Generosity: A Heartfelt Response to God's Blessings

### Summary

Today, we had the joy of dedicating two families and their children to the Lord. This act of dedication is not just about the children but also about the parents committing to raise their children in the knowledge and love of Jesus. As a church family, we stand alongside these parents, offering our support and prayers.

We then transitioned into our ongoing series on the book of Exodus, focusing on chapters 35 and 36. We revisited the story of the Israelites, who were called to be a set-apart people for God. This calling was not just about their deliverance from Egypt but also about their transformation into a distinct community that would reflect God's character to the surrounding nations. One of the key characteristics God wanted to instill in them was generosity.

In Exodus 35, Moses called the Israelites to bring offerings for the construction of the tabernacle. The people responded with overwhelming generosity, bringing more than enough materials. This act of giving was not out of compulsion but from willing hearts, recognizing that everything they had was from God. This generosity was a foreshadowing of the kind of giving God desires from us today.

We explored three key aspects of generosity: the motive, the metric, and the method. The motive for our generosity should be rooted in gratitude for God's mercy and provision. The metric is not about legalistic percentages but about the condition of our hearts. God loves a cheerful giver, and our giving should be a joyful act of worship. The method involves planned, proportionate, and plentiful giving. We should plan to be generous, give in proportion to what we have, and aim to give abundantly.

In conclusion, our generosity should reflect God's indescribable gift to us—His Son, Jesus Christ. As we give, we not only meet the needs of others but also point them to the ultimate source of all blessings, God Himself.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Dedication and Commitment**: When we dedicate our children to the Lord, we are also committing ourselves as parents to raise them in the knowledge and love of Jesus. This commitment is a lifelong journey that requires the support and prayers of the church community. [26:36]

2. **Generosity as a Distinctive Mark**: God called the Israelites to be a set-apart people, and one of the ways they demonstrated this was through their generosity. Their willingness to give freely and abundantly for the construction of the tabernacle serves as a model for us today. [33:02]

3. **The Right Motive for Giving**: Our generosity should be motivated by gratitude for God's mercy and provision. Recognizing that everything we have comes from God, we give not out of compulsion but as an act of worship and thanksgiving. [42:08]

4. **God's Metric for Generosity**: God measures our generosity not by the amount we give but by the condition of our hearts. He loves a cheerful giver, and our giving should be a joyful and willing response to His blessings. [53:21]

5. **Planned and Proportionate Giving**: To be truly generous, we need to plan our giving and make it proportionate to what we have. This involves setting aside a portion of our income regularly and being prepared to give abundantly when opportunities arise. [01:08:18]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[26:36] - Baby Dedication
[27:53] - Parental Commitment
[31:49] - Introduction to Exodus Series
[33:02] - Israelites' Journey and God's Plan
[34:26] - Call for Generosity
[35:41] - Specific Offerings for the Tabernacle
[36:55] - Response of the Israelites
[39:28] - The Right Motive for Generosity
[42:08] - Worship and Generosity
[44:57] - Stewardship and Trust
[46:24] - Jesus as the Ultimate Example
[47:53] - The Metric for Generosity
[49:28] - Overwhelming Generosity of the Israelites
[53:21] - God's Metric: Cheerful Giving
[56:07] - Planned and Proportionate Giving
[01:08:18] - The Importance of a Giving Plan
[01:14:00] - Trusting God for Provision
[01:16:50] - Generosity Leading to Thanksgiving
[01:19:23] - The Indescribable Gift of Jesus
[01:20:52] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

### Bible Reading
1. **Exodus 35:4-9 (NIV)**
> Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring the Lord an offering of gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.”

2. **2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)**
> Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

3. **Romans 12:1 (NIV)**
> Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

### Observation Questions
1. What specific materials did Moses ask the Israelites to bring for the construction of the tabernacle? (Exodus 35:4-9)
2. According to 2 Corinthians 9:7, what kind of giver does God love?
3. In Romans 12:1, what does Paul urge believers to offer as a living sacrifice, and why?
4. How did the Israelites respond to Moses' call for offerings for the tabernacle? [36:55]

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Moses emphasized that the offerings should come from those who are willing? How does this reflect the nature of true generosity? [34:26]
2. How does the concept of being a "cheerful giver" in 2 Corinthians 9:7 align with the Israelites' response in Exodus 35-36?
3. What does it mean to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice according to Romans 12:1, and how does this relate to the idea of generosity discussed in the sermon? [42:08]
4. How does the act of giving reflect our understanding of God's mercy and provision, as mentioned in the sermon? [40:52]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you gave willingly and cheerfully. How did it feel, and what impact did it have on you and others? How can you cultivate this attitude more consistently? [53:21]
2. The sermon mentioned that our generosity should be planned, proportionate, and plentiful. How can you create a plan for your giving that aligns with these principles? [01:08:18]
3. Consider the motive behind your giving. Are you giving out of gratitude for God's mercy and provision, or do you feel pressured or obligated? How can you shift your perspective to see giving as an act of worship? [42:08]
4. How can you involve your family or community in acts of generosity to reflect God's character to those around you? What are some practical steps you can take together? [33:02]
5. Think about the resources God has entrusted to you. How can you be a better steward of these resources to honor God and support His work? [44:57]
6. The sermon highlighted the importance of the church community in supporting parents who dedicate their children to the Lord. How can you actively support families in your church in their spiritual journey? [26:36]
7. Identify one area in your life where you can be more generous. What specific action will you take this week to practice generosity in that area? [01:14:00]

Day 1: Commitment to Raise Children in Faith
When we dedicate our children to the Lord, it is a profound act of commitment. This dedication is not just a ceremonial event but a lifelong journey where parents pledge to raise their children in the knowledge and love of Jesus. It involves teaching them about God's word, modeling Christ-like behavior, and nurturing their spiritual growth. This commitment also extends to the church community, which plays a vital role in supporting and praying for these families. The collective effort of the church helps create an environment where children can grow in their faith and develop a personal relationship with Jesus. [26:36]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Reflection: How can you actively support a family in your church who is raising their children in the faith? What specific actions can you take this week to encourage and pray for them?


Day 2: Generosity as a Reflection of God's Character
God called the Israelites to be a set-apart people, and one of the ways they demonstrated this was through their generosity. In Exodus 35, the Israelites responded to Moses' call for offerings with overwhelming generosity, bringing more than enough materials for the construction of the tabernacle. This act of giving was not out of compulsion but from willing hearts, recognizing that everything they had was from God. Their generosity serves as a model for us today, showing that our giving should be a reflection of God's character and a response to His blessings. [33:02]

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (ESV): "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

Reflection: Think of a recent opportunity you had to give generously. Did you give out of a willing heart or out of a sense of obligation? How can you cultivate a heart of generosity that reflects God's character?


