Earn, Save, Give: The Heart of Generous Stewardship

• Practical Theology and John Wesley 00:01:31 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces John Wesley's approach to theology as practical action rather than abstract study, citing his sermon on earning, saving, and giving.
• The Nature of Money and Evil 00:03:03 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor clarifies that money itself is not wrong, but the love of money is the root of evil, distinguishing between the object and the heart's attachment to it.
• Stewardship and Saving 00:04:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that saving is a wise practice to maintain a right relationship with possessions and avoid cultural temptations.
• Generosity as Discipleship 00:05:42 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines generosity as a heart and soul issue of discipleship, not merely a financial transaction related to income.
• Myth of Generosity and Wealth 00:09:59 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor debunks the myth that generosity is tied to wealth, using King David's refusal to accept free land to illustrate that offerings must cost the giver something.
• Equality in Giving 00:10:08 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor addresses the myth that generosity means less for the giver, citing 2 Corinthians to show that giving creates mutual relief and abundance.
• Impact of Small Gifts 00:11:39 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that small gifts can have significant impact, illustrated by the story of Kathy Kinsey giving a dollar despite her poverty.
• Prayer and Discernment 00:15:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes that the first step in giving is prayer, urging individuals and families to pray together about their giving to ensure it is voluntary and cheerful.
• Intentional Budgeting 00:17:09 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor advises being intentional with finances, suggesting that budgets are the baseline of stewardship and that one should identify areas of mindless spending to redirect toward giving.
• Faithful Follow-Through 00:20:50 ▶️ 📄
  > Referencing 2 Corinthians 8, the pastor stresses that once a commitment is made, one must follow through, as God honors faithfulness and the gift is acceptable according to what one has.
• Lordship over Finances 00:22:41 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor challenges the congregation to submit all assets, including those they wish to keep, to the lordship of Jesus Christ, noting that holding onto wealth for safety is not faithfulness.
• Starting Small 00:26:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor encourages starting with small, percentage-based commitments, using simple math to evaluate current giving and aiming to increase it slightly as a step of faith.
• Practical Financial Stewardship 00:25:38 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor suggests specific financial tools like donor-advised funds and IRA giving for those over 70, encouraging believers to consult financial planners to multiply their giving.
• Overcoming Fear and Perfectionism 00:26:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor urges the congregation not to be afraid to start small, emphasizing that every faithful gift matters and that one should commit to percentage giving rather than waiting for perfection.
• Prayer and Dependence on God 00:27:34 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor instructs those feeling worried or unsure about their finances to pray, get on their knees, and ask God for help, wisdom, and direction regarding their financial choices.
• Holistic Stewardship 00:28:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor expands the definition of stewardship beyond money to include time, skills, home, love, family, and stability, using the example of Carrie and Clay hosting children.
• Actionable Steps for Generosity 00:29:38 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor provides a list of practical steps, including praying with family, asking 'why' one gives, creating a budget, tithing for three months, and offering time to help staff members.

• Sermon Illustration 00:04:24 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about her mother teaching her to be a wise steward of money, emphasizing saving and mindfulness.
• Sermon Illustration 00:07:16 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the story of Paul's passive-aggressive appeal to the wealthy Corinthians to give, comparing their generosity to the poor Macedonians to shame them into giving.
• Sermon Illustration 00:09:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor tells the story of King David refusing to accept free land for the temple, insisting on paying for it to ensure his offering cost him something.
• Sermon Illustration 00:11:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a story about a widow named Kathy Kinsey who, despite having next to nothing and battling cancer, gave a dollar to a flood relief bucket, demonstrating that generosity is about the heart, not the amount.
• Sermon Illustration 00:12:33 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a story about his wife Kathy giving a single dollar to a flood bucket, which he describes as the most generous gift he has ever seen because of her heart and lack of filter.
• Sermon Illustration 00:14:16 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the 'pod houses at Acres of Hope,' noting that while big gifts started the project, 80% of the church's monthly sponsorships of $60 made the huge difference over time.
• Sermon Illustration 00:19:33 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about using cash envelopes for 'blow money' and dining out to control spending, which allowed him to feed a family of four for a week on $100 and make 10% giving feel manageable.
• Sermon Illustration 00:24:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the biblical story of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus told him to sell his possessions, illustrating that eternal life is a free gift, not earned by works.
