Psalm 100 (NRSV)
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us,
and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12a (NIV)
David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly,
saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness
and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
In everything I did, I showed you that
by this kind of hard work we must help the weak,
remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said:
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Generous Giving produces 3 things:
- Emotional Happiness
- Spiritual Holiness
- Material Prosperity
From Managing Our Finances God’s Way, Chip Ingram
Characteristics of Biblical Generosity
1. Giving our first and our best to God.
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the first fruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV)
2. Proportional to our income.
On the first day of every week,
each of you should set aside a sum of money
in keeping with your income, saving it up,
so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
1 Cor. 16:2 (NIV)
3. Involves sacrifice.
Giving up something of value
for something of greater value.
In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy
and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,
and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing
in this service to the Lord’s people.
2 Cor. 8:2-4 (NIV)
4. It is thoughtful, voluntary, and worshipful.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you
have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Cor. 9:6-7 (NIV)
Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath
1 Kings 17:7-16
The Widow’s Offering
Luke 21: 1-4