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Generous Giving, Generous Giving Series Contributed by Lynn Malone on Apr 2, 2018
A faithful life is a generous life. The more generous we become with all of life’s gifts, the more full lives we will live.
It seems strange to be talking about “Making Change” by using the Old Testament. We’re New Testament people, right, and Jesus and the power of His Holy Spirit are the change agents in our lives. So? What’s with this message series rooted in the writings of Solomon? Well, think about it. In his day, …read more
- Too Fat To Serve? Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Mar 14, 2016
Thin may be in, but fat is where it’s at! 😉 We make too many judgment calls on girth when it appears God has no problem using a PAG (Person Of Girth) We have a wrong definition of gluttony.
We were discussing on FaceBook an article by Kirk Cameron, “Is It A Sin To Be Fat?” I have provided the link below for your edification.
D. L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon were both 5′ 9″ tall and weighed 350 lbs. Both won over a million people to Christ. If it is a sin, it …read more
- Thanks For Giving.. Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Nov 16, 2015
We as Christians… Ought to be jumping up-and-down,
screaming and shouting, singing God’s praises 24 hours a day
as to what He has given us and made available for us on a
Non stop basis!!!!……..Thanks for Giving
Illus. By Todd Coget
The Giver’s Big Hands
A young boy went to the local store with his mother. The shop owner, a kindly man, passed
him a large jar of suckers and invited him to help himself to a handful. Uncharacteristically, the boy held back. So the shop owner …read more - Generosity In Giving Series Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Apr 19, 2012
People who believe that the whole earth & every thing in it belongs to their Lord (Ps. 24:1) readily recognize that the resources of their own lives, which, no matter how hard they toiled and how judiciously they spent, were utterly dependent on God’s gra
Proverbs 11:24–26
GENEROSITY IN GIVINGProverbs offers practical instructions on the use of money, although sometimes it’s advice we would rather not hear. It is more comfortable to continue in our habits than to learn how to use money more wisely. Money is …read more
- The Blessed Life – Pt. 1 – The Generous Life Series Contributed by Steve Ely on Feb 11, 2011
Fortune cookies, horseshoes, 4 leaf clovers, rabbit’s foot . . . Luck. Athletes would often rather be lucky than good.However, living a blessed life is even better than trying to live lucky.
The Blessed Life
Part 1 – The Generous LifeI. Introduction
Fortune cookies, horseshoes, 4 leaf clovers, rabbit’s foot . . . Luck. Athletes would often rather be lucky than good. Crooners sing about it. Everyone wants to be lucky. Poor people use money they don’t have playing a game of luck in …read more - Managing Money Series Contributed by Matthew Stoll on Jul 11, 2007
God’s practical wisdom for managing money from Proverbs. Used some of Rick Warren’s material on similary titled sermon.
We continue our series looking at God’s wisdom for making the right choices in our everyday living from the book of Proverbs written by the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon. Not only was he the wisest man, he was also the wealthiest. The Bible says God gave Solomon more riches than any before …read more
- When He Reigns, It Pours Series Contributed by Pat Damiani on Jun 23, 2006
A look at how our giving impacts our worship.
Cartoons:
• Denny came to me a few weeks ago and told me it was time to preach on tithing again.
• In the meantime, we talked about some other ways to increase giving – one idea was to recruit some new ushers, or at least train them in some new techniques
• Here’s another possible new look for …read more - Who Will Water The Waterer? Contributed by Wade M. Hughes, Sr on Aug 16, 2004
Many would love to be the star player on the team.
But God needs some water boys to be faithful to their duties. Can we find joy in being a water boy?CAN YOU LOVE BEING A WATER BOY?
WHO WILL WATER THE WATERER?
WHAT ARE YOU PLANTING?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. [email protected]
This is a two part series!
Many times I have asked God, WHO WILL WATER THE WATERER?
We need planters, and we need water boys in the church!1.CAN WE FIND …read more
- Doing Good Series Contributed by Daniel Villa on Mar 11, 2003
Wise people know when to, whom to, and how to do good.
DOING GOOD
Wise Living Series #4Big Idea: Wise people know when to or when not to, whom to or whom not to, and how to or how not to do good.
Proverbs 3:26; 11:17-31
Welcome back to our series – Wise Living Series. We’re discovering principles for wise living. We started this series by …read more
Generous Giving, Generous Giving Series Contributed by Lynn Malone on Apr 2, 2018
The Blessed Life – Pt. 1 – The Generous Life Series Contributed by Steve Ely on Feb 11, 2011
www.sermoncentral.com
What does the Bible have to say about wealth, budgeting, business, saving and investing? A lot. At the end of each week, I’d like to look at a verse concerning our heart posture towards God and money. We’ll examine how the verse addresses the practical issues of life, as well as our mindset on the gift of money God has given us. Ultimately, we should see Jesus.
