GIVING

Giving appears on the surface to be sharing possessions, wealth, income, and the like.
More important, giving is sharing self. Giving is a most remarkable concept, originating in the
heart of a giving God, a God who pours forth more blessings on his people than we can ever
deserve or expect. The gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of salvation and the gift of eternity in
heaven-all of these are priceless. The possessions we have are generally a tangible result of what
we have invested in time and energy and talent. But who we are-our character-is always a direct
result of what we have invested of ourselves with God and others. And one of the great and
unique promises of the Bible is that the more we give, the more we receive-not necessarily in
material possessions, but in spiritual and eternal rewards.

Biblical Reason on why we should give?

1. Malachi 3:10 - Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in
my Temple. If you do, . . . I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing
so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! We should
give because God commands it. While we should never give just to get something in return (for
that violates giving as an act of love), God does promise bountiful blessings for those who obey
this command.

2. John 3:16 - God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

3. Luke 21:1-4 - “I assure you,” he said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest
of them.” The model for all giving is the heart of God. He loved so much that he gave, not
merely possessions or money, but his only Son to redeem a lost world.

4. Exodus 22:29; 23:19 - As you harvest each of your crops, bring me a choice sample of
the first day’s harvest. We should give a tithe because it demonstrates that God is first in our
lives.

5. 1 Chronicles 29:6-14 - Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only
what you have already given us! We should give because it reminds us that the things we have
are not what is most important.

6. Psalm 54:6 - I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you. We should give out of a
grateful heart.

7. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 - When we take your gifts to those who need them, they will
break out in thanksgiving to God. We should give to others so that God will be glorified.
 8. 1 Peter 4:10 - God has given gifts to each of you . . . Manage them well so that God’s
generosity can flow through you. The more we give of ourselves the more God’s generosity
flows through us.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE?

1. Deuteronomy 14:22-23 - You must set aside a tithe of your crops-one-tenth of all the crops
you harvest each year.

2. Proverbs 3:9-10 -. Honor the Lord . . . with the best part of everything your land produces.
Then he will fill your barns with grain.

3. 1 Corinthians 16:2 - On every Lord’s Day, each of you should put aside some amount of
money.

4. 2 Corinthians 9:7 - You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give.
Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

5. 2 Corinthians 8:12 - If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to
give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have. While the Old Testament
specifically talks about giving one-tenth of what we make to God, the New Testament
encourages us to give what we can, to give sacrificially, and to give out of a grateful heart. For
many, this will mean giving far more than one-tenth!

BUT I’M JUST BARELY MAKING IT WITH MY BUDGET. HOW CAN I AFFORD TO
TITHE?

1. 2 Corinthians 9:8 - God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have
everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

If we’re not careful, we will never think we have enough. The secret of happiness is learning to
be content with what we have, whether it is much or little, and learning how to live abundantly
even with little (see Philippians 4:11-12).

WHAT ARE SOME PRINCIPLES OF GIVING FOR THOSE IN CHRISTIAN WORK?

1. Numbers 18:25-26 - Say this to the Levites: “When you receive the tithes from the Israelites,
give a tenth of the tithes you receive.” Those who live on tithes and offerings are not exempted
from giving to the Lord.
2. Joshua 18:7 - However, the Levites will not receive any land. Their role as priests of the Lord
is their inheritance. Those in full-time Christian work often forgo material wealth, and therefore
an inheritance to pass along. They need our support.

PROMISES FROM GOD:

1. Proverbs 28:27 - Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. God blesses those who give to
the poor.

2. Ecclesiastes 11:1 - Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later.

3. Matthew 10:42 - If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you
will surely be rewarded.

4. Luke 6:38 - If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure . . .
running over.

5. Acts 20:35 - Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to
receive.”

WHAT KIND OF GIVING DOES GOD WANT US TO PRACTICE?

BIBLE READING: Exodus 35:1-35

KEY BIBLE VERSE: Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. Some brought
to the LORD their offerings of gold-medallions, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces.
They presented gold objects of every kind to the LORD. (Exodus 35:22)

1. GOD IS PLEASED WITH PERSONAL GIVING.

Those who spun cloth made a beautiful contribution to the tabernacle. Good workers take pride
in the quality and beauty of their work. God is concerned with the quality and beauty of what
you do. Whether you are a corporate executive or a drugstore cashier, your work should reflect
the creative abilities God has given you.

BIBLE READING: Ezra 2:64-70

KEY BIBLE VERSE: When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the
family leaders gave generously toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site, and
each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250
pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests. (Ezra 2:68-69)

2. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN WE GIVE GENEROUSLY.

As the temple reconstruction progressed, everyone contributed freewill offerings according to his
or her ability. Some were able to give huge gifts and did so generously. Everyone’s effort and
cooperation were required, and the people gave as much as they could. Often we limit our giving
to 10 percent of our income. The Bible, however, emphasizes that we should give from the heart
all that we are able (2 Corinthians 8:12; 9:6). Let the amount of your gift be decided by God’s
call to give generously, not by the amount of your leftovers.

BIBLE READING: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

KEY BIBLE VERSE: Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their
wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity. (2 Corinthians 8:2)

3. GOD IS PLEASED WITH REGULAR GIVING.

The Corinthian believers excelled in everything-they had faith, good preaching, much
knowledge, much earnestness, much love. Paul wanted them to also be leaders in giving. Giving
is a natural response of love. Paul did not order the Corinthians to give, but he encouraged them
to prove that their love was sincere. When you love someone, you want to give him or her your
time and attention and to provide for his or her needs. If you refuse to help, your love is not as
genuine as you say.

4. SACRIFICIAL GIVING IMITATES CHRIST.

There is no evidence that Jesus was any poorer than most first-century Palestinians; rather, Jesus
became poor by giving up his rights as God and becoming human. In his incarnation God
voluntarily became man-the wholly human person, Jesus of Nazareth. As a man, Jesus was
subject to place, time, and other human limitations. He did not give up his eternal power when he
became human, but he did set aside his glory and his rights. In response to the Father’s will, he
limited his power and knowledge. Christ became “poor” when he became human, because he set
aside so much. Yet by doing so, he made us “rich” because we received salvation and eternal
life.
5. GIVING REQUIRES CAREFUL PLANNING.

The Corinthian church had money, and apparently they had planned to collect money for the
Jerusalem churches a year previously (2 Corinthians 9:2). Paul challenges them to act on their
plans. Four principles of giving emerge here: (1) your willingness to give cheerfully is more
important than the amount you give; (2) you should strive to fulfill your financial commitments;
(3) if you give to others in need, they will, in turn, help you when you are in need; (4) you should
give as a response to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. How you give reflects your
devotion to Christ.

6. DECIDING HOW MUCH TO GIVE.

How do you decide how much to give? What about differences in the financial resources
Christians have? Paul gives the Corinthian church several principles to follow: (1) each person
should follow through on previous promises (8:10; 9:3); (2) each person should give as much as
he or she is able (8:12; 9:6); (3) each person must make up his or her own mind how much to
give (9:7); and (4) each person should give in proportion to what God has given (9:10). God
gives to us so that we can give to others.

7. WE SHOULD GIVE RESPONSIBLY.

Paul says that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. Sacrificial giving must
be responsible. Paul wants believers to give generously, but not to the extent that those who
depend on the givers (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met.
Give until it hurts, but don’t give so that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need your
financial support.