• Christian attitudes concerning giving
    • Last week: attitudes toward money
      • Centered on purpose and motivation
      • Can’t serve both riches and God – Matthew 6:24
      • Prosperity is good and has purpose – III John 2; Ephesians 4:28
      • Actively seeking after riches is dangerous – Luke 18:24
      • We must understand the difference.
    • Giving depends on an established need, desire, prosperity, planning, and following through.
      • Need
        • Communicated by leadership – Acts 11:22-30
        • Recognized by individuals – Luke 7:12-15; 10:33
        • Results - Exodus 36:2-6
      • Desire
        • We should want to follow the example of Jesus
        • We should want to be like God – Acts 14:15-17
        • We should desire the fellowship of giving – II Corinthians 8:3-5
      • Prosperity
        • Our giving is out of our prosperity – I Corinthians 16:2
        • We need to recognize when we have prospered
          • It is sufficiency
          • It is not necessarily riches
          • Park of sufficiency is “sufficient to give”
        • We should not make ourselves needy by our giving – II Corinthians 8:12-13
        • Prosperity is as much attitude as amount
          • We should desire excellence – II Corinthians 8:7
          • We should recognize such excellence comes from God – II Corinthians 9:8-10
          • We should be cheerful to give of or share our prosperity
      • Planning
        • Giving is not haphazard – II Corinthians 9:7
        • Giving demands thought; premeditation; intent
          • What to put into the collection
          • What to give to charitable causes
          • What balance to strike – II Corinthians 8:13-14
        • Giving requires consideration of the gift
          • It’s ours – Acts 5:3-5
          • God put it into our care
            • We should remember it is a gift from God
            • We should consider how God would have us use it
      • Following through
        • When we purpose, we determine to do what we purposed
          • We’re called to be steadfast – I Corinthians 15:58
          • A sign of maturity – Ephesians 4:14
    • Individual charitable giving
      • Who is needy? Psalms 41:1-3
      • Where do we find them?
      • What are they in need of? Isaiah 58:6-11
      • How much to we give?
        • Could vary according to need.
        • The rule is within your heart. II Corinthians 9:6-11
        • Remember Matthew 25:32-46
        • Don’t let your faith die a lonely death – James 2:15-17
    • Fun facts on Old Testament giving
      • How much did Israelites give under the Law of Moses (Hint: it was not 10%)
      • What giving was there besides the tithes? How about Leviticus 19? How big were the corners and how hard did they strike the trees? Deuteronomy 24:19-21
      • How much was given in the form of sacrifices? Start looking with Leviticus 7. Much more to follow.
      • What gifts were shared between the giver and the receiver? Deuteronomy 12:17-18; 14:22-29
      • What was a votive offering? How often was it offered? Trick question!
      • Giving under the law of Moses is not quantifiable. There was more free will than specified amounts. It was easily over the commonly accepted 10%.