Discipling Generosity - Reflecting the Heart of God

Discipling Generosity

Generosity is more about what God wants for you than from you.  This is a phrase we've been saying a lot at our church as we have been studying the topic of generosity.  Today, we are talking about discipling generosity.  

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

 

 

Generosity is an invitation and an opportunity.  Don't miss out.

Remember when you were a child, and your teacher gave you a pot and a seed.  It was time for you to learn how to plant seeds and grow plants.  You planted the seed.  Then you nurtured the seed and waited patiently for a sprout.  Then you nurtured the sprout.  Finally, the sprout became a nice plant, and you thought, "Wow, look what I did!  The truth is that the seed was not yours.  Your teacher gave you the seeds.  You reaped the harvest of a seed that didn't belong to you.  This is an example, a picture of the generosity of God.

In the beginning, God created everything in a generous act of love.

Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you. - Genesis 1:29

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God created things to exist and the potential for everything else to exist. The seeds of His creation were an entire orchard waiting to bloom.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul is challenging the church at Corinth to excel in generosity.

Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. - 2 Corinthians 2:8-9

Generosity is part of discipleship, growing in godliness.  When we are generous, we are reflecting the heart of God.

2 Ways Paul is Discipling Generosity

1.  See generosity as a seed to sow.

Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously. - 2 Corinthians 9:6

We reap in proportion to what we sow.  Sow a little.  Get little.  So a lot.  Get a lot.  We cannot expect to reap a harvest in places where we have sown no seeds.  We reap what we sow.

Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

The heart is central to the practice of generosity. Grateful hearts give willingly.  It is a response of love.  You can give without loving but you can never love without giving. This sowing and reaping is true for spiritual things as well as it is for material things.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. - Galatians 6:7-8

The seed and the harvest belong to God.

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹ you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. - 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

 God is owner.  We are manager.  God is supplier.  We are distributor.

 

Generosity looks like two open hands, one to receive and one to give.  

 

Sowing seed brings more seeds to sow.  God never runs out of generosity.

 

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2.  See generosity as a ministry to serve.

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. - 2 Corinthians 9:12

Generosity is more than money.  It's ministry.  Generosity is reflecting and revealing God's heart to others. 

Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all. - 2 Corinthians 9:13

Generosity invokes worship.

While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. - 2 Corinthians 9:14

Discipleship is the process of becoming more like Jesus.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! - 2 Corinthians 9:15

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Discipling Generosity

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Your wedding ring is one of the most valuable and important purchases that you and your husband will ever make. Therefore, it is important that you put in a lot of forethought when it comes to determining which ring is right for you.

The Full Guide to Buying a Wedding Ring, Including Custom Design!

First and foremost, before you begin to search you and your fiancé need to determine a budget for your wedding rings. After all, you need to ensure that you buy something which you can comfortably afford, and by being strict with yourself with a budget you ensure that you do not go over your limit.

If you cannot afford your own ring at the moment, why not make a special piece of jewelry that you can wear until you can get a wedding ring? There are jewelry making kits that simple require cutters, crafting glue guns, and a few extras, and it means so much more when you’ve made something together, right?

If you have got the budget for your wedding rings, you also need to make sure that you find a good jeweler. After all, a wedding ring is something whereby quality cannot be compromised and thus you need to opt for the best.

In order to determine whether a jeweler is a good one or not, you should seek to discover if they have any certification. In addition to this, you should also read the reviews that have been left by previous customers in order to determine whether the majority of people have been happy with their purchase or not.

Once you have covered these two aspects you should then consider the latest trends in wedding bands. After all, you do not want to be wearing something which is considered unstylish and dated.

At the moment it is a case of the more bling the better. So going for a wedding band that is encrusted in lots of diamonds is always a desirable option. Moreover, this is certainly a fashion trend which is here to stay, because let’s face it; who doesn’t love diamonds?

In addition to this, another trend which is highly popular and very touching is to get your wedding band engraved on the inside. You can do something traditional like get the date engraved. Alternatively, you can opt for something more contemporary and get a symbol or a phrase that means something to you and your partner. Obviously, you can’t go for anything which is too long because it will take up too much room.

