Money Matters: The Joy Of Generosity

Devotional

Day 1: Excel in the grace of generous giving.

Paul points to the Macedonian churches as an example: even in severe trials their overflowing joy and extreme poverty produced rich generosity, and that grace is something God gives so believers can respond by giving themselves first to the Lord and then sacrificially to others. Excellence in giving is not about comparison or wealth but about a heart surrendered to God that produces joyful, generous action. [30:32]

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (ESV)
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything— in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in the love that you have kindled— see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Reflection: What is one concrete, sacrificial step you will take this week to “excel in this act of grace”—an amount to give, a commitment to start giving regularly, or a way to offer your time—and when will you do it?

Day 2: Small gifts, given sacrificially, are powerful.

A small, sacrificial gift offered in faith can outweigh large sums given from abundance; generosity is measured by the heart and sacrifice, not the dollar amount. When many give small amounts faithfully, God multiplies those gifts through partnership and the local church to accomplish greater ministry and long-term impact. [33:50]

Mark 12:41-44 (ESV)
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Reflection: Identify one modest, sacrificial gift you can give this week (time, money, or resources) that will stretch you; decide who will receive it and take that step today.

Day 3: Give in secret to remove pride.

Giving in secret protects the motive of the heart so God receives the glory rather than personal praise; anonymous or church-centered giving keeps attention where it belongs—on Jesus and the work of the kingdom. When praise is not the goal, generosity becomes a genuine response of gratitude and worship. [46:46]

Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)
1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Reflection: Choose one gift this month to give anonymously—either through the church’s offering, a partner ministry, or a direct but unannounced act of service—and schedule when and how you will do it this week.

Day 4: Regular, planned giving reveals true priorities.

Discipline in giving—setting aside a portion on a regular schedule—shows who and what is first in your life; consistent, modest gifts over time multiply into lasting kingdom impact far more than occasional impulse giving. Making giving a planned part of the first day of the week aligns resources with worship and priorities. [56:35]

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (ESV)
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Reflection: Decide today the exact amount or percentage you will set aside weekly for giving, set up an automatic transfer or envelope system, and begin this practice on the next first day of the week.

Day 5: Honor God first with your resources.

Offering God the first portion of income—"firstfruits"—is an act of trust that declares God first in the budget; when God is honored first, provision and blessing follow. Putting God first financially is both a worshipful priority and a practical discipline that frees you to be generous to others. [59:54]

Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV)
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Reflection: Apply the "firstfruits" practice this pay period: choose an amount from the top of your income to give to the local church or a trusted ministry, write it down, and make that gift today as an act of worship.

Sermon Summary

Coming off Thanksgiving and into Advent, I invited us to see generosity as a grace God gives, not a pressure He applies. Paul told the Corinthians, “See that you also excel in this grace of giving.” That word grace matters. When we order our lives around God’s wisdom—working diligently, restraining spending, avoiding debt, and practicing steady discipline—money stops stealing our peace and becomes a conduit for joy. Gratitude fuels the kind of giving that reflects God’s heart.

We walked through five principles. First, small gifts matter more than we think. Jesus highlighted a widow’s two coins, not a wealthy benefactor. I’ve watched that play out—like Flossy, who quietly left simple blessings on our doorstep years ago. God multiplies many faithful “little” gifts into great impact. That’s how we’ve seen more than a hundred baptisms this year and how our partnerships—from food security and schools to addiction recovery, youth in detention, international church planting, and more—extend our reach far beyond what we could do alone.

Second, anonymous giving protects our hearts. Jesus warns against giving to be seen. When we channel giving primarily through the local church, the praise goes to Jesus, not to us.

Third, spontaneous generosity brings unique joy. Zacchaeus didn’t wait to schedule repentance—he responded immediately. We need margin to say “yes” when God puts a need in front of us. That’s why we try to practice “Wealth Wednesdays,” surprising someone with a gift they didn’t ask for. Those moments train our hearts to notice and respond.

Fourth, disciplined generosity reveals priorities. The New Testament pattern is regular, proportionate, firstfruits giving. Set it aside first and then live on the rest. Over time, consistent, even modest gifts accomplish more than rare, dramatic ones. I think of a quiet builder who donated labor and materials to raise multiple church buildings—month after month, year after year.

Finally, sacrificial giving displays love. The Macedonian churches, though suffering, begged for the privilege of sharing. How could they do that? They gave themselves first to the Lord. When our hearts are His, our treasure follows. That’s what I long for in us: hearts anchored in Christ, hands open to His work, and a community radiant with the joy that generosity brings—to the giver, to the church, and to those we serve.

