Why: Giving - 15th February 2026

You can turn in your Bibles to 2

2 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 8. Second

2 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 8.

We're going to be in eight and nine this

morning mostly. I'll reference a couple

other verses. So 2 Corinthians chapter

2 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

8. Uh it was a sunny Sunday afternoon in

May of 2014.

So, a few uh few years ago at this point

and Valerie and I and the children were

were traveling uh to a home. I say

children. So, picture Shane. Shane was

seven. Callahan was not even in the

frame of mind yet in our frame of mind

yet. Ellie Jane was not even a year old.

So, uh, we were a much younger family at

that point and we were only months away

from moving to Ireland, but we were

still we were still raising support. Um,

and so I don't know if all of you

realize that, but we are we are fully

supported from about 100 individuals and

churches in the states. Um, and that is

how we are able to live and be here for

the last 12 years. Um, so we had never

been to this house before. We we knew

the couple um and we had already sent

them a letter asking them to support us

um and the states is the states and so

uh asking for support can be pretty

direct uh because it's kind of a direct

culture generally speaking and so we

went for the very specific approach to

that. Can you give us this much every

month? Now this might sound scandalous

to some but that is often how it happens

in the states. Um, and so we had asked

them for a certain amount and then we

were just going to share with them uh

kind of the story of of what God was

doing in our lives and kind of some of

the needs here that we saw at that time.

Uh, and enjoy a lunch with them. Uh, so

we drive up to this house. We drive up

to this palatial house. I mean, you

think you've seen a large house. This

was a large house. Uh, and so I looked

at Valerie and I said, "Maybe we should

have asked for more." Um, so we went in

and we had a really lovely lunch and a

really humble couple again that we had

already known. We just had never been to

their house and we talked about Ireland

and we talked about the needs and talked

about our financial needs and then we

just asked them to pray and then we

left. Um, and we did that a lot over the

the year before we moved to Ireland. Uh

about a week later, I got an email from

this this brother saying that they were

very excited to partner with us. And

then I read the amount that they were

going to give. It's five times what we

asked. It's five times what we asked.

That was nearly

12 years ago.

12 years ago. Um they've since increased

that to 10 times what we had originally

asked.

10 times. I tell that story because

before we started raising support to my

shame, to my shame, I would have judged

wealthy people. I would have judged

them. I grew up in a in a very meager

means household. We did not have much. I

remember one holiday as a kid, you know,

and it wasn't that big of a deal. I

mean, we just that's just not how we

grew up. And so, I looked at people with

that big house and you're like, why why

do they have that big house? Why do they

have that expensive car? Why do they

wear those nice clothes? Particularly

thinking about believers, about

Christians who were wealthy. I'm like,

why? Why? Why should you have that?

And then I realized in that whole

process, that whole year particularly of

raising support that I have no idea what

people do with their money. I literally

have no idea what they do with their

money. This couple's mansion of the

house and their entire lifestyle

could be 10% of their income. They could

be giving 90% of their income away. I

have no idea. I have no idea what

they're doing. But I do know that this

couple gives cheerfully

and they continue to give cheerfully.

They could have given

exactly what we asked for, right? I

mean, it's what we asked for.

And they could have said, "Yes, we'll

support you with that." But no, they

wanted to give more. They wanted to give

more. So, we as a family are constantly

overwhelmed

by the provision of God through the

generosity of his people. We're

constantly overwhelmed with that because

every paycheck that I receive is because

directly because of the generosity of

God's people.

that we're continuing this series on why

we do what we do. This one's really

close to home. It's really close to

home. Why do we give?

Why do we give? Why do we mention it

every Sunday? Why does it go out in the

announcement texts every week about how

we can give? Well, money is a pretty

important topic in the Bible. It's all

over the Old and New Testament. Some

some estimates I look up like 8% of the

scriptures are talking about money or

wealth or offerings or tithing or

related topics. 8%.

So why are we going to preach on giving?

Because we teach the whole of God's

word.