Day 3: Gratitude as the Motive for Generosity
Our generosity should be motivated by gratitude for God's mercy and provision. Recognizing that everything we have comes from God, we give not out of compulsion but as an act of worship and thanksgiving. This perspective shifts our focus from the act of giving itself to the heart behind it. When we give out of gratitude, our generosity becomes a joyful expression of our love for God and our acknowledgment of His blessings in our lives. [42:08]

Psalm 116:12-14 (ESV): "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people."

Reflection: Reflect on the blessings God has given you. How can you express your gratitude through acts of generosity this week? What specific steps can you take to make your giving an act of worship?


Day 4: The Heart Condition in Generosity
God measures our generosity not by the amount we give but by the condition of our hearts. He loves a cheerful giver, and our giving should be a joyful and willing response to His blessings. This means that the attitude with which we give is more important than the gift itself. A heart that gives cheerfully and willingly is a heart that understands and appreciates God's grace and provision. [53:21]

1 Chronicles 29:17 (ESV): "I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you."

Reflection: Examine your heart's attitude towards giving. Are there any areas where you feel reluctant or compelled to give? How can you transform your giving into a joyful and willing act of worship?


Day 5: Planned and Proportionate Giving
To be truly generous, we need to plan our giving and make it proportionate to what we have. This involves setting aside a portion of our income regularly and being prepared to give abundantly when opportunities arise. Planned and proportionate giving ensures that our generosity is intentional and sustainable, allowing us to respond to needs as they come up without hesitation. It also reflects our trust in God's provision and our commitment to being good stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us. [01:08:18]

1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV): "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: Do you have a plan for your giving? How can you make your giving more intentional and proportionate to your resources? What steps can you take this week to start or improve your giving plan?

**Transcript:**

Us home is your name. Is your name, guys? Can you see? We do this a couple of times every year. We have families that have had recent additions to their families come for a baby dedication.

I'm going to ask those families that signed up for this service to come on up at this time. Just come up and join me center stage here. We are so excited for this service. We have two families that come for this time of dedication: Joshua and Esther come with their son David, and Philip and Rachel come with their son Charlie and their daughter Ava.

We always, when we do a dedication like this, want to present you with a gift Bible on behalf of the church. It's got a place for you to record this date of dedication for your children here at Lakeshore as a keepsake for you. We want you to have that.

Then I always give parents a book that we love. It's a small book, but it's a great reminder called *Praying Circles Around Your Children*. It's by Mark Batterson, an excellent author who gives you some great guidance on praying over your children as you raise them up together.

So I want to present those to you as well as your church family. We always want to come around you and be that support for you as parents raising up your children.

So as you come today to dedicate your children to the Lord, you're actually dedicating yourselves too, right? To raising them up to know and follow Jesus. We want to be a support system for you in doing that as your church family. But we know the primary responsibility falls on the parents to do that.

But we come alongside you to help with it. Back in Deuteronomy chapter 6, there's a passage we've been studying in Exodus, right? As they're getting ready to enter into the promised land, and Deuteronomy comes through chapter 2. We want to bring you an example of what it's like to raise up a child in a way that is true to the home of our children in the promised land of the holy city during the time when you look at Deuteronomy.

Indeed, a place of taking the joys of motherhood and thinking about it back and being a good kid, precious to our children. This book also talks about faith in you and a place to look for where we're at.

Lord, how you love them with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength. Be that example for them. And then he goes on to say this: these commands that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Start there and impress them on your children.

The word translated "impress" means to put forth great effort, to put them into the hearts and minds of your children. And I know you're doing that as you bring them to church, as you teach them at home, and have devotion times together. You're putting that word into their hearts, the commands of God.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

He's basically just saying, saturate your children with the teachings of God and God's word. I know you come today to dedicate them to the Lord. God's got a plan and a purpose for their lives, and he wants you to be a part of that.

Guide as they're raised up to know that plan and purpose and to follow it. We want to pray for you now as you dedicate these children to the Lord.

Father, we just come before you now on behalf of these families. We thank you, Lord, first of all, for the love they have for you and each other and their desire to dedicate their children to you. They want your will to be done on earth for their children as it is in heaven because they trust that your will, your plan is always best.

Father, give these parents wisdom and discernment and guidance. Give them strength. Give them strength and energy when they're tired. Help them to be able to live out that example, though not perfect, an example of what it means to know and follow Jesus.

Father, we thank you for these children, the lives that we see here that you've blessed these parents to be able to have in their care for these years. We thank you for the plan and purpose you have for them.

As a church family, we pray that you would help us to come around these families to strengthen them and encourage them and around these children to help teach and guide them. And Father, we pray for your will to be done for them. In Jesus' name, amen.

God bless you. Thank you. Let's welcome these families and celebrate with them.

Welcome again, everyone. We're so glad you're here with us today. We love doing those baby dedications. What a joy to do that today. Welcome, everybody connecting with us online. We're happy to have that connection with you also as we continue our series that we've been in through the book of Exodus.

So if you've got your Bibles, go ahead and be turning to Exodus chapter 35. We're going to look at a big chunk of Exodus 35, and then we're going to look at some passages in chapter 36 as well.

It's really hard for me to believe that after this weekend, we only have three more weekends in this series in the book of Exodus. We started this back at the first of July. We've been going straight through the whole time, and I have enjoyed teaching this series. I don't know how much you've enjoyed it, but I've loved it, okay?

I've had a great time teaching this. It's been good for me to get in there and study and prepare and go straight through the book of Exodus like we have. So part of me is kind of sad that it's almost over, but I know that God's using it because I've gotten some great feedback from so many people.

I want to take just a moment too up front here and remind us of where we are in the story and the narrative in the book of Exodus. God has saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, remember? And he's delivered them through the plagues, and then he delivered them through the parting of the sea.

Then he provided for them manna. He provided for them water from heaven. He provided for them water from the rock. He has led them now on their journey to go to the land that he promised. He made a covenant that he was going to give them a land, but it wasn't just freeing them from slavery for nothing.

He had a reason. He had a plan. He had a purpose for these people to go into this land he was taking them to, and to grow into and transform into being the set-apart people for God. That other nations around them would look at them, and they would learn that they were the set-apart people for God.

