Print this pageCompany Of The Committed | Trait #6 - Generosity | October 15-16, 2005 |
Proverbs 11:25
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. [NIV]
Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed,
for he shares his food with the poor. [NIV]
Proverbs 28:22
A stingy man is eager to get rich
and is unaware that poverty awaits him. [NIV]
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. [18] Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. [NIV]
2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. [NIV]
Luke 16:11
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? [NIV]
Proverbs 30:7-9
"Two things I ask of you, O Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
[8] Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
[9] Otherwise, I may have too much
and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God. [NIV]
1 Timothy 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. [NIV]
1 Timothy 6:9-11
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
[11] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. [NIV]
Proverbs 15:27
A greedy man brings trouble to his family,
but he who hates bribes will live. [NIV]
Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [NIV]
1 Corinthians 9:11-13
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? [12] If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. [13] Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? [NIV]
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it. [NIV]
Ecclesiastes 5:18-19
Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot. [19] Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God. [NIV]
James 1:16-17
Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. [17] Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. [NIV]
HOW TO BUILD GENEROSITY INTO YOUR LIFE:
1) Trust God not MasterCard.
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is servant to the lender. [NIV]
Proverbs 21:17
He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich. [NIV]
Proverbs 12:9
Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food. [NIV]2) Get ahead by living BELOW your means.
Proverbs 21:20
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has. [NIV]
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless. [NIV]3) Give to God off the top, not out of the leftovers.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
[10] then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine. [NIV]
Genesis 28:16-22
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." [17] He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
[18] Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. [19] He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
[20] Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear [21] so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God [22] and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." [NIV]
Haggai 1:1-2:23
In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
[2] This is what the Lord Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.' "
[3] Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: [4] "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
[5] Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. [6] You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
[7] This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. [8] Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord. [9] "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. [10] Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. [11] I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."
[12] Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
[13] Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with you," declares the Lord. [14] So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, [15] on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.
[2:1] On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: [2] "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, [3] 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? [4] But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the Lord, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty. [5] 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
[6] "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. [7] I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty. [8] 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty. [9] 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty."
[10] On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: [11] "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: [12] If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' "
The priests answered, "No."
[13] Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?"
"Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."
[14] Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the Lord. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
[15] " 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on--consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord's temple. [16] When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. [17] I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the Lord. [18] 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought: [19] Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
" 'From this day on I will bless you.' "
[20] The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: [21] "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. [22] I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
[23] " 'On that day,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty." [NIV]
Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. [NIV]
2 Corinthians 8:1-5
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. [2] Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. [3] For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, [4] they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. [5] And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. [NIV]
2 Corinthians 8:12-13
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
[13] Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. [NIV]
2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. [7] Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [8] And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. [9] As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever."
[10] Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. [11] You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. [NIV]
Luke 16:11
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? [NIV]
Genesis 28:20-22
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear [21] so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God [22] and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." [NIV]
Leviticus 27:30-33
" 'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. [31] If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. [32] The entire tithe of the herd and flock--every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod--will be holy to the Lord. [33] He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.' " [NIV]
Numbers 18:26
"Speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord's offering. [NIV]
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
[10] then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine. [NIV]