In this message, Pastor Lisa Seaton concludes our mini-series on generosity, “Put Your Heart Into It” with a challenging sermon about how you can give without loving, but you can not love without giving and how we are most like Christ when we are generous.
Notes 📓✏️:
“For God so loved, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16
Jesus wasn’t just born, God gave Him to us!
God so loved, that He gave
Love Gives
You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving
Acts 20:35 “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
We are most like Christ, when we are generous.
Scarcity Mentality
“One Dollar More”
The Bag Mentality
Haggai 1:2-6 “This is what the Lord of All says: ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come to build again the house of the Lord.” Then the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the man of God, saying, “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your houses with walls covered with wood, while this house lies waste?” Now the Lord of All says, “Think about your ways! You have planted much, but gather little. You eat, but there is not enough to fill you. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothing, but no one is warm enough. You earn money, but put it into a bag with holes.”
Consider Your Ways
1). Make God our First Priority
God wants to be first in our lives.
“But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what He wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” -Matthew 6:33 (CET)
Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal!”
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” James 3:16 (ESV)
“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” Proverbs 11:24-15 (MSG)
2). Put Our Trust In God
“You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money. I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds? Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth[g] wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith? Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:24-33 CEV
Trust in ourselves = trusting our own capacity
Trust in God = trusting in His capacity!
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him… ”
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
1. Knowing that we are most like Jesus when we are generous, what are some ways you have chosen to be generous with your time, talents, and treasure?
2.What are some things during this holiday season you can do to pause, take a time out, and put God first in your life?
3.What is one thing that is internally in disorder that is affecting your external disorder?
4. What is one step you would like to see yourself take to put your trust in God?