• Sermon Illustration 00:28:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references a commercial featuring a man grilling burgers who reveals he is 'in debt up to his eyeballs' despite appearing to have the best life, illustrating the hidden financial struggles many people face.
• Sermon Illustration 00:29:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor calls out Carrie and Clay by name, noting that they open their home to children who need a safe place to land, illustrating stewardship through providing stability and hospitality.

• Pastoral Charge 00:16:35 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asks the congregation to pray about their giving, either separately or with their spouse/family, and to discuss generosity with trusted individuals.
• Pastoral Charge 00:21:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor urges the congregation to follow through on their financial commitments and plans made in prayer.
• Pastoral Charge 00:27:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor asks the congregation to calculate their current giving percentage and commit to increasing it by at least one percent.
• Pastoral Charge 00:30:03 ▶️ 📄
  > Identify and commit to one specific practical step toward a more generous life.
• Pastoral Charge 00:30:23 ▶️ 📄
  > Create a personal budget.
• Pastoral Charge 00:30:28 ▶️ 📄
  > Begin giving consistently.
• Pastoral Charge 00:30:30 ▶️ 📄
  > Calculate current giving percentages relative to income.
• Pastoral Charge 00:30:36 ▶️ 📄
  > Commit to tithing for the next three months.
• Pastoral Charge 00:30:49 ▶️ 📄
  > Approach staff members to offer time and help in ministry areas.
• Pastoral Charge 00:31:10 ▶️ 📄
  > Consult a financial advisor regarding stewardship.
• Pastoral Charge 00:31:18 ▶️ 📄
  > Take time to pray about identifying a practical step toward generosity.

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:01] Friends, let's pray. Gracious and faithful God, for all of your many blessings, we give you thanks and praise. And for the opportunity to be in this place and worshiping you today, we are grateful. Would you, Lord, open our hearts and minds and spirits that we may hear your word, that it might make a place in our spirit to say whatever it is that you most need us to hear today. Bless, Lord, this time. Bless my words.
[00:00:35] all bring you glory in the name of Christ. Amen. So we're glad that you're all here today and so thankful to see so many of our parents of young children. We're really grateful. It's always a
[00:00:51] scary thing to be talking about money because people think people talk about money about church all the time and we are talking about money but this whole series I hope what you've been hearing is that generosity is about so much more than just money. God calls us to a generous way of
[00:01:08] being in the world, and that has to do with everything that God has entrusted to us. Yes, our finances, but also our time and our talents and our passions and our skills and all the things
[00:01:19] that God has given to us in this life. So I hope that as we're talking about this, you're being mindful of the call to a generous life. Now, what you need to know about me is that I am not
[00:01:31] primarily a book theologian. And what I mean by that is that my first thought when anybody's talking about theology or about reading a book or any kind of study, my first thought is always, so what? It's always like, what am I supposed to do with whatever it is that I just learned or was
[00:01:50] taught. And I'm pretty sure that's why I am a United Methodist. The founder of our United Methodist denomination, John Wesley, did not ever sit down and write out his theology. Rather, he preached sermons and studied the Word and made commentary on the Word, and he put faith
[00:02:09] into practical action for the sake of personal and social holiness. John Wesley was often called theology on the back of a horse because he was just riding from place to place to preach the gospel of Jesus. And that's how we know what it was that he believed by what he taught.
[00:02:26] All of this talk about generosity in the last couple of weeks, grounded in scripture and theology is very important. But for me, friends, if it does not have a practical application, something actionable that will help me and you live more faithfully, not just think and pray
[00:02:42] about it, then that's not actually helpful. It's a good thing John Wesley would agree with me.
[00:02:46] John Wesley preached a sermon on generosity and giving, and this is the advice he gave.
[00:02:52] He said to earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.
[00:02:57] Earn all you can.
[00:02:58] Friends, it is not wrong to have or to earn a lot of money.
[00:03:03] It's just not.
[00:03:04] Like most things, it is not the thing itself that is the problem, but our relationship to it and our behaviors around it.
[00:03:13] The Bible says very clearly that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
[00:03:22] It's not the money itself, and it's not just money that leads to evil.
[00:03:26] It is a root, and it's the love of money that's the problem.
[00:03:30] It's when we put it in a place of being something so important to us that it eclipses the presence of God for us.
[00:03:37] Money in and of itself is not wrong.
[00:03:39] It is indeed a necessity in the world that we live in.
[00:03:43] And the scripture encourages us, commends us to work with our hands, to labor, to use what has been given to us, but to not put our trust in it.
