Giving

Be courageous, pastor. Teach your people to give. But let no one accuse you of pressuring them to give. They will anyway. Expect it and shrug it off. Whether they do or don't, be faithful to the Lord.

Hebrews 13:2 tells us that by practicing hospitality “some have welcomed angels unaware” and Matt. 10:40 says that by welcoming strangers some people have welcomed Christ into their homes. This summer, we should not miss out on the opportunity to participate in such a significant encounter.

No matter the life season, the path we take, or what we assume a day might hold, let’s be Christ followers who leave room for sacred opportunities to offer the gift of undistracted attention.

When we give back to God, we are expressing our trust in him and in his provision. When we pray over our offerings to God, we are asking him to bless that which we give and use it for his purposes.

HGTV’s ‘Fixer Upper’ stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines, have raised $1.5 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, surpassing their original goal of $230,000.

There is no question that generous giving is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, and that there is great joy in giving.

Do you see how giving makes us more blessed than getting? We can get so much happiness when we see how God is glorified in our giving and when we see Him bless others through our giving.

“Millennials want to give to a cause.” Heard that one? Of course you have. And it’s true. Just not the whole truth. Here’s all of it: EVERYBODY wants to give to a cause.

A host of scientific and sociological research indicates that giving money away makes us healthier and happier. Radical, joyful givers view all generosity as a free, open-handed, and joyful response to the generosity of God.

Why do people give? That’s easy. They give from the heart, to vision.

We, at times, have unreasonable expectations, believing community to be an organic, naturally occurring phenomenon. We are prone to think it is the culmination of like personalities and close proximity. The truth is, the formation of community requires great effort, knowledge, and skill.

With so many healthy, able-bodied members of the body of Christ available to serve, l know that no one would blame me for cashing in my “Get out of Service Card” to focus on my recovery. However, serving has been an invaluable experience for me. 

God’s Word gives us great reasons for being generous to everyone around us, contributing to the needy and poor and generously supporting the work of the Lord.

Tithing can be murky waters for believers, especially when we're buried in debt. Is there just one biblical answer to the question?

God blesses a lifestyle of giving. Read about the motivation for giving - which we all have in us.

When we give to the Lord, so many things can go wrong. The world looks askance at it, even friends wonder about all the money we’re giving, and so many questions arise.

Innate within each of us is a deep desire to connect. We want more than casual friendships, more than conversation that rarely goes beyond the weather and weekly recaps.

As someone who grew up in a pessimistic household, I quickly adopted my parents’ way of thinking. But how could I change my attitude after living as a pessimist for so long? 

We can appreciate kindness. We can demand kindness. But unless Christ crucified produces in us a penitent heart, our efforts toward kindness are futile.