Play to Win: Giving 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Today we’re talking about the spiritual discipline of giving. I know that for many, money is a tough topic—even among spouses. But that’s exactly why we need to talk about it. God has a lot to say about money—not because He needs it, but because our hearts are deeply tied to it. And I have learned that you cannot help others with giving unless you first being responsible with what God has entrusted you with. So let me share with you our story with money.

My wife Suzanne and I have had to learn how to handle money. I grew up not having a lot of money. Neither of my parents were very good with money nor taught me how to handle money. But they did teach me the importance of working hard. So from a young age I worked and earned money in many different ways. I had a ton of different jobs through high school and college. But because I didn’t have a good foundation for handling finances, I would spend it all. on stuff that I didn’t need. All because I didn’t have a plan. I found myself going where my money told me to. But now we have learned that when we don’t tell our money where to go, our money will tell us where to go.

Fast forward a number of years and I’m married, and we found ourselves doing the normal stuff with money. Buying anything and everything we wanted with payments. And even though we were making good money we were still living paycheck to paycheck and many times not even. We had many accounts sent to collections. $167k in consumer debt between vehicles, personal loans, credit cards, school loans and we had to buy a house on top of that, all because we thought renting is like throwing your money away. Something had to change. We needed to stop letting our money manage us and for us to start managing this resources that God had entrusted us with, His way.

So we started living on a plan and with purpose and in 37 months paid off all that consumer debt. And because we have learned that all we have is God’s and he has in entrusted us to manage it His way. God has taught us to not only be responsible but that we can be generous and cheerful as we give.

We live in a culture that loves the idea of success but resists the discipline it takes to achieve it. Spiritually, we often fall into the same trap—desiring the results of a close walk with God, power in prayer, and clarity in our calling—without committing to the training required to get there.

But Paul reminds us: the Christian life is not aimless. It's not a spiritual walk in the park—it’s a race. A fight. A pursuit. And to run well, to fight faithfully, we need more than inspiration—we need discipline.

We’re in week 4 of our series, Play to Win.

It’s all based on this passage from 1 Corinthians 9:24 , where Paul says:

1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

This isn’t a game we’re trying to survive. This is a life we’re trying to win—not against each other, but for Jesus.

And how do we do that? Through the spiritual disciplines. We’ve talked about prayer, worship, study and service. Today—we’re talking about the spiritual discipline of giving.

Hearts and Money

If you have your bibles. 1 Corinthians and Gal.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

2 Corinthians 9:6–8

Paul here speaks directly to the spiritual discipline of giving. The heart of the matter. The heart.

Paul is reminding the Corinthians about a promise that they had made to take part in the collection that Paul was overseeing, to care for the needs of the believers in Jerusalem that were facing a famine.

Paul quotes Solomon here from Proverbs. In Proverbs Solomon gives wisdom in the form of a contrast between the ones that lives righteously and the one that lives wickedly. We pick up in the middle of this contrast.

Proverbs 11:24-28

Proverbs 11:24–28

24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. 26 People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. 27 Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it. 28 Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Here is the contrast:

• The righteous Gives freely- and gains even more

• The Wicked withholds unduly or excessively - and come to poverty

• The Generous will prosper

• They refresh others- and will be refreshed

• The wicked hoards- and people curse them

• The righteous is willing to sell- and others offer blessings

• The righteous seek good and find favor

• The wicked search for evil and find it

• The righteous will thrive

• The wicked trust in their riches and fall

But all of these things come down to our hearts. You see there is a direct connection between your hearts and your wallet

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

If you were to ask someone what’ s important to them, they may have to think about it for a minute. But I believe if you look at two things we can see what is most important to people. If you look at their calendars and the bank statements. If you look at what they do and what they spend their money on it will show you what’s important to them, what they care about. Because the things that are most important to us are the things that we are going to spend our time, our talents, and our money on. If you want to see what’s really important to you look at where you spend your time, where your pour out your talents and energy and look at what you spend your money on. These I would argue are the things that are most important to you.

So the question is. What’s important to you? What does your money say is important to you? Is your heart ruled by your money? Let me tell you that for a long time my heart was ruled by my money. My money was telling me where to go. And I’m thankful that we have learned to start telling our money where and how to go.

If your heart is ruled by your money, then let me tell you from my own experience, you will withhold, you will hoard and you will trust in your money.

