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Introduction
I. God does not want you to give because He wants your money.
A. God wants you to give because He wants your heart (Matthew 6:21).
B. If God can ever get our hearts a tremendous amount of work can be done.
II. God provides us with practical instructions to govern our giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
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I. Our Giving Should Be Planned Giving.
A. The biblical command is that each Christian plan and budget his giving (2 Corinthians 9:7).
B. The biblical command is not that our giving be “impulse giving”.
C. Decide ahead of time what you are going to give.
1. Pray before you decide.
2. Honor your vow once you have decided.
II. Our Giving Should Be Regular And First-Fruit Giving.
A. Christians must give regularly (1 Corinthians 16:2).
1. Like it or not, financial matters require regularity and consistency.
2. There is probably little that will anger you more than not getting paid on time.
B. Christians must give from the “first-fruits”.
1. God is looking for our first-fruits, not leftovers (Matthew 6:33).
2. Look at how God has blessed you.
a. Decide what you will give this week based on how God has blessed you.
b. Make God your “first creditor”. After all, He really is!
III. Our Giving Should Be Proportionate Giving.
A. God doesn’t want you to give a “portion”, but rather a “proportion”.
1. God’s promised blessings are not to those who give, but rather to those who give bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
2. Remember, we are stewards rather than owners (1 Chronicles 29:14; Psalm 24:1; Haggai 2:8).
B. Giving becomes so much easier when I recognize:
1. God’s ownership of everything (Psalm 50:10-11), and…
2. The blessing which comes from giving (Proverbs 11:28).
IV. Our Giving Should Be Proof Of Our Love.
A. Our giving is a test of our sincerity (2 Corinthians 8:8), and is proof of our love (vs. 24).
B. It is by His giving that we know the love of God (John 3:16).
1. If God had not given Christ we would know nothing of His love.
2. Imagine where we would be if every member of this congregation shared God’s attitude for giving.
Conclusion
I. Money is neither good nor bad, but it is always powerful.
II. What is your attitude about giving?
A. Our attitude will determine how much we give.
B. Our attitude will also determine how much more God will give.
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