They would learn about their God. They would see a distinct difference about who they were as a people and how they lived their lives and how much better it was to do things according to the teachings of their God than to follow the idols that they worshiped because they had no power and no real authority at all.

And so he wanted them to be that set-apart, distinct people. And remember, everything in Exodus is a foreshadowing, right? It's looking ahead to the time he would call people from all corners of the earth to come to him through his son, Jesus, and be that set-apart people for him in our time, who would be that distinct people that others would look and see among those who follow Jesus, a difference in what life could be like, and what life was supposed to be like, and how God was the one true God that they needed to turn to and follow in their lives.

So today, what we're going to do is look at another distinctive mark that we see here in Exodus that God called these people to. These people responded to God in this way, and that distinction that he wanted them to have was that he wanted his people to be a people of generosity, a people who were willing to be generous people with the blessings that God would give them.

And it's a lesson that we see all through Exodus, but especially in the passages we're going to be looking at today, beginning in chapter 35. Let's pick up in verse 4. I'm going to read a pretty big section here, so just follow along with me.

Get your Bibles open, pull it up on your smartphone or tablet. If you don't have that, we're going to put it up on the screen for you too, okay?

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the Lord has commanded. From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring the Lord an offering of gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, goat hair, ram skins.

I don't know how many of you have any goat hair available, but pay attention, all right? Ram skins, a little hard to come by now, all right? Dye red and another type of durable leather, acacia wood, olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones, and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases, the ark with its poles and atonement cover, and the curtain that shields it, the table with its poles and all its articles, and the bread of the presence, the lampstand that is for the light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light, the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and fragrant incense, the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle, the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the bronze basin with its stand, the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard, the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard and their ropes, the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.

So just to catch you up, he's recounting here back when he first called them to construct the tabernacle, and how he went about providing what was needed for the construction of the tabernacle, and it was by going to the people and asking them to bring the offering of all that was going to be needed to build the tabernacle for the worship.

Here, we'll look at their response in verse 20. Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, for the sacred garments.

All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds, brooches, earrings, rings, and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine goat hair, ram skins dyed red, or other durable leather, brought them.

Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord. Everyone who had acacia wood from any part of the work brought it. Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun, blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen.

And all the women who were willing and had the skills spun the goat hair. The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. They also brought spices and olive oil for the light of the people. They also brought incense for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.

All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do. Wow. God is saying, I want you to build this. It's going to be like a portable temple. It would be a foreshadowing of what the temple was going to be like when they got to the land and built the temple in Jerusalem.

It was a foreshadowing of the design that they were going to use for the temple. And he said, but for this purpose, since you're traveling, it needs to be portable. So he gave them all these instructions on how you're going to build this and then travel with it and use it for a place where I come and meet with you and we worship together and you are my people and you see my presence and my power among you there.

What we see in all of this is how generous these people were in response to what God had given them. And he said, but for this purpose, since you're calling them to do, that's not always the case, is it, for God's people that we always respond generously when God's calling us to support his work and do the things that he's calling the people of God to do that need to be supported so that it can get done?

There was a pastor of a small country church years ago that had trouble getting the people to give and the offerings that they would take up as they passed the plate every week. So he made an announcement one Sunday morning. He said, "Now, before we receive the offering today, I'd like to request that the person who stole the eggs from Riddle Jones's kitchen, Riddle Jones's chicken coop, please refrain from giving any money to the Lord today. God doesn't want money from a thieving sinner."

When the offering plate was passed, not one person didn't give that day. See, here's the point. You don't even have to love Jesus to be generous. There are a lot of generous people out there that don't care anything about God or the things of God. There are a lot of people out there that help people and donate to charities large amounts of money who are far from God's will for their lives.

What distinguishes us as God's people is not just the generosity, but we're going to see some traits about it that really make it something that sets us apart. It is the fact that we are going to be using the right motive for our generosity.

We're going to do three M's today. I like to use alliteration, so the first one is the motive for our generosity. It's one thing to be generous. It's another thing to be generous for the right reason, being driven with the right motivation for the generosity that you're having in your life.

So their motive was clear in what he's told them to do here. They realize what God has done for them, and what makes them distinctive as a generous people is their motive for giving what they are giving for the tabernacle.

Now, it wasn't just their giving for the tabernacle. They gave in other ways too. They gave in other ways too. They gave in other ways too. They gave in other ways too. They gave in other ways too. But this is a specific example of what led them to be generous as a people.

It was in response to all that God had done for them. They recognized that God is the source of everything they have. They wouldn't have any of the gold or any of the silver or any of the fine linens or any of those things, except that God made sure it was provided for them as he freed them from slavery in Egypt.

If we're going to give for the right motive, we have to make the connection with the stuff that we have and the source of the stuff that we have. God is the source, the Bible says, of every good gift that's come down from the Father of lights. Every good thing we have, he's the source.

When you recognize God as the source, then what motivates us is not a guilty conscience. It's not that we're trying to earn favor. It's not that we're trying to buy our way into heaven. We give generously. We are generous people by nature because we understand how blessed we are to start with. That's the motivation behind it.

Now, when we don't realize that, when we don't think that, when we don't believe that, then we might be able to be guilted into giving. We might be able to be pressured into giving, but that's not the generosity, the spirit of generosity that God wants his people to have.

He wants us to have that distinctive characteristic that we are, because we belong to God, generous people. My life verse is Romans 12, 1 and 2, and verse 1 says this: "Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of what? God's mercy. In view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper, what's that word? Worship."

See, all of our worship, our generosity, our attending services, our reading the Bible, our spending time in prayer, everything about our worship of God needs to be done in response to what God has done for us. We give ourselves back to him as a living sacrifice because of what he's done for us.

These Israelites realize we would still be slaves in Egypt if it weren't for our God. He deserves to be honored. He deserves to be honored. He deserves to be honored. He deserves for us to honor him in this way by building this tabernacle to worship him and honor him the way he's asked us to build it and to supply all that's needed to do that because God's the one who supplied it for us to start with.

So what we're motivated by is the mercy and generosity of God toward us. That's what produces the generosity that God is wanting his people to have as a distinction that sets them apart from the rest of the world.

Remember, there are other people who don't know or follow Jesus who are generous people. What makes us different is why we're generous. That's what makes us different. That's what sets us apart as the people of God. We do it out of gratitude for the mercy and the grace that God has shown us and the provision that God has given us and the realization that he trusts us with all his stuff.