And if we just left that 8% off, then we

would not be teaching on the whole of

God's word. If you're visiting this

morning, you may be thinking, "Oh, no.

I've come to church and they're going to

ask me for money. I'm not going to do

that. That's not what's going to happen

this morning. That's not what's going to

happen." You might be a regular or a

member and you're thinking, "Oh, joy.

I'm going to feel guilty about all the

ways I spend my money." That's not my

goal either. That's not the goal this

morning. So then why why are we talking

and hearing about giving? Well, giving

is an indicator

of your spiritual health. It's an

indicator of your spiritual health. So,

it is right and good for me to preach

about money and about giving. The

Apostle Paul did. He did it. So, we're

going to do it as well. And it is

encouraging in encouraging you to give.

I hope that you're going to see a little

bit where your affections lie. Where are

your affections this morning? So in 2

2 Corinthians 8:9

Corinthians 8:9, Paul is calling the

church to fulfill a promise that they

had made. They had made a promise that

they were going to help the poor in

Jerusalem. Uh the Corinthians had been

setting aside money for more than a year

at this point. Paul was sending Titus to

them to collect the gift. The church was

faltering though a little bit. They were

faltering a little bit in finishing what

they had started. So Paul writes these

chapters because he wants to encourage

them to continue what they started. But

you know what Paul, he doesn't just

command them to give. That's not what

he's going to do. That's not why we

give. We don't just give because do it.

That's not the heart posture that God

has for us when he wants us to give. Why

then? Why should we give?

because the grace of God displayed in

Jesus Christ moves us to that. 2

2 Corinthians 8:9

Corinthians 8:9, look at, we're not

going to spend much time in chapter 8,

but if you look at verse 9 says, "For

you know the grace of our Lord Jesus,

that though he was rich, yet for your

sake he became poor so that you by his

poverty might become rich."

It's the gospel.

Paul wants them to give because they see

the grace modeled in the Lord Jesus

Christ. Jesus was rich. He is rich. But

in this context, he was rich. He was in

the glories of heaven. No pain, no

suffering, no presence of sin. Yet for

your sake,

for your sake, Christ became poor.

He was born into a manger, had his nappy

changed. He was on on the run as a

child. So that you

by his poverty, not just poverty of

money and wealth, but that whole idea

that he had no place to lay his head, he

was misunderstood. He died the death of

a criminal. He became sin for you. In

that poverty, you might become rich.

Not with money,

but in all that Christ inherits. You

inherit everything that Christ inherits.

You lack no good thing in Christ. If

you're not in Christ this morning, you

lack everything. Even if you think you

have everything that you want. You lack

everything.

So Paul's motivating the Corinthian

Christians to give by reminding them of

all that Christ gave to them.

At the end of chapter nine, he ends the

section with some principles. And that's

where we're going to spend most of our

time this morning. Some principles on

giving. So I'm going to give you three

principles on how to give and three

principles on why to give. I want you to

check your health this morning. Check

the health of your walk with Jesus by

meditating on these truths about giving.

There's lots of ways to check our

health, our our spiritual health, our

closeness with Jesus. One of them is to

think about giving.

So, let me pray one more time and then

I'm going to read. Father, we trust you

to do your work this morning through

your word.

Frankly, Father, in our selfish hearts,

we're stingy. Not just with our money,

but with our time,

Father, with our talents, with our with

our gifts.

We will drift toward stinginess.

We ask by your spirit, Father, that you

would move us towards generosity in all

things. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Look at 9 uh verse 6.

9:6 says, "The point is this. Whoever

sws sparingly will also reap sparingly.

And whoever sws bountifully will also

reap bountifully. Each one must give as

he has decided in his heart, not

reluctantly or under compulsion. For God

loves a cheerful giver. And God is able

to make all grace abound to you, so that

having all sufficiency in all things at

all times, you may abound in every good

work. As it is written, he has

distributed freely. He has given to the

poor. His righteousness endures forever.

