Faith in Action: Trusting God Through Giving
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound simplicity of faith and its foundational role in our lives as believers. We often find ourselves caught up in the complexities of life, forgetting the basic tenets of our faith that guide us. Faith is not just a belief in the unseen but a conviction that shapes our actions and decisions. We are reminded of the widow who gave all she had at the temple, illustrating that true giving comes from the heart, not from abundance. This story challenges us to examine our own lives and the role of faith in our financial decisions.
In America, discussions about money in church can be uncomfortable, yet Jesus spoke openly about it. The act of tithing is not merely a financial transaction but a declaration of trust in God’s provision. It is a tangible expression of our faith, demonstrating that money is not our god. By giving, we acknowledge that God is our provider, and we trust Him with our resources. This principle extends beyond finances, affecting every area of our faith journey. When we prioritize God in our finances, we open ourselves to His blessings in other areas of our lives.
Moreover, we delved into the concept of deeper faith. Many of us struggle with foundational aspects of faith, such as tithing, which can hinder our ability to grasp more profound spiritual truths. By overcoming these basic hurdles, we position ourselves to explore greater depths of faith and understanding. It is crucial to examine our hearts and identify areas where fear or doubt may be holding us back. As we grow in faith, we learn to trust God more fully, allowing His plans to unfold in our lives.
Finally, we reflected on the importance of obedience and the dangers of allowing material wealth to become an idol. By surrendering every aspect of our lives to God, we prevent self-sabotage and align ourselves with His will. This message is a call to re-evaluate our priorities and ensure that our faith is reflected in our actions, particularly in how we handle our finances.
Key Takeaways:
1. Faith as a Foundation: Faith is the cornerstone of our belief system, guiding our actions and decisions. It is not just about believing in the unseen but living out that belief in tangible ways, such as through our financial decisions. [34:06]
2. The Heart of Giving: True giving is measured by the heart, not the amount. The widow's offering at the temple teaches us that sacrificial giving is a profound act of faith, demonstrating trust in God's provision. [35:26]
3. Tithing as a Declaration of Trust: Tithing is more than a financial obligation; it is a declaration of trust in God. By prioritizing God in our finances, we acknowledge Him as our provider and open ourselves to His blessings. [37:13]
4. Overcoming Foundational Hurdles: Struggling with basic aspects of faith, like tithing, can hinder our spiritual growth. By overcoming these hurdles, we position ourselves to explore deeper spiritual truths and greater levels of faith. [40:42]
5. Surrender and Obedience: Surrendering every aspect of our lives to God prevents self-sabotage and aligns us with His will. By ensuring that our faith is reflected in our actions, particularly in handling finances, we allow God's plans to unfold in our lives. [48:49]
Youtube Chapters:
[0:00] - Welcome
[34:06] - The Simplicity of Faith
[35:26] - The Widow's Offering
[36:13] - Miracles and Faith
[37:13] - Tithing and Trust
[38:16] - Faith in Action
[39:07] - Financial Faithfulness
[39:52] - Mastering Foundational Principles
[40:42] - Deeper Levels of Faith
[41:50] - Personal Reflection and Growth
[42:37] - Testimonies of Financial Blessing
[43:46] - Understanding God's Will
[44:41] - Hidden Barriers to Faith
[45:54] - Seeking God's Truth
[46:50] - Living in God's Kingdom
[47:35] - The Danger of Material Idolatry
[48:49] - Surrendering to God's Will
[01:20:08] - Sukkot Celebration and Reflection
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Mark 12:41-44 - The Widow's Offering
2. Matthew 6:24 - No one can serve two masters
3. Hebrews 11:1 - Faith is the assurance of things hoped for
#### Observation Questions
1. What did Jesus observe about the widow's offering at the temple, and how did He compare it to the offerings of the rich? [35:26]
2. How does the sermon describe the act of tithing in relation to faith and trust in God? [37:13]
3. What are some examples given in the sermon of how financial decisions can reflect our faith? [38:16]