Think about that for a minute. When God gave the Israelites through the Egyptians all of this gold and silver, all this stuff, supply that they had that they could give for the building of the tabernacle, when God made sure the Egyptians gave that to them as they exited Egypt, he had to trust them with that stuff then so that they would have it to use for the right things, so that they would be good stewards of what God had made sure he provided for them.

Had they not been good stewards of it, then they wouldn't have had it here at this point in the story to use for the building of the tabernacle. They would not have had it for the journey that they already have been on to this place to take care of their needs.

God entrusted them with the stuff that he provided for them. Now, remember, that's a foreshadowing. The Bible says every good thing we have has come from where? From God. So God is actually saying to you and to me, I'm going to entrust this to you to take care of it.

I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me. I'm going to entrust this to you and to me.

Of it the right way to have it like for what you need to have it for to use it for what you need to use it for and to honor me with it as I entrust you with it that you would honor me with what I've given you. You see the foreshadowing? You see how God was showing us that through the Israelites?

Paul spoke of this to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, beginning with verse 7. He tells them this: "But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and complete earnestness, and in the love we've kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving."

Oh, excel in generosity. God wants us to excel in those other areas too, right? He wants us to excel in those other good things, but he wants us to also excel in the grace of giving. In verse 8, he says, "I'm not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so that you through his poverty might become rich."

He's tying it to the motive for being generous. Look at what Jesus has done for you. Look at the grace that he's shown. In response to that, we should excel in this grace of giving. He has set the best example for us. The Israelites set a good example in this case, not always, and now we have Jesus who has set the greatest example of what it means to really give and be generous by giving himself for us and extending his grace to us.

It's in response to that that he says, "I want you to be people who represent Jesus Christ well by excelling in this grace of giving." That's one of the ways we become like Jesus. Remember, the role of a disciple is to grow up to be like the teacher. The teacher is Jesus. We are his disciples. Our goal should be to grow up to be like Jesus, and Jesus excelled in giving, even to the point of giving himself.

So if we represent Jesus well, we will in the world today be seen as a generous people. We will reflect the generosity of God and how we are generous ourselves. So this is the motive of generosity: I'm a recipient of God's mercy and his generosity. All that I have is God's. I want to be a good steward of it. I want to do the right things with it. It's not mine anyway, and I'm going to be held accountable for how I steward God's resources.

So what's motivating me is wanting to honor God and thank God for what he's done for me already by being the generous person that he's called me to be. That's how he wants us to connect this.

Okay, so that is the beginning of understanding what God is teaching us through this Exodus account of the generosity of the Israelites in the building of the tabernacle. There are other lessons too, but the greatest one I think there is the motive for their generosity, which should be our motive for our generosity.

But there's another lesson here. Remember three M's? The second M is the metric for our generosity. The metric, the measurement for it. How do we measure whether or not we're being generous?

Look back to Exodus. Let's go to chapter 36. Let's pick up with verse 3. Look at verse 3 through 7. This is their response. Okay, Moses appointed a couple of people to collect this offering that they were taking. It says they received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary, and the people continued to bring—he puts that word out there—freewill offerings.

Is anybody twisting their arm? Is anybody putting pressure on them? No, it's a freewill offerings morning after morning. This was going on for days. So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing. They said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done."

I've never had to say that as a pastor—not even once have I ever had to say, "Oh, they're bringing more than enough to get everything done that God's called us to do." But listen to this verse 6: "Then Moses gave an order, and they sent this word throughout the camp: No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary."

And so the people were restrained from bringing more because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. I've had on the back burner my whole ministry a ministry team to restrain people from giving. Never have I had to put that team together, ever.

Now, God's called us to a great mission, right? There's always more to do. There's always more that could be done. But the motive for our giving should not be just based on do we have enough or not, but the metric for our giving should be are we responding with the right motive in a generous way to help accomplish the mission God has given us.

See, that's the metric. And are we doing that as a metric? And how we think about it, are we thinking about it with the right metric from their hearts? They were bringing this offering more day after day and more than enough to get the job done.

There are these two guys that were stranded on an island out in the sea. One of the men there was pacing back and forth, just wringing his hands, just worried about everything. The other guy was just sitting easy after the sideline, in the shade, enjoying the beauty of the island.

The one guy said, "I'm worried." He said, "No, I'm not really worried." He said, "I don't have any fresh water. We don't have any food. Nobody even knows where we are! Why aren't you worried?" He said, "I'm not worried a bit. You know why?" He said, "Why?" He says, "I make $100,000 a week, and I tithe to my church every week. My pastor will find me."

See, here's where we miss it so many times in the church today. The conversation that starts happening in the church today is, "Now, pastor, are you talking about giving a tithe? Are you talking about offerings? Are you talking about 10%? And if it's 10%, is it gross or net? Is it before taxes or after taxes?" Right? I get that question sometimes.

And we start breaking it down like that. We start playing these games. Are you saying that I have to give 10% to the church and then anything else above that is the offering? And we start to muddy up the waters because we missed the fact that that's not God's metric for our giving.

We think it is. We think it's all about legalistic exact percentages and how we do it. Now, if you want to go back and study the tithe in the Old Testament, what you're going to find out was it was more than one tithe, and it was a whole lot more than 10%.

So if you want to start breaking it down like that legalistically, you got to really up it from a 10% right off the top. See, that's not the metric that God's using for generosity. We start playing games with this.

God measures the generosity of his people in a different way than we think he does. In fact, here's how God measures generosity. It's worded here in Exodus where it was more than enough, and he had to tell them they could stop now. That's one way he measured it. He measured it by the fact that they freely came and brought it.

They didn't have to twist their arms. They didn't have to put pressure on them to come do it. He measured it that way. In the New Testament, we see another clear example of what all that's pointing to was foreshadowing. In 2 Corinthians, again, chapter 9, verse 7, he said this. Listen to this metric: "Each of you should give what you've decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves what? A cheerful giver."

Oh, look at the metrics here. You give what you've decided in your heart to give. Not because of pressure, not because of some legalistic percentage that you're trying to measure up to. It's from your heart. You see, God looks at the metric of the heart of his people, where this is coming from.

I can assure you there are people that give 10% and more whose giving is not seen by God as generous because their hearts are not generous in what they're doing. They're doing a legalistic percentage of what they're giving. They're doing a legalistic thing for other reasons, for other purposes, not because it's a joy for them to do it.

