How does God bless you when you put
Him first? First of all by increasing your
income. How many know that God can
work a miracle like that? He can increase
your income. He can stretch your money
to go far. He also does this by decreasing
your expenses.
will bless you in all things, in everything
you do God’s blessing will be upon you.
Julie and I have experienced this for a
number of years now. In everything we
do, in everything we touch it's blessed, not
only with spiritual blessings but financial
blessings as well.
Have you ever experienced when it seems
like you have holes in your pockets? As
hard as you try, you just can't seem to
make ends meet.
It’s up to you. Are you going to say, “I’m
going to trust God. This is just the
beginning, I’m going to step out by faith
and believe Him.” He’s a great God.
Believe Him, step out by faith and do
things you’ve never done before.
Some people are so cursed that the more
money they make the more they are in
debt. They have a curse upon them.
But when you put God first in your giving,
not only does He increase your income,
He also decreases your expenses.
Somehow, miraculously, you don't spend
as much.
Not only are you blessed financially, but
God protects and sustains your
possessions. He keeps you healthy and
strong so you will be able to work. God is
able to do all these things.
Now let me give you a word of caution …
there's a difference between faith and
bargaining with God.
God blesses faith. God does
not bless bargaining with Him.
Do you know what bargaining is?
Bargaining is when you say, “Lord, help
me close this deal first.” Or “When my
ship comes in or when I hit the lotto, then
I’ll give some of it back to you. If You
will only help me then I’ll surely give.
And the bigger You give to me the more
I’ll give to You.” You try to work out a
deal and bargain with God, but God does
not bargain.
Faith is when you give to God in advance,
sacrificially give to Him and put Him first.
Faith is when you say, “God, I’m going to
give even though I don’t have. I‘m going
to do it as a personal sacrifice and put You
first.”
Faith giving is always putting
God first. Deuteronomy 15:10 says,
“Give generously and do so without a
grudging heart, then because of this the
Lord will bless you in all your work and in
everything you put your hand to do.” God
Or you can say, “I want to stay in
poverty.” And that's the way you’ll live.
But if you want to be blessed, then you
need to follow the principles that are in the
Word of God.
Don’t bargain with God. Don’t say, “I’m
too poor to pay my tithes, I’m too poor to
give.” You’re not too poor … but you’ll
stay poor if you don’t pay your tithes and
offerings. Take what you have and give it
to God. Put God first. “Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all things will be added unto you.”
It’s amazing, some people can trust God
for their salvation, for their eternity in
heaven but they can’t trust God when it
comes to finances. Isn’t that a shame?
What logic is there in that? They don’t
tithe or give offerings. What that means is
they actually lack confidence in God.
They are too afraid to trust God. They
don’t really believe God will keep His
promises.
If they can believe and trust God for their
eternal destiny wouldn't you think they
could trust God with their finances? He’s
the same God. If this is your struggle,
don’t let Satan rob you anymore of the
blessings that God wants to give you.
8. Giving Makes You
Happy. Giving people are happy
people. There’s something about when
you give, it makes you feel good. You
always walk away with a sense of
fulfillment inside, because you’ve done
something for someone, or you’ve done
something for the Kingdom of God.
There’s two kinds of people in life …
“givers” and “takers.” You’re either one
or the other. Either you’re a giver or
you’re a taker and you’re the only one that
makes that decision.
Many years ago, at the beginning of this
ministry, Julie and I made that decision.
We wanted to be very careful when it
came to government funding of the
ministry. We knew that God never
intended for us to be dependent on the
government to meet the needs of the
ministry.
This is a decision we had to make right
from the very beginning. I want you to
know that we didn’t make this decision
when we had it all together and had plenty
of finances for the ministry. We made this
decision when we were really hurting,
when we were broke financially.
You make the decision. Takers are
unhappy people. Givers are happy people.
The most happy people in life are people
that are givers. Jesus said, “There is more
happiness in giving than in receiving, it’s
more blessed to give than to receive.”
Paul said, “You already excel in faith.
You got saved didn’t you? See that you
excel in knowledge; and now add
generosity to your virtues.”
You should get excited when it’s time to
give in the offering. You should get
excited when it’s time to pay your tithes.
Paul said we should excel in the area of
giving.
We decided, “We’re going to live by the
principles of the Word of God. We’re
putting our trust in God, not in man.”
The reason we’re sharing these principles
of giving with you today is because if you
don’t learn to be a giver you’re not going
to make it financially. Not because we
need or want your money.
Our
dependency is not on man but on God.
Do you know what happened? In those
early days, all of those programs that put
their trust in the government, they folded
up. But Victory Outreach continued to
flourish and go forward.
If somehow you’ve short changed God
and haven’t been faithful in your giving,
God will raise someone else up to meet
the need. That’s the way God works. God
is a faithful God.
Our desire is to see God break
the curse of poverty within your
life. Perhaps today you find
yourself saying, “Somehow I
haven’t been consistent. I haven’t
been faithful in my giving. I need
to put my trust in God.”
Our prayer for you is that you
will learn to trust God in this
area of your life, in your giving.
Our desire is for you to receive
all the benefits that come to
someone who is generous and
gives.
Through giving you’ll grow to be
more like Him and draw closer to
God. You’ll break the grip of
materialism over your life and
your faith will be strengthened.
You will prove your maturity in
Christ and be blessed by
investing in eternity. And you
will be blessed here on earth as
well. You will experience the
peace and happiness that comes
to those who give.
The decision is yours. Learn to
put your trust and confidence in a
faithful God. In every area of
your life. May God richly bless
you and do something special
within your life. Julie and I
would love to hear from you.
Write us and share with us the
miracles God does as a result of
your faithfulness, God bless you.
“United We Can” Family,
Please remember to send in your
love gift today in the enclosed
envelope, and may God richly
bless you and provide for all of
your needs.
Today, if the government wants to give us
money, we’ll take it. But we’re not going
to depend on that money to sustain us.
Our dependency is always going to be on
God.
This is why people have to be careful
when it comes to welfare support. Some
people live their whole lives on welfare.
They become experts on getting money
because their dependency is on the county
or on the government. In the long run they
lose out.
We’re not against welfare if you really
have a need for financial assistance for
awhile. But it should only be for a season.
As you begin to come to church and get
into the Word of God; as you begin to
practice the principles in the Word of God,
then there is going to come a time that
you’ll tell the government, “Listen, I don’t
need to have your money anymore, God is
providing for me. God is meeting all my
needs!”
So what are you going to be? Are you
going to be a taker or are you going to be
a giver?
VICTORY OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL®
"United We Can..."
P.O. Box 3490
San Dimas, CA 91773
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN DIMAS CA
PERMIT 44
Sunday Morning's sermon at Victory Outreach San Diego by Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni
"Now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian
churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled
up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing
in this service to the saints. 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. So we urged Titus, since he had
earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just
as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and
in your love for us, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” ~ 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
In this passage, we find the Apostle Paul dealing with the Corinthian Church. They were a
people who had faith in God for many things but when it came to trusting God in the area of
finances, they had a problem; this was a weak area in their spiritual experience with God.
Likewise, many people today find it hard to trust God in this practical aspect of their lives.
They can believe God for great miracles … but when it comes to this simple, practical area
of their lives, many times they fail to put their faith and trust in God. Today, we want to look
at the benefits of trusting God and being a generous, giving person.
1. Giving Makes You More
Like God. Throughout the Word of
need to be a generous person because God
is a generous God.
God, we read about God being a giver.
