Dear brothers & Sisters of SCLC family,                       

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, Amen.

I want to share with you what God say bout our Giving. The scripture gives us great directions regarding financial stewardship, this is an important part of the Christian life, and God wants each of us to have financial stewardship as a point of growth in our relationship with Jesus. Of the many suggestions God offers regarding giving, here are five of the most important.

Give First: “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you...you shall take some of the firs to all the fruit of the ground,...and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. Deuteronomy 26:1-2                 

Give intentionally: each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly nor under compulsion.” 2 Corinthians 9:7. We “make up our mind” about our giving when we develop a plan for giving. Important questions to ask in formulating this plan are, “How has God blessed me recently? “How do I feel God is calling me to respond to these blessing? Many people develop a plan for giving each year and then follow that plan closely. What is you plan for giving?

Giving proportionately: “for as I can testify, they gave voluntarily according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry of the saints’ 2 Corinthians 8:3-4                                                                                                                                           Proportional giving lies at the heart of the Biblical message about stewardship. Those who have many financial blessing are called to give generously from their abundance. Those who have fewer financial blessings are called to give in proportion to their assets. Proportional giving is not about equal gifts, but rather about equal sacrifice. Those who have received much are expected to give much. Sometimes the smallest gift is the largest gift.        

Give generously: “We want you to know...about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

Generous giving may be the most basic stewardship value. It is difficult to imagine anyone who is serious about discipleship giving stingily. It is difficult to imagine a tithe who isn’t serious about his or her relationship with Jesus. In Luke 12:34 Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Isn’t he saying that generous giving to Jesus has the ability to lead one’s heart to Jesus? A congregation full of generous givers would make an incredible witness to our Lord.

Give cheerfully: “The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountiful will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ 2 Corinthians 9:7

In the verses around this call to cheerful giving, Paul talks about generous giving and intentional giving. The key to being a cheerful giver is to have you giving aligned with the other words listed here. If you giving is in line with God’s instructions regarding giving, you will be a cheerful giver. If your giving is out of step with God’s instructions, you won’t be a cheerful giver. It is that simple.

Why God Gives To US:

Giving is a natural expression of love. Friends do it. Lovers do it. Parents do it. Even children do it. We give presents to those we love.

The Bible says that “God gives to all mortals life and breath and all things,’ so that ‘in him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:25-28)

Psalmist creatures. They all look to you to give them their food in due season … when you open your hands, they are filled with good things” (Psalm 104:27-28) Jesus says that the Father in heaven gives ‘good things to those who ask him (Matthew 7:11)

The word for this ‘giving ‘is grace. Jesus gives his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Eternal life is a gift of God (Rom. 6:23)

Why does God give these things to us? Because God loves us and there is an intrinsic connection between giving and love. Perhaps the best known verse of the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave… (John 3:16

We are sustained by God:

·        Isaiah 40:30,they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

·        Psalm 100:3, the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.

·        1 Corinthians 4:7 – “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not gift?

·        Deuteronomy 8:17-18 – Do not say to yourself, ‘my power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth. ‘But remember the Lord you God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth. 

Stewardship Principles from the Letter of Saint Paul:

Giving is a both duty and a delight, something we ought to do and something we are pleased to do Romans 15:25-26

·        Giving is to be regular and systematic, according to a plan (2 Corinthians 8:2)   Giving is a demonstration of God’s grace (2 Corinthians 8:1; 9:14)

·        Giving need not be hampered by difficult circumstances, for even those who suffer affliction and experience poverty may exhibit generosity (2Corinthians 8:2). Giving is to be voluntary, not under compulsion (2Corinthians 8:3; 9:5; 7)

·        Giving should be proportionate to one’s income and circumstances, as each is expected to contribute according to his or her means (2Corinthians 8:3, 11-13)   Giving can also be undertaken as a sacrifice, as some will feel inspired to give beyond their means’ (2 Corinthians 8:4)

·        Giving is privilege, something we appreciate being able to do as a result of God’s grace (2 Corinthians 8:4)

·        Giving involves more than financial contributions- we first commit ourselves to the Lord and to the church at large (2 Corinthians 8:5). Giving may involve making a pledge that the giver is committed to fulfilling over time (2 Corinthians 8:10-11)

·        Giving is a witness to the gospel, demonstrating the genuineness of the church’s love (2 Corinthians 8:8,24)

·        Giving is to represent a personal committement-each person is to make up his or her own mind how much to give ( 2 Corinthians 9:7) Giving is to not to be undertaken reluctantly but cheerfully ( 2 Corinthians 9:7

·        Giving is conducted in faith that God will provide for those who give ( 2 Corinthians 9:8-13) Giving brings glory to God and leads people to give thanks to God (2Corinthians 9:11-13)

Stewardship thoughts:

“Every day we stand in the shade of trees we did not plant. We live in the houses we did not build. We eat food we did not produce. We ponder ideas that are not original to us. So too, we live in a body and with a mind and a spirits that we did not choose or create.’- Donald W. Hinxe, To Give again: A Christian Imperative for Generosity (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1990, pp. 89-90

+ Peace