By the way, when he says he loves a cheerful giver, I've talked about this for years here at Lakeshore. The word translated "cheerful" is the Greek word we get the English word "hilarious" from. God loves a hilarious giver. He wants this to be a joy. He wants this to be fun for us.

To look at our gift that we're giving and say, "Isn't it amazing? God gave us this first so that we could do it. He gave us this first so that we could do this generous thing with it. Thank you, God. This is so much fun."

He wants this to be a source of joy and happiness and hilarity in what we're doing when we give for his purposes, when we're the generous people that he's called us to be. It's not about meeting some legalistic standard. It's about honoring God and thanking God from our hearts for what he's done for us.

That's the motivation that God wants us to have for our giving. Now, there's nothing wrong with trying to do a percentage. That's an example. God gave the tithe in the Old Testament under the law as a metric for them to start with.

But remember, it wasn't just one tithe, and it happened more than once. It was something that included everything in their lives, not just their money. It was everything about their lives. It's a whole different thing than what we're trying to make it today.

It's good to be systematic. It's good to study the tithe and use that maybe as a guide for having some system that you set up for your giving. I love that. It's a good thing to do because left to ourselves, we probably don't have any good system that's going to work.

We got to set something up where we're going to do this like we need to because we love the Lord. Just make sure it's for the right reason, with the right motivation that you're doing it. If you want to know God's metric on generosity, if you want to dive in and study that over and over again, what God is after all through Old and New Testament is he's not after a percentage of your heart.

He's after your whole heart. He's after your whole heart. He wants all of you surrendered to him, including all your stuff, all your money, and everything else, your time, your talents, your resources. He wants it all surrendered to him for his glory to honor him with what we have because he's the source.

Jesus taught about this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6, verse 19. He said this to get a perspective for them. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy, where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal."

And then he gives them the reason. I'm not just talking this about this to prove I'm in charge here. He says, "Here's the reason for this. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Sometimes you might be like, "Man, I just don't quite know where I'm landing on this. Does my heart really fully belong to God?" You know where the Bible tells you to check on that? He doesn't tell you. The way you find that out, if your heart's really with the Lord, is by doing a spiritual gifts test. No, he doesn't say that.

"Have you attended 75% of the services at the church this year? Is that the measure?" No, he doesn't say to measure it that way. If you want to know if your heart really belongs to the Lord, where your heart really is, he says, "Look at your bank account."

That's going to reveal to you where your heart really is. When you look at your bank account, the accounting of what you're doing with the resources that you have will tell you, will tell me where my heart really is. Why? Because that represents my life.

I worked for that. I've earned that. I've been given that to manage. It's been given to me. What am I doing with that? Reveals my heart, where my heart really is.

See, God doesn't say a hundred percent that you made this week ought to go to the church, unless you can honestly afford to do that. We'll accept your offering. But he's saying all of it needs to be managed with a heart for God.

Every bit of it. Not just the amount you gave in the offering at the church, but the amount that's in your account now, the amount that you use to pay your bills, the amount that you use to buy your groceries, all of that needs to be managed because your heart belongs to God.

You manage all of it in a way that honors him. That's the source for all of those things. Not just the 10% that you might tithe, but the hundred percent that he's entrusted you with needs to be managed as a steward in a way that is a blessing to the owner. And that's God.

So the metric of generosity is not, "Well, I give 5% or I give 8% or I give 12%." I think giving like that percentage can be strategic. Nothing wrong with that. But what God is after is your heart. Do you have a generous heart?

And, but when you have a generous heart, you know what it enables you to be? A hilarious giver. When you have a generous heart, you can have fun with this. You don't see it as a burden. You don't see it as something that is just something that, "Oh man, I just got to do it because I don't want to go to hell." Right?

It's not that for you anymore. Now it's, "I just love being able to do this. I know God is pleased with it. I know God is honored by it. I know that it's going to be something that God uses for good purposes, for his glory, to change the world, for the advancement of the kingdom of God. And I love the fact that God allows me to be part of that."

It starts being a fun thing to participate in. I know that Sue Ann and I have so much fun with this as we look at how we can do this and do more of this. As we go through our budget regularly and we talk about it and we pray about it, we look for opportunities there.

Is there a way we could work some things around to maybe do some extra generous thing that we didn't even have in the plan to start with, but maybe God's given us an opportunity there? Is there a way for us to do that? And God provides the way.

And it's so much fun when we see God doing that in our lives. And I know other Christians that are just like, they love this opportunity to participate in what God's doing in the world today.

To know that God is using you and he's using me to advance the work of the kingdom in the world. Because in the end, what we stored up for ourselves here on this earth, it's all going to be destroyed anyway. Every bit of it's going to be burned up. It's not going to be worth anything at all when Jesus comes back or when we die and go on from this place.

None of that stuff is going to be in the world. It's going to be in the world. It's going to be in the world. It's going to be in the world. It's like the guy who showed up in heaven with a suitcase and they said, "What you got there?" And he says, "Well, they said you couldn't take it with you, but I proved them wrong."

They opened it up and it's full of gold bricks. Peter looked at it and said, "Well, I guess that's okay. We could pave a few more roads with it." You see, in heaven, the streets are paved with gold. Gold's got no value there. Why are we thinking that's the most important thing here?

We have to understand. God is wanting us to learn to be the generous people that sets us apart as the distinctive people in the world. That leads to the third M, and that's the method for our generosity.

The Israelites were instructed. Here's the need. We want to build this tabernacle. God's given us the instructions and the materials. He's told us what we're going to need for this. So we're coming to you and asking you to come and give what's needed for this tabernacle to honor God.

And they willingly, it says in scripture, they willingly brought an offering. And it says, it specifically says from what they had. You know what God never asked you to do? Give something he didn't already give you. Provide something that he didn't already provide for you. He never asked you to do that.

He only asked you to give from what he's already given you. That's the pattern from the Old Testament all the way through. You can't give from what you don't have, but when God gives it to you, then you steward that the way. That's the way this works.

So the Israelites brought freely from what God had provided for them already. They made a decision from their hearts to give, and they gave more than was needed. So I want to break it down to three characteristics of their giving and the giving we see in the new covenant as well.

Three key characteristics. The first one is it is planned giving. You have to plan to be generous. If you don't plan to be generous, you're not going to be generous. Or you might give some money, but you're not going to be generous. You're not going to have money, but it will be as a response to being pressured or having your arm twisted, right?

That's not the motive, the metric that God wants you to have. He wants you to do it because you plan to do it because you want to be the generous person God has called you to be. You want to thank him for what he's already given you and provided for you. That's why you want to do this.