Over and over we find He’s a generous
God. In James 1:5 we read, “God gives to
all generously, ungrudgingly.” Not only
does He give to those who are Christians,
but He gives to those who are not saved.
We see in the Bible, God’s given so much
to us. He’s given us the sun, and all the
things in nature for us to enjoy.
It should be automatic! The closer you get
to God, the more generous you become. If
you have His spirit living in your life,
you're becoming more like Him. He is a
generous God, so everytime you're
generous and give, you become more like
Him and you grow godlier.
Above all else, God gave us His Son, Jesus
Christ. “For God so loved the world that
He gave His Son ….” And if we’re going
to be like God then we have to learn to be
giving people, because He’s a giving God.
In 1 Chronicles 29:14 it says, “Everything
we have has come from You. Lord, we can
only give You what is Yours already.” That
means everything we have has come from
God. And whatever we give to God, is His
already. We’re giving Him something that
actually belongs to Him already.
If your desire is to be a godly person, if
you want to be more like God, then you
2. Giving Draws You Closer
To God. Jesus said, “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If your money is in an investment, that’s
where your heart is. If your money is in
your house, like many people today who
even worship their homes, that’s where
your heart is. If your money is in your
career or a hobby or anything else, that is
where your heart is.
The Bible says that money is
like a magnet, wherever we put
it, it tends to pull our hearts.
When we give money to God it’s like a
magnet, it pulls us closer to God. When
you’re investing in your church or
ministry, it draws you closer to the church
or ministry … because that’s where your
heart is - where you’re investing your
money. When you give to the things of
God you draw closer to the things of God.
God doesn't need your money,
that's not what He's interested
in. What He wants is what
your money represents. Once
again, the Bible says, “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
That means every time you give your
heart draws closer to God.
It’s a spiritual principle, where your
money is, that’s where your heart is. It’s
not your money God is after; it’s what
your money represents because your
money actually represents your heart.
Giving is what you would call "spiritual
aerobics." It's good for the heart. It
enlarges your heart and makes you
stronger every time you give.
As a parent, you like to see your children
share their toys, right? You don’t like
your children to be selfish. Yet, because
of their sinful nature, there’s a tendency
for children to always be selfish. We must
teach our children how to be generous and
not self-centered and selfish.
In the same way, God deals with us. As
His children, He desires for us to be
generous and giving, not self-centered and
selfish. When you give, it brings God
pleasure because then you’re being like
Him.
Giving pleases God because
giving is an act of worship.
Through giving, you are drawn closer to
God. As you learn the principle of giving,
you grow to be more and more like Him.
And no one is more generous than God.
The more you give, the more you become
like Him, and the closer you draw to God.
Remember, He’s not after your finances,
He is after what your finances represent
… He’s after your heart.
3.
Giving Breaks The
Grip of Materialism. We live
in a culture that is very materialistic.
Though God’s desire is to prosper His
people, there’s always the danger of going
from one extreme to the other. We need to
be balanced.
For example, there are some who are so
“poverty minded” that they say in their
heart, “For the rest of my life I’m going to
live in poverty and bless God by my
poverty.” Yet, we really don’t bless God
through our poverty.
Then, there are those who listen to
preachings on how God wants to prosper
them and bless them with a better house, a
better car, a good job and more finances.
As God begins to bless, there’s always the
danger they’ll go to the other extreme and
actually become materialistic.
That’s when many people fail and lose out
on the blessings of God. Yes, He wants us
to be blessed. But He does not want us to
be materialistic.
There is only one antidote for materialism
- and that is giving. Because materialism
says, “I want to get and I want to get even
more.” But when you give, you’re saying,
“Lord, I’m putting you first within my
life.”
Every time you give, you
actually break the grip of
materialism within your life.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot
serve God and serve money.” You have to
choose who you’re going to serve. You
have to choose who or what will be
number one within your life.
Whenever we give, a spiritual victory
takes place, that’'s why Satan gets so mad.
When you give you’re actually putting
God as number one in your life.
In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, the Word of God
commands those who are “rich in this
present world not to be arrogant nor put
their hope in wealth, which is uncertain.
But to put their hope in God who richly
provides us with everything for our
enjoyment.”
If we are generous and willing to share,
we will be able to take hold of that which
is truly life.
As spiritual leaders and those of us who
are parents, it is important for us to set the
example. We need to model a balanced
life.
Our children and spiritual children are
watching to see how we spend our money.
We need to be givers. We need to set the
example of giving money and investing
into the Kingdom of God.
4. Giving Strengthens Your
Faith. Giving will always strengthen
your faith because sooner or later you
have to decide, “Can God be trusted with
my finances? Can He really be counted
on to keep His promises?” That’s a
decision we all have to make.
The Bible has more promises on “giving”
than any other subject. Throughout the
Word of God, He promises, “Do this, then
I will do that.”
2 Corinthians 9:13 says, “Your giving
proves the reality of your faith.” You’ve
heard the expression “talk is cheap?”
Many times people say, “I've got faith and
I love God.” But they never even tithe,
nor give offerings. They don’t trust God
in the area of giving. Corinthians is
telling us that giving is what proves the
reality of our faith.
In Malachi 3 God challenges us to prove
Him. The only way to prove your faith to
God and that we love Him is through the
giving of our tithes and offerings. God
says, “Prove Me, try Me and check Me
out.” This is the only place in the Word of
God where this challenge is put to us. He
says, “See if I am not a faithful God. Put
your faith and trust in Me in this particular
area of your life and see if I don’t come
through.”
The Lord is challenging us, “I dare you to
tithe, take the 10% of everything you
make. Give it to Me and see if I won’t
care for all your needs and bless you.” It’s
a challenge. It’s a test God gives to us....
Giving strengthens your faith.
The scripture says, “Give not with regret.”
When you give grudgingly and with
regret, you won’t reap the blessings.
Your giving shouldn’t be out of a “sense
of duty” or “legalism.” It shouldn’t be
that you “have to” give, because you’re a
member or because you’re a leader. That
should never be your motivation for
giving.
Giving should be something that’s a desire
in you; a spirit of generosity, you want to
give because of the love you have for God.
What’s beautiful is when you get excited
to give. When you’re giving with a
grateful and glad heart, that’s when God
makes it up to you by giving you
everything you need. Just like the Bible
says, “… that there will be enough for you
and for your needs and plenty left over so
that you can joyfully give to others.”
There’s going to be times in
your life that God is going to
call you to give sacrificially.
That’s when you really start to become a
giver, when you don’t just give a little bit.
It’s times when your church is in a
building fund or when there’s a special
need in the ministry and a challenge to
give goes out. Those are the times you
have to stretch your faith and give
sacrificially, over and above your normal
tithes.
As a dedicated Christian, giving
sacrificially is something you will do time
and time again. When those times come,
you’ll find yourself even preparing and
getting ready because you know these are
the times God is going to produce a
miracle within your life. And God will
work a miracle for you as you begin to
step out and take the challenge.
Why should we sacrifice as God’s people?
There are three reasons why:
First, you give sacrificially
because you want to keep
growing. You want to develop
“spiritual muscles” in this area of your
life. You give because you want to see
bigger miracles and see God do more
within your life.
Don’t be like those who just “coast by,”
who are stuck in the past with a
commitment they made years ago. Be
challenged to see yourself grow in this
area of your life. As you grow in all the
other areas of your spiritual walk, you
should also be growing in this area of
giving financially. Exercise and develop
these spiritual muscles within your life.
Secondly, as a leader, I will
always lead the way. I will never
ask you to sacrifice more than I do. Julie
and I have tried to model this. The reason
why we do is because we know God is
going to bless us at the same time. As
leaders, we want to model this principle.