He who supplies seed to the sewer and

bread for food will supply and multiply

your seed for sewing and increase the

harvest of your righteousness. You will

be enriched in every way to be generous

in every way which through us will

produce thanksgiving to God. For the

ministry of this service is not only

supplying the needs of the saints but is

also overflowing in many thanksgivings

to God. By their approval of this

service, they will glorify God because

of your submission that comes from your

confession of the gospel of Christ and

the generosity of your contribution for

them and for all others

while they long for you and pray for you

because the surpassing grace of God upon

you. Thanks be to God for his

inexpressable

gift.

How do we give? And there's three things

here that we can learn. Firstly, we are

to give generously. Look at verse six

again. The point of this, whoever sws

sparingly will also reap sparingly, and

whoever sws bountifully will also reap

bountifully. Paul is using this

planting, farming metaphor to help

illustrate this truth. This idea of

sewing and reaping is used throughout

the Bible uh and often often used

throughout the Bible to teach many

things.

Now,

Carl tells me that I'm a towny. That I

am a towny. But

although Zara might disagree in terms of

what he thinks of anyway, but you can

talk to them later about that. But I do

know the basics of farming a little bit.

You sew a seed, you spread it, you plant

it, then you know, you kind of reap

something. Stuff grows, you get a

harvest, you get a crop. Uh so what

happens when you plant one seed? Well,

you get a bunch. So, if I plant one

wheat seed, I I can get a a bunch of

wheat from that one seed because it

grows a whole big plant. If I plant one

corn seed, I'm going to get a load of

corn from that. How does that happen

though? Who makes that happen? Well, God

makes that happen. I can't make anything

grow. You can't make anything grow. God

brings the increase in that sense. But

then, where does the seed even come

from?

Where does the seed come from? Well, it

comes from God from the previous

harvest. You go back far enough, it

comes from creation. God gives the seed.

When you're thinking of just the the

metaphor of farming, he gives the seed.

All that you have, brother and sister,

comes from God. Every single thing that

you own, you don't really own. It's

God's. He made it. This is his world. He

sustains it. He is lord over all things.

So what is Paul saying in this? Well,

he's not saying that if you give get a

give a lot of money that you're going to

get a lot of money. That's a prosperity

gospel premise. That is unbiblical.

You give, it's not like you're

guaranteed to get it back. That is not

what Paul is teaching. And Paul means

that the more generous you are, the more

God does amazing things with what you

give.

Does God need you to be generous to do

amazing things? Of course not. He's God.

He was doing amazing things before we

even existed. He doesn't need you. He

chooses though to use means. He chooses

to use methods in this world. God uses

money to accomplish his purpose. He

doesn't need to, but he chooses to do

that. So if you sow sparingly,

if you just give a little bit, you're

going to reap sparingly. You're going to

have a little tiny harvest.

If you sow bountifully, if you give

generously, you will reap bountifully.

You're going to have a massive harvest.

So the question I have for you is, why

would we not make that investment?

That's far better than any pension plan

that you might have. The God of the

universe guarantees

to make what you sow bountifully

reap bountifully.

Why would we not do that? It's a

guaranteed investment.

Jesus speaks about money in Matthew 6.

He says, "Do not lay up for your for

yourselves treasures on earth, where

moth and rust destroy and where thieves

break in and steal, but lay up for

yourselves treasures in heaven, where

neither moth nor rust destroys and where

thieves do not break in and steal. For

where your treasure is, there your heart

will be." Also,

think about how widespread the harvest

of your giving could be. I don't know

that we think about that that often. We

think sometimes we we we're giving to

the church, we're giving to this and it

kind of just goes into this bank account

or something and then we forget the fact

that it can be spread across the world

for a harvest of righteousness that God

gives. I know that because I see that

every single month that I get a

paycheck.

We have, like I said, about a hundred

donors

who are giving faithfully and have for

more than a decade. Most of them will

never set their foot on Ireland's soil.

And yet, I hope that they reap

bountifully from what they give. Not

because I'm awesome, but because God is

awesome.

Think about how what we give can be

spread around the world.

