giver as the receiver; in fact as Jesus taught “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35).

Buy the book for $10.39

I received a copy of the book from the publisher for review.  All opinions are my own.

Featured Non Profit

This month a Christian non-profit that is worthy of support is being featured every post until Christmas.  The criteria for being featured are that they bring glory to God, they are financially accountable, and finally they must have a mission that includes one of the following: reach the lost, empower believers, or help those in need in the name of Jesus Christ.

Click here for a complete list.

Today’s featured non profit is The Salvation Army.

In terms of giving and helping people in need, there is probably no more recognizable Christian organization than The Salvation Army. Their mission as an international movement, an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church, has a message based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

I couldn’t even begin to list the services provided by the Salvation Army in the name of Jesus Christ, but the Salvation Army helped nearly 30 million people just this year.  All these things cost money, so the next time you see someone ringing a bell at a storefront, give more than your spare change.  You can also donate online by following this link.

See the video below for a glimpse of what the Salvation Army does in the name of Jesus Christ:

Mountains of Blessing

If you’re in the construction business, you may have heard of Robert Gilmore LeTourneau.    He was known as the “dean of earth moving”.  He invented more than 299 earth moving machines, including bulldozers, portable cranes, the electric wheel, and even portable oil platforms for offshore drilling.  He may have been one of the most prolific inventers of the 20^th century, and if you live in house, shop at a grocery store, or buy gasoline, you have been profoundly affected by the work of LeTourneau.

And if you think this is impressive, hold onto your seat.  LeTourneau gave away 90% of his income for the glory of God. Yes, you read that correctly—90%.  The man tithed in reverse.  He kept 10% and gave God 90%.   And he’s not the only person I know of who lives this way. 

In fact there are quite a few.  And most of them will say, it wasn’t easy to give 90% at first, in fact times were hard for a long time, but the blessings started mounting, and I couldn’t give them away fast enough.  

Why?  

Read the answer in this weeks Proverbs and Wisdom article.

The King Who Serves

There’s this crazy story in the Bible about Jesus washing some stinky feet at dinner.  It’s hard to imagine the King of kings and Lord of lords on His knees in front of some dirty guys washing their feet; even Peter can hardly accept the insanity of it all and recoils saying, “"Never shall You wash my feet!"

And Jesus answers him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."  (John 13:8)

When Jesus finishes, He says, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17) 

In another place when Jesus sends out the disciples He says, “freely you received, now freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

Our King is not only generous, He’s humble, and He loves to serve.  He served in creating. He served in coming to Earth to live sinless.  He served in dying and rising again.  He serves in giving us salvation, forgiveness, grace, love, mercy, and eternal life.  He serves by sending His Spirit to abide in us, teach us, guide us, and empower us.

But our King doesn’t serve us just so that we might exalt in His gifts, He serves us to set us an example: that even the greatest among us ought to serve the least among us. That we ought to save those in need, forgive those who’ve wronged us, give grace to the undeserving, love others as we love ourselves, show mercy when judgment is due, live for eternity, live in/by the Spirit and Truth, and to pray in power for deliverance, healing, and life for anyone who needs it.

The King who serves, serves in humility, so that those who are of His kingdom might also humbly serve. 

And Jesus says that you cannot serve Him or others in His name if you have not been served by Him.  That’s why it’s not by works that we’re saved but by grace.  We have to experience the example before we can live it.

Stop resisting the humility of our King.  He wants to serve you.  If you’re hurting, come to Him.  If you’re sinning, come to Him.  If you’re ill, come to Him.  If you’re tired, come to Him.  He will freely give you whatever you need, so you can freely give it to others that all who call on His name might be saved to the glory of God.