Have you ever seen a minister or leader
when the offering basket is passed they
choose not to place anything into the
basket? They should be rebuked when
they do that. The reason being is that we
as leaders should model and practice what
we preach.
If we preach God is a faithful God, if we
preach “Give and God will give in return,”
and tell others that God is able to meet our
needs; then we need to put our faith in
God and practice what we preach by
giving.
This is why every leader in the church,
every cell group leader and every ministry
leader needs to model giving. If you want
your people to be givers, and to step out
by faith and be a recipient of God’s
miraculous grace and power, then you as a
leader need to model it first.
When leaders begin to give in this way,
suddenly it becomes contagious. As the
leaders become givers then the
congregation also become givers.
Thirdly, you cannot out give
God. The more you give, the more He
gives back to you and the bigger your faith
muscles grow.
God doesn’t want you to just give the
normal, the tithe. The tithe is just the
beginning, that’s the starting point. God
says, “Now that you’re growing up, I want
you to give even more so I can bless you
more.”
In these moments you need to step out and
give sacrificially. Times like these are
exciting because that’s when you're
stepping out by faith saying, “God, if you
don’t come through then I’m done!” And
sure enough, God always comes through,
more than you could have ever imagined.
Perhaps your faith is strong when it comes
to believing God for salvation or healing,
but God desires you to be strong in this
particular area of your faith as well.
If you want to be strong in the area of
finances and believe God when it comes
to your money, then you need to
strengthen and exercise your faith muscles
by giving. That’s when you really begin
to grow. You can never out give God.
Giving always strengthens your faith.
And you’ll never strengthen your faith or
have faith for finances if you don’t give.
5. Giving is a Test of Your
Maturity. One of the ways God will
test your maturity is through finances.
Why through finances? Because we
spend so much of our time making money,
saving money, spending money, thinking
about money, using money, and investing
money. We build our whole life around it.
God desires for us to be mature Christians.
He wants us to trust Him, in the good
times and in the bad times. When we
begin to trust Him in the area of our
giving, we begin to mature in three areas:
First, in stability, we become stable in our
walk with God. Second, in dependability,
we become someone God can depend on.
Third, in our consistency, a mature
individual is consistent in every area of
their lives.
They are consistent in their attendance to
church. They’re consistent when it comes
to finances. They give in the good times
and in the bad times. They are not fair
weather Christians, but they are consistent
with their tithes and offerings.
When they go to church, it doesn’t matter
whether they’ve had a good week or a bad
week. It doesn’t matter if they’re up or if
they’re down. How they feel does not
matter, they are consistent. They come to
church faithfully; ready to give to God
what belongs to Him.
An immature person is one that you
always have to be motivating to give.
This is not necessary for a mature person.
You don’t have to motivate them and tell
them stories over and over again of the
blessings of God.
They’re mature. They’re consistent.
They’re faithful. They’re stable. They
come ready with their tithes and offerings.
They’re ready to worship the Lord with
their giving because they have learned
generosity within their lives.
Giving is always a test of our maturity. In
Luke Chapter 16, Jesus said, “If you are
untrustworthy with worldly wealth whose
going to trust you with the true riches of
heaven?”
Heaven.” He said you can either store it
up on earth or you can store it up in
heaven.
Jesus is saying, “If you’re not faithful with
your money here on earth, then God is not
going to trust you with greater spiritual
responsibilities in heaven.”
In other words, you can use your finances
to do good here and now. It’s the only safe
investment for eternity. Not only will you
live a fruitful life down here, but you’ll be
building security in heaven. There’s no
greater investment than investing in the
Kingdom of God.
Did you know that Jesus
spoke more about money
than He did about health? He This type of investment is an investment
spoke more about money that is protected. It’s proven. It pays great
and it has no risks. Giving is an
than He did about heaven. dividends
investment for eternity.
Over half the parables in the
Perhaps you say, “Well, that’s heaven, but
Bible have to do with money what about here?” When you give to the
management. This is how Kingdom of God, not only are you making
important this subject is to an investment in heaven, with a
tremendous heavenly return, but there is
God. Because God desires for also a great return right here.
us to come to a place of
7. Giving Blesses You in
maturity and consistency.
I wonder how many of you have been
consistent. How many of you have taken
your tithe or “United We Can” envelope to
church and really gave? Or is it a hit and
miss type of thing with you? Maybe you
didn’t feel good this week or maybe the
preacher didn’t preach a good sermon.
Perhaps a brother or sister hurt your
feelings, or maybe the pastor or leader did
something that turned you off so you held
back on giving your finances.
Remember, when you give, you’re not
giving to a man, or to the church or even
to an organization. Every time you give,
you’re giving to God. You need to know
and understand that you’re giving is unto
God and it’s a vital part of your worship
experience.
6. Giving is an Investment
for Eternity. In other words, “you
can’t take your money with you when you
die.” “Naked you came into the world and
naked you will return.” Though you can’t
take your money with you, you can send it
on ahead.
The way you send your money on ahead is
by the investment you make in people and
the investment you make in the Kingdom
of God down here on earth.
Jesus said, “Store up treasures in
Return.
In 1 Kings Chapter 17, we
read about Elijah, the prophet of God.
There was great famine in the land and
Elijah asks a woman who was basically
down to her last meal to do something for
him.
The Word of God says, “Now Elijah the
Tishbite said, “As the Lord, the God of
Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be
neither dew nor rain in the next few years
except at my word.” Then the word of the
Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn
eastward and hide in the brook Cherith,
east of the Jordan. You will drink from the
brook, and I have ordered the ravens to
feed you there.” So he did what the Lord
had told him. He went to the brook
Cherith, east of the Jordan, and stayed
there. The ravens brought him bread and
meat in the morning and bread and meat
in the evening, and he drank from the
brook. Some time later the brook dried up
because there had been no rain in the
land. Then the word of the Lord came to
him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon
and stay there. I have commanded a
widow in that place to supply you with
food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he
came to the town gate, a widow was there
gathering sticks. He called to her and
asked, “Would you bring me a little water
in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she
was going to get it, he called, “And bring
me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely
as the Lord your God lives,” she replied,
“I don't have any bread, only a handful of
flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am
gathering a few sticks to take home and
make a meal for myself and my son, that
we may eat it, and die.”
Talk about a famine. What does Elijah say
to her? “Don't be afraid.” Do you know
why he said those words to her? Because
what he was going to ask her to do was
going to require her to take a very big step
of faith.
Elijah said to her, “Don't be afraid. Go
home and do as you have said. But first
make a small cake of bread for me from
what you have and bring it to me, and then
make something for yourself and your son.
For this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be
used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
until the day the Lord gives rain on the
land.’”
How many of you at that point would have
been rebellious? How many would say,
“What? Are you crazy, I’m not falling for
that, no way.” How many of you would
have been obedient? But what did she do?
She went away and did as Elijah had told
her. So there was food every day for Elijah
and for the woman and her family. For the
jar of flour was not used up and the jug of
oil did not run dry, in keeping with the
word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
The first lesson we learn from
this is “The time to give is
when you're flat broke.” That’s
when giving really begins. Not when you
have. But real giving, “faith giving” is
when you don’t have. Real “faith giving”
is when you’re flat broke.
Secondly, we see that if you put
God first He'll take care of all
your needs. Just like the widow
woman, God takes care of you when you
put Him first and take care of His
business.