[00:03:53] Psalm 62 verse 10 says this, if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
[00:04:00] Save all you can.
[00:04:02] Ultimately, this recommendation is about being wise about how you spend and mindful about saving for rainy days and for emergencies and for the things that you want.
[00:04:11] and for retirement and for everything that will help you to keep a right relationship with the possessions and temptations that culture is going to send your way.
[00:04:21] Because they are many.
[00:04:24] My mom, the biggest thing I remember her teaching me in my childhood about money was that I needed to be a good steward of it.
[00:04:32] I needed to be wise and judicious about how I took care of what had been entrusted to me.
[00:04:38] Saving is part of that.
[00:04:39] and when we are saving, it makes us just more mindful.
[00:04:44] So earn all you can, save all you can, and John Wesley said, give all you can.
[00:04:47] The practice of generosity, friends, is a practical guardrail against the temptation of putting all our trust in money and things.
[00:04:56] By giving all that we can give, we keep ourselves from the temptation to serve two masters, God and money, which the scripture says is impossible.
[00:05:05] That's in Matthew chapter six.
[00:05:06] we are also obedient to the call to the care for those who are in need around us and to share what we have willingly so john wesley said are y'all i can save all you can
[00:05:18] give all you can so here are some myths about generosity generosity friends is not just related to income and wealth generosity is not only related to your income and your wealth it is about so much more than money. It is a heart and soul thing. It is a discipleship issue. We are
[00:05:42] following Jesus. Generosity is a discipleship issue. Last week, Wes talked about the call for what we know as the Jerusalem offering, which was a collection that Paul, the Apostle Paul, agreed to take up in all the churches that he was planting as he shared the gospel. And he was
[00:06:00] planting churches all over what you and I know of as Asia Minor, Turkey and also in Greece and ultimately in Rome. And all these churches were taking up a collection to help out the church
[00:06:11] in Jerusalem. We don't know exactly what was going on in Jerusalem that they had a need, but they did.
[00:06:16] They had a need. And when the leaders of the church got together and sent Paul out to preach the good news, they said, just remember us here in Jerusalem. So in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul refers
[00:06:30] to this offering. And he shared with the Corinthians who lived in a very prosperous trading town. That's what Corinth was. Corinth was at a touch point that connected two parts of the world and it was a very important trading place and it was a very prosperous town. So he's
[00:06:51] talking to the Corinthians who were very prosperous about the generosity of churches in Macedonia, which is modern-day Turkey, and the people in Macedonia had far less than the Corinthians had.
[00:07:02] Now, I'm going to be honest with you. If you have ever been put off by a pastor making you feel pressured to give, you should blame Paul. He offers what can only be described as the most
[00:07:16] passive-aggressive, manipulative little sermon here that you have ever heard. He basically says, listen you rich Corinthians, these Macedonians don't have a plug nickel, but they have dug deep and their generosity frankly puts you all to shame. I just know that you rich Corinthians
[00:07:37] are gonna do the right thing and step up to the challenge because you cannot possibly let these poor churches show you all up. Good grief. Thanks Paul. Paul's method might make us uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable when I read it but his point is clear. What he's trying
[00:07:56] to say is that the Macedonians have a more generous discipleship of Jesus than the Corinthians, not because they gave a higher amount, but because of the attitude with which they gave it.
[00:08:11] From today's text, if the eagerness or willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. See friends, generosity is not about numbers. It's about the reliance on God that it reflects. Here's the truth. Someone who
[00:08:31] gives, say, $1,000 that is making minimum wage is more generous of spirit than someone that might give $12,000 but is making over $200,000 a year. We just prize the larger amount because we think it's important. Because it's bigger, it must be more important. But the truth is,
[00:08:51] that 12,000 might not have actually cost somebody anything. King David was offered a piece of land.
[00:09:01] He wanted to build what we would call, we know as the temple of God. It's now the temple mound in Jerusalem. And when he wanted to build the temple, he was on this threshing floor. It was
[00:09:12] somebody else's land. They were threshing wheat. And God told him this is where he wanted him to build the temple. And when David, King David told that to the person that owned the property, The person wanted to give it to King David because he was the king.
[00:09:25] He just wanted to give it.
[00:09:26] And King David refused to just be given it.
[00:09:29] He wanted to pay the landowner for it.
[00:09:31] And this is what he says.
[00:09:32] 2 Samuel 24, 24.
