GIVING THAT PLEASES GOD

6 Weeks to Biblical Stewardship

Dr. Rod K Rogers

Giving that Pleases God: 6 Weeks to Biblical Stewardship Copyright © 2016 by Rod K. Rogers All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from Rod K. Rogers, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review to be distributed in a magazine, newspaper, or Online article. Churches using the AbundantGiving.com capital fundraising program are permitted and encouraged to distribute copies to their congregations during the campaign period in any format (print or digital) they choose. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Day 1 - God Owns Everything........................................................................................................ 3

Day 2 - God Is the Source of All Good Things .............................................................................. 4

Day 3 - There Are No Self-Made People ........................................................................................ 5

Day 4 - God Doesn't Need Our Money ........................................................................................... 6

Day 5 - God Guides Us to Ministry Projects .................................................................................. 7

Day 6 - Where God Guides, God Provides ..................................................................................... 8

Day 7 - We Are Stewards, Not Owners ........................................................................................ 10

Day 8 - We Are Stewards of Our Time ........................................................................................ 11

Day 9 - We Are Stewards of Our Talents ..................................................................................... 12

Day 10 - We Are Stewards of Our Treasure ................................................................................. 13

Day 11 - We Are Stewards of Our Testimony .............................................................................. 14

Day 12 - We Are Stewards of God's Truth ................................................................................... 15

Day 13 - We Will Be Judged for the Quality of Our Stewardship ............................................... 17

Day 14 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Happiness............................................................... 18

Day 15 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with His Intimacy .......................................................... 19

Day 16 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Financial Provision ................................................ 20

Day 17 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Financial Excess .................................................... 21

Day 18 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Eternal Treasure .................................................... 22

Day 19 - Real Believers Like to Give ........................................................................................... 24

Day 20 - Our Giving Brings Glory to God ................................................................................... 25

Day 21 - Giving Supports Our Gospel Witness ............................................................................ 26

Day 22 - Why We Give Is More Important Than How Much We Give ...................................... 27

Day 23 - God Uses Stewardship Examples .................................................................................. 28

Day 24 - The Benefit of Contentment........................................................................................... 29

Day 25 - Trusting God, Not Money .............................................................................................. 31

Day 26 - Your Master: God or Money? ........................................................................................ 32

Day 27 - How Not to Worry About Money .................................................................................. 33

Day 28 - Help! It’s Hard to Give .................................................................................................. 34

Day 29 - Giving Ourselves Before Our Money ............................................................................ 35

Day 31 - Carefully Planned Giving Pleases God .......................................................................... 38

Day 32 – Every-Member-Giving Pleases God ............................................................................. 39

Day 33 - Proportionate Giving Pleases God ................................................................................. 40

Day 34 - Sacrificial Giving Pleases God ...................................................................................... 41

Day 35 - Eager Giving Pleases God ............................................................................................. 42

Day 36 - Heartfelt Giving Pleases God......................................................................................... 43

About the Author .......................................................................................................................... 44

Other Books by Rod K. Rogers .................................................................................................... 45

1

Introduction

“It used to be considered bad form in some churches to have a collection taken in church during the worship, for fear it might disturb the spiritual emotions of those in church” (A. T. Robertson, 19th century biblical scholar and preacher). I smile every time I read that. Heaven forbid we should disturb church members by asking them to give God’s money back to Him in church.

As we will see, the Bible teaches we are stewards, not owners, of God-given resources. That’s why Christians speak of money management and giving as stewardship.

In forty years of ministry as a pastor and church stewardship consultant, I have learned that the majority of church members do not give biblically. Their giving doesn’t please God. As a result, they are missing out on the many blessings He promises to faithful stewards, one of which is spiritual growth.

Teaching stewardship is much more than raising money; it is God’s way of raising people. My church members told me repeatedly that the most life-transforming truths I ever taught them were biblical principles of giving and money management. And they respected me deeply for loving them enough to talk about it.

Teaching people to give is an act of love by a pastor because when church members get their giving in order, wonderful things happen:

Their marriages improve.

Their spiritual lives deepen.

Their faith grows.

Their financial condition improves.

I wrote this devotional to help you experience the many blessings that come from generous stewardship. It is designed for daily use, Monday through Saturday, by families or individuals, for six weeks.

If you are reading this as part of an Abundant Giving Capital Campaign (www.AbundantGiving.com) in your church, each week’s theme corresponds to the suggested preaching themes for the six-week public phase of the program.

Schedule Theme

Week 1: Days 1-6 Where It All Comes From

Week 2: Days 7-12 The Meaning of Stewardship

Week 3: Days 13-18 Rewards for Faithful Givers

Week 4: Days 19-24 Honoring God through Giving

Week 5: Days 25-30 Spiritual Preparation for Giving

Week 6: Days 31-36 Giving to Please God

May God use His word to transform you into a faithful steward who pleases God with your giving.

Rod K. Rogers, D.Min.

2

Week 1

Days 1-6

Where It All

Comes From

3

Day 1 - God Owns Everything

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the rivers. —Psalm 24:1, 2

These verses provide the basic starting point for any discussion about money and giving, because they remind us that God owns everything. God owns planet earth. God owns everything on the earth. And God owns everybody who lives in it. Verse 2 tells why—because He “founded” and “established” it. God owns everything because He is the Creator of everything. The first question we must ask when talking about giving is, “Whose money is it?” The biblical answer is, “It’s all God’s.” So, as you read these studies, remember we’re not talking about your possessions, because you don’t own anything. It all belongs to God. (Now don’t you feel better?) If you made a suggestion at work that increased production, you would be offended if someone else took the credit. If you invented the world’s best chocolate chip cookie, you would be offended if your neighbor stole the recipe and started a cookie franchise. When God’s creative rights of ownership are violated, He also is offended. If you want to please God, remember that everything you have really belongs to Him.