Third, you always reap more
than you sow. God blesses those that
bless Him. Proverbs 22:9 says, “The
generous person will always be blessed.”
you’re investing in your church or
ministry, it draws you closer to the church
or ministry … because that’s where your
heart is - where you’re investing your
money. When you give to the things of
God you draw closer to the things of God.
God doesn't need your money,
that's not what He's interested
in. What He wants is what
your money represents. Once
again, the Bible says, “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
That means every time you give your
heart draws closer to God.
It’s a spiritual principle, where your
money is, that’s where your heart is. It’s
not your money God is after; it’s what
your money represents because your
money actually represents your heart.
Giving is what you would call "spiritual
aerobics." It's good for the heart. It
enlarges your heart and makes you
stronger every time you give.
As a parent, you like to see your children
share their toys, right? You don’t like
your children to be selfish. Yet, because
of their sinful nature, there’s a tendency
for children to always be selfish. We must
teach our children how to be generous and
not self-centered and selfish.
In the same way, God deals with us. As
His children, He desires for us to be
generous and giving, not self-centered and
selfish. When you give, it brings God
pleasure because then you’re being like
Him.
Giving pleases God because
giving is an act of worship.
Through giving, you are drawn closer to
God. As you learn the principle of giving,
you grow to be more and more like Him.
And no one is more generous than God.
The more you give, the more you become
like Him, and the closer you draw to God.
Remember, He’s not after your finances,
He is after what your finances represent
… He’s after your heart.
3.
Giving Breaks The
Grip of Materialism. We live
in a culture that is very materialistic.
Though God’s desire is to prosper His
people, there’s always the danger of going
from one extreme to the other. We need to
be balanced.
For example, there are some who are so
“poverty minded” that they say in their
heart, “For the rest of my life I’m going to
live in poverty and bless God by my
poverty.” Yet, we really don’t bless God
through our poverty.
Then, there are those who listen to
preachings on how God wants to prosper
them and bless them with a better house, a
better car, a good job and more finances.
As God begins to bless, there’s always the
danger they’ll go to the other extreme and
actually become materialistic.
That’s when many people fail and lose out
on the blessings of God. Yes, He wants us
to be blessed. But He does not want us to
be materialistic.
There is only one antidote for materialism
- and that is giving. Because materialism
says, “I want to get and I want to get even
more.” But when you give, you’re saying,
“Lord, I’m putting you first within my
life.”
Every time you give, you
actually break the grip of
materialism within your life.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot
serve God and serve money.” You have to
choose who you’re going to serve. You
have to choose who or what will be
number one within your life.
Whenever we give, a spiritual victory
takes place, that’'s why Satan gets so mad.
When you give you’re actually putting
God as number one in your life.
In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, the Word of God
commands those who are “rich in this
present world not to be arrogant nor put
their hope in wealth, which is uncertain.
But to put their hope in God who richly
provides us with everything for our
enjoyment.”
If we are generous and willing to share,
we will be able to take hold of that which
is truly life.
As spiritual leaders and those of us who
are parents, it is important for us to set the
example. We need to model a balanced
life.
Our children and spiritual children are
watching to see how we spend our money.
We need to be givers. We need to set the
example of giving money and investing
into the Kingdom of God.
4. Giving Strengthens Your
Faith. Giving will always strengthen
your faith because sooner or later you
have to decide, “Can God be trusted with
my finances? Can He really be counted
on to keep His promises?” That’s a
decision we all have to make.
The Bible has more promises on “giving”
than any other subject. Throughout the
Word of God, He promises, “Do this, then
I will do that.”
2 Corinthians 9:13 says, “Your giving
proves the reality of your faith.” You’ve
heard the expression “talk is cheap?”
Many times people say, “I've got faith and
I love God.” But they never even tithe,
nor give offerings. They don’t trust God
in the area of giving. Corinthians is
telling us that giving is what proves the
reality of our faith.
In Malachi 3 God challenges us to prove
Him. The only way to prove your faith to
God and that we love Him is through the
giving of our tithes and offerings. God
says, “Prove Me, try Me and check Me
out.” This is the only place in the Word of
God where this challenge is put to us. He
says, “See if I am not a faithful God. Put
your faith and trust in Me in this particular
area of your life and see if I don’t come
through.”
The Lord is challenging us, “I dare you to
tithe, take the 10% of everything you
make. Give it to Me and see if I won’t
care for all your needs and bless you.” It’s
a challenge. It’s a test God gives to us....
Giving strengthens your faith.
The scripture says, “Give not with regret.”
When you give grudgingly and with
regret, you won’t reap the blessings.
Your giving shouldn’t be out of a “sense
of duty” or “legalism.” It shouldn’t be
that you “have to” give, because you’re a
member or because you’re a leader. That
should never be your motivation for
giving.
Giving should be something that’s a desire
in you; a spirit of generosity, you want to
give because of the love you have for God.
What’s beautiful is when you get excited
to give. When you’re giving with a
grateful and glad heart, that’s when God
makes it up to you by giving you
everything you need. Just like the Bible
says, “… that there will be enough for you
and for your needs and plenty left over so
that you can joyfully give to others.”
There’s going to be times in
your life that God is going to
call you to give sacrificially.
That’s when you really start to become a
giver, when you don’t just give a little bit.
It’s times when your church is in a
building fund or when there’s a special
need in the ministry and a challenge to
give goes out. Those are the times you
have to stretch your faith and give
sacrificially, over and above your normal
tithes.
As a dedicated Christian, giving
sacrificially is something you will do time
and time again. When those times come,
you’ll find yourself even preparing and
getting ready because you know these are
the times God is going to produce a
miracle within your life. And God will
work a miracle for you as you begin to
step out and take the challenge.
Why should we sacrifice as God’s people?
There are three reasons why:
First, you give sacrificially
because you want to keep
growing. You want to develop
“spiritual muscles” in this area of your
life. You give because you want to see
bigger miracles and see God do more
within your life.
Don’t be like those who just “coast by,”
who are stuck in the past with a
commitment they made years ago. Be
challenged to see yourself grow in this
area of your life. As you grow in all the
other areas of your spiritual walk, you
should also be growing in this area of
giving financially. Exercise and develop
these spiritual muscles within your life.
Secondly, as a leader, I will
always lead the way. I will never
ask you to sacrifice more than I do. Julie
and I have tried to model this. The reason
why we do is because we know God is
going to bless us at the same time. As
leaders, we want to model this principle.
Have you ever seen a minister or leader
when the offering basket is passed they
choose not to place anything into the
basket? They should be rebuked when
they do that. The reason being is that we
as leaders should model and practice what
we preach.
If we preach God is a faithful God, if we
preach “Give and God will give in return,”
and tell others that God is able to meet our
needs; then we need to put our faith in
God and practice what we preach by
giving.
This is why every leader in the church,
every cell group leader and every ministry
leader needs to model giving. If you want
your people to be givers, and to step out
by faith and be a recipient of God’s
miraculous grace and power, then you as a
leader need to model it first.
When leaders begin to give in this way,
suddenly it becomes contagious. As the
leaders become givers then the
congregation also become givers.
Thirdly, you cannot out give
God. The more you give, the more He
gives back to you and the bigger your faith
muscles grow.
God doesn’t want you to just give the
normal, the tithe. The tithe is just the
beginning, that’s the starting point. God
says, “Now that you’re growing up, I want
you to give even more so I can bless you
more.”
In these moments you need to step out and
give sacrificially. Times like these are
exciting because that’s when you're
stepping out by faith saying, “God, if you
don’t come through then I’m done!” And
sure enough, God always comes through,
more than you could have ever imagined.