[00:09:34] I will not offer to God offerings that cost me nothing.
[00:09:44] In other words, David wanted skin in the game.
[00:09:47] He wanted to give something to God that showed that he trusted God and showed that he worshiped.
[00:09:54] that might be something for all of us to think on.
[00:09:59] So the first myth is that generosity is related to wealth or income.
[00:10:01] It's not. It's about your heart.
[00:10:03] Second myth, generosity means less for me.
[00:10:08] 2 Corinthians 8, 13 and 14 says this, For I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it's a question of equality between your present abundance and their need,
[00:10:20] so that their abundance may also supply your need in order that there may be equality.
[00:10:28] Paul's point is that it's mutual.
[00:10:30] It means I share to meet your need, and then when I'm in need, you share to meet my need.
[00:10:38] In the case of the Macedonians, the Macedonians are offering a generosity of spirit that inspires the financial generosity of the Corinthians, and both are needed.
[00:10:49] The generosity of spirit and the financial generosity are both needed in order to meet the need of God's people.
[00:10:57] Generosity, friends, does not mean less for me and it doesn't mean less for you.
[00:11:01] It means more.
[00:11:02] It means more sharing and more impact.
[00:11:05] It means more time to enjoy what you have rather than fret over what you don't.
[00:11:10] It means more perspective on what makes for a truly abundant life.
[00:11:15] It means more love shared, more real-world impact, more praise, more faithfulness, more experience of grace.
[00:11:23] Not one time, not ever in 25 years of tithing has generosity meant less of anything that really mattered for Wes and I and our family.
[00:11:33] God honors faithfulness.
[00:11:38] Myth number three.
[00:11:39] Only big gifts make a big difference.
[00:11:44] I knew a woman once named Kathy Kinsey.
[00:11:46] Kathy was a widow and she was in her 70s.
[00:11:49] And she lived in a trailer.
[00:11:53] She had next to nothing.
[00:11:54] she battled recurring spine cancer that caused her to be in pain almost all the time and she still chopped her own wood because she had a wood burning fireplace because that was the cheapest way to heat her home and she mowed yards on this lawnmower that the shocks must have been busted
[00:12:12] because it just bounced like crazy and if you could just imagine having a spine problem and being on a lawnmower that bounces like crazy she was in pain all the time and we at our church we
[00:12:22] would help her with her medical bills, and she came to the local food pantry as often as she was allowed to come. One day we were at church, and she sat in the back section at the church we were
[00:12:33] serving. And we were collecting an offering that Sunday for victims of flood. We had children standing as they were walking outside the door. As you walk out, kids had just what we would call those Lowe's buckets that we call flood buckets. They were holding flood buckets. And Kathy walked
[00:12:51] by that and she if she did so she dropped a dollar in and I later told her when I saw her later I said Kathy like I know you're like you you do not have a dollar to give like you do not need to do
[00:13:08] that we didn't mean that and she was completely incredulous with me and the woman had no filter she was the brassiest hard you know what I'm saying Kathy didn't play with nobody and Kathy looked at me completely incredulous and she said, what are you talking about? Of course I do.
[00:13:27] Everybody needs to give. God is good and I'm thankful. It was one of my more humbling moments in ministry. Kathy's one dollar was the most generous gift I have ever seen a person give in person. It made a huge difference in my life. Consistent three hours a month serving at a local
[00:13:51] mission or one hour a week at a school will impact the community friends and it will make a difference in your discipleship and in the life of whoever it is that you are spending your time
[00:14:01] with. Jim referred to in his testimony there about the pod houses at Acres of Hope and how we raised in one week enough to build all four pod homes. And it'd be really easy to get focused on the
[00:14:16] people that gave those big gifts that started Acres of Hope. But you know what else has made a huge difference? 80% of this church that has given a monthly sponsorship to children at Acres of Hope in all the years since. $60 looks like not much compared to $17,000, but that $60 has
[00:14:35] made a huge impact in lives across the years. It is consistent and it is generous and it has changed lives. As someone who is tasked to monitor the faithful stewardship of every penny that comes
[00:14:47] into and flows out of this church. I can tell you with 100% certainty that every single gift from every single person of every age and of every sum facilitates ministry in this place.
[00:15:01] Friends, when we withhold our gifts because we think them too small, we forget that we serve a very big God who is in the business of turning mustard seeds into trees and drops of rain and
[00:15:13] nourish into flourishing rivers that nourish the earth. God takes what is small and he makes it big in its impact. So there's three myths. So here's some practicality. What should you do?