Around the world. And it's not a harvest

of wheat or corn. It's a harvest of

righteousness. Look down at verse 10 of

chapter nine. He who supplies seed to

the sewer and bread for food, that's

God, will supply and multiply your seed

for sewing and increase the harvest of

your righteousness.

When we give generously, God does

amazing things with it. He doesn't need

your money to do amazing things. But we

are guaranteed that when we give

generously, he will do amazing things

with it. It's a guaranteed investment.

So brother and sister, give generously.

Secondly, we're to give reliably. Look

at verse seven. Each one must give as he

has decided in his heart.

Giving is not like a New Year's

resolution. You know, you start

thinking, I'm going to eat better. I'm

gonna exercise. I'm going to limit my

doom scrolling. And then come February,

like you're back to your normal habits

because you weren't really reliable in

them. And maybe you're maybe you're

different. Maybe you you are really good

at your New Year's resolution. Most

people aren't. We are to give

decisively.

Have you decided what you're going to

give?

Giving decisively is giving reliably. Be

the people that God has called you to

be.

Be the people that God has called you to

be. If spiritfilled believers who have

been freed from sin and death by the

blood of Jesus who are going to one day

judge angels and inherit galaxies,

can't give well.

Who can?

We have been entrusted with spreading

the kingdom of God through the gospel

across this planet. We're going to be

entrusted with so much more in the uh

millennia to come.

We can give reliably.

If we can be entrusted with that, if

we're going to judge angels, if we're

going to inherit all that Christ

inherit, I I think we can be responsible

to give reliably.

So if you want to grow in your maturity

in Christ, if you want to grow in what

it means to follow Jesus, if you want to

go grow grow in your affections for this

God who loves you, give reliably. Decide

in your heart.

We are not meant to give casually or out

of impulse.

We are to give decisively. Now, does

that mean that we like will never

respond like in a spirit-led decision to

give to a visiting missionary? No, of

course not. Like I I think when

missionaries come and like we there's an

offering, there's opportunity, like we

should be able to respond to those

things. Does that mean that missionaries

or churches should never solicit funds

for needs? I hope not because I've done

a lot of that.

No. It means that we should have a plan

for our giving. That we should be ready

and planning to increase that in our

generosity. And that we should be ready

to respond to new needs that we see. We

should have a plan. We should be ready

to increase it and we should be ready to

respond to new needs. If your giving

fluctuates and stagnates depending on

how many lattes that you're buying or

how many times you're going out to the

cinema or going out for a meal, brother

and sister, you need a budget.

You just need a budget.

By all means, enjoy good coffee. There's

nothing wrong with that. Enjoy a good

meal. Go on a holiday. There's nothing

wrong. Those are good gifts from God.

Those are excellent gifts from God. But

set aside what you're going to give and

then don't touch it.

Give it and then do it again the next

month and the next month and the next

month. Budgeting really helps with that.

It really helps with that. And so

sometimes it's just a practical sense of

how do I be reliable? Well, choose to

plan your with your money. Just choose

to do that.

Married couples, talk to each other.

Talk about giving reliably. Talk about

giving generously.

Hold each other accountable for that.

How are we to give? We're to give

generously. We're to give reliably.

Thirdly, we're to give cheerfully. Look

at the second half of verse 7. I'll

start from the beginning. Each one must

give as he has decided in his heart, not

reluctantly or under compulsion. For God

loves a cheerful giver.

Do you know what I know you want? I know

you want it.

You want a law forgiving.

You want a law forgiving. Do you know

why I know you want that? Because I want

one, too.

Give this much. Just tell me. I can tick

the box. If it's this much, fine. If

it's this much, fine. Whatever it is,

just tell me and I will give it and then

I can do whatever I want.

That's what we want. Unfortunately,

that's just not what the scripture

teaches. And now, I know historically,

yeah, the Jewish people had a tithe that

was 10%, it was a little bit more

complicated than that, but we'll just

keep it simple, you know? So, if you

made a,000 euro, you gave a h 100red. If

you made 10,000, you gave a,000.

