9.30.2007

to think that he is offering

"The Blessings of Sacrificial Giving"
* Giving/tithing sermons not about nagging flock to do a chore; about obedience
* Giving faithfully moves Lord to bless our lives {Acts20:35; Ps41:1-3; Mal3:10}
- Mal3:10 -- can't even contain the outpouring of blessing
- Place to begin giving? Tithing ("Training wheels of giving" -- Alcorn) {Deut14:23; Prov3:9-10; Matt23:23}
- Goal? Giving sacrificially {Luke21:1-4; 2Cor8:1-3}
* Giving will cause us to draw closer to Him {Luke12:33-34}
* Giving sacrificially will inoculate us against worldliness {1John2:15; Luke16:13; Matt19:20-24}
* Money we give is awaiting us in Heaven in form of eternal rewards {2Cor5:10; Rom14:10-12; Matt6:19-20; 1Tim6:18-19}
* In process of giving, may discover spiritual gifting {Rom12:6-8}
* God uses giving as a test to see if He can give us greater responsibility in our service to Him {Luke16:10-11; 2Cor9:6-10}
* We can take care of ourselves, or we can trust God to take care of us {Heb13:5-6; Phil4:18-19}
* Faithfully giving to God sacrificially develops character trait of contentment {Phil4:11-13; 1Tim6:6-8}

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