[00:15:30] Here's my first step. It's a really hard one. It's the one you all skip. Pray. I'm being serious.
[00:15:39] I'm not asking you to answer out loud. I'm just asking you. Have you and your spouse ever prayed about what you give. Have you personally sat down to pay your bills and thought, I should start this
[00:15:50] with a word of prayer? Pray. Generosity is about primarily your heart. It is primarily about discernment. In 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, Paul talks about gifts being voluntary, not being about extortion or given under pressure. And it is precisely the voluntary nature of a gift
[00:16:18] that enables a giver to do it cheerfully, which is also in Paul's recommendation here.
[00:16:24] Pray.
[00:16:26] Too many families, friends have not taken time to talk about what they give, to pray together about their giving.
[00:16:35] And if you have never done that, without any judgment from me, would you please hear me say, please do that.
[00:16:43] Pray.
[00:16:45] Pray separately.
[00:16:46] Pray together.
[00:16:46] Talk about what you hear.
[00:16:48] It is an essential step in your giving journey.
[00:16:51] Sit down and talk to your family, as a whole family, about generosity and giving.
[00:16:57] If you are a single person, talk to somebody you trust.
[00:17:02] Talk and pray and discern.
[00:17:05] Because the second thing is the second practical step, and it's this.
[00:17:09] You need to be intentional.
[00:17:12] Give, Paul says, what you have decided to give.
[00:17:16] That word decided is important.
[00:17:19] Giving should not be about impulse or anything else.
[00:17:23] It should be something that you have thought about, prayed about, planned about, a conscious choice that you have made in your life.
[00:17:33] A wonderful, generous man at the last church we served would tell me often, if you commit to 10% giving, the other 90% will go further because you'll have to budget to make it work.
[00:17:44] Budgets, friends, may be boring, but they change the story and they are the baseline of good stewardship.
[00:17:50] It's the baseline of good stewardship.
[00:17:55] I'm going to suggest something to you all.
[00:17:56] I think everybody has a place in their life where they spend without much thinking.
[00:18:03] And frankly, tap to pay, Amazon pay, Amazon just generally has made that a whole lot worse for me and I'm guessing for a lot of other people in the room.
[00:18:18] Right?
[00:18:19] When Wes and I started thinking about that, for Wes and I, the place we spend without thinking much about it is dining out, which holy cow, y'all.
[00:18:27] You can't go out to eat anywhere for less than 15 bucks a person. It's insane Um, and the other place is what we would call blow money And what I mean by blow money is, you know
[00:18:39] The stuff that you buy at the convenience store or the coffee shop or back in the day when west would buy cds You know i'm talking about Remind me sometime to tell y'all a really great story
[00:18:54] about a cd anyway It's neither here nor there. Okay the problem is Um that you just spend it without even thinking about it And you just fritter away.
[00:19:07] You nickel and dime yourself to death, as my daddy would have said.
[00:19:09] Right?
[00:19:10] You know, $2 here, $3 here, $4 here, $5 here.
[00:19:14] And then you spent, you know, without even thinking about it, you spent money like that.
[00:19:18] And how many of you is Target a problem for?
[00:19:20] Y'all, I can go into Target for one thing.
[00:19:21] I'm going to spend $70.
[00:19:23] I don't care.
[00:19:25] That's what's going to happen.
[00:19:28] So when Wes and I were early in our marriage, we followed a Dave Ramsey teaching.
[00:19:33] And we used cash for what?
[00:19:35] For blow money and dining out.
[00:19:36] In other words, we set a budget, and we took it out of the bank account in cash, and when the cash was gone, you were done.
[00:19:42] And at the time, the blow money budget was $10 a week, and that's all you got.
[00:19:47] When you spent it, you were done.
[00:19:48] And if you wanted something that cost more than $10, well, I guess you better save up for a couple of weeks, friends, because that's how that was going down.
[00:19:55] We also did that with groceries and Christmas spending.
[00:19:59] It meant that I had to go to two or three different grocery stores to make sure that we stayed in budget.