4. According to the sermon, what are some foundational hurdles in faith that believers often struggle with? [40:42]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the story of the widow's offering challenge common perceptions of generosity and giving? [35:26]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that financial stewardship is a reflection of one's faith journey? [38:16]
3. How might overcoming foundational hurdles in faith, such as tithing, lead to deeper spiritual growth and understanding? [40:42]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between material wealth and spiritual obedience? [48:49]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own financial decisions. How do they align with your faith and trust in God as your provider? [37:13]
2. Consider the widow's offering. In what areas of your life can you practice sacrificial giving, not just financially but also with your time and talents? [35:26]
3. Identify any fears or doubts that may be hindering your spiritual growth. What steps can you take to overcome these foundational hurdles? [40:42]
4. How can you ensure that material wealth does not become an idol in your life? What practical steps can you take to prioritize God in your finances? [48:49]
5. Think about a recent decision you made. How was your faith reflected in that decision, and what might you do differently in the future to better align with God's will? [38:16]
6. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's provision in areas beyond finances, such as relationships or health? [39:52]
7. What is one specific way you can surrender an aspect of your life to God this week, and how will you hold yourself accountable to this commitment? [48:49]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith as the Cornerstone of Life
Faith is the bedrock of a believer's life, influencing every decision and action. It is not merely an abstract belief in the unseen but a dynamic force that manifests in tangible ways, such as how we manage our finances. The widow's offering at the temple exemplifies this principle, as she gave all she had, demonstrating her trust in God's provision. This act challenges us to reflect on our own financial decisions and the role faith plays in them. By prioritizing faith, we align ourselves with God's will and open ourselves to His blessings. [34:06]
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)
Reflection: In what specific area of your life do you need to let faith guide your decisions more fully today?
Day 2: The Heart of True Giving
True giving is not measured by the amount but by the heart's intention. The story of the widow's offering at the temple illustrates that sacrificial giving is a profound act of faith, demonstrating trust in God's provision. This challenges us to examine our own giving practices and the motivations behind them. Are we giving out of abundance or from a place of genuine trust in God? By giving from the heart, we acknowledge God as our provider and express our faith in His ability to meet our needs. [35:26]
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)
Reflection: Consider your current approach to giving. How can you ensure that your giving reflects a heart of trust and faith in God's provision?
Day 3: Tithing as a Declaration of Trust
Tithing is more than a financial obligation; it is a declaration of trust in God's provision. By prioritizing God in our finances, we acknowledge Him as our provider and open ourselves to His blessings. This principle extends beyond finances, affecting every area of our faith journey. When we trust God with our resources, we demonstrate that money is not our god, and we allow His plans to unfold in our lives. [37:13]
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take today to prioritize God in your financial decisions, demonstrating your trust in His provision?
Day 4: Overcoming Foundational Hurdles in Faith
Struggling with basic aspects of faith, such as tithing, can hinder our spiritual growth. By overcoming these foundational hurdles, we position ourselves to explore deeper spiritual truths and greater levels of faith. It is crucial to examine our hearts and identify areas where fear or doubt may be holding us back. As we grow in faith, we learn to trust God more fully, allowing His plans to unfold in our lives. [40:42]
"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." (Hebrews 6:1, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one foundational aspect of your faith that you struggle with. What practical steps can you take to overcome this hurdle and grow in your spiritual journey?
