The Season of Giving

The Bible tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. Join hosts, Erin Davis, Dannah Gresh, Alejandra Slemin, and Portia Collins as they welcome guests who will help us consider what God’s Word teaches about living generously. Be challenged to be intentional with your generosity during this Christmas season.

Connect with Steve:

Twitter: @stevecanfield6

Connect with Darren:

Instagram: @darrentyler

Twitter: @darrentyler

Conduit Mission: https://conduitmission.org/

Episode Notes:

The Beauty of Generosity Podcast

The Great Christmas Cookie Decorating Party

Living and Giving Principles:

1. Before I give any of my material possessions to God, He first wants me to give myself (2 Corinthians 8:5).
   1. Has there ever been a point in my life when I fully gave myself to God?
   2. Have I completely surrendered my will, my desires, my needs, my goals, and my plans to God?
   3.  Is there any area of my life that I have not yielded to God? Relationships? Position? Reputation? Recognition? Finances? Future?
   4. Do I sometimes find it easier to give my material possessions than to give myself or my time to minister to the needs of others?
2. I must be willing to be made materially poor, if necessary, in order that I or others might be made spiritually rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
   1. When was the last time I demonstrated this principle in my life?
   2. Have I ever done so?
   3. Would I be willing to apply this principle if no one else would ever know I had done it?
   4. Have I ever applied this principle and later grumbled against God for not immediately meeting my perceived needs or desires?
   5. What material sacrifices on my part might help to nurture my spiritual life?
   6. What specific material sacrifices could I make that might help others to be made spiritually rich?
3. God wants me to learn to give out of that which I have (2 Corinthians 8:12).
   1. Make a list of all the material possessions that God has entrusted to you.
   2. What other non-material resources has God given me that I might be able to invest in others or in His kingdom (e.g., time)?
   3. Do I tend to expect God to meet my needs through the giving of others rather than through my own giving?
   4. When I hear of a need, do I ask the Lord if He wants me to have a part in helping meet that need?
   5. What do I have right now that God might want me to give?
4. I need to transfer the ownership of everything I have to God (1 Chronicles 29:14).
   1. Have I transferred the ownership of everything I have to God?
   2. Since the owner has the right to make the final decision, have I accepted God’s right to give or to take away any of “my” material possessions, according to His will?
   3. Am I as quick to rejoice when I experience material loss as I am when God blesses me materially?
   4. Is there any material possession that I would be reluctant to part with at a moment’s notice from the Lord?
5. Giving must be according to the will of God. In order to know the will of God, I must have no will of my own. The will of God is never contrary to the Word of God. The Word of God is the will of God.
   1. Have I studied what the Word of God has to say in relation to my giving?
   2. Do I prayerfully seek God’s will in relation to my giving?
   3. Are there any principles of God’s Word that I may be violating in my giving?
   4. Am I willing to obey any direction from God in relation to my giving?
6. I need to learn to give today out of my abundance (or supply) to meet the needs of others, believing that tomorrow, if I have a need, God will use the abundance of others to meet my need.
   1. Make a list of any individuals or ministries that you are aware of who have specific material needs at this time.
   2. Are there any of those needs that God may want to meet out of the supply He has given to me?
   3. Do I feel the need to maintain a “safety net” in case God doesn’t provide for me?
   4. Am I guilty of hoarding certain resources for fear that I may need them at some unforeseen time?
   5. When God uses the abundance of others to meet my needs, do I gratefully receive the gift as a provision from God?
7. The deeper the level of my giving, the greater is the expression of my love (2 Corinthians 8:8). Levels of Giving Obedience (giving of regular tithes and offerings) Faith (giving what God clearly prompts, but I cannot see or figure out) Sacrifice (giving out of my need—that which I actually need to live)
   1. Am I currently practicing biblical giving by giving back to the Lord at least 10% of my income?
   2. Have I practiced faith giving in the past six months?
   3. When was the last time I gave sacrificially to the Lord’s work or to meet the need of another believer?
   4. Does my life illustrate each of these three levels of giving? e. What does my giving reveal about the depth of my love for the Lord Jesus?
8.  I am to minister to the material needs of those who minister to my spiritual needs (Galatians 6:6).
   1. Make a list of the people who have ministered to you spiritually in the past year.
   2. Am I aware of the personal and material needs of the people on my list? How could I become better informed of their needs?
   3. Am I consistently investing in the lives of those who minister to me?