Perhaps your faith is strong when it comes
to believing God for salvation or healing,
but God desires you to be strong in this
particular area of your faith as well.
If you want to be strong in the area of
finances and believe God when it comes
to your money, then you need to
strengthen and exercise your faith muscles
by giving. That’s when you really begin
to grow. You can never out give God.
Giving always strengthens your faith.
And you’ll never strengthen your faith or
have faith for finances if you don’t give.
5. Giving is a Test of Your
Maturity. One of the ways God will
test your maturity is through finances.
Why through finances? Because we
spend so much of our time making money,
saving money, spending money, thinking
about money, using money, and investing
money. We build our whole life around it.
God desires for us to be mature Christians.
He wants us to trust Him, in the good
times and in the bad times. When we
begin to trust Him in the area of our
giving, we begin to mature in three areas:
First, in stability, we become stable in our
walk with God. Second, in dependability,
we become someone God can depend on.
Third, in our consistency, a mature
individual is consistent in every area of
their lives.
They are consistent in their attendance to
church. They’re consistent when it comes
to finances. They give in the good times
and in the bad times. They are not fair
weather Christians, but they are consistent
with their tithes and offerings.
When they go to church, it doesn’t matter
whether they’ve had a good week or a bad
week. It doesn’t matter if they’re up or if
they’re down. How they feel does not
matter, they are consistent. They come to
church faithfully; ready to give to God
what belongs to Him.
An immature person is one that you
always have to be motivating to give.
This is not necessary for a mature person.
You don’t have to motivate them and tell
them stories over and over again of the
blessings of God.
They’re mature. They’re consistent.
They’re faithful. They’re stable. They
come ready with their tithes and offerings.
They’re ready to worship the Lord with
their giving because they have learned
generosity within their lives.
Giving is always a test of our maturity. In
Luke Chapter 16, Jesus said, “If you are
untrustworthy with worldly wealth whose
going to trust you with the true riches of
heaven?”
Heaven.” He said you can either store it
up on earth or you can store it up in
heaven.
Jesus is saying, “If you’re not faithful with
your money here on earth, then God is not
going to trust you with greater spiritual
responsibilities in heaven.”
In other words, you can use your finances
to do good here and now. It’s the only safe
investment for eternity. Not only will you
live a fruitful life down here, but you’ll be
building security in heaven. There’s no
greater investment than investing in the
Kingdom of God.
Did you know that Jesus
spoke more about money
than He did about health? He This type of investment is an investment
spoke more about money that is protected. It’s proven. It pays great
and it has no risks. Giving is an
than He did about heaven. dividends
investment for eternity.
Over half the parables in the
Perhaps you say, “Well, that’s heaven, but
Bible have to do with money what about here?” When you give to the
management. This is how Kingdom of God, not only are you making
important this subject is to an investment in heaven, with a
tremendous heavenly return, but there is
God. Because God desires for also a great return right here.
us to come to a place of
7. Giving Blesses You in
maturity and consistency.
I wonder how many of you have been
consistent. How many of you have taken
your tithe or “United We Can” envelope to
church and really gave? Or is it a hit and
miss type of thing with you? Maybe you
didn’t feel good this week or maybe the
preacher didn’t preach a good sermon.
Perhaps a brother or sister hurt your
feelings, or maybe the pastor or leader did
something that turned you off so you held
back on giving your finances.
Remember, when you give, you’re not
giving to a man, or to the church or even
to an organization. Every time you give,
you’re giving to God. You need to know
and understand that you’re giving is unto
God and it’s a vital part of your worship
experience.
6. Giving is an Investment
for Eternity. In other words, “you
can’t take your money with you when you
die.” “Naked you came into the world and
naked you will return.” Though you can’t
take your money with you, you can send it
on ahead.
The way you send your money on ahead is
by the investment you make in people and
the investment you make in the Kingdom
of God down here on earth.
Jesus said, “Store up treasures in
Return.
In 1 Kings Chapter 17, we
read about Elijah, the prophet of God.
There was great famine in the land and
Elijah asks a woman who was basically
down to her last meal to do something for
him.
The Word of God says, “Now Elijah the
Tishbite said, “As the Lord, the God of
Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be
neither dew nor rain in the next few years
except at my word.” Then the word of the
Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn
eastward and hide in the brook Cherith,
east of the Jordan. You will drink from the
brook, and I have ordered the ravens to
feed you there.” So he did what the Lord
had told him. He went to the brook
Cherith, east of the Jordan, and stayed
there. The ravens brought him bread and
meat in the morning and bread and meat
in the evening, and he drank from the
brook. Some time later the brook dried up
because there had been no rain in the
land. Then the word of the Lord came to
him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon
and stay there. I have commanded a
widow in that place to supply you with
food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he
came to the town gate, a widow was there
gathering sticks. He called to her and
asked, “Would you bring me a little water
in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she
was going to get it, he called, “And bring
me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely
as the Lord your God lives,” she replied,
“I don't have any bread, only a handful of
flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am
gathering a few sticks to take home and
make a meal for myself and my son, that
we may eat it, and die.”
Talk about a famine. What does Elijah say
to her? “Don't be afraid.” Do you know
why he said those words to her? Because
what he was going to ask her to do was
going to require her to take a very big step
of faith.
Elijah said to her, “Don't be afraid. Go
home and do as you have said. But first
make a small cake of bread for me from
what you have and bring it to me, and then
make something for yourself and your son.
For this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be
used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
until the day the Lord gives rain on the
land.’”
How many of you at that point would have
been rebellious? How many would say,
“What? Are you crazy, I’m not falling for
that, no way.” How many of you would
have been obedient? But what did she do?
She went away and did as Elijah had told
her. So there was food every day for Elijah
and for the woman and her family. For the
jar of flour was not used up and the jug of
oil did not run dry, in keeping with the
word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
The first lesson we learn from
this is “The time to give is
when you're flat broke.” That’s
when giving really begins. Not when you
have. But real giving, “faith giving” is
when you don’t have. Real “faith giving”
is when you’re flat broke.
Secondly, we see that if you put
God first He'll take care of all
your needs. Just like the widow
woman, God takes care of you when you
put Him first and take care of His
business.
Third, you always reap more
than you sow. God blesses those that
bless Him. Proverbs 22:9 says, “The
generous person will always be blessed.”
you’re investing in your church or
ministry, it draws you closer to the church
or ministry … because that’s where your
heart is - where you’re investing your
money. When you give to the things of
God you draw closer to the things of God.
God doesn't need your money,
that's not what He's interested
in. What He wants is what
your money represents. Once
again, the Bible says, “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
That means every time you give your
heart draws closer to God.
It’s a spiritual principle, where your
money is, that’s where your heart is. It’s
not your money God is after; it’s what
your money represents because your
money actually represents your heart.
Giving is what you would call "spiritual
aerobics." It's good for the heart. It
enlarges your heart and makes you
stronger every time you give.
As a parent, you like to see your children
share their toys, right? You don’t like
your children to be selfish. Yet, because
of their sinful nature, there’s a tendency
for children to always be selfish. We must
teach our children how to be generous and
not self-centered and selfish.
In the same way, God deals with us. As
His children, He desires for us to be
generous and giving, not self-centered and
selfish. When you give, it brings God
pleasure because then you’re being like
Him.
Giving pleases God because
giving is an act of worship.
Through giving, you are drawn closer to
God. As you learn the principle of giving,
you grow to be more and more like Him.
And no one is more generous than God.
The more you give, the more you become
like Him, and the closer you draw to God.