So you plan to be a generous person. Now, if you don't plan to be a generous person, you know what's going to happen? It's going to happen either way. What's going to happen is if you haven't planned to be generous, you're not going to be generous. You're not going to be generous.

There's always going to be something else you could use that money for. Always going to be something else you could use that money for. Now, when you leave here today, is there something you could spend your money on today? Some of you might be shopping on the internet right now. I don't know, right?

Yeah, like you're reading scripture, you might be on Amazon Prime right now. I don't know. Yeah. There's always something else you could spend your money on, use your money for, isn't there? Always.

And there's always going to be people who will help you do that. That's why you keep getting the ads online. That's why they pay for commercials on television. That's why you see billboards still with ads on them all up and down the streets every day.

It's because there's always somebody that will help you do something with that money. Always. So if you don't pre-plan to be generous, it's going to be taken up somewhere else. It's going to be used for something else. You have to plan to do it.

Look at what he told the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 9, verse 5. "I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had what? Promised."

Oh, if you go back and read the 1 Corinthians letter, you know what the Corinthians had said? "Oh, we heard about the need in Jerusalem. We want to be help out. We want to give a generous offering to that." They made a promise to do that.

And what hasn't happened yet? Other stuff came up. Other stuff distracted them. Other stuff kept them from following through because they didn't have a plan. You see, a promise without a plan, that's just wishful thinking. You've got to have a plan for it.

Okay? So they decided that they would send somebody over to help them get this done. He said, "Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one, what's that word? Grudgingly given."

Paul is saying to them, "We don't want to have to come and twist your arm and make this a last-minute pressure. You got to give us this money kind of thing. That's not what the church is supposed to be about."

That's the biggest criticism of the church, isn't it? By people that are not in the church. "Oh, they want your money," because at some churches, and sometimes it's because people just have not been generous. They end up having to twist arms and tell these tear-jerking stories to get somebody to get some money instead of them just coming, willingly planning to give and be generous to start with.

And so he said, "We want you to be able to do this generous gift, not in a grudging way." He said in verse 6, "Remember this." He gives them the principle to remember. "Whoever sows sparingly will reap. How? Whoever sows generously will reap. How?"

It's a law God put into place. He put it in all of creation, by the way. He put it in every part of creation. If you sow sparingly, you're going to reap. How? But if you sow generously, you're going to reap generously. That's the way it works.

And then he says in verse 7, "Each of you should give what you have." What's that word? Oh, plan. "What you've decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves, what kind of giver? Cheerful."

You decide to be generous. When you decide you're going to be generous, that's a plan to be generous. You decide, "Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that. I'm going to be generous."

God's giving me this. I'm going to give this part for this. You have a plan for what you get. People hate the word budget. I used to not like the word budget. I hated working on budgets. But you know what a budget is? It's just a plan. That's all it is.

A budget is a plan. You know a certain amount of money is coming in, and you plan in advance how you're going to steward that money. That's what a budget is. You pre-spend it. You designate in advance where it's going to go.

Some of you say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got a budget. I know what's going in and what's going out." You don't have a budget because you don't have anything written down that you're following. That's not a budget.

A plan, in order for it to really work, you got to get in there and get some details worked out in order to be able to do it. Not just a general idea, okay?

So that last minute, you're not just reacting to things that have come up. Remember, there will always be things that come up that will take that money and use it for something else. Always there will be.

But if you've got a plan that included that possibility, then you've already planned to be generous even if stuff happens. You've already planned to be generous and be a good steward of what God's given you.

And so God has given us that example in scripture that there needs to be a plan. We decide in advance to be generous, to be like a good steward of what God's given us. Like our Father, he owns it all. He provides it all. He's been generous with it all to us.

And in response to that, we make a plan to be generous like him. The second one, I got some more alliteration here. It's another P. It's plan and it's proportionate.

By proportionate, I mean, remember the Old Testament, the tithe, the idea of the system of the tithing system? One of the reasons I believe God instituted the tithe, and we don't know all the mind of God, I don't pretend to know that, but I can see a really good thing that happens with this idea of the tithe.

The tithe is proportionate to what you have, right? So if you've been given $10 and you give 10% of that, how much would that be? A dollar. Very good. You didn't know you were going to have to do math today. I know. It's all right.

If you got $100, it would be, right. If you got $1,000, a hundred. There you go. So you see how that works? It's proportionate to the amount that you've been given. God has never asked us all to give the same amount.

He's never been more impressed with a millionaire that gives 10% than he has been with somebody living on the poverty line giving 10%. It's proportionate to whatever God has given you. That's the principle he was teaching with the tithe.

It's always proportionate to the blessings that you've been given to start with. So if you didn't get anything this week, how much would you give out of that? Nothing, unless you just decided I've got some extra from before that I want to give.

It's always proportionate to what you've been blessed with. Always. And so he's teaching us through the tithing system there and through the other examples in scripture here that God's kindness, his provision, his sense of fairness to us is this: I'm never asking you to give any more in proportion than when I'm asking anybody else to give.

And I'm always going to be pleased with you being generous with whatever amount you have as I am with this other person that may have a lot more than you being generous with what they have. I'm no more pleased with one than the other.

That's what I want everybody to be like. Whatever level you're on, whatever amount you have, I just want you to be generous with that from your heart, with what I've blessed you with.

Because God believes in fairness and justice, and he established systems to promote that. And the tithe was one of those systems under the old law that promoted that proportional idea of everyone giving proportionally to what they've been blessed with.

Now they gave offerings, many offerings in addition to the tithe and all that. So that was out of their hearts. They just wanted to be generous, and they would do that. The same thing is true under the new covenant.

Look at 1 Corinthians, chapter 16. As Paul was first talking to the Corinthian church about this offering they were taking up, he said, "Now about the collection for the Lord's people." They were trying to help out the Jewish believers who were under persecution.

"Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week," what day is that? Oh, very good. Sunday is the first day of the week. "On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with what? Your income." Proportional giving.

Proportional giving in keeping with your income, right? Saving it up so that when I come, no collections will have to be made. He's saying, "I don't want you to wait till the last minute and have to twist your arm to get this. I want you to systematically, every time you have some income, you put some aside for this generosity thing we're doing here."

You have a plan to follow so that you can be generous with the opportunity that you have. So it was planned, it was proportionate. There's one more P. I'll close with this one. It was plentiful.

It was plentiful. Moses had to stop them from bringing any more. What an amazing example in the Old Testament here, in the book of Exodus, of the generosity of God's people responding to the need and the opportunity that God had given them to show their love for God and their gratitude to God for what God had done for them.