[00:20:04] and it actually kind of began to like it because it became a game of could I really beat the system could I how cheap could I feed our family for back in that day I could feed a whole family of
[00:20:16] four for a week on a hundred dollars can you believe can you imagine the man at church was right giving 10 felt great and it meant that we had to be more intentional about our spending
[00:20:31] and the other 90 percent stretched further because we were talking about it and we were praying about it and we were being intentional about it and stewarding it faithfully along with the whole be intentional you need to have some follow-through this is one of the more touchy
[00:20:50] things that paul says in second corinthians 80 says in this matter i'm giving you my opinion sure paul you are there's no pressure there at all it is beneficial that you who began last year
[00:21:00] not only to do something but even to desire to do something now finish doing it so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the
[00:21:11] gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. In other words, if you've prayed about it and made a plan, then for heaven's sake, follow through. If you made a
[00:21:22] commitment to the Lord, then stick to it. It's like when you say, yeah, I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to pray for that person. And then you never actually do it. Or, um, yeah, I'm going to, I'm
[00:21:36] going to mow the yard this week and you never actually do it. Or yeah, I'll go visit so-and-so.
[00:21:45] Your heart and intention was right. Lots of times we do this in church, right? Somebody was on our heart. Something in church inspired us and we thought, man, I really want to do that. And then
[00:21:53] we got out into the world doing our life thing and we completely forgot and we don't do any follow-through. Am I alone? You've prayed about it and made a plan and followed through. Make a
[00:22:08] commitment to the Lord and stick to it because God honors faithfulness. God honors faithfulness.
[00:22:21] Be intentional. Make it part of your long-term financial plan. Now, some people in this room have been incredibly financially blessed. It could be because you had an inheritance or because of real good hard work. It may be a risk that paid off big time or just a lifetime of
[00:22:41] stewarding what you have with savvy and with wisdom. And I remind all of us that to those who much has been given, much is required. Holding on to what we have because it makes us feel safe
[00:22:54] is not faithfulness. Tending to all of our wants without mindfulness of the poverty around us does not honor the command of Christ. In our discipleship journey, friends, every single part of our life, including all of our assets and stewardship thereof must come under the lordship of Jesus Christ
[00:23:21] that's hard I'm not going to lie that's going to take you a whole lifetime to nail down and there are areas of my life and probably of yours too where honoring the lordship of Christ
[00:23:36] is not hard for me and there are other places where it's really hard we all have places in our life that we want to cordon off and say, well, Jesus, you can have, you know, this 90%,
[00:23:46] but I'm not giving you this 10. I'll let you guide, you know, how I study the Bible. I'll let you guide my Sunday mornings and how I go to church. I'll let you guide my parenting, but I'm
[00:24:00] not letting you in my bank account, Jesus. That's mine. No, it's not. It's not. Just like Pastor Jeffrey said, I have nothing. God has everything. Remember the parable of the rich man who came to
[00:24:23] Jesus and said, what do I need to do? That's the word he used. What do I need to do to inherit, do to inherit? Isn't it an inheritance, something you just get because you're a child
[00:24:34] or beloved? He says, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus looked at him.
[00:24:41] And the scripture says, my favorite, one of my favorite verses, Jesus looked at him and he loved him.
[00:24:49] Jesus looked at him and he loved him.
[00:24:51] And then he told him to go sell his possessions and give it all to the poor.
[00:24:55] And the man went away sad because he had many riches.
[00:24:58] Friends, what he failed to see was that he didn't need to do anything but be a child of God.
[00:25:05] Eternal life was for him and is for all of us a free gift from the heart of a generous God.
[00:25:12] and learning to receive it, not earn it, to give in response to it, not in order to curry God's favor is a spiritual lesson of a lifetime.
[00:25:26] So think about giving, friends.
[00:25:28] Some of us in this room are able to think about this and that's an okay thing.
[00:25:32] About not just cash from your bank account, but from your appreciated assets.
[00:25:38] I want you to think about things like donor advised funds.
[00:25:41] Those over 70 and a half, I want you to think about giving from your IRA.
[00:25:44] there are ways to steward generously that can multiply your giving and we can help you do that and you can talk to your financial planner about all of it. But if you have been given much,
[00:25:55] friends, there are people that have nothing and they live in Mooresville. I'm not talking about Uganda. I'm not even talking about up in the mountains. I'm talking about in the woods over there. Pray, be intentional. And number three, do not be afraid to start small. Every faithful gift
[00:26:25] matters because every gift makes the work of God's people possible. So start by committing to give percentage giving. Look at what you give, do a little bit of simple math and just look at, just
[00:26:39] go look at what did you give last year and do a little math compared to your income and say, what percentage was that? No judgment. It's just information, y'all. Information is neither good nor bad. It's just information. So if you're going to make a plan, you better start with some
[00:26:52] information, amen? So do a little math. And if you're going, God, how to do percentages, call me.