Remember, He’s not after your finances,
He is after what your finances represent
… He’s after your heart.
3.
Giving Breaks The
Grip of Materialism. We live
in a culture that is very materialistic.
Though God’s desire is to prosper His
people, there’s always the danger of going
from one extreme to the other. We need to
be balanced.
For example, there are some who are so
“poverty minded” that they say in their
heart, “For the rest of my life I’m going to
live in poverty and bless God by my
poverty.” Yet, we really don’t bless God
through our poverty.
Then, there are those who listen to
preachings on how God wants to prosper
them and bless them with a better house, a
better car, a good job and more finances.
As God begins to bless, there’s always the
danger they’ll go to the other extreme and
actually become materialistic.
That’s when many people fail and lose out
on the blessings of God. Yes, He wants us
to be blessed. But He does not want us to
be materialistic.
There is only one antidote for materialism
- and that is giving. Because materialism
says, “I want to get and I want to get even
more.” But when you give, you’re saying,
“Lord, I’m putting you first within my
life.”
Every time you give, you
actually break the grip of
materialism within your life.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot
serve God and serve money.” You have to
choose who you’re going to serve. You
have to choose who or what will be
number one within your life.
Whenever we give, a spiritual victory
takes place, that’'s why Satan gets so mad.
When you give you’re actually putting
God as number one in your life.
In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, the Word of God
commands those who are “rich in this
present world not to be arrogant nor put
their hope in wealth, which is uncertain.
But to put their hope in God who richly
provides us with everything for our
enjoyment.”
If we are generous and willing to share,
we will be able to take hold of that which
is truly life.
As spiritual leaders and those of us who
are parents, it is important for us to set the
example. We need to model a balanced
life.
Our children and spiritual children are
watching to see how we spend our money.
We need to be givers. We need to set the
example of giving money and investing
into the Kingdom of God.
4. Giving Strengthens Your
Faith. Giving will always strengthen
your faith because sooner or later you
have to decide, “Can God be trusted with
my finances? Can He really be counted
on to keep His promises?” That’s a
decision we all have to make.
The Bible has more promises on “giving”
than any other subject. Throughout the
Word of God, He promises, “Do this, then
I will do that.”
2 Corinthians 9:13 says, “Your giving
proves the reality of your faith.” You’ve
heard the expression “talk is cheap?”
Many times people say, “I've got faith and
I love God.” But they never even tithe,
nor give offerings. They don’t trust God
in the area of giving. Corinthians is
telling us that giving is what proves the
reality of our faith.
In Malachi 3 God challenges us to prove
Him. The only way to prove your faith to
God and that we love Him is through the
giving of our tithes and offerings. God
says, “Prove Me, try Me and check Me
out.” This is the only place in the Word of
God where this challenge is put to us. He
says, “See if I am not a faithful God. Put
your faith and trust in Me in this particular
area of your life and see if I don’t come
through.”
The Lord is challenging us, “I dare you to
tithe, take the 10% of everything you
make. Give it to Me and see if I won’t
care for all your needs and bless you.” It’s
a challenge. It’s a test God gives to us....
Giving strengthens your faith.
The scripture says, “Give not with regret.”
When you give grudgingly and with
regret, you won’t reap the blessings.
Your giving shouldn’t be out of a “sense
of duty” or “legalism.” It shouldn’t be
that you “have to” give, because you’re a
member or because you’re a leader. That
should never be your motivation for
giving.
Giving should be something that’s a desire
in you; a spirit of generosity, you want to
give because of the love you have for God.
What’s beautiful is when you get excited
to give. When you’re giving with a
grateful and glad heart, that’s when God
makes it up to you by giving you
everything you need. Just like the Bible
says, “… that there will be enough for you
and for your needs and plenty left over so
that you can joyfully give to others.”
There’s going to be times in
your life that God is going to
call you to give sacrificially.
That’s when you really start to become a
giver, when you don’t just give a little bit.
It’s times when your church is in a
building fund or when there’s a special
need in the ministry and a challenge to
give goes out. Those are the times you
have to stretch your faith and give
sacrificially, over and above your normal
tithes.
As a dedicated Christian, giving
sacrificially is something you will do time
and time again. When those times come,
you’ll find yourself even preparing and
getting ready because you know these are
the times God is going to produce a
miracle within your life. And God will
work a miracle for you as you begin to
step out and take the challenge.
Why should we sacrifice as God’s people?
There are three reasons why:
First, you give sacrificially
because you want to keep
growing. You want to develop
“spiritual muscles” in this area of your
life. You give because you want to see
bigger miracles and see God do more
within your life.
Don’t be like those who just “coast by,”
who are stuck in the past with a
commitment they made years ago. Be
challenged to see yourself grow in this
area of your life. As you grow in all the
other areas of your spiritual walk, you
should also be growing in this area of
giving financially. Exercise and develop
these spiritual muscles within your life.
Secondly, as a leader, I will
always lead the way. I will never
ask you to sacrifice more than I do. Julie
and I have tried to model this. The reason
why we do is because we know God is
going to bless us at the same time. As
leaders, we want to model this principle.
Have you ever seen a minister or leader
when the offering basket is passed they
choose not to place anything into the
basket? They should be rebuked when
they do that. The reason being is that we
as leaders should model and practice what
we preach.
If we preach God is a faithful God, if we
preach “Give and God will give in return,”
and tell others that God is able to meet our
needs; then we need to put our faith in
God and practice what we preach by
giving.
This is why every leader in the church,
every cell group leader and every ministry
leader needs to model giving. If you want
your people to be givers, and to step out
by faith and be a recipient of God’s
miraculous grace and power, then you as a
leader need to model it first.
When leaders begin to give in this way,
suddenly it becomes contagious. As the
leaders become givers then the
congregation also become givers.
Thirdly, you cannot out give
God. The more you give, the more He
gives back to you and the bigger your faith
muscles grow.
God doesn’t want you to just give the
normal, the tithe. The tithe is just the
beginning, that’s the starting point. God
says, “Now that you’re growing up, I want
you to give even more so I can bless you
more.”
In these moments you need to step out and
give sacrificially. Times like these are
exciting because that’s when you're
stepping out by faith saying, “God, if you
don’t come through then I’m done!” And
sure enough, God always comes through,
more than you could have ever imagined.
Perhaps your faith is strong when it comes
to believing God for salvation or healing,
but God desires you to be strong in this
particular area of your faith as well.
If you want to be strong in the area of
finances and believe God when it comes
to your money, then you need to
strengthen and exercise your faith muscles
by giving. That’s when you really begin
to grow. You can never out give God.
Giving always strengthens your faith.
And you’ll never strengthen your faith or
have faith for finances if you don’t give.
5. Giving is a Test of Your
Maturity. One of the ways God will
test your maturity is through finances.
Why through finances? Because we
spend so much of our time making money,
saving money, spending money, thinking
about money, using money, and investing
money. We build our whole life around it.
God desires for us to be mature Christians.
He wants us to trust Him, in the good
times and in the bad times. When we
begin to trust Him in the area of our
giving, we begin to mature in three areas:
First, in stability, we become stable in our
walk with God. Second, in dependability,
we become someone God can depend on.
Third, in our consistency, a mature
individual is consistent in every area of
their lives.
They are consistent in their attendance to
church. They’re consistent when it comes
to finances. They give in the good times
and in the bad times. They are not fair
weather Christians, but they are consistent
with their tithes and offerings.
When they go to church, it doesn’t matter
whether they’ve had a good week or a bad
week. It doesn’t matter if they’re up or if
they’re down. How they feel does not
matter, they are consistent. They come to
church faithfully; ready to give to God
what belongs to Him.