Proverbs 11:24-25
“There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”
A proverb is a simple but concrete saying that is easily repeatable and understood. A proverb uses common sense wisdom to communicate truth. The book of Proverbs is an interesting book, because it doesn’t follow a formal structure. Each phrase stands alone, and it is usually difficult to gain insight into what Solomon is trying to communicate by reading the verses surrounding a particular text. I personally like to read more structured books. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to avoid the wisdom found in these succinct phrases. Let’s dive in.
First, the passage is contrasting the one who is generous (by freely scattering grain) and the one who is greedy (withholds what is justly due). It’s interesting that Solomon would use the analogy of a farmer scattering grain in order to illustrate the necessity of generosity. In this highly agricultural society, a person’s wealth was directly linked to their ability to raise crops and livestock. The person who scatters grain freely would yield a larger crop. The one who is greedy will have a small harvest, but would want a large one.
Solomon is showing the inverse relationship between giving and hoarding. Those who are greedy and unwilling to scatter (give) freely, will only want more. They aren’t going to see the results that they long for. Essentially, Solomon is giving the counterintuitive advice that in order to get more, you have to give more. He concludes by saying that the “generous man who waters will himself be watered.” If a farmer were to use a valuable, life sustaining resource like water on another person’s crop, he will be prosperous. How? Solomon is suggesting that someone else would provide water for him. Whether this person is God or another generous person, the point is that generosity doesn’t cause those who are generous to be in need but instead produces abundance for them.
We can’t out give God. This passage also teaches that we can’t value wealth over relationships. Being generous keeps us from worshiping our money, from being in need because of our greed, and from seeing our wealth as more desirable than people.
www.thelionsshares.com
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Play Audio
Generosity pays! Here is a secret of wisdom, if you believe Jehovah is God of the universe and the Bible is true. If you do not believe, then the proverb is not for you.
Generosity pays! If you are liberal in your giving to the Lord and to the poor, He will pay you back liberally. And He can outgive you more easily than you can say 10 – 2 = 13.
This proverb is closely connected to the one before it, which reads, “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty” (Pr 11:24). Throwing away your money – to the right causes in the name of God – will bring increase. Restraining your giving will reduce you to poverty.
God has been very generous to mankind, and He rewards men that show a similar generosity to others (Pr 19:17; 22:9; 28:27). You can get ahead financially by learning to give generously, for the Lord will abundantly bless you. This is the lesson of the proverb. Of course, such wisdom is too high for any business school or economics class in the world, for they reject the existence of God and His supernatural impact on finances.
God has blessed you, so you should give liberally to the poor, even if they are leaving you (Deut 15:14). God carefully observes your giving and will treat you accordingly. Paul wrote, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (II Cor 9:6). If you are generous, He is able to pour you out an abundant return (Eccl 11:1-6; Is 32:8; Mal 3:10; Luke 6:38).
R. G. LeTourneau (1888-1969) was an inventor with 299 U.S. patents to his credit and the manufacturer of the largest earthmoving equipment on earth. He is best known as the Christian businessman who gave 90% of his income to the Lord, keeping only 10% for himself. He prospered by this arrangement according to the proverb before you. It is impossible to outgive God, who fully sees all gifts, both large and small (Luke 21:1-4).
A strong evidence of a righteous man, a man going to heaven, is his generous spirit in giving to others (Is 58:6-12; I John 3:16-19). Job was such a man. He took gentle and kind care of his servants (Job 29:11-17; 31:13-22). God blessed him greatly. If you take care of those needing financial help, the Lord will take care of you (Ps 41:1-3). Wise men will lay hold of eternal life by purposing to give liberally (Matt 25:31-46; I Tim 6:17-19).
Every time there is an opportunity to give to God, to the poor, or to compensate someone working for you, give more than average, more than normal, more than you would have given without this proverb. Think about church offerings, tips, day laborers, contractors that help you, donations to worthy causes, the poor that need help, workers that need to be encouraged, ministers that labor in the word and doctrine (I Tim 5:17), and others.
Many reason to themselves that they cannot afford to give – they say they will give generously once they get ahead financially – but this is perverse and reverse reasoning. Based on the true law of this proverb, you will not get ahead until after you become a generous giver. If you get ahead before or without generous giving, God is likely judging you with the prosperity of fools (Pr 1:32). Be careful, lest He punish you more severely.
God does not miss or forget your giving (Heb 6:10). He will reward it. The Corinthians eventually became liberal givers, and Paul promised God’s blessing on them for it (II Cor 9:8-11). And there was the further effect of those receiving the charity being very thankful to God for the Corinthians (II Cor 9:12-14), which was not a bad reward either.
Giving must be done cheerfully, for grudging charity does not count (II Cor 9:7). If you know anything of God’s great payment for your redemption, giving cheerfully to others should not be a problem (II Cor 8:9). The more liberal and cheerful your giving, the greater your blessing. What liberal giving will you cheerfully devise today (Is 32:8)?
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