--- One of the greatest missing teachings in the American church today is the reminder to men and women that nothing we have belongs to us. ~Gordon MacDonald

--- Dig Deeper: Haggai 2:8; Colossians 1:15, 16

4

Day 2 - God Is the Source of All Good Things

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. —James 1:17

It’s easy to become confused about where the good things we enjoy came from. Many children think that the video game under the Christmas tree came from Santa Claus, rather than from mom and dad. And many of God’s children think that the promotion at work came from their boss, or that the new smart phone for their birthday came from their spouse, rather than from God. In a sense, of course, these gifts did come from human benefactors. But James uses the word “every” twice to stress the truth that, without exception, all good things we have ever enjoyed ultimately came from our heavenly Father. He is the unvaryingly good God who gifted us with the starry “lights” to brighten the night sky. When you really believe that every good gift in your life was originally prompted and produced by God it changes the way you view those gifts. You begin to see them as resources granted by a good God to accomplish a higher purpose than you originally thought. And, like children who learn that their parents, not Santa, put their gifts under the tree, you begin to thank God as the true source. Don’t forget who really gave you everything you enjoy.

--- To thank God for every good gift is merely good manners. ~Rod K. Rogers

--- Dig Deeper: Romans 11:36; 1 Timothy 6:17

5

Day 3 - There Are No Self-Made People

Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ 18 But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you

power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. —Deuteronomy 8:17, 18

I’ll never forget a man in a Bible study I led who never offered a prayer request. When I asked him about it he replied, “I believe God helps those who help themselves.” He thought it was up to him to manage his own life and that everything he had belonged to him because he had worked hard for it. Eventually he dropped out of church. After all, why pray and go to church when you can be a self-made man? That’s why Moses warned the soon-to-be prosperous Israelites of the danger of such delusional thinking. Once we start to think our financial success is all due to our own hard work, we begin to believe we don’t need God. Then we conclude we have the right to do whatever we want with what we have. Moses challenged the people to remember God was the one who gave them energy and health to get up and go to work every day. Moses also reminded them the “power to make wealth” wasn’t something they deserved. It had been given to them because God had graciously promised to bless them as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember, any wealth you have earned came from God’s enabling power.

--- Self-made men often worship their creator. ~Bryant H. McGill

--- Dig Deeper: 1 Chronicles 29:12, 13; Proverbs 10:22

6

Day 4 - God Doesn't Need Our Money

For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine.

12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. —Psalm 50:10-12

In this Psalm God is rebuking His people for thinking He would overlook their sin as long as they paid Him off with sacrificial animals. They actually thought they could put God in their debt with their gifts. God exposes the absurdity of such thinking by reminding them that He owns everything. If He were hungry He certainly wouldn’t need to ask His people for food. So they should never think God needs their sacrifices. When God asks us to give, He doesn’t do so because He needs our money. He’s not short on cash. He’s not waiting for payday. He commands us to give because giving is good for us. It makes us more generous people. You help your children give Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts because they need to learn generosity, not because you need the gift. That’s why our heavenly Father helps us give to Him. God doesn’t need your money—you need to give it.

--- If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life. ~Billy Graham

--- Dig Deeper: Deuteronomy 10:14; Job 41:11

7

Day 5 - God Guides Us to Ministry Projects

Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying, 5 ‘Take from among you a contribution to

the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze… Let every skillful man among you come, and make all that

the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets.” —Exodus 35:4, 5, 10, 11

It is not uncommon for God’s people to resist building projects and fundraising campaigns as unspiritual. But God himself originated the first building project for the tabernacle and the first capital campaign to fund it. And, obviously, anything God initiates is good. Biblical fundraising is simply asking God’s people to give “a contribution to the Lord” from “a willing heart” for a project He has “commanded.” If God is leading your church into a special ministry project to help make disciples, it is a good thing. While some don’t understand it, the truth is God has linked money to ministry. In God’s plan it costs money to pay pastors, print bulletins, and send missionaries. Even Jesus had to be financially supported by contributions from His female followers (Luke 8:1–3). Giving to a God-ordained ministry project is giving to God.

--- To raise funds is to offer people the chance to invest what they have in the work of God. ~Henri Nouwen

--- Dig Deeper: Ezra 1:1-4; Haggai 1:7, 8

8

Day 6 - Where God Guides, God Provides

And they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.” 6 So Moses issued a

command, ... saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any

more. 7 For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it. —Exodus 36:5-7

The capital fundraising campaign to build the tabernacle was wildly successful. But where did these former slaves get all their contributions? From the Egyptians at the Exodus:

Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians (Exod. 12:35, 36).

Having announced a new building project, one of John Maxwell’s church members approached him and asked, “But Pastor, where are we going to get the money?” Dr. Maxwell replied, “We’re going to get it from you.” Exactly. When we talk about God supplying money, we don’t expect Him to send it mysteriously by FedEx. He’s already given it to us to invest in His work. As with Israel, God gives to you so you can give back to Him.

— God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. ~J. Hudson Taylor

— Dig Deeper: 1 Chronicles 29:14; Nehemiah 9:12-15

9

Week 2

Days 7-12

The Meaning of

Stewardship

10

Day 7 - We Are Stewards, Not Owners

In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. —1 Corinthians 4:2

The Bible teaches that believers are not owners, but stewards, of God-given resources. A steward is someone who manages the resources of another to accomplish the goals of the owner. We used to call airline attendants “stewardesses.” It meant that the attractive ladies serving coffee and Coke didn’t own the airplane. They were merely managing the resources of the airline to accomplish its purposes. In the same way we don’t own anything—money, possessions, time, talents, children, or our own bodies. It all belongs to God. We are merely stewards of His resources. If you loaned a friend your new convertible, you wouldn’t be happy if he took it four-wheeling in the mountains. Why? Because it’s not his car! As a steward of your car, he has the responsibility to care for it as you would. Similarly, as stewards of God’s resources, we don’t have the right to do anything we want with them. Instead, we have a responsibility to use them as God would. In God’s perfect plan of providence, He has made sure we already have all the resources needed to pay pastors, send missionaries, and erect buildings to advance the gospel. He has given us the time, talents, energy and intelligence to serve others. All we have to do is invest wisely and prove trustworthy. If God slept, could He sleep peacefully knowing you are in charge of His resources?