[00:26:58] I love percentages. I'm really good at them. 10% is really not hard anyway. So look at what you're giving right now and make a commitment to give one more percent than that. Point is, ongoing
[00:27:12] and commitment to be faithful and to take steps to align ourselves with the Lord. And that may mean you have to adjust and that's okay. It may mean that it's going to take you a minute to get
[00:27:22] there. That's okay too. But don't let the fact that it will take time keep you from taking a next faithful step. Don't let the fact that you're worried keep you from taking the next faithful
[00:27:34] step. If you're worried, if you're unsure, if you're feeling anything about your finances, for the love of God, pray, get on your knees and tell God you need some help. Tell God you need some wisdom. Tell God you need some direction. Tell God, you know, Lord, I have made some financial
[00:27:53] choices and I'm in a real pickle. You remember there was this commercial years ago. It was this guy. He kind of had a smile on his face, kind of plastered on and it looked like this, right?
[00:28:02] And he's like, he's grilling burgers in his backyard. He's like, we have this great house and we had this great car and we just have the best life and kids are running around and playing
[00:28:13] and and he says how do I do all this and he goes I'm in debt up to my eyeballs maybe that's you no guilt friends no shame pray ask God to help you to see the world differently to see what he's
[00:28:30] been given to you differently to steward what God has given you more faithfully and yes I'm in your bank account, but I also mean your time and your skills and your home and your love and your family
[00:28:44] and the stability that you might have in your life. You know, Carrie, I'm totally going to call you out right now. Is that okay? Carrie and Clay open their home all the time to children who
[00:29:01] need some place to safely land for a little while. That's stewardship. That's stewarding The fact that God has given them the gift of being stable, consistent parents.
[00:29:14] God's given them a home that is safe and an easy place to be.
[00:29:23] And God's given them time and know-how.
[00:29:27] That's stewardship too.
[00:29:30] It's not just what you put in the offering plate, friends.
[00:29:33] So what we want you to think about is practical steps that you can take toward a generous life.
[00:29:38] When you came in today, we gave you a card.
[00:29:44] Excuse me, it looks like this.
[00:29:45] And on the back, there are some practical ideas, practical steps that you can take toward a generous life. And I just want, and this is not exhaustive. This is just me giving you a starting place. I want you to think about your next faithful step. I want you to think about
[00:30:03] what is one thing that you could do. If you haven't prayed with your family, that's a step.
[00:30:11] If you have not asked the question, what's my why? Why do I give? Why am I generous?
[00:30:16] Why does God want me to give?
[00:30:18] That's a good place to start.
[00:30:20] If you've never done a budget, that'd be a good place to start.
[00:30:23] If you've never considered giving consistently, then that's a place to start.
[00:30:28] If you've never done the math, do the math.
[00:30:30] Or if you have done the math and you're willing to give something a shot, tithe for the next three months and see what happens.
[00:30:36] You know what's not going to happen?
[00:30:37] You're not going to go hungry.
[00:30:40] I promise you, you're not going to go hungry.
[00:30:43] Give it a try and see what happens.
[00:30:45] You could ask a staff member how you could help in an area of ministry.
[00:30:49] Legitimately, come talk to Valerie and say, Valerie, what do you need?
[00:30:51] How can I help you?
[00:30:52] Valerie's got things you could help with.
[00:30:54] Go ask Carrie.
[00:30:54] Carrie, what do you need?
[00:30:55] How can I help you?
[00:30:56] Ask Pastor Whitney.
[00:30:57] Ask Pastor Monica.
[00:30:58] Ask Holly.
[00:30:59] Ask our new youth director, Ryan.
[00:31:00] Ask Kevin.
[00:31:01] Ask anybody that's on staff.
[00:31:02] Tell me what you need and how I can help you.
[00:31:05] And then be willing to say, I'll give you my time to help you get that done.
[00:31:09] Talk to your financial advisor.
[00:31:10] There's lots of things you can do.
[00:31:12] So that's what I want you to do.
[00:31:13] I want you to take some time.
[00:31:14] And if you're joining us online, just take some time to pray about this with us.
[00:31:18] What is one practical step I could take toward a more generous life?
[00:31:23] As we're hearing this next song, just take a minute to pray.