Key Takeaways

1. Small gifts carry great power. Jesus didn’t measure generosity by the size of the gift but by the size of the trust it expressed. Faithful “little” offerings, joined with others, become God’s means of doing “greater” things among us. Never despise modest capacity; the Father delights to multiply it for Kingdom impact. [33:50]
2. Give in secret to guard pride. Public recognition shapes motives in subtle ways, and Jesus knows how easily our hearts drift toward applause. Secrecy trains us to prize the Father’s approval and to remember the true Giver is God Himself. When the church is the channel, Jesus gets the glory and people get the help. [46:46]
3. Plan firstfruits; practice weekly consistency. When giving is set aside first, it stops being a leftover and becomes worship. Proportionate, regular giving forms the soul—teaching trust, curbing impulse, and building long-haul impact. Over years, steady seeds bear a harvest occasional bursts can’t match. [56:35]
4. Be ready for Spirit-led spontaneity. Budgeting for margin frees you to say “yes” when God highlights a need. Those unplanned moments—like Zacchaeus’ immediate restitution—often become turning points of freedom and joy. Spontaneity doesn’t replace discipline; it is fruit of it. [50:01]
5. Sacrifice exposes what we truly love. The Macedonians gave beyond their ability because they had already given themselves to the Lord. Sacrifice recalibrates desire and reminds us our comfort isn’t our calling—love is. Where our treasure goes, our heart gladly follows. [62:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:26] - Joy of Generosity Introduced
[30:32] - Principle 1: Small Gifts Encourage
[33:50] - Widow’s Mite and Flossy’s Gift
[36:41] - Many Small Gifts, Big Impact
[39:52] - Why We Partner, Not Duplicate
[43:21] - Partnerships Changing Lives (Schools, Haiti, YFC)
[46:46] - Anonymous Giving Protects the Heart
[50:01] - Spontaneous Generosity: Zacchaeus
[53:11] - Wealth Wednesdays: Practicing Surprise Blessing
[56:35] - Firstfruits and Weekly Rhythm
[59:54] - A Builder’s Quiet Legacy
[62:31] - Macedonian Sacrifice Under Trial
[64:45] - Give Yourself to the Lord First
[68:02] - Invitation and The Joy We See

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 8:7 — But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Observation Questions

In 2 Corinthians 8:7 what specific areas does Paul say the Corinthians “excel” in, and how does he add generosity to that list? (read the verse slowly and note the sequence)
In Jesus’ story of the widow at the temple, what concrete detail did Jesus point to that made her gift greater than the rich people’s gifts? [33:50]
What practical rhythm for regular giving did Paul suggest to the churches in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2, and why might that rhythm matter for a local congregation? [56:35]
When Paul describes the Macedonian churches, what two contrasting realities does he highlight about their situation and their giving? [01:02:31]

Interpretation Questions

How does describing giving as a “grace” (2 Cor 8:7) change the way a Christian should think about ability to give versus motive for giving? [27:26]
Why would Jesus and the preacher warn against giving for public praise? What does anonymous giving protect a person from, and how might that protection change the fruit of generosity in a giver’s life? [46:46]
What is the logical connection between disciplined, firstfruits/weekly giving and the ability to respond with spontaneous generosity when an urgent need appears? [56:35]
Paul says the Macedonians “gave themselves first to the Lord” before they gave money. How should someone interpret “giving yourself first to the Lord” in tangible, day-to-day terms? [01:02:31]

Application Questions

Firstfruits practice: choose a concrete amount or percentage you will set aside on the first day of the week (or each payday) for giving. What number will you commit to, and what date will you begin doing this? [56:35]
Small gifts multiply: name one ongoing ministry or partner the sermon mentioned (food pantry, Christian school, youth ministry, Haiti partnership, Mechanics on a Mission, etc.). How much could you give each week or month to support that partner, and how will you make that gift a regular habit? [39:52]
Anonymous giving challenge: pick one anonymous gift you will do this month (tip, grocery card, pay a bill for someone, leave a surprise on a doorstep). What is the gift, who will it likely help, and how will you make sure it stays anonymous? [46:46]
Create margin for spontaneity: review one recent month of spending and identify a single expense you can reduce (coffee, streaming, eating out, subscription). How much will that free up each month and will you move that amount into a “spontaneous generosity” envelope or account? [50:01]
A sacrificial step: what is one sacrificial financial step you could take that would truly stretch you (a larger one-time gift, increasing your percentage given, donating labor/time instead of money)? State the amount or action, a realistic timeline, and one person who will hold you accountable. [01:02:31]
Surrender first: if you are not yet convinced you’ve “given yourself first to the Lord” in this area, pick one concrete next step toward that surrender (meet with a pastor about stewardship, join a budgeting class, start a daily 5‑minute prayer about money). When will you do it and who will you tell as accountability? [27:26]