— Owners have rights; stewards have responsibilities. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Genesis 39:2-8; Luke 19:11-27

11

Day 8 - We Are Stewards of Our Time

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. —Ephesians 5:15, 16

One of the greatest gifts God gives us is the twenty-four hours we get at the start of each day. Since God gives us our lives, our time belongs to Him, not to us. Someone said, “Life is like a coin. You can spend it however you want, but you can only spend it once.” That’s why, if we are wise, we will make the most of that time by carefully doing His will. This is especially important since ungodly people fill each day with as much evil as possible. Bil Keane said it well, “Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." We can make the most of God’s present of time by fulfilling the two great commandments: (1) “You shall love the Lord your God” and (2) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:36-39). We love God by fellowshipping with Him, by obeying Him, by serving Him, and by trusting Him fully. We love our neighbor as ourselves by sharing the gospel with him, ministering to fellow believers, and taking care of orphans and widows in their distress. Because the days are full of evil temptations and evil deeds, we need to make sure we take every opportunity to connect with God and care for others. In a world of evil, God wants you to do a world of good with your time.

— Only one life will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last. ~C. T. Studd

—

Dig Deeper: Psalm 139:16; 1 Peter 1:17

12

Day 9 - We Are Stewards of Our Talents

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —1 Peter 4:10

In the average church, 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. That’s sad because God has given every believer the ability to make a difference in the lives of other people. Peter refers to this ability as a “special gift.” He is talking about the “manifold” spiritual gifts given by the “grace of God.” A spiritual gift is a God-given ability to serve others in the body of Christ with supernatural effectiveness. And Peter says “each has received” one. No exceptions! You have one of many possible spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-10, Ephesians 4:11-14 and 1 Peter 4:11. You also have one or more God-given natural talents. Peter tells us we should take our “special gift” and “use it to serve one another.” God gave us our gifts and talents not for our benefit, but for the good of others. That means you and I are responsible to use them “as good stewards.” As stewards, we don’t own our spiritual gifts or natural talents. They belong to God. And He commands us to use them to accomplish His purposes in the lives of people. When we do, we receive such an undeserved blessing that Peter refers to our gifts as coming from the “grace of God.” Don’t let the overworked 20 percent in your church get all the joy of serving.

— Ministry’s not an option for a Christian; it’s a privilege. ~Lori Hatcher

— Dig Deeper: Luke 19:11-27; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

13

Day 10 - We Are Stewards of Our Treasure

Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12 And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is

another’s, who will give you that which is your own? —Luke 16:11, 12 There is nothing intrinsically sinful having a lot of money. Some of the greatest saints in the Bible like Abraham and Job were rich. But Jesus called money “unrighteous wealth” because it so easily corrupts us— “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil” (1 Tim. 6:10). Jesus made two sobering points about the stewardship of our treasure. First, the “unrighteous wealth” in our possession is not ours but “is another’s”—God’s. We are merely stewards of His treasure. Your bank account may have your name on it, but it really belongs to God. Your name may be on your car title, but God is the real owner. Second, if we don’t use His resources faithfully in this life, God won’t give us our own riches in the next life. We will lose rewards we could have earned if we had invested His money properly. The fact that we are stewards of God’s money means every spending decision is a spiritual decision. Whether you are deciding to buy a latte or a Lexus, you are deciding how to spend God’s money. It’s as spiritual a decision as deciding when to read your Bible or where to serve in your church. And, according to Jesus, God is paying attention to your choices. How faithfully are you using God’s money?

— If we belong to Christ, it’s logical that everything we have truly belongs to Him. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Luke 12:42-48; Luke 16:1-9

14

Day 11 - We Are Stewards of Our Testimony

Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. —2 Timothy 1:8

As with everything else in our lives, we are stewards, not owners, of our testimony about Jesus. He expects us to prayerfully, sensitively, and shamelessly share it whenever possible. Even if our testimony results in “suffering for the gospel,” we can endure it with “the power of God.” As a believer, you have a testimony that everyone on the planet desperately needs. People are headed for an eternity without God because they don’t know salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus alone. This gospel message has been entrusted to you by Jesus who, in the Great Commission, commanded us to make disciples of all nations. You’re like a person to whom a dying medical researcher entrusted a new cure for heart disease. How could you not share that good news with the world? As an individual, no matter how faithfully you witness, you have a limited number of opportunities to share your gospel testimony. But as part of a church, you can pool resources to get the message out through evangelists, missionaries, Internet, books, radio and TV. Are you doing everything you can as a good steward to share your gospel testimony?

— Whatever we do, we must not treat the Great Commission like it's the Great Suggestion. ~Charles R. Swindoll

— Dig Deeper: 1 Peter 3:13-15; Revelation 12:11

15

Day 12 - We Are Stewards of God's Truth

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. —1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Paul tells his Corinthian readers how to view his co-worker Apollos and himself. They were merely Christ’s “servants” and “stewards” of God’s “mysteries.” A “steward” manages someone else’s resources. “Mysteries” refers to truths revealed by God in the New Testament era that were unknown in the Old. Paul understood that as stewards, not owners, of God’s truths, he and Apollos were responsible to share them with as many people as possible. They had no right to hoard the “mysteries” for their own enrichment. We who have been Christians for even a short time have knowledge of life-changing truths from God’s word. We know a sinner can be saved by simple faith in Jesus. We know God answers prayers made in Jesus’ name. We know God will never abandon us. And, like Paul and Apollos, our possession of these truths makes us stewards of them. The Bible says that the church is “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). It is each local church’s responsibility to maintain the existence of God’s truth in the world. And it is each member’s responsibility, as a good steward, to support his church’s teaching ministry with prayer and financial gifts. If you know God’s truth, He expects you to help share it with others.