But instead if your money ruled by your heart. Then you will give to help others in need, you will be generous, you will refresh others, seek good, live righteous, and trust in God.

How we treat our money shows the condition of our heart. When it comes to your money, trust God not it.

What does money on say about your heart?

Is your money used to take care of your needs or wants?

Is your money used to refresh others or do you use it selfishly?

Now you cannot help others unless you are first being responsible with what God has entrusted you with. And I believe that this is the key when comes to money and the spiritual discipline of giving. We need to have this change in mindset and this change in heart. All that we are and have is not ours. It’s not. You are not your own. All that you have is not yours.

Stewards of the King

Money or treasure like time, talent, are all given to us by God. We are entrusted with them. We are Stewards of them. Now steward is not a word that we use a lot in our culture.

You see a steward is a person, that we have associated with a characteristic. So a king or a land owner would buy a house a tract of land, but they may be away fighting battles, leading people or doing whatever kings did. And they would entrust their household to someone else. To make sure that the household was kept in order, taken care of, that everything was handled. This person was a steward for the king. They are not the owners, the king is, and so when they made decisions, spent money, it wasn’t theirs to spend how they saw fit. It was the kings, and they had to use it, invest it, do with it as the king had instructed. It was the kings, but the steward managed it.

Here is the reality about you and your life. You are not your own. God is the creator, owner, and king. He made you; he has given you your mind and body to work and earn money. He gives you breath to breath, he sustains you. Without God we would not exist. So we need to understand and recognize this truth in every aspect of our lives including our money.

God has entrusted you with your time, talents and money. They are His and we are His mangers. Does that change how you look at your money? It should. Because it’s God’s and not yours, you and I have only been entrusted with it to honor Him with it.

So lets talk a little bit about how we can be responsible with what God has entrusted you with.

First if we are going to be responsible with what God has entrusted us with and develop the spiritual discipline of giving then we need to make a plan for money or a budget. Why do we need to make a plan for our money? Because this is what the prudent, the wise do. Fools and children do what feels good. Adults make a plan and stick to it.

Proverbs 14:15 15 The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.

Proverbs 14:15

Proverbs 21:20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

Proverbs 21:20

Jesus uses a wise builder to illustrate how we should count the cost of following Him, because the cost of following Jesus is high. He said if we wanted to build a tower we would first sit down and make a plan and count the cost.

Wisdom is making a plan for what God has entrusted us with and sticking to that plan. Foolishness is doing whatever “feels” good. So, if we are going to be responsible with what God has entrusted us with. Make a budget.

What Suzanne and I have learned is that we make a zero-based budget for our family. So we right down every dollar we have coming in before it comes in. Then we give every dollar a job or a name. And the first job on our budget is God. We give to Him first and his work here at Journey Church. Because all that we are and have is God’s and giving to Him before we do anything else helps remind us of that. Then we go down the list and tell every dollar what it is going to do before we even get it in our hands. Until we come to the bottom and it’s zero. Income-expenses=zero. It simple math.

If you want to be responsible with what God has entrusted, you with. Make a budget.

Another great principle that is helpful to be responsible with what God has entrusted you with. Learn to live on less then you make. Why is that we go into debt? Often, it’s just to keep up with the Jones? Whoever they are. We buy things we can’t afford and don’t need with money that we don’t have to impress people that we don’t even like. We have become enslaved to our debt, our money. According to Experian data from the third quarter of 2024, the avg NC resident has $96,972 in debt. The average American is carrying $6,730 in credit card debt. In other words, we have not learned to live on less then you make, or live below your means.

Learn to be content. Paul tells Philippians 4 that he learned to be content when he had plenty and when he had nothing. If you are not content, then you will always be looking for more. And let me tell you from experience once again. You will never have enough stuff, things, money to be fulfilled. This message is all about learning from my mistakes. Please do. I’ve made them so you don’t have to. Learning to be content will help you to start living on less then you make.

To be responsible with what God has entrusted you with, make a plan for your money, learn to live on less then you make. And if you don’t know how to be responsible with your money, get help. My parents never taught me how to be responsible with money and it was a struggle for Suzanne and me. But we have been able to find some help and have been able to pay off all our consumer debt. Because we decided that we have been entrusted with this resource by God and we must start managing it His way and not our way! And if Suzanne and I can learn to be responsible with money you can too. Even if you have never been taught, or don’t make a lot of it. Make a plan for your money, learn to live on less then you make, and get help. Because if you aren’t being responsible with the resources that God has entrusted you with you will have a hard time learning the spiritual discipline of giving.

