Furthering Your Generosity

The Standard of Giving

• The standard of giving is God because He is the original and the ultimate Giver.
• Proverbs 14:31 - Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker; but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
• John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
• What has God given?
• When we are generous, we reflect the benevolent nature of God.
• Our lives should be a channel through which God’s generosity flows.

The Priority of Giving

• We should not resort to giving our leftovers to the work of the LORD.
• Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.
• Proverbs 19:17 - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.
• Our level of giving should not be based on how little we can offer.
• Don’t give what’s left; give what’s first.

The Proportion of Giving

• God doesn’t have the right to only 10% of your income since He is responsible for 100% of it.
• Malachi 3:10 - Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
• Proverbs 3:27 - Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
• The beauty of the tithe concept is that it aligns all of us to an equal proportion and not an equal amount.
• The tithe was intended to be a starting line rather than a giving ceiling.
• Make it your goal to give at least 10% of your gross income.

The Uneasiness of Giving

• The level of generosity should cause some level of uneasiness from time to time.
• 2 Samuel 24:24 - But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
• Proverbs 22:9 - Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
• Never settle into a standard of giving that keeps you closed to further generosity.

The Attitude of Giving

• God doesn’t desire you to give a generous amount with a frustrated heart.
• Proverbs 14:21 - Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
• 2 Corinthians 9:7 - Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
• Acts 20:35 - In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
• Sacrificial giving can be a cheerful decision when you prioritize a Kingdom perspective.
• You can endure temporary inconveniences by focusing on eternal ramifications.