— We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it. ~P.F. Bresee

— Dig Deeper: Matthew 28:19, 20; 2 Timothy 1:13-14

16

Week 3

Days 13-18

Rewards for

Faithful Givers

17

Day 13 - We Will Be Judged for the Quality of Our Stewardship

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good

or bad. —2 Corinthians 5:10 Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “I am lord of myself, accountable to none.” He was a great statesman and inventor, but a lousy theologian. Having rejected the God of the Bible, he dismissed any expectation of accountability for his life. In contrast, Paul taught that after Jesus returns to take us to heaven “we must all appear before” His “judgment seat” to be held accountable for our lives. The Greek word translated "judgment seat" is bema. It comes from the ancient Olympic games where it referred to the platform from which the judge gave the victory wreath to the winning athletes. It speaks of a judgment where rewards, not punishments are handed out. A better translation would be “reward seat.” The purpose of the judgment is to examine our faithfulness as stewards of God’s resources. Believers will never be condemned for any of our sins (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1). But Christ will review our stewardship of the time, talents, treasure, testimony, and truth He entrusted to us. Then we will be rewarded—or lose rewards—according to how we lived, “good or bad.” Good stewards live in light of future accountability to Christ.

— My greatest thought is my accountability to God. ~Daniel Webster

—

Dig Deeper: Luke 19:15; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

18

Day 14 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Happiness

In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to

give than to receive.’ —Acts 20:35. Paul said he had set an example in working hard and helping the needy. Then he reminded his audience of Jesus’s ignored beatitude about the blessedness of giving. In the original, the word translated “blessed” is a form of the Greek word for “happy.” Jesus meant the person who gives will enjoy greater happiness than the one who receives. According to this promise, if you take two people, one who gives 1,000 dollars, and another who receives 1,000 dollars, the person who gives the 1,000 dollars will be happier! That's not how we naturally think, but Jesus knows He made us in such a way that when we give to God and others with cheerful hearts, we experience great happiness. Anyone who has ever given a carefully selected and valuable present to someone they cherish has found this to be true. No matter how excited a wife is to get the gold necklace, or a high school graduate to receive the keys to his first car, the giver has the most fun. If you want to be happier, start giving.

— Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give. ~Ben Carson

— Dig Deeper: Psalm 41:1; Proverbs 14:21

19

Day 15 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with His Intimacy

God loves a cheerful giver. —2 Corinthians 9:7 Giving creates greater intimacy with God because God has a special affection for the believer who cheerfully gives to His work. We know that God loves all believers infinitely. Yet the Bible tells us that our Father takes special delight in His children who give happily—He “loves a cheerful giver.” And He communicates His pleasure in a conscious sense of loving intimacy. Giving also creates greater intimacy with God because obeying His commands is essential to feeling His love. In John 14:21 Jesus said,

He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.

God wants to “disclose” His loving presence to every one of His children, but only the obedient fully enjoy this experience. You love your children, even when they are throwing temper tantrums or pouting over the peas at the dinner table. But neither you nor they feel a sense of loving intimacy while they are in rebellion. However, when your children cheerfully pick up their toys or eat their peas on your command, you reward them with your intimacy. In the same way, our heavenly Father rewards our obedient giving with a special sense of His intimate presence. If you want to experience greater intimacy with God, start giving.

— We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be. ~J. Oswald Sanders

— Dig Deeper: Psalm 25:14; 1 John3:24

20

Day 16 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Financial Provision

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance

for every good deed. —2 Corinthians 9:7, 8 If you’re not a generous giver, it’s probably because you think you can’t afford to give. The truth is, you can’t afford not to give, because God promises to graciously provide givers with all the money they need. Notice how Paul emphasizes the certainty that givers’ needs will be fully met. He says that we will “always” have sufficiency—we will never know a time when we lack enough. That we will have “all” sufficiency—we will always have all we need. That we will have sufficiency “in everything”—we will not lack anything we need in any area of life. And that we will “have an abundance”—we will have more than we need. This is a wonderful promise that only applies to cheerful givers. God never promises to pour out financial blessings on stingy Christians. John Maxwell once said, “If you don’t give generously and you get into financial trouble—it’s your problem. But if you give generously and you get into financial trouble—it’s God’s problem.” Give obediently and you can trust God to meet all your needs.

— A man there was, and they called him mad; the more he gave, the more he had. ~John Bunyan

— Dig Deeper: Proverbs 3:9, 10; Philippians 4:18, 19

21

Day 17 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Financial Excess

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. —2 Corinthians 9:8

God will reward your generous giving with an abundance of money to give to His work. God promises not only to make sure we always have everything we need, but that we always have an “abundance” of money “for every good deed.” That means we will always have extra money to give away. One of the highest motives for giving to God is so He will reward us with increasing financial resources to invest in even more ministry. God gives to us what He knows will flow through us. If we are faithful in sharing what He has already given us, He will give us more. But if we are stingy with what He has given us, He may give us even less. As the great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Many are poor because they rob God.” He was right. If you gave your financial advisor 1,000 dollars to invest, but he gambled it away, you wouldn’t trust him with any more money. All the money we have came from God and belongs to Him. Why should He give us more money when we haven’t been faithful with what He’s already entrusted to us? We wouldn’t do that with an unscrupulous investor. And God isn’t any dumber than we are. Give cheerfully and God will give you more to give away.

— You can’t out give God. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Proverbs 11:24-25; 2 Corinthians 9:9-11

22

Day 18 - God Rewards Faithful Givers with Eternal Treasure

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. —Matthew 6:19-20

Jesus commands us not to focus on investing in earthly treasure, which can be lost, but on heavenly treasure which is eternally secure. Jesus is not against your making investments with His money. He is just against your making bad investments—those not still paying dividends a million years from now! Investing in eternal treasure makes great sense when you realize you can’t take any of your earthly wealth with you when you die. That’s why you’ve never seen a hearse with a luggage rack on top. It is foolish to focus on investing solely in earthly treasure which you can enjoy for about seventy-five years, when you could be investing God’s money in God’s work and laying up treasure in heaven to be enjoyed forever. Jesus designed you to be motivated by rewards. And He promises eternal rewards to encourage you to give. There is nothing wrong with giving in order to gain rewards in heaven. That’s what Jesus wants you to do. Focus on your eternal rewards and your giving will improve.