Aside from contemplating the current trends, you need to make sure that your wedding ring matches your engagement ring. You may fall in love with a certain wedding band, but if it clashes with your engagement ring then it is going to look distasteful.

This does not mean that you have to go for two metals that are exactly the same. You just need to go for something which blends well, rather than being completely contrasting i.e. like silver and gold.

Custom made wedding rings ensure that you have something which is unique to you

Finding the perfect wedding ring can be a difficult challenge. After all, it is something which you will wear proudly on your hand for the rest of your life and so it needs to be something that possesses a timeless beauty and is of high quality. Moreover, it is a substantial investment and not something which can really be changed a few months down the line if you decide you want something else.

There are some fantastic wedding rings available in all of the stores selling jewelry, as well as off of the internet today. This can make it hard to narrow down your search to just one wedding band. Nevertheless, a better idea is to get your ring custom made rather than seeking one which is already available in store.

If you go for a bespoke wedding ring then you can ensure that your ring is unique to you. Nobody else will have it, and something which is one of a kind symbolizes a really special piece of jewelry. This also means that you have a license to incorporate any trends that you like within the ring. In fact, you can also have something designed which is unique to you.

The best thing to do is browse the internet and have a look at some celebrity and designer wedding rings in order to gain some inspiration for ideas. Moreover, if there is something special to the both of you or that represents your relationship, then you can try and include a symbolization of this in your ring too. This truly is the best way to give a special and unique representation of your love through your wedding band.

In addition to the unique and one of a kind quality attributed to bespoke wedding bands, another benefit associated with this option is that you will be able to get a ring that perfectly suits your finger. There is nothing more disappointing than visiting a jeweler, falling in love with a ring, only to find that you cannot get one which fits on your finger properly.

Furthermore, you will be able to ensure that you select a high-quality diamond for your ring. In order to determine whether a diamond is good or not, you should consider carats, color, clarity, and cut.

When you are seeking a custom made service it is important to bear in mind the fact that you will need to give yourself a lot of time. After all, this is a service that is intricate and requires patience from your part as well as the company, as no rash decisions should be made. You need to make sure you are 100% happy with the design before the making process takes place.

And finally, you need to ensure that you opt for a top-quality jewelry company. After all, this is a service which requires the best professionals so that you are left more than satisfied with your wedding ring.

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The Full Guide to Buying a Wedding Ring, Including Custom Design! 

How to Love Generous Living

How to Love Generous Living

We have been talking a lot lately about generous living.  Today at church, we are talking about learning to love living generously.  Our focal passage for today is in 1 Timothy.

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹ But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I direct you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without fault or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. - 1 Timothy 6:10-17

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here. 

How to Love Generous Living

Loving generosity will protect you from the love of money, which causes people to wander away from their faith.  

A generous person will be prosperous,
And one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty. - Proverbs 11:25

One who is generous will be blessed,
Because he gives some of his food to the poor. - Proverbs 22:9

Generosity invites God's blessings into your life. It is more about what God wants for you than what He wants from you.  

The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever. - 1 John 2:17

How to Love Generous Living

1.  We need a spiritual understanding.  

Money is temporary.  It is not permanent.  

As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind? - Ecclesiastes 5:15-16

When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. - Proverbs 23:5

Money is not certain.  Only God and His Word are absolute. 

Money is not satisfying.  When we have a little money, we tend to want more.

The love of money will never cure the greed in a person's heart.

2.  We need a personal understanding.

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. - 1 Timothy 6:17

God wants you to enjoy what He has given you.

God wants us to share with others.

 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. - 1 Timothy 6:18

Tithing is Biblical.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. - Malachi 3:10

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Tithing is more than a law.  It's about love.  Tithing is not commanded in the New Testament.  In the Old Testament, it was law.  In the New Testament, it's about grace and loving others.

Tithing is the best way to love generous living.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

Trusting God repositions your heart.

How to Love Generous Living