Sermon Clips

Most of our offerings most of what we we are able to do ministry with and and help people with it comes from a lot of smaller donations a lot of smaller gifts and you think my little bit won't matter but here's what you have to remember god takes that faithfulness from you and he adds it to that faithfulness from that person and that faithfulness from that person and when he put it all together god does amazing things with those gifts and this church is truly blessed by so many people just consistently giving even smaller amounts that are significant for them that that are sacrifices for them but they commit to that and they sacrifice to do it and when you combine it with the others god does amazing work. [00:37:17] (50 seconds) #EveryGiftCounts

All those little gifts put together they add up and god produces good results from those here's something else you have to realize that the gifts you give here at lake shore are multiplied in conjunctions with others we believe here at lake shore keeping it simple so we have a lot of partnerships with other ministries because when we partner together with other brothers and sisters in christ and what they're doing we could get a lot more done and have a lot more impact that way instead of us trying to do everything. [00:38:38] (30 seconds) #PartnerToMultiply

Here's the problem so many churches think they have to get the credit for everything when it's not about getting the credit but it's about accomplishing the mission nobody cares who gets the credit right it's about accomplishing the mission that god put us here to do. [00:41:36] (16 seconds) #MissionOverCredit

Anonymous giving removes pride that's one reason i so emphasize for christ followers do the bulk of your giving through the local church you know why because who gets all the credit and the praise for that god does when the church does things in the name of jesus it's not about any individual getting the attention or the praise it's about jesus getting the attention and the praise. [00:46:58] (32 seconds) #AnonymousGenerosity

Here's the fourth principle discipline generosity reveals your priorities i love spontaneous giving but here's the one that makes the most impact discipline generosity that reveal your priorities has more impact than that spontaneous generosity does remember i talked about it last week consistency over time equals impact consistency over time equals the greatest impact that you can have if you're just kind of waiting around to once in a while be generous it's not ever going to have the same impact as consistent generosity will have even if it's a smaller amount done more regularly more consistently it's going to have more impact. [00:55:09] (53 seconds) #ConsistentGenerosity

The first fruits means you take that off the top you don't wait and see what's left over right you plan and set that aside to go to god first thing and then you budget to live on the rest then you budget to live on what god has provided in addition to that but god is put first that way you see that consistent giving like that is all about setting the priority that who comes first god god comes first above everything else when you put that aside first you're saying to god you are first you're first in my life which includes my budget which includes the money that you've entrusted to me it includes the resources that you've allowed me to have in my possessions i'm putting you first in that area. [00:57:26] (57 seconds) #FirstFruitsGiving

It was a very severe trial but they had overflowing what joy it was a time of extreme poverty but it welled up in what rich generosity it says for i testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability that's where it becomes sacrifice see when we sit down and make out our budgets we could probably say well i can give this much and and not hurt me at all i can do that that's not a problem and that's a good place to start right you see what you can do in your budget and you're not really it's not hurting you to give that but sacrifice goes beyond that sacrifice sacrifice causes you to say now how could i stretch some here in my faith i do a little more than what i feel very confident i could do comfortably that's when it becomes sacrificial giving when it takes away some comfort to give that amount that's when it hits the sacrificial giving level when it's not easy for you to do it that's when it hits the sacrificial level of giving. [01:01:53] (82 seconds) #SacrificialOverflow

They gave themselves first of all to the lord and then by the will of god also to us that's when he goes on to say just as you excel in everything be sure you excel in this grace of giving to look at the example of the macedonian churches in the middle of that kind of famine and suffering they said please let us give to we want to help others why because their heart had already been given to the lord first they had already given themselves and when you give yourselves you give your heart to the lord jesus says where your treasure is that's where what is that's where your heart is also. [01:05:38] (50 seconds) #HeartGivenFirst

We like to try to separate finances out from christianity and our christian walk and our christian faith but it's never separate in god's eyes it's all part of where our heart is it's also always part of what matters most of what our priorities are and sacrificial giving is what truly displays where our love lies. [01:06:27] (23 seconds) #FaithfulFinances

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