We long for that clarity, but usually we

long for it for the wrong reason.

We long for it for the wrong reason. We

either want this clarity so that we can

limit our giving. We can take the box

and like I said, we can spend the rest

on whatever we want. Or we want the

clarity so that we can puff ourselves

up. Our self-righteousness looks really

good. Like I've met the mark. Did you

meet the mark? I met the mark.

That's like we want a law for those

reasons.

But that's exactly what Paul does not

do. He says, "Don't give out of

compulsion.

Don't don't give because you think you

need to earn favor because you don't

earn favor by giving. And don't give

reluctantly.

Don't give like, oh, here's the minimum

that I have to give and I've done that

and I I don't want to give anymore."

He's like, don't. That's not the way.

You see how it just exposes our hearts

when we start to think about giving and

the reasons and the motives that we're

giving or not giving.

In the new covenant, the covenant of

grace, we are simply told to be

generous.

Look at verse 11.

You will be enriched in every way, to be

generous in every way, which through us

will produce thanksgiving to God.

Our giving is meant to show our hearts.

So, are you cheerful in your giving

or are you giving out of compulsion

or out of reluctancy?

When I ask one of my children to do a

chore, empty the bins,

you know, brush the dog, wipe the table,

they might do it out of compulsion,

right? They don't want the consequence.

They don't want the consequence if they

don't do the chore, losing their screen

time or, you know, early bedtime or

whatever the consequence might be if

they don't do their chore. So, they

might do it out of compulsion. I have to

do this chore. Or they might do it

reluctantly where they crumble and they

stomp their feet. They kind of hastily

wipe the table reluctantly.

Or the times that warm a father's heart

when they cheerfully say, "Yes, Papa,

I'll do it."

and then they get on with it and it's no

big deal because they're just happy to

serve the family. He would love those

times. Don't you see how the heavenly

father loves that too? He loves when

it's just like that's just yes. I just

want to give. I just want to serve the

family, your family, God. I'm just happy

to be in your household and serve under

your authority.

God is under no compulsion to give his

grace.

He gives it freely,

generously,

abundantly,

all the time. He lavishes his grace upon

you.

This is how we should give our money

cheerfully,

gladly, excitedly.

You know, you can be generous.

You can be generous and still be giving

because you think you have to.

So, it's like the story that Jesus was

saying that Fernandanda read. You can

give a bunch, but that doesn't mean your

heart's in the right place.

The Lord doesn't need your money. I hope

you realize that. He doesn't need your

money.

He just wants your affection.

And where your treasure is, that's where

your heart is.

I can't make you cheerful.

You can't make me cheerful.

But when you think about the gospel long

enough and deep enough,

when you are like Paul writes to the

Ephesians, when you are rooted and

grounded in love and you have the

strength to comprehend with all the

saints what is the breadth and length

and height and depth and to know the

love of Christ that surpasses all

knowledge, brother and sister, I think

you'll give cheerfully. And I think I

will too if we just dwell on all that

Christ is.

How do we give? We we give generously.

We give reliably. We give cheerfully.

But why do we give? So there's three

short reasons on why we give. That's

what this series is about. Why? Why are

we doing what we're doing? Well,

firstly,

look at verse eight. I love verse eight.

And God is able to make all grace abound

to you, so that having all sufficiency

in all things at all times, you might

abound in every good work. I think

Paul's hammering a point there.

God, we give to display God's provision.

God gives all. He gives it all. When you

give, you are declaring to the world

that God is able to make all grace

abound to you. You say with Paul, "His

grace is sufficient. I don't need my

money. His grace is sufficient." When

you give, you shout from the

mountaintops that you have all

sufficiency in all things at all times.

It's a It's a declaration when we give.

And I know not everybody knows.

Everybody doesn't know what you're

giving, but it's even a declaration to

yourself.

God is enough. I have everything I need.

He will provide all of my needs. I can

give generously. The world looks on in

awe at that and at one and in wonder.