— He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. ~Jim Elliot

— Dig Deeper: Matthew 10:42; Luke 12:33

23

Week 4

Days 19-24

Honoring God

through Giving

24

Day 19 - Real Believers Like to Give

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. —Matthew 15:8

Talk is cheap. It costs your boss nothing to promise you a raise or your spouse to promise you a cruise. A former president told Americans to “Read my lips,” when he promised not to raise taxes, then went ahead and signed a tax increase. That hollow promise cost him nothing but his future credibility. Talk is cheap but actions are priceless. It costs us nothing to talk about how great God is and how much we love Him. So giving, not talking, is the more accurate barometer of our spiritual commitment. That’s why an old offertory prayer said, “Lord, no matter what we say or do, here is what we think of you. Amen.” God doesn’t call us to die on a cross to pay for our salvation—Jesus did that (Phil. 2:5-8). But He does call us to obey Him in living out the purpose of our salvation. And He constantly gives all real believers the “will” to please Him in every area of life, including giving (Phil. 2:12, 13). If you don’t feel a God-given desire to give, what does that say about your relationship with Him? When it comes to stewardship, let’s not just talk the talk, let’s walk the walk.

— The measure of a life is not its duration, but its donation. ~Peter Marshall

—

Dig Deeper: Luke 19:1-10; James 2:14-17

25

Day 20 - Our Giving Brings Glory to God

Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God…for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all. —2 Corinthians 9:13

Our primary purpose as believers is to glorify God. One way to do so is by giving generously. That’s why Paul said those who received the Corinthians’ “contribution” would “glorify God” for it. They would praise God for prompting the Corinthians to give with such “liberality.” We live in a time when men are lovers of self and lovers of money (2 Tim. 3:2). Our natural tendency is to selfishly hoard our resources for our own well-being and security. Selfless giving is unnatural. So, when we give up buying a new house, or continue to drive an older car, or sacrifice eating out to help others, people see God’s own generosity at work in us. And they give God the credit. In his outstanding little book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcon wrote: “You’ve heard of prayer warriors. What about giving warriors? God has entrusted us with so much. Perhaps He is raising up a great army of givers, and He’s calling us to enlist.” Actually, we were automatically enlisted in this army when we believed in Jesus. The problem is that so many of us have gone AWOL. Imagine how much glory God would receive if every Christian who is missing in action got back into the fight to give to others.

— A lot of people are willing to give God the credit, but not too many are willing to give God the cash. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:31

26

Day 21 - Giving Supports Our Gospel Witness

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 We who say that we have believed the “gospel of Christ” have a responsibility to show it by our giving. The “gospel of Christ” is the good news that salvation is received by faith in Christ. Our “confession” refers to our public acknowledgment that we have believed in that gospel. Our “obedience” to our “confession of the gospel” is expressed by generous giving. The word “obedience” tells us that implicit in our public “confession of the gospel” is a responsibility to give. It makes perfect sense. Our salvation was made available through Jesus who, though rich, became poor for our sakes, so that we “through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Sharing a gospel message like this requires us to sacrificially give like Jesus did. Witnessing without giving is like working as a spokesperson for a fitness club without exercising. A stingy Christian is a contradiction in terms and makes it harder for the lost to believe. But, the more you give, the more people will be inclined to believe your gospel witness about a giving God. Obeying the gospel by giving is simply practicing what you preach. Giving proves you really believe the gospel that you talk about.

— Stewardship is everything I do after I say, “I believe.” ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Luke 19:1-10; James 1:27

27

Day 22 - Why We Give Is More Important Than How Much We Give

So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say

to you, they have their reward in full. —Matthew 6:2 Before Jesus came to disrupt the status quo and expose their hypocrisy, people revered the Pharisees who feasted on that admiration like hyenas on a fresh kill. These hypocrites publicly flaunted all their religious acts—including their alms giving—to gain as much human honor as possible. We don’t know if Jesus’s reference to blowing “a trumpet” was literal or metaphorical. In any case, we know they made sure the whole world knew they were giving. Today they would post their donations on Facebook and upload a video of their giving on YouTube. Even though they gave large amounts, Jesus emphatically asserted the only reward the Pharisees got was that which they sought from men—human praise. Today everybody loves to hate the Pharisees. They make us feel good by comparison. But we should be sure to learn this lesson from their bad example: Why we give is more important to God than how much we give. We see the hand that writes the check; God sees the heart that moves the hand. What does He see when He looks at your heart? Give from the heart and God will reward you.

— It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. ~Mother Teresa

— Dig Deeper: Luke 14:12-14; 1 Corinthians 13:3

28

Day 23 - God Uses Stewardship Examples

For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has

been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. —2 Corinthians 9:1, 2

Motivational experts agree that personal example is one of the most powerful forms of inspiration. Paul, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, successfully tapped this principle. He noted that the example of the “zeal” for giving of the Corinthians in the province of Achaia had “stirred up” most of the Macedonians to give. King David’s stewardship testimony had a similar impact on his people who gave as generously as he (1 Chron. 29:1-20). A common myth says giving is a private matter and should not be shared with others. This is based on a misunderstanding of Matthew 6:1–4 where Jesus condemns the Pharisees for giving ostentatiously to impress others. Speaking in hyperbole, Jesus said it would be better that your left hand didn’t even know what your right hand was doing—to give in secret. If we interpret this to forbid all stewardship stories, then, to be consistent, we must also cancel all public prayers in obedience to Jesus’s command to pray in secret (Matt. 6:5, 6). But, of course, He wasn’t forbidding all public prayers, just those prayed to impress others. Likewise, stewardship testimonies shared for the right reasons help others and please God. If God has blessed your giving, don’t be afraid to talk about it.

—

I have found that the higher the level of secrecy the lower the level of giving. ~M. Durrell —

Dig Deeper: 1 Chronicles 29:1-5; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4

29

Day 24 - The Benefit of Contentment

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything

out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. —1 Timothy 6:6-8

Many Christians are never content with their money and possessions because they think if they had just a little bit more they would be happy. They have bought into the bumper sticker theology that says, “The one who dies with the most toys wins.” They believe the greatest possible gain is financial. But Paul teaches that “godliness” with “contentment” is “great gain.” His reasoning is that anything we can’t take with us when we die isn’t that valuable: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either” (v. 7).