If you looking for some help with money. I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s Finacle Peace University. Its ok to don’t know, but it’s not ok to stay that way. Get help, learn to live on less then you make, learn to be content and make a plan so you can learn to be responsible with what God has entrusted you with.

Know that God doesn’t need your money. But He desires your heart! Let that sink in. If you don’t take anything else from today. Take that! God doesn’t need your money. But He wants your heart! He is the owner of everything. He needs nothing from us. But what God desires from us is our hearts.

Now that we have these principles for money lets come back to the spiritual discipline of giving. Look again 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

2 Corinthians 9:6–8

Paul gives us some great principles when it comes to spiritual discipline of giving.

1st Decide in your heart what you will give and then give. Talk with God in prayer and decide with Him about how much you should give. If you are married talk with and pray with your spouse about how much you should give. And then give cheerfully!

Sometimes people ask is there an amount. Is it 1%, 5%, 10% whatever. Is it before taxes or after taxes. I point you back to what Paul says. Decide what you should and then give cheerfully. It’s between you and God not anyone else. But Thomas what about the tithe. Well in the OT the Isrealites were commanded to give a tithe, and tithe means 10%. But that command is not repeated for us in the New Testament. We are told to give and to give cheerfully. It’s not about an amount it’s about your heart. Don’t give out of guilt or under compulsion. Decide what to give and then give free.

Here at Journey Church we put it like this. We say that we want to live lives that are Pleasing God That means that every day we joyfully give God the best of everything we are and everything we have. So weather it is our time, our talents, or our money we give the best to God. But it is between you and God! So decided on an amount and then give cheerfully.

The spiritual discipline of giving is a lot like weightlifting. If you start lifting small weights with more reps, you are going to have a much easier time lifting larger and larger weights as time progresses. The same is true for generosity. If we practice sharing and generosity when we have little, it grows into a habit that can have a huge impact on our lives.

2nd where do we give? Give to God’s Kingdom. Give where it glorifies God and not yourself.

We show our commitment to Journey Church when we give not only of our money, but when we give of our time and of our talents to the work that God is doing in and though Journey Church. And I want to thank all of you that support the work God does in and through Journey. Thank you for giving of your time to serve, and of your talents to help build each other up and thank you for giving of our money to support Journey Church. If you are new to Journey Church we do not expect you to give, until you are ready to join the journey and committee with not only your money, but your time and talents as well. Journey Church is only one area that you can give.

But there are many areas that you can give and support God’s kingdom. Here is some good principles to go by:

Make sure that where you are giving is aligned with what God word.

Make sure they are also being responsible with the resources that God is entrusting them with.

This is why we transparent with the finances here at Journey Church because we want you to be able to make sure we are being responsible with the resources that God is entrusting us as a church with. Give to support God’s Kingdom. Give where you can serve. Jesus tells us that where our treasure is there our heart will be. So give not only of your money but also of your time and talent. Because where you are putting your money, your heart will follow.

Another great way we can give is to take care of the needs of others, serve others with your money. Sacrifice self. Consider others as more important than yourself, in life, and with your money. Give to care for the needs of others.

You can also give to other ministries that are doing kingdom of God work. But again make sure that they align with God, that they are being responsible with what God has entrusted them with. For the last year or so, Suzanne and I give to the new dorm project at the Camp and we also give to support two other church plants that have started in the last couple of years.

But however much and wherever you give, give to give please God. Not to please others, or even to please yourself. It’s to God you give and it not for anyone else.

Be responsible with what God has entrusted you with. Make a plan for your money, learn to live on less then you make, be content, and get help with what you don’t know. Give to the work of God’s Kingdom. Give to care for the needs of others. Decide in your heart how much and where to give. And give cheerfully.

So today, don’t just give money—give your heart. Because that’s what God’s been after all along. This is what it means to practice the spiritual discipline of giving. Why? Because God has already given us everything. Jesus gave his life, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. and calling us into a life of purpose. Let your response to His generosity shape how you live—and how you give. This is how we play to win.

God generously gave us mercy and grace when we have deserved death and punishment. Come and respond to God’s generosity by repent of our sins and meeting Jesus in baptism today! Come talk with me.