And sometimes they look at you and they

shake their head and they say, "What a

fool.

Why would you give your money to that?"

But it displays the reality that God

gives you what you need at the time you

need it.

He gives you what you need at the time

you need it. There is actually

incredible freedom in that truth.

Incredible freedom.

Whatever you give will not cost you

anything that you need.

Whatever you give will not cost you

anything that you need because God makes

all grace abound. He gives you all

sufficiency in all things at all times.

He is not stingy.

He's just not stingy. There is nothing

stingy about God in any way. You could

never describe him as stingy.

This is the truth for the rich widow

that might be uh using her home well and

her money well. This wealthy widow. It

could be true for this poor father in

the bush of Africa who's just fighting

to provide for his family.

It's not about how much money you have.

It's just the reality that God does

provide. He provides the grace

to do what he has called us to do.

God freely gives grace.

We think that money enables us to do

great things. It's easy to think that,

right? If I just had the money, I could

do great things. But that's not what the

verse is saying. Look at it again.

And God is able to make all grace abound

to you. So that having all sufficiency

in all things at all times, what what

can you do with that grace? That grace

that abounds to you,

you may abound in every good work.

you may abound in every good work. What

does grace enable me to do more than

money can?

What can grace enable me to do more than

money can? Walk in the good works that

God has prepared for me.

Money can't do that. Only the grace of

God can do that.

The currency that that God is really

interested in that it's going to last

the ages is not the euro, the dollar or

the yen. That is not those are all going

to pass away.

He deals in faith and grace and love. He

he pours out grace that I might believe

so that in my faith it might overflow in

love. That's what Galatians says to us

in in verse 5 or chapter 6. Galatians

Galatians 5:6

5:6. Faith expressing itself in love. He

he pours out grace to me so that I can

believe and that my faith will overflow

in love.

All of your giving, spending, and saving

is so that the currency of grace and

love can flow out of you to God and to

others.

We have to rethink money. We have to

rethink the fact that when I give, when

I give, it's enabling something far more

than than money can do.

It's freeing me

and freeing others to see the grace and

love of God. So when you go on a

holiday, you've saved and you go on a

holiday to a beautiful place, fantastic.

You're paying for it. That money God

gave you. That's great. But it should

move you to thanksgiving and worship and

rest in Christ.

Don't forget that.

Take your holiday. Please save for it.

Budget for it. Don't neglect to give.

Take your holiday.

But then in that holiday, it's you can

worship God in that. When you save for

retirement, it shouldn't be so that you

can relax and do nothing.

It's so that you can be free to

disciple, to encourage. Maybe you're

going to go visit a missionary. Maybe

you're just going to pour out love and

grace into the generations below you.

But the saving is not so that you can

have something that's just all about me.

So that God can use you for his greater

purposes in this world. and so he can

transform your heart in the process.

When you give sacrificially and

generously to the church, it's so the

grace of the Lord Jesus might be on

display in the preaching and in the

fellowship and in the missionaries that

we support.

There's all there's a purpose to all of

our money, no matter where it is in the

budget.

It ultimately is freeing us

to be channels of love and grace for

God. So when we give,

why do we do that? It's to show God's

provision, not of the money necessarily,

but that I don't need the money. The

good works that pour out of me are far

better than that.

And it displays

the fact of me believing that

When I give, I'm saying I believe I

believe that God gives faith, grace, and

love to me and it's enough.

Giving just shows that we believe that.

Secondly, why do we give? We give to

produce thanksgiving to God. Look at

verse 11.

You will be enriched in every way to be

generous in every way, which through us

will produce thanksgiving to God. Verse

12, for the ministry of this service,

they were remember they were saving for

the poor in Jerusalem. For the ministry

of this service is not only supplying

the needs of the saints. That's not all

it's doing. It's not just giving them

food,

but it is also overflowing in many

thanksgivings to God.

One writer described the giving cycle as

a circle. That makes sense. God gives

all good things to his people. It all

begins with God. He pours out faith,

grace, love to his people. He gives

material blessings. We have a house. We

have a car. All those things that we

have, they all come from God. It all

starts with God.