Now, here's what you have to know. As generous as they were with this, they were living now as traveling nomads. They were totally dependent after this for God to still continue to provide for them because they didn't have almost any way to provide for themselves.

And yet, what did they still do? They still brought more than enough to thank God and honor God for what He had done for them. See, we forget that. When we read about how they brought all this stuff, and it was more than they needed, and He had to stop them from giving, that's all they had.

And they didn't have a way that they knew for sure they were going to be able to get any more, except that maybe God would provide that for them. They had to trust God for what might come next, just like every one of us.

You may have a good job, you may have a pretty steady income, but there's no guarantee that it will always be. But what can you do in the meantime? From the heart, you can be generous and thank God for what he's already provided.

Every one of us can do that. See, we don't have anything to count on except God, but friends, God is enough for all of us. God is enough for all of us.

So, I got a lot in my bank account. Yeah. Do you remember some things that might have happened in history where that might not be as secure as you think?

Yeah. Many times in history, like the Great Depression here in America, where banks just shut down and people couldn't get their money that they thought was their future. They had everything planned. They had everything set.

Friends, the real source is God. We need to learn to trust Him and honor Him and put Him first because He's the true source of every good thing that we have. And I love what it says. Remember the church in Corinth?

He goes back to them in chapter 9 of 2 Corinthians, verse 8, and He tells them this. He points them to God. "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." Does that sound pretty all-encompassing there?

Yeah. Here's what He says: "As it's written, they freely scattered their gifts to the poor. Their righteousness endures forever." Now, He goes back to God. "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed. He will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can have a big house and drive a nice car." Is that what it says?

No. "You will be enriched in every way so you can be generous on every occasion. And through us, your generosity will result in what? Thanksgiving to God."

And then He adds this. "The service that you perform, it's not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people, but it's overflowing the needs of God. Because of the service by which you've proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you."

You know what He says is going to happen? Is God's going to make sure, if He can trust us to be generous, that through us, He's going to provide everything that's needed to do all the stuff.

You know what He says is going to happen? Is God's going to make sure, if He can trust us to be generous, that through us, He's going to provide everything that's needed to do all the stuff.

He's going to make sure we have what we need to do it, but He's making sure it comes through His people. Why? Because His people are supposed to be set apart and distinct so that others around us will see Christians and see their generosity and see what they're doing and give God the glory and the praise for it.

You see, it's all to point people to Him, not to ourselves. That's why I love it when people understand. You could take what God blesses you with and go make some kind of public donation to some charity and get your picture on the news and all that for this great donation that you just made, or you could give it to the church and do the work of the kingdom of God, and the church could help those people, and who gets the glory then? God does.

So he wants it to be through his people, the church, so that the glory goes to him, so that people are brought to him, so that people see that God's people made this possible through the blessings God's given them, and God's the one that's thanked and given the glory and the honor for it.

And that's why he concludes in verse 15 with this expression: "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift." Now, scholars have tried to figure out exactly what Paul was talking about there. What's the indescribable gift?

Well, he's just been talking about the generous offering that they're going to give. It's indescribable, right? Well, Moses had to stop the people that don't give any more, man, it's amazing. I think that's part of what he's talking about.

It's going to be indescribable when God's people become the generous people they need to be, and God enables them to do that kind of generosity on every occasion that they have the opportunity.

And then it might be this generous gift, this indescribable gift might be, well, the gift is that God's people are going to be the set-apart people that point people to him. And that's going to be a wonderful gift when the world gets to see God or who God really is through his people and the generosity of his people.

That's part of the gift, I think. But I think it's a reminder more than anything else of the gift of Jesus Christ that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.

You see, we need to be reminded of God's giving because we are his people. He is our God, and we are to represent that God who gave everything. We're supposed to represent him as his people, the church today.

Just like he was trying to help Israel be transformed into a set-apart people for him, he wants the church today. Who's the church? We are, all of us. He wants the church to be that people of God, where people can see God, see God's characteristics, see God's grace, God's mercy, see God's sacrifice, see God's generosity through God's people, the church.

We represent him, and if he is that generous, if he gives like that, then we certainly want to thank God for his indescribable gift, and one of the best ways to thank God is to represent him well in how we live our lives and how we steward the blessings that he gives us.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Let's pray together. Father, we thank you. We thank you that you have so freely given us every good thing we've ever had or ever will have, and especially we thank you for the most indescribable gift of all, the gift of your son Jesus.

Maybe there's someone here today who understands the difference, the distinct difference in being a person who lives according to your plan and purpose, and a person who lives according to your plan and purpose.

And they've decided even today they want you. They've decided they want to give their hearts to you. They want to give all of themselves to you. Father, I pray that today through the prompting of your spirit and the teaching of your word, they would come and they would present themselves to you as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you, as you begin to transform them into the people that point the world to you.

It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.

We're going to stand and sing and offer this time of invitation. If you have a decision you need to make, just come right up front while we're singing.

I have decided. I'm going to ask you, if you would, to repeat after me a profession of your faith, and then Pastor Andy will go back with you, and you'll be baptized into Christ today.

And I do accept Him. And I do accept Him. As my personal Lord and Savior. As a personal Lord and Savior. Amen. God bless you. Congratulations.

Yeah. Keep coming back. Yeah. This is Grandma here going back. Come on, Grandma. Yeah. Amen. Amen.

Amen. Brother, come on up. Yeah, just step right up here. You tell everyone your name? David. David comes today to recommit his heart to the Lord. To come back in that relationship with Him. We're so thankful. I know the angels in heaven rejoice.

Each time someone comes back to Him, and repentance and renewal of commitment of life to Him. His grace is here for you. He meets you with His love and His grace as you take this step of recommitment.

I know you come believing in Jesus, trusting in Him, and recommitting your life to Him. Let's pray for David right now.

Father, we thank you for David's decision today to recommit his life to you. Father, you know all details. You know everything about his life, and you love him. Your son, Jesus, died for him. Your grace is there for him.

The blood of Jesus is still the power that cleanses and makes new, and this recommitment, this renewal of his life is made possible through the blood of Jesus. We thank you for the sacrifice that he made.

We pray for David. We lift him up to you for strength, for guidance, for wisdom, for discernment, and decisions in the days moving ahead. And we rejoice with David, and we continue to lift him up in prayer. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

God bless you, David. Thank you. Thank you.