In a survey, a majority of Americans said they would be willing to trade happiness for money. “Money is not the key to happiness,” they think, “but if you have enough of it you can have a key made!” Most people simply cannot believe it is possible to be rich and unhappy. When Christians have not learned with Paul to be content no matter what their financial circumstances (Phil. 4:11–13), they will be slow to give as they should. If you really want to enjoy life, be godly and content.

— The trouble with most people is that their earning capacity doesn’t match their yearning capacity. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Proverbs 30:8-9; Philippians 4:11-13

30

Week 5

Days 25-30

Spiritual Preparation

for Giving

31

Day 25 - Trusting God, Not Money

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to

enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. —1 Timothy 6:17, 18

God commands those of us with excess financial resources not to trust in our paychecks, our savings accounts, or the equity in our houses. None of these kinds of wealth are secure. They can all go up in smoke (or a recession or accident) at any time. Instead, God’s people are to “fix their hope… on God” who abundantly provides us with all good things we enjoy. You may not feel wealthy, but most American church members are richer than 95 percent of the rest of the world. And it is very difficult for us to trust God rather than money. Many of us are like former boxer Joe Louis who said, "I don't like money, actually, but it quiets my nerves." When we have money in savings, or access to easy credit, and our car breaks down, we don’t need to pray about it. We can just go get it fixed. So we quiet our nerves by trusting in money, rather than God. The challenge is to stay humble about our wealth and to fix our hope on God who gives us our salaries, bank accounts, and houses. Probably the truest test of where we place our trust is our giving. People who trust in God, not money, will “be rich in good works…generous and ready to share.” Are you trusting money or God for security?

— Giving is not a money problem; it’s a trust problem. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Psalm 52:6-8; Proverbs 11:28

32

Day 26 - Your Master: God or Money?

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

—Matthew 6:24 If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t have more zeal for Christ, perhaps it is because you are trying to “serve God and wealth.” If you are among the 50 percent of church members who give nothing, or if you tip God with tiny offerings on Sundays, you are devoted to wealth, not God. And Jesus says you “hate” God! This is a sobering message for God’s people who long to be fully devoted followers of Christ. You can’t chase two rabbits at the same time, you can’t drive a car and play with a yo-yo at the same time, and you can’t be devoted to God and money at the same time. “Greedy disciple” is a bigger oxymoron than “airline food.” Maybe this explains some of your spiritual struggles. “Devoted” disciples who “love” and “serve” God understand they are stewards, not owners, of God’s wealth. They have surrendered control of all their possessions to Christ’s Lordship. They give cheerfully and sacrificially and don’t waste time worrying about money. They trust their heavenly Father to meet all their needs. They enjoy a deeply intimate relationship with God. You can ignite your spiritual passion and accelerate your spiritual growth by making God, not money, your master.

— A checkbook is a theological document; it will tell you who and what you worship. ~Billy Graham

— Dig Deeper: Luke 14:33; Luke 18:18-25

33

Day 27 - How Not to Worry About Money

Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your

heavenly Father knows that you need all these things —Matthew 6:31, 32 It’s hard not to constantly focus on food, clothing, housing, transportation, health costs, and college tuition when our non-Christian co-workers and friends are seeking them obsessively. We are surrounded by worriers and materialists who have no loving God they trust for provision. And, like Ebola, their deadly anxiety is easily spread. But Jesus says you should never lie awake worrying about how to pay the bills, never be distracted by money worries during the day, and never fight with your spouse over finances. You can stop worrying about money knowing your loving heavenly Father already knows your needs. And, as with any good father, if He knows your needs you can be sure He will meet them. The good news is, since Jesus forbids anxiety, it is a sin to worry about money. If it were a morally neutral psychological condition, we’d be stuck with it. But, since it is a sin, there is a solution for overcoming it. God promises the power of the Holy Spirit to kill our sins (Rom. 8:13), including worry, and to strengthen our faith. If you want to stop stressing about money, trust your heavenly Father to provide all the necessities of life.

— Worry is the antithesis of trust. You simply cannot do both. They are mutually exclusive. ~Elizabeth Elliott

— Dig Deeper: Luke 12:22-34; Philippians 4:6-7, 18-19

34

Day 28 - Help! It’s Hard to Give

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

Paul’s two great chapters on giving, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, begin and end with a reference to God’s grace. Paul began by identifying God’s grace (undeserved help) as the cause of the generosity of the Macedonians: “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia” (2 Cor. 8:1). And he brought his teaching to a close in chapter 9 by acknowledging that the generosity he confidently expected from the Corinthians would be due to God’s gracious working in their lives: “While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you” (2 Cor.9:14). Since grace means “unmerited favor,” Paul’s use of the word tells us that it is an undeserved privilege to have God’s help to give. Why? Because, as discussed in previous days, God promises wonderful rewards for giving. But without grace, we would never earn them. We need God’s help to give, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). If you are struggling to become a generous giver, ask God for His gracious help.

— Grace is the voice that calls us to change and gives us the power to pull it off. ~Max Lucado

— Dig Deeper: Hebrews 4:14-16; 2 Timothy 2:1

35

Day 29 - Giving Ourselves Before Our Money

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the

saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. —2 Corinthians 8:3-5

Before these exemplary believers gave their offerings, they had first given themselves to the Lord Jesus, to Paul, and to their other spiritual leaders. They were devoted to the Lord—they loved Him, obeyed Him, and served Him. And they were devoted to their spiritual leaders—they loved them, respected them, and served with them. Clearly, a healthy relationship with your Lord and your pastor(s) precedes healthy giving. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus, and if you rebel against godly shepherds, you will not be a generous giver. But, once you give yourself to the Lord and His appointed spiritual leaders, you will be eager to give sacrificially. If you would like to become a biblical giver, start by rekindling your love for Jesus. Confess your sins and present your body to Him as a living sacrifice. Next, renew your commitment to your spiritual leaders. Cheerfully follow their godly example and leadership. Then watch how your desire to give increases. Give yourself to the Lord and your leaders, and the money will follow.