An immature person is one that you
always have to be motivating to give.
This is not necessary for a mature person.
You don’t have to motivate them and tell
them stories over and over again of the
blessings of God.
They’re mature. They’re consistent.
They’re faithful. They’re stable. They
come ready with their tithes and offerings.
They’re ready to worship the Lord with
their giving because they have learned
generosity within their lives.
Giving is always a test of our maturity. In
Luke Chapter 16, Jesus said, “If you are
untrustworthy with worldly wealth whose
going to trust you with the true riches of
heaven?”
Heaven.” He said you can either store it
up on earth or you can store it up in
heaven.
Jesus is saying, “If you’re not faithful with
your money here on earth, then God is not
going to trust you with greater spiritual
responsibilities in heaven.”
In other words, you can use your finances
to do good here and now. It’s the only safe
investment for eternity. Not only will you
live a fruitful life down here, but you’ll be
building security in heaven. There’s no
greater investment than investing in the
Kingdom of God.
Did you know that Jesus
spoke more about money
than He did about health? He This type of investment is an investment
spoke more about money that is protected. It’s proven. It pays great
and it has no risks. Giving is an
than He did about heaven. dividends
investment for eternity.
Over half the parables in the
Perhaps you say, “Well, that’s heaven, but
Bible have to do with money what about here?” When you give to the
management. This is how Kingdom of God, not only are you making
important this subject is to an investment in heaven, with a
tremendous heavenly return, but there is
God. Because God desires for also a great return right here.
us to come to a place of
7. Giving Blesses You in
maturity and consistency.
I wonder how many of you have been
consistent. How many of you have taken
your tithe or “United We Can” envelope to
church and really gave? Or is it a hit and
miss type of thing with you? Maybe you
didn’t feel good this week or maybe the
preacher didn’t preach a good sermon.
Perhaps a brother or sister hurt your
feelings, or maybe the pastor or leader did
something that turned you off so you held
back on giving your finances.
Remember, when you give, you’re not
giving to a man, or to the church or even
to an organization. Every time you give,
you’re giving to God. You need to know
and understand that you’re giving is unto
God and it’s a vital part of your worship
experience.
6. Giving is an Investment
for Eternity. In other words, “you
can’t take your money with you when you
die.” “Naked you came into the world and
naked you will return.” Though you can’t
take your money with you, you can send it
on ahead.
The way you send your money on ahead is
by the investment you make in people and
the investment you make in the Kingdom
of God down here on earth.
Jesus said, “Store up treasures in
Return.
In 1 Kings Chapter 17, we
read about Elijah, the prophet of God.
There was great famine in the land and
Elijah asks a woman who was basically
down to her last meal to do something for
him.
The Word of God says, “Now Elijah the
Tishbite said, “As the Lord, the God of
Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be
neither dew nor rain in the next few years
except at my word.” Then the word of the
Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn
eastward and hide in the brook Cherith,
east of the Jordan. You will drink from the
brook, and I have ordered the ravens to
feed you there.” So he did what the Lord
had told him. He went to the brook
Cherith, east of the Jordan, and stayed
there. The ravens brought him bread and
meat in the morning and bread and meat
in the evening, and he drank from the
brook. Some time later the brook dried up
because there had been no rain in the
land. Then the word of the Lord came to
him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon
and stay there. I have commanded a
widow in that place to supply you with
food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he
came to the town gate, a widow was there
gathering sticks. He called to her and
asked, “Would you bring me a little water
in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she
was going to get it, he called, “And bring
me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely
as the Lord your God lives,” she replied,
“I don't have any bread, only a handful of
flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am
gathering a few sticks to take home and
make a meal for myself and my son, that
we may eat it, and die.”
Talk about a famine. What does Elijah say
to her? “Don't be afraid.” Do you know
why he said those words to her? Because
what he was going to ask her to do was
going to require her to take a very big step
of faith.
Elijah said to her, “Don't be afraid. Go
home and do as you have said. But first
make a small cake of bread for me from
what you have and bring it to me, and then
make something for yourself and your son.
For this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be
used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
until the day the Lord gives rain on the
land.’”
How many of you at that point would have
been rebellious? How many would say,
“What? Are you crazy, I’m not falling for
that, no way.” How many of you would
have been obedient? But what did she do?
She went away and did as Elijah had told
her. So there was food every day for Elijah
and for the woman and her family. For the
jar of flour was not used up and the jug of
oil did not run dry, in keeping with the
word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
The first lesson we learn from
this is “The time to give is
when you're flat broke.” That’s
when giving really begins. Not when you
have. But real giving, “faith giving” is
when you don’t have. Real “faith giving”
is when you’re flat broke.
Secondly, we see that if you put
God first He'll take care of all
your needs. Just like the widow
woman, God takes care of you when you
put Him first and take care of His
business.
Third, you always reap more
than you sow. God blesses those that
bless Him. Proverbs 22:9 says, “The
generous person will always be blessed.”
How does God bless you when you put
Him first? First of all by increasing your
income. How many know that God can
work a miracle like that? He can increase
your income. He can stretch your money
to go far. He also does this by decreasing
your expenses.
will bless you in all things, in everything
you do God’s blessing will be upon you.
Julie and I have experienced this for a
number of years now. In everything we
do, in everything we touch it's blessed, not
only with spiritual blessings but financial
blessings as well.
Have you ever experienced when it seems
like you have holes in your pockets? As
hard as you try, you just can't seem to
make ends meet.
It’s up to you. Are you going to say, “I’m
going to trust God. This is just the
beginning, I’m going to step out by faith
and believe Him.” He’s a great God.
Believe Him, step out by faith and do
things you’ve never done before.
Some people are so cursed that the more
money they make the more they are in
debt. They have a curse upon them.
But when you put God first in your giving,
not only does He increase your income,
He also decreases your expenses.
Somehow, miraculously, you don't spend
as much.
Not only are you blessed financially, but
God protects and sustains your
possessions. He keeps you healthy and
strong so you will be able to work. God is
able to do all these things.
Now let me give you a word of caution …
there's a difference between faith and
bargaining with God.
God blesses faith. God does
not bless bargaining with Him.
Do you know what bargaining is?
Bargaining is when you say, “Lord, help
me close this deal first.” Or “When my
ship comes in or when I hit the lotto, then
I’ll give some of it back to you. If You
will only help me then I’ll surely give.
And the bigger You give to me the more
I’ll give to You.” You try to work out a
deal and bargain with God, but God does
not bargain.
Faith is when you give to God in advance,
sacrificially give to Him and put Him first.
Faith is when you say, “God, I’m going to
give even though I don’t have. I‘m going
to do it as a personal sacrifice and put You
first.”
Faith giving is always putting
God first. Deuteronomy 15:10 says,
“Give generously and do so without a
grudging heart, then because of this the
Lord will bless you in all your work and in
everything you put your hand to do.” God
Or you can say, “I want to stay in
poverty.” And that's the way you’ll live.
But if you want to be blessed, then you
need to follow the principles that are in the
Word of God.
Don’t bargain with God. Don’t say, “I’m
too poor to pay my tithes, I’m too poor to
give.” You’re not too poor … but you’ll
stay poor if you don’t pay your tithes and
offerings. Take what you have and give it
to God. Put God first. “Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all things will be added unto you.”
It’s amazing, some people can trust God
for their salvation, for their eternity in
heaven but they can’t trust God when it
comes to finances. Isn’t that a shame?
What logic is there in that? They don’t
tithe or give offerings. What that means is
they actually lack confidence in God.