If you would, stay for a minute. I want to get your picture out for the service, okay? Carolyn, come on up. Carolyn wants to come and ask for a prayer. Come on up here, Carolyn. Tell everybody.

Yes, every mom wants us to be praying for their children as they face things like this. Let's pray for Kim as well. Just wait here just a moment. You guys come on up too, Jeremy, Davina. Step right up here too.

Jeremy and Davina come ask him for a prayer. I know you might not have noticed, but they're expecting a baby. And you're getting close, right?

All right, what's the due date? All right, so it's getting really close. And so they're asking for prayers there. Davina says specifically pray for the labor. She specifically mentioned that.

But also, Jeremy, new job, right? Or job promotion. Yeah, I got promoted. Right? Thankful for that, absolutely.

Will say too, he's also started school at Point University as well. So he's got a lot going on there. A happening. Yes.

So they're just coveting your prayers with all of that. Just lifting all of that up to the Lord and asking for his discernment and direction and provision through all of this.

And I know as their church family, we want to keep them lifted up through all this that they're going through right now. Did I miss anything? Anything else?

So I got it. All right. Okay, let's pray for these leads right now.

Father, we just thank you that we can approach your throne of grace with confidence, not because of who we are, but because we're clothed with Jesus and we come in his name.

And Father, as we approach your throne of grace, we lift up these requests today, as well as the other requests within our church family, as well as those that are suffering from the storm that came through, all of those things that are happening there.

Father, we pray for your presence, for your power, for your provision, that people would look to you, turn to you, that even in the hard things, you would use them for your good and for our good.

Father, we know you've got a plan that's amazing. It's for your glory. It's for our good. Help us to trust your plan and to be obedient to your call. It's our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.

God bless you. Thank you.

Can I use this mic for the baptism? Got it?

Okay. At this time, we're communion as we get ready for the baptism. So, Paul, if you would, come on up. Thank you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm taking your mic. I'll grab another. I'll grab another mic for that.

So glad that children could come in and witness that as well. When Ethel came in, the grandmother came in today, she said, "It's a big day at church today, pastor." I wasn't sure what she meant. I said, "It's always a big day at church."

She said, "Yeah, but this is a big one." And I know she meant for her family. I just got to speak this past Friday for Grandparents Day at Easel Harding Christian School, and the theme of my message was what a great opportunity grandparents have to speak life and faith into our grandchildren as you have that opportunity.

Ethel has been doing that with her grandkids. We're so thankful for families like that here at Lakeshore. What a great job. And at every opportunity, she brings them here to be in our children's ministries and have Andy and the others that work with that ministry be able to speak life into them and God's plan for their life.

So we're so thankful for our staff and volunteers that work with us with our children's ministries here. It makes a huge impact. If you'd like to worship through giving offerings today, I talked about that a little bit.

So if you'd like to continue your worship by giving an offering, we have offering boxes available.

1. "As your church family, we always want to come around you and be that support for you as parents raising up your children. So as you come today to dedicate your children to the Lord, you're actually dedicating yourselves too, right? To raising them up to know and follow Jesus. And we want to be a support system for you in doing that as your church family, but we know the primary responsibility falls on the parents to do that, but we come alongside you to help with it." [26:36] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "He's basically just saying, saturate your children with the teachings of God and God's word. I know you come today to dedicate them to the Lord. God's got a plan and a purpose for their lives, and he wants you to be a part of that. Guide as they're raised up to know that plan and purpose and to follow it." [27:53] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "God has saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, remember? And he's delivered them through the plagues, and then he delivered them through the parting of the sea. Then he provided for them manna. He provided for them water from heaven. He provided for them water from the rock. He has led them now on their journey to go to the land that he promised. He made a covenant that he was going to give them a land, but it wasn't just freeing them from slavery for nothing. He had a reason. He had a plan. He had a purpose for these people to go into this land he was taking them to, and to grow into and transform into being the set-apart people for God." [31:49] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "What distinguishes us as God's people is not just the generosity, but we're going to see some traits about it that really make it something that sets us apart. It is the fact that we are going to be using the right motive for our generosity. We're going to do three M's today. I like to use alliteration, so the first one is the motive for our generosity. It's one thing to be generous. It's another thing to be generous for the right reason, being driven with the right motivation for the generosity that you're having in your life." [39:28] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "If we're going to give for the right motive, we have to make the connection with the stuff that we have and the source of the stuff that we have. God is the source, the Bible says, of every good gift that's come down from the Father of lights. Every good thing we have, he's the source. When you recognize God as the source, then what motivates us is not a guilty conscience. It's not that we're trying to earn favor. It's not that we're trying to buy our way into heaven. We give generously. We are generous people by nature because we understand how blessed we are to start with. That's the motivation behind it." [40:52] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




6. "Remember, there are other people who don't know or follow Jesus who are generous people. What makes us different is why we're generous. That's what makes us different. That's what sets us apart as the people of God. We do it out of gratitude for the mercy and the grace that God has shown us and the provision that God has given us and the realization that he trusts us with all his stuff. Think about that for a minute." [43:31] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




7. "The metric for our giving should not be just based on do we have enough or not, but the metric for our giving should be are we responding with the right motive in a generous way to help accomplish the mission God has given us. See, that's the metric and are we doing that as a metric and how we think about it. Are we thinking about it with the right metric from their hearts they were bringing this offering more day after day and more than enough to get the job done." [50:44] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




8. "If you want to know if your heart really belongs to the Lord, where your heart really is, he says, look at your bank account. That's going to reveal to you where your heart really is. When you look at your bank account, the accounting of what you're doing with the resources that you have will tell you, will tell me where my heart really is. Why? Because that represents my life. I worked for that. I've earned that. I've been given that to manage. It's been given to me. What am I doing with that? Reveals my heart, where my heart really is." [57:36] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




9. "You have to plan to be generous. If you don't plan to be generous, you're not going to be generous. Or you might give some money, but you're not going to be generous. You're not going to have money, but it will be as a response to being pressured or having your arm twisted, right? That's not the motive, the metric that God wants you to have. He wants you to do it because you plan to do it because you want to be the generous person God has called you to be. You want to thank him for what he's already given you and provided for you. That's why you want to do this." [01:04:17] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




10. "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. Does that sound pretty all-encompassing there? Yeah. Here's what He says. As it's written, they freely scattered their gifts to the poor. Their righteousness endures forever. Now, He goes back to God. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed. He will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. And through us, your generosity will result in what? Thanksgiving to God." [01:16:50] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)