— If one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy. ~John S. Bonnell

— Dig Deeper: 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13; Revelation 2:4, 5

36

Day 30 - Gratitude Motivates Giving

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.

—Psalm 50:23 A “sacrifice of thanksgiving” was a voluntary animal offering made by grateful Israelites for God’s deliverances or answers to prayer. Such offerings honored God because they cost the worshippers something valuable. The ancient believer paid a price, a “sacrifice,” to show God his gratitude. If we are truly grateful to God for His many blessings, we will be motivated to show it by making financial sacrifices to further His cause. It’s one thing to say “Thank you” with our mouths. That is important. But it is something else entirely to say “Thank you” with our money. Grateful believers put their money where their mouth is. We don’t live in a grateful world. Benjamin Franklin wrote that “Most people return small favors, acknowledge medium ones and repay greater ones—with ingratitude.” Paul said that in the last days men would be “ungrateful” (2 Tim. 3:1). When believers get infected with this worldly disease, it weakens their giving. Someone said, “Thanksgiving, to be truly thanksgiving, is first thanks, then giving.” They were right. True thankfulness will be expressed in some kind of giving. If we are really grateful, we will be really generous. Gratitude for God’s goodness is a great motivation for giving.

— You can give without being thankful, but you cannot be thankful without giving. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Jonah 2:9; Hebrews 12:28

37

Week 6

Days 31-36

Giving that

Pleases God

38

Day 31 - Carefully Planned Giving Pleases God

On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. —1 Corinthians 16:2

Paul commanded the Corinthians to systematically set money aside every Sunday so they would be ready to contribute to the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. He didn’t want them scrambling around collecting money at the last minute when his famine relief messengers arrived. That would have been embarrassing for everyone concerned. Have you ever noticed that some people who’ve attended church for years act surprised every Sunday at offering time? They grab their wallets and hastily rifle through the bills looking for something small to toss in the plate. This kind of haphazard giving thrills God’s heart like a husband’s desperate run to the mall to buy his wife a present on Christmas Eve. God wants us to carefully plan our giving to His work. This involves choosing a time to give (each pay period, once a month), a form of giving (cash, automatic withdrawal, text, Internet), a place to give (the priority should be your local church), and an amount to give. Remember, you are deciding how to invest God’s money. He expects you to do more than randomly throw money at the offering basket as if you were playing darts blindfolded. How carefully do you plan your giving to God’s work?

— People who don’t systematically plan their giving invariably overestimate how much they give. ~Randy Alcorn

— Dig Deeper: Proverbs 3:9, 10; Acts 4:36, 37

39

Day 32 – Every-Member-Giving Pleases God

On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. —1 Corinthians 16:2

No matter what your situation, God commands “each one of you” to give something to His work. Please notice, Paul did not say, let each one of you give unless you are struggling financially. Unless you are having a hard time at work. Unless you are depressed. Unless you are in debt. Unless your football team has a losing season. Unless you can’t get a tax deduction for it. Unless you are a worrier. Unless you’ve got kids in college. He said, “let each one of you” give. Period. People are funny about money. We hate to part with it, so we rationalize our poor giving. One of the excuses pastors hear the most is as common as blaming the dog for eating the homework— “I’m not able to give.” Yet God’s word says the Macedonian church gave “beyond their ability” (2 Cor. 8:3). If you’re not able to give, then you can give! You can give even if you can’t give— “beyond” your “ability.” That’s why even people in debt can give. Getting out of debt should be a high priority for every believer. But don’t wait to give until you’re debt free. If you do, you’ll die without giving. The better plan is to give your way out of debt. Give to God first and He will make sure you have the resources to pay your debts. God expects each of us to give—no exceptions, no excuses.

— Many of our members have a strong habit of weak giving. ~Anthony Robinson

— Dig Deeper: Matthew 6:2-4; Proverbs 11:24-26

40

Day 33 - Proportionate Giving Pleases God

On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. —1 Corinthians 16:2

God says we should give according to the level of our prosperity. The more God prospers you financially, the higher the percentage you should return to Him. Decide on a percent of your before or after-tax income and use it to compute what to give as your income rises and falls. In order to fulfill the prosperity principle, consider returning a minimum of 10 percent of your income to the Lord. This is not a rule, but a helpful guideline. (We are not under the Old Testament law which required not one, but two and a third tithes—an average of 23 percent—per year.) Remember, it is all God's money we are dealing with. So to give a mere 1 or 3 or 6 percent back to Him seems inadequate. Countless believers through the ages have used 10 percent as a starting point for their giving and have found great joy and blessing as a result. Many of us are so financially prosperous that even 10 percent would fail to meet New Testament standards of generous, sacrificial, and proportionate giving. For the middle-class and rich, tithing may be an escape from giving! God isn’t looking for equal gifts, but equal sacrifice. The more you get, the more you should give to God.

—— God’s extra provision is usually not intended to raise our standard of living, but to raise our standard of giving. ~Randy Alcorn

—

Dig Deeper: Ezra 2:68, 69; Acts 2:44, 45

41

Day 34 - Sacrificial Giving Pleases God

However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” So David

bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. —2 Samuel 24:24 King David understood that an offering that cost him nothing was worth nothing. This is something the vast majority of God’s people either do not understand or ignore. Recent research shows that 43.9 percent of those who identify themselves as evangelical Christians give less than 10 dollars a week to their church. (All other categories of Christians give even less!) A barista at Starbucks said some of his Christian customers spend 35 dollars a week on lattes and Frappuccinos. When God’s people spend more of His money on coffee, or pizza, or cable TV, than Christ, they are not giving sacrificially. This is tragic because God measures our giving by the extent of our sacrifice. When the poor widow gave all she had, those two coins were more pleasing than the large sums contributed by the rich (Mark 12:41-44). Giving to God out of what’s left over is easy. But giving leftovers doesn’t please God. If your spouse used leftover income to purchase your anniversary gift from the dollar store, you would not be impressed. Dollar store gifts don’t impress God either. Giving that costs you nothing, gains you nothing.