All of that then can be channeled

through me as blessings to others. His

love and grace poured out. So coming

from God into me, channeling to others.

What do those other people do? They

return thanks to God from whom all

things

are given. starts with God, channels

through me into others, they thank God

because giving is all about God. It's

not about me.

When we opt out of giving,

we first opt out of the joy of meeting

needs, but we also deny ourselves the

opportunity to give glory to God as

others produce thanks. It produces

thanksgiving in their hearts.

So when you give generously,

when you give reliably and cheerfully,

it produces

glory. Shouldn't say that God has all

the glory he needs. It displays God's

glory

to the world because the people that are

receiving those things, whether it be

the money itself

or the the thing that the money paid for

or whatever it is, there's a

thanksgiving that goes up to God.

Why do we give? It produces thanksgiving

to God.

Give to display the provision of God.

Give to produce thanksgiving.

Finally,

brother and sister, give to worship.

We give to worship. Look at verse 15.

He just ends the section. It kind of

almost is out of place. And yet, when

you think about it, it's not. He says,

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable

gift, inexpressable gift, depending on

your translation."

In the film, uh, The Hobbit, I don't

know if you've seen it. There's a bunch

of dwarves trying to get back to their

mountain home that was taken by a

dragon. It's very tragic. There's a

scene where they have to pay a man.

They're crossing a lake and they have to

pay him to cross the lake. And one of

the dwarves is really reluctant to give.

He's a dwarf.

Dwarfs like their bling. He's very

reluctant to pay up. And he, this is

what he says. This is the quote from the

film. He says, "I've been bled dry from

this venture. And what have I seen from

my investment? Nothing but misery and

grief." That's what this dwarf his his

mentality is. Cuz he has the money they

need and he doesn't want to give it.

But then the fog lifts on the lake for a

minute. The fog lifts. They're going

down the lake. The mountain comes in to

view.

The mountain comes into view and he sees

the object that he has been striving

for. That is his home. His home he's

been away from from a really long time.

And he's been endeavoring to get there.

And so what does he say? He says, "Take

it." He says, "Take all of it. I don't

know. I don't care." because seeing his

home made every penny worth it.

This life that we live is often filled

with misery and grief, isn't it? It's a

hard life. We live hard lives.

We must lift our eyes, brother and

sister. And when you do, you see

something greater than your money.

We lift our eyes and we see something

greater than our money. We see this

indescribable, inexpressable gift of God

given,

his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We lift

our eyes, we see him, and we say, "Take

it all. Take it all. I need nothing. I

want nothing. He is worthy of it all. I

just want Christ."

We give because we've first been given

to

We have an inexpressable

gift. We like those that word there.

It's like like there's there's not

enough words to put together. I can't

express it. It's so great what I've been

given.

Why do we give? It's an act of worship.

Let's not be stingy in our worship.

Let's pour out with cheerful hearts to

God who is able to make all grace abound

to you. So that having all sufficiency

in all things at all times, you may

abound in every good work.

Those are the reasons to give.

Let's pray together. Father, we thank

you that you are not a stingy God.

Help us, Father, to be generous,

reliable, cheerful givers. May we

confess when we're not. When we're

spending money on things, Father, that

we know

we don't need to.

when we forget to set aside

cheerfully something to give back to

you. Thank you, Father, that we are

under no compulsion. We don't earn your

favor by giving.

I praise your name for that, God.

Mostly, Father, we thank you for the

inexpressable gift of Jesus.

Would you stir in our hearts an

affection for him

where we just say, Take it all.

Take it all.

We need you to do that in our hearts,

God.

Thank you for the privilege of being

able to give anything.

Thank you for the richness that you've

given to us.

Father, help us

to think through our hearts.

Help us to see where our affections

really lie. And when they're not on

Christ, help us to repent quickly and

run to him knowing that he forgives.

We thank you for a great savior and we

thank you in his name. Amen. Let's

stand.