Day 5: Surrender and Obedience to God's Will
Surrendering every aspect of our lives to God prevents self-sabotage and aligns us with His will. By ensuring that our faith is reflected in our actions, particularly in handling finances, we allow God's plans to unfold in our lives. This message is a call to re-evaluate our priorities and ensure that our faith is reflected in our actions. By surrendering to God, we prevent material wealth from becoming an idol and align ourselves with His divine purpose. [48:49]
"And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'" (Luke 12:15, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
1) "Most of us have never seen the real face of Jesus. Some of us have. I do believe that. But yet here we are in church. You know, we read the Bible. We're following God by faith and by the things that we've seen Him do in our lives, correct? Right? I mean, we're here to this place today. We're not home sleeping. We're not, we didn't go to Walmart. We didn't go to wherever. Here we are because we believe in God and we start working backwards. We believe in God because of faith, things that we've been raised to believe through our parents or the testimonies of other people around us that have declared things. We're like, there is a God. Obviously there is a piece of inside of us that we know that He is true, that He's real, right? And we've had experiences in our own lives." [34:06] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2) "I'm just telling you. And I know this one thing, the reason why it's so hard. I know why it's hard because I'm human too. And I live it every day. And something that I've been realizing that I'm breaking out of a mindset of, that I've had a mindset of in my life, that I'm realizing, you know, and I've seen God do absolute miracles. I've seen him do it, even to myself. I had a broken ankle. He healed it overnight. It was bad. And how many of you know that were there to see that happen? That was like mind-blowing. Here I'm trying to tell people to have faith for healing. It wasn't. I wasn't even able to believe it for myself, really. And God did that. Blew my mind. I believed it, but somehow I just couldn't really believe it for myself, weirdly. And he did it for me in spite of myself." [36:13] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3) "You want healing? You want people to be generous? You want, your actions should dictate that. There's no other way to look at tithing other than that. I don't care. You could take all the rest of the arguments. could throw them all aside scripturally, you know, chapter and verse and, you know, whatever. Just that alone through common sense, if you believe in faith, should tell us in our heart, individually, individually, not as something that's a teaching. We should be able to go somewhere and go, this makes sense. In line with faith, this is what I need to be doing in my finances. Speaking to the spirit world, no. God takes care of me. It's not money. Money is not my God. I'm not afraid of loss or lack. I can praise God with much or with little. I'm going to continue, and you know what? I get to keep 90% of, and of course, I'm going to sow in 10%. Give me a break." [38:16] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4) "That foundationally is an effect to every other area of our faith. It is a hurdle that we are constantly trying to get over in every other area of faith that we're believing for. I don't care what you're believing for. And I know this sounds terrible. You're like, oh, now it's money. Whatever you want to think, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it's true or not. Just ask, you know what? This grates me a little bit, but is it true? You're believing for finances? Okay. Well, it definitely works for that if you're believing for relationships, if you're believing for healing in your body, whatever. If you can't believe, and I'm telling you, there are people who have, I'm going to say mastered this, that we've cut our teeth on. They know that these principles work. Foundational principles, they do work." [39:07] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5) "I'm telling you, I've been doing a real big, deep dive into faith, greater levels of faith, deep concepts that God's been leading to that. I barely understand myself starting in 2023. And I'm going to tell you these deeper areas to be able to go and the understanding, if you can't get these rudimentary things, you won't even be able to, you won't even be able to be. Touched with the opportunity to look at these. You're not even going to be able to be touched with the opportunity to look at these. They're there deep, greater works, greater concepts, greater ways to understand foundational things. It's the same things, but understanding them in deeper ways. If we can't even understand that because we're held by fear, we're not going to be able to touch these other places." [40:42] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6) "We need to re-examine our life. And I know how many of you just, you know what? Some people like Kenneth Hagan and different ones have shared this. You know, some people, they don't struggle with finances for them. It's easy. Some people struggle in the area of health and healing. Okay. Some struggle in other areas and wherever the areas that you're lacking, that's where you should be bone up. And some people are leading the charge in the understanding of financial blessing. How many of you have done that? You see God's hand. I'm moving over and over and over again, financially raise your hand because you have put him first squarely in your finances. And it has been miraculous." [42:37] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7) "There can be things in our life way down deep that can be causing effects of lack in our lives. Even though we're praying and claiming, we think we're doing everything correct. There could be things that we unknowns that we're not even aware of that God wants to reveal because he does, he has plans to prosperous and not to harm us. If there's, we have got to be seeking. I love how Kenneth Hagin said it. He said, I'm not surprised when my, this is, this is from reading 30, 30 years ago. He said, I'm not surprised when my prayers are answered. You know, a lot of people like I prayed and it answered and they're so excited. He said, I'm surprised when they're not." [45:54] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8) "What we think is immediately could be a year, whatever. And we acquiesce. We don't understand that we live in a fallen world. God does. He loves us. He's given us grace and mercy. And because of that, we will miss it. And we will try. We will try to rewrite the plan and the will of God, but God said that every man be a liar in him, be true. His word is truth. Guys, gals, it's not him. That's missing it. This world is coming against our hearts and our minds. It's coming against our ability to believe for things that should be natural. And we call them super natural, but God's kingdom, that's this natural. He wants us to live there. He wants us to exist there. He wants us to be there, but if we make mammon, our God, I'm telling you, you don't know what it's sabotaging and it, and I'm not saying it's the only point. It's not the only point, but it can be a point." [47:35] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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