— When it comes to giving until it hurts, most people have a very low threshold of pain. ~Unknown

— Dig Deeper: Mark 12:41-44; Luke 14:12-14

42

Day 35 - Eager Giving Pleases God

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of

the saints. —2 Corinthians 8:4 The Macedonian believers had begged “with much urging” for the privilege of sharing in the famine relief offering for the Jerusalem Christians. They loved their needy fellow believers and longed to help them. But why did they have to beg to give? Apparently, Paul was reluctant to ask, or even to allow, these suffering and impoverished churches to donate. But when he hesitated to take their offering, they would not take “No” for an answer. And then they gave sacrificially, “beyond their ability.” God doesn't want us to give out of a sense of pressure or guilt, but with eager cheerfulness (2 Cor. 9:7). Of course this does not mean we can wait to give until we feel like it. Frequently we must start giving before we feel the joy. Neither does it mean that the pastor should not boldly urge a church to give. There is a huge difference between challenging members to be generous (as did the Apostle Paul) and using guilt manipulation to compel them to give. Do you look forward to writing the offering check? Are you eager to support needy families? Do you feel privileged to give? If you want to give with the right heart, give eagerly.

— Some people say, “Give till it hurts,” but God recommends that we give until it feels good. God loves a cheerful giver! ~Brian Kluth

— Dig Deeper: Deuteronomy 15:7-9; 1 Timothy 6:18, 19

43

Day 36 - Heartfelt Giving Pleases God

For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. —2 Corinthians 8:12

It is not the amount of the gift, but the attitude of the giver that counts with God. If we are willing to give, even though we can only share a little, God is pleased. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus taught that the poor widow, who only gave a cent, actually gave more than the rich, because they gave out of their surplus, while she gave all she had to live on. Suppose you have two friends, one a software millionaire, the other a struggling college student. On your birthday the college student makes you brownies and presents them to you out of her genuine desire to celebrate your special day. The millionaire has her secretary send you a Walmart gift card for 100 dollars—a week late. Which gift do you find most “acceptable?” The brownies of course. Why? Because of the loving attitude and sacrifice of the brownie baker. God is much like you. He treasures even 5 dollars given out of a heart of love. But He is left cold by 5,000 dollars given grudgingly. The size of the gift has no intrinsic meaning to God since He doesn’t need our money anyway. If it comes from the heart, you can be sure God will like whatever you give Him.

— It is the heart that gives, the fingers just let go. ~Nigerian Proverb

— Dig Deeper: Exodus 35:21-22; Proverbs 21:27

44

About the Author

Dr. Rod K. Rogers is the Owner and Principal consultant for AMI Church Consulting, a church capital fundraising company (www.AbundantGiving.com). He is also the creator of The Dynamic Giving SystemTM—a church annual giving program and author of the book Pastor Driven Stewardship: 10 Steps to Lead Your Church to Biblical Giving. Rod K. Rogers has served as a youth minister in the USA and Portugal, as the founding and senior pastor of churches in Denver, Colorado, and Costa Rica, as Bible Teacher on the radio program The Nourishing Word, and as Visiting Lecturer of Pastoral Theology at New Geneva Theological Seminary, Colorado Springs, Colorado. In forty years of Bible teaching and pastoral ministry Rod’s goal has always been to bring the fruit of biblical and theological scholarship to the person in the “pew.” Much of what he teaches is at the Bible College and seminary level. That doesn’t mean “dry.” It means interesting, thought provoking, and life-changing! Rod has a diploma from Moody Bible Institute, Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from John Brown University, a Masters of Theology in Old Testament and Semitic Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from New Geneva Theological Seminary. He has two adult children, Stephen and Rachel, a son-in-law, Josh, and grandson, Jacob, all of whom he is very proud.

45

Other Books by Rod K. Rogers

Pastor Driven Stewardship: 10 Steps to Lead Your Church to Biblical Giving Pastor or Church Leader: Would you like to know exactly what to say and do to lead your people to generous giving? Do you wish you could teach your people to give biblically, without pressure or guilt? Pastor Driven Stewardship is your answer. Author Rod K. Rogers led his church to giving increases of 32, 23, 27, 19, and 18 percent in five consecutive years. While only 4 percent of American church members tithe, 70 percent of his congregation gave 10 percent and more. Based on the premise that the key to healthy church giving is bold, biblical, pastoral leadership, Rod K. Rogers shares his ten-step Dynamic Giving System™, which has helped over 3,000 pastors from many denominations, in twenty-five countries, increase their church’s giving 10 to almost 300 percent in five weeks. Unlike other stewardship books, Pastor Driven Stewardship includes not only extensive biblical teaching, but also moves beyond theory to provide you with practical, step-by-step instructions. And it is non-labor intensive—no stewardship committees, energy-draining meetings, or awkward home visits. You will learn exactly what to say and do to transform your people into generous givers. This book includes a complete stewardship sermon series and many other ready-to-use resources. How to Overcome Fear: Biblical Principles for Courageous Living Many people are crippled by fear and anxiety. The author, an experienced pastor and spiritual counselor, shares his personal story of overcoming debilitating anxiety through the use of proven biblical principles. Learn eight radically biblical, practical steps that will set you free from fear. How to Overcome Anger: A Radically Biblical Solution Is anger destroying your relationships and stealing your joy? Have counseling and other resources failed to set you free? Take heart. This book presents a unique, radically biblical approach that really works. You can conquer your anger. Too Discouraged to Pray: Charles Spurgeon’s Encouraging Insights on Prayer Charles Haddon Spurgeon was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. His sermons and books are still in print and read by thousands who value his practical Bible teaching. Author Rod Rogers has updated the language of eight of Spurgeon’s best sermons on prayer, making them easier to understand. Even if you’ve grown discouraged in your prayer life, you will find fresh faith and new encouragement to pray in these rare insights by the man known as the “Prince of Preachers.”