God gives first. All the time. Every time. His grace is always the initiator.
Even when it feels like I am making some sort of move for God, I’m always doing it with the blessings He’s already provided
1 Chronicles 29:14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
Everything in our lives is from God; our personality, calling, giftings, worship, family, opportunities, financial resources
We cannot earn the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9)
In every situation God gives first; God initiated through His son, Jesus the greatest gift we could ever receive (John 3:16)
Our giving is putting our honor of God into action
Genesis 14:18-20; Abram is blessed by Melchizedek and responds with a tithe
I partner with the few
Philippians 4:12-19; Paul says that only the Philippians partnered with him on putting the gospel into action
Although many churches received the good news only the Philippians responded
Something amazing happens in our lives when we make the decision to be among the few that say we aren’t just going to watch the gospel happen, we are going to be a part of the message
If generosity is a heart issue, then that part of my life change when I meet Jesus
Luke 3:11-14; John teaches that real-life change and heart change means that we treat people differently; you treat money differently
When Jesus interacted with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:8) his whole perspective and action changed
We’ve been in a “generosity pandemic” where only 5% of regular church attendees tithe
77% of tithers give MORE than 10%; the willingness to give the tithe opens your heart to more
I silence the lies of the enemy
God is a giver – Satan is a taker
From the beginning of time, Satan tried to make people question the character of God
Common tricks of the enemy include “I can’t afford it,” “It was Old Testament and I’m no longer required to do it,” “I’ve seen televangelists abuse giving”
Our giving is attached to what the Holy Spirit is doing in and through us. One day we will answer for our life decisions, not everyone else’s.
When we give, we put those lies aside and choose to believe what God says
Facilitating Discussion
How is our giving a response to what God did and gave first?
Why is it important to recognize the lies of the enemy and overcome them with action?
