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* * 0 Pr 3:5-10 Trust in the LORD with all

your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He

shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the

LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And

strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And

with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be

filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

* * 0 What Jesus Said About

Giving! Act 20:35 “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to

receive.”

* * 0 Giving has to “do” with 3

things!●Our Attitude!–V.P. Black in “Rust as a witness” says

that many don't want to hear about giving because they simply have a bad attitude towards it!

●Our Appetite!–What drives us? What are we longing

for?–Money or the Master?(Mt.6:19-

24;2Cor.9:6-8)●Our Appearance!

–“When I look out at the congregation I ask, where are the poor? When I look at the contribution I ask, where are the rich?”

* * 0 A Sensitive Topic!

●This is a topic/subject that some even avoid all together, but why?●Now, I have chosen to use the

word “giving” rather than “money” for good reason! ●The subject of giving is much

broader than just one’s money!●We should keep in mind that God

is the greatest giver and we will never out give Him!

* * 0 I. Our Time!

How many of us have heard “time is money!”●When I worked painting houses, my

boss would always say if we were not hustling “hurry up now, you are a dime holding up a dollar!”●When we learn to really put God first,

everything else will naturally follow!–Mt. 6:19-34 food, shelter & clothing

should always come 2nd to God!●The churches of Macedonia had little

in the eyes of the world, but not in God’s eyes! (2 Cor. 8:1-5) Everything of lasting value!

* * 0 What is the proper use of our

time? Lk. 9:23-25 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,

and follow Me. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is

himself destroyed or lost?”●The child of God must understand that we are “always on duty!” We do not clock-in and clock-out! ●Called to be a living sacrifice!

(Rom.12:1)

* * 0 II. Our Talents!

●The parable of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30) is not dealing with what we think of as talents today, but it clearly applies!–This had to do with a sum of money

that needed to be put to use!–We must use it or lose it!●We often think of a talent as

one’s ability!–What we are able and capable of doing!●Are we using our God-given gifts

and talents for His glory?

* * 0 To God be the Glory!Mt 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

●The Christian life is to be one “working for the Lord!”–1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved

brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.–Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

* * 0 III. Our Treasures!

●If I had a real treasure map with & I ask you to go on a treasure hunt would you go? –The truth of the matter is that we do!

The Bible is in fact the greatest treasure map ever given! It contains the “path of eternal life!”

●One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!–Our treasure is simply the things we find

of value!–Mt 6:20 “but lay up for yourselves

treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

* * 0 2 to 3 vs. 20 to 30!

●The average Christian given 2% to 3% of their income to God and spends 20% to 30% of their income on luxuries!–This is humbling to me, I do not want to

love myself 10x more than I love God and yet is this not what this reveals?–Mt 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there

your heart will be also.”●All that we have comes from God!

–Jas 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of light...”

* * 0 The source of the seed!

●2 Cor 9:6-7 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.●2 Cor 9:10 Now may He who supplies

seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.●1 Cor. 16:1-2; Mal. 3:8-10

* * 0 Conclusion:

Indeed Jesus got it right “It is more blessed to give than to receive!”

●Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”●If you have not yet come to receive

the gift of the Son, then today is the day!●May we never take for granted

what God has given us and what we in turn are able to now give back to Him!

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