Trusting God: The Blessings of Generous Giving
Summary
The sermon begins with the speaker sharing a personal experience of trusting God with their finances. Despite facing a financial challenge, they chose to trust God and give generously. This act of faith resulted in a significant increase in giving the following Sunday, which the speaker attributes to God's faithfulness. The speaker also shares that during seasons of lack, they felt closer to God. They then invite the congregation to join in worship, expressing gratitude to God.
The speaker then reflects on the importance of giving and the blessings that come from it. They share their fear of missing out on the incredible adventure in the kingdom of God, as described in the book of Acts. They highlight a stewardship verse that encourages trust in God and contrasts it with a passage from Lamentations, acknowledging that even in times of lament and sadness, God's steadfast love and faithfulness never cease.
The speaker then addresses two questions related to giving to Northminster. They emphasize that Northminster is a God-centered church where Christ is at the center, and that the mission, compassion, and discipleship happen at Northminster. They also share that the church has experienced a 7% growth in membership since January, demonstrating the impact of giving.
The speaker then discusses the practical matters of giving, emphasizing the importance of knowing where their giving is going and ensuring that it is going to God. They believe that their tithe should go to the church or organizations that act like the church. They also express the importance of ensuring that the organization is not wasting their money.
The speaker concludes by reflecting on how God has always provided and redeemed even the worst moments in their life. They describe how something awful can ultimately become grace, although it may be difficult to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. They feel incredibly blessed and rich, not in terms of money, but in terms of relationships, friendships, and jobs. They acknowledge that life is not without tragedy and difficult times, but emphasize that God has never failed to provide. This faithfulness motivates the speaker to trust God with their whole tithe and encourages others to do the same.
Key Takeaways:
- Trusting God with our finances can lead to unexpected blessings. The speaker's personal experience of giving generously during a financial challenge resulted in a significant increase in giving the following Sunday, demonstrating God's faithfulness. ([49:33])
- Even in times of lament and sadness, God's steadfast love and faithfulness never cease. This is a comforting reminder that no matter what we go through, God is always with us and His love for us never changes. ([40:42])
- Giving to God-centered organizations can have a significant impact. The speaker shares that Northminster, a God-centered church, has experienced a 7% growth in membership since January, demonstrating the impact of giving. ([49:33])
- It's important to know where our giving is going and ensure that it is going to God. The speaker emphasizes that their tithe should go to the church or organizations that act like the church, and that it's important to ensure that the organization is not wasting their money. ([49:33])
- God has always provided and redeemed even the worst moments in our lives. The speaker shares how something awful can ultimately become grace, and that despite life's tragedies and difficult times, God has never failed to provide. This faithfulness motivates us to trust God with our whole tithe. ([43:02])
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."
2. Lamentations 3:22-23 - "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Malachi 3:10 challenge believers to do, and what promise does it come with?
2. According to Lamentations 3:22-23, what are the characteristics of God's love and faithfulness?
3. In the sermon, what personal experience did the speaker share about trusting God with their finances? [49:33]
4. How did the speaker describe their feelings during seasons of lack? [43:02]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to "test" God as mentioned in Malachi 3:10, and how does this relate to the speaker's personal story of giving? [49:33]
2. How can the steadfast love and faithfulness of God, as described in Lamentations 3:22-23, provide comfort during difficult times? [40:42]
3. Why does the speaker believe that giving to God-centered organizations, like Northminster, is important? [50:50]
4. How does the speaker's reflection on God's provision and redemption of difficult moments influence their approach to tithing? [43:02]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a financial challenge. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? How might trusting God with your finances change your approach in the future? [49:33]
2. In what ways can you remind yourself of God's steadfast love and faithfulness during times of lament and sadness? [40:42]
3. How do you currently decide where to give your tithe? What steps can you take to ensure your giving is going to God-centered organizations? [50:50]
4. The speaker mentioned feeling incredibly blessed in terms of relationships, friendships, and jobs. How can you cultivate a sense of gratitude for the non-material blessings in your life? [43:02]
5. What practical steps can you take to ensure that the organizations you support are not wasting your money? How can you research and verify their effectiveness? [47:52]
6. The speaker shared that even the worst moments in life can become grace. Can you think of a difficult time in your life that God has redeemed? How did that experience shape your faith? [43:02]
7. How can you actively participate in the mission, compassion, and discipleship happening at your church? What specific actions can you take this week to get involved? [50:50]
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting God with Our Finances
Trusting God with our finances, even in times of financial hardship, can lead to unexpected blessings. When we give generously, we demonstrate our faith in God's provision and faithfulness. This act of faith can result in an increase in giving, as God blesses our trust in Him. [49:33]
Proverbs 11:24 - "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want."
