Posts tagged as:

generosity

Stewardship and the Glory of God

November 15, 2008

Live blogging LifeGroup as we look at the sermon Consumed: Management (mp3 | study).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17 ESV

We struggle to give from our bounty in America. Rick mentioned stories from Africa where people freely share what little they have.

Meanwhile, scripture is full of examples of people giving the last they had. One example is the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:7-15. She gave thinking it would lead to her death (v.12).

Why can’t we share in America? Why do we hoard our time, talents, and treasures. I believe that we find it too easy to live independent of God. We wrongly think that we are self-made.

Great point from Mark about God’s glory being shown in both providing for Elijah and the widow’s sacrificial giving.

Also see woman at the temple in Mark 12:41-44 and Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in John 12:3

What makes a person wise in the context of Proverbs 21:5, 21:20, 22:3? Planning and managing for the future.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15. God loves the cheerful giver, but that’s not the story here. Look closely at verse 13 — glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ (ESV). Again, we come back to the centrality of the cross.

A few quotes from John Piper on Matthew 6:19-34 regarding laying up treasures in heaven:

Those are the three main imperatives in the text. That is what Jesus wants us to be like: Free from anxiety, seeking his kingdom, laying up treasure in heaven and not on earth. That is the fruit of trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and Treasure. This is the normal Christian life – radical freedom from earthly things and earthly security, with a joyful pursuit of God and his righteousness as our treasure.

Randy Alcorn, in that little book, The Treasure Principle, says, “I’m convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home” (p. 44; see Colossians 3:1-3). It’s not; Christ is our home. And therefore to live is Christ and to die is gain. And it will be all the more gain as we learn to lay up treasures in heaven by giving.

We had some good discussion on teaching our kids to use money. Here are few resources:

Update: Here is another relevant link Money must be a servant of the gospel.

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Generosity

March 16, 2003

Discovering God’s Will in Generosity

Biblical Truths to Consider

Biblical Models and Examples

  • All the believers were one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had Acts 4:32.
  • The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea Acts 11:29.
  • And now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and thier extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity 2 Corinthians 8:1,2.

Biblical Exhortations

  • On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income… 1 Corinthians 16:2a.
  • Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver 2 Corinthians 9:7.

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