They are too afraid to trust God. They
don’t really believe God will keep His
promises.
If they can believe and trust God for their
eternal destiny wouldn't you think they
could trust God with their finances? He’s
the same God. If this is your struggle,
don’t let Satan rob you anymore of the
blessings that God wants to give you.
8. Giving Makes You
Happy. Giving people are happy
people. There’s something about when
you give, it makes you feel good. You
always walk away with a sense of
fulfillment inside, because you’ve done
something for someone, or you’ve done
something for the Kingdom of God.
There’s two kinds of people in life …
“givers” and “takers.” You’re either one
or the other. Either you’re a giver or
you’re a taker and you’re the only one that
makes that decision.
Many years ago, at the beginning of this
ministry, Julie and I made that decision.
We wanted to be very careful when it
came to government funding of the
ministry. We knew that God never
intended for us to be dependent on the
government to meet the needs of the
ministry.
This is a decision we had to make right
from the very beginning. I want you to
know that we didn’t make this decision
when we had it all together and had plenty
of finances for the ministry. We made this
decision when we were really hurting,
when we were broke financially.
You make the decision. Takers are
unhappy people. Givers are happy people.
The most happy people in life are people
that are givers. Jesus said, “There is more
happiness in giving than in receiving, it’s
more blessed to give than to receive.”
Paul said, “You already excel in faith.
You got saved didn’t you? See that you
excel in knowledge; and now add
generosity to your virtues.”
You should get excited when it’s time to
give in the offering. You should get
excited when it’s time to pay your tithes.
Paul said we should excel in the area of
giving.
We decided, “We’re going to live by the
principles of the Word of God. We’re
putting our trust in God, not in man.”
The reason we’re sharing these principles
of giving with you today is because if you
don’t learn to be a giver you’re not going
to make it financially. Not because we
need or want your money.
Our
dependency is not on man but on God.
Do you know what happened? In those
early days, all of those programs that put
their trust in the government, they folded
up. But Victory Outreach continued to
flourish and go forward.
If somehow you’ve short changed God
and haven’t been faithful in your giving,
God will raise someone else up to meet
the need. That’s the way God works. God
is a faithful God.
Our desire is to see God break
the curse of poverty within your
life. Perhaps today you find
yourself saying, “Somehow I
haven’t been consistent. I haven’t
been faithful in my giving. I need
to put my trust in God.”
Our prayer for you is that you
will learn to trust God in this
area of your life, in your giving.
Our desire is for you to receive
all the benefits that come to
someone who is generous and
gives.
Through giving you’ll grow to be
more like Him and draw closer to
God. You’ll break the grip of
materialism over your life and
your faith will be strengthened.
You will prove your maturity in
Christ and be blessed by
investing in eternity. And you
will be blessed here on earth as
well. You will experience the
peace and happiness that comes
to those who give.
The decision is yours. Learn to
put your trust and confidence in a
faithful God. In every area of
your life. May God richly bless
you and do something special
within your life. Julie and I
would love to hear from you.
Write us and share with us the
miracles God does as a result of
your faithfulness, God bless you.
“United We Can” Family,
Please remember to send in your
love gift today in the enclosed
envelope, and may God richly
bless you and provide for all of
your needs.
Today, if the government wants to give us
money, we’ll take it. But we’re not going
to depend on that money to sustain us.
Our dependency is always going to be on
God.
This is why people have to be careful
when it comes to welfare support. Some
people live their whole lives on welfare.
They become experts on getting money
because their dependency is on the county
or on the government. In the long run they
lose out.
We’re not against welfare if you really
have a need for financial assistance for
awhile. But it should only be for a season.
As you begin to come to church and get
into the Word of God; as you begin to
practice the principles in the Word of God,
then there is going to come a time that
you’ll tell the government, “Listen, I don’t
need to have your money anymore, God is
providing for me. God is meeting all my
needs!”
So what are you going to be? Are you
going to be a taker or are you going to be
a giver?
VICTORY OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL®
"United We Can..."
P.O. Box 3490
San Dimas, CA 91773
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN DIMAS CA
PERMIT 44
Sunday Morning's sermon at Victory Outreach San Diego by Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni
"Now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian
churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled
up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing
in this service to the saints. 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. So we urged Titus, since he had
earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just
as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and
in your love for us, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” ~ 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
In this passage, we find the Apostle Paul dealing with the Corinthian Church. They were a
people who had faith in God for many things but when it came to trusting God in the area of
finances, they had a problem; this was a weak area in their spiritual experience with God.
Likewise, many people today find it hard to trust God in this practical aspect of their lives.
They can believe God for great miracles … but when it comes to this simple, practical area
of their lives, many times they fail to put their faith and trust in God. Today, we want to look
at the benefits of trusting God and being a generous, giving person.
1. Giving Makes You More
Like God. Throughout the Word of
need to be a generous person because God
is a generous God.
God, we read about God being a giver.
Over and over we find He’s a generous
God. In James 1:5 we read, “God gives to
all generously, ungrudgingly.” Not only
does He give to those who are Christians,
but He gives to those who are not saved.
We see in the Bible, God’s given so much
to us. He’s given us the sun, and all the
things in nature for us to enjoy.
It should be automatic! The closer you get
to God, the more generous you become. If
you have His spirit living in your life,
you're becoming more like Him. He is a
generous God, so everytime you're
generous and give, you become more like
Him and you grow godlier.
Above all else, God gave us His Son, Jesus
Christ. “For God so loved the world that
He gave His Son ….” And if we’re going
to be like God then we have to learn to be
giving people, because He’s a giving God.
In 1 Chronicles 29:14 it says, “Everything
we have has come from You. Lord, we can
only give You what is Yours already.” That
means everything we have has come from
God. And whatever we give to God, is His
already. We’re giving Him something that
actually belongs to Him already.
If your desire is to be a godly person, if
you want to be more like God, then you
2. Giving Draws You Closer
To God. Jesus said, “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If your money is in an investment, that’s
where your heart is. If your money is in
your house, like many people today who
even worship their homes, that’s where
your heart is. If your money is in your
career or a hobby or anything else, that is
where your heart is.
The Bible says that money is
like a magnet, wherever we put
it, it tends to pull our hearts.
When we give money to God it’s like a
magnet, it pulls us closer to God. When
How does God bless you when you put
Him first? First of all by increasing your
income. How many know that God can
work a miracle like that? He can increase
your income. He can stretch your money
to go far. He also does this by decreasing
your expenses.
will bless you in all things, in everything
you do God’s blessing will be upon you.
Julie and I have experienced this for a
number of years now. In everything we
do, in everything we touch it's blessed, not
only with spiritual blessings but financial
blessings as well.
Have you ever experienced when it seems
like you have holes in your pockets? As
hard as you try, you just can't seem to
make ends meet.
It’s up to you. Are you going to say, “I’m
going to trust God. This is just the
beginning, I’m going to step out by faith
and believe Him.” He’s a great God.
Believe Him, step out by faith and do
things you’ve never done before.
Some people are so cursed that the more
money they make the more they are in
debt. They have a curse upon them.
But when you put God first in your giving,
not only does He increase your income,
He also decreases your expenses.
Somehow, miraculously, you don't spend
as much.
Not only are you blessed financially, but
God protects and sustains your
possessions. He keeps you healthy and
strong so you will be able to work. God is
able to do all these things.
Now let me give you a word of caution …
there's a difference between faith and
bargaining with God.
God blesses faith. God does
not bless bargaining with Him.
Do you know what bargaining