Reflection: Reflect on your current financial situation. Is there an area where you can trust God more and demonstrate this trust through generous giving?
Day 2: God's Steadfast Love in Times of Lament
Even in times of lament and sadness, God's steadfast love and faithfulness never cease. This is a comforting reminder that no matter what we go through, God is always with us and His love for us never changes. [40:42]
Lamentations 3:22-23 - "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Reflection: Think of a recent time of lament or sadness. How did you experience God's steadfast love and faithfulness during this time?
Day 3: The Impact of Giving to God-Centered Organizations
Giving to God-centered organizations can have a significant impact. When we give to a church or organization that is centered on Christ, we contribute to the growth and impact of that organization. [49:33]
2 Corinthians 9:7 - "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Reflection: Consider the organizations you currently give to. Are they God-centered? How can you contribute to their growth and impact through your giving?
Day 4: Ensuring Our Giving Goes to God
It's important to know where our giving is going and ensure that it is going to God. We should give to the church or organizations that act like the church, and ensure that our money is not being wasted. [49:33]
1 Timothy 5:8 - "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
Reflection: Reflect on your current giving. Are you confident that your giving is going to God? How can you ensure this?
Day 5: God's Provision and Redemption in Our Lives
God has always provided and redeemed even the worst moments in our lives. Even in life's tragedies and difficult times, God has never failed to provide. This faithfulness motivates us to trust God with our whole tithe. [43:02]
Psalm 34:19 - "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."
Reflection: Reflect on a difficult time in your life. How did you experience God's provision and redemption during this time? How can this experience motivate you to trust God with your whole tithe?
Quotes
1. "If I give God time, he even redeems them and somehow those worst moments become Grace to me...something awful can become at the end of the day grace is one of the hardest Christian things to explain but it is...I feel like I am one of the richest people on earth." ([43:02])
2. "God has never failed to provide...I've always experienced God to be faithful...has God ever failed you in the big picture and if you're like me and you look back and you say no it's been the best part of my life is having God in it then...he asks us to trust him, he asks us to test him, he asks us to obey him and we live that way and when we do it's an adventure, it's exciting, it's worth writing books about and telling stories." ([45:38])
3. "Horror of Horrors the next Sunday the giving was twice as large as any previous Sunday... the next Sunday the giving was larger than any previous Sunday which included the last Sunday by threefold... I don't have to tell you trust me trust me it's not transactional." #!!01:02:30!!#
4. "Some of the richest blessings he will give you is want a little bit of want or a lot of lack because in my seasons of lack I was as close to God as I think I've ever been... dear Lord we give you thanks and praise for all the goodness you are always faithful your mercies are new every morning you're are such a good good good God." #!!01:03:18!!# and #!!01:04:07!!#
5. "This one verse is probably my favorite stewardship verse for me because it asks me that question it says you're missing the adventure you're scared of the adventure." #!!39:51!!#
6. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, even in a lament even in the days of Jeremiah even when Israel ceased to be... they're new every morning, great is your faithfulness." #!!42:04!!#
7. "A gift to Northminster is a gift to God... God is the star here not Northminster not me not the worship team God is the star." #!!50:50!!#
8. "Numbers in the life of the church represent people... Seven, it's a number that represents completeness. It's also the percentage of membership that God grew in this church since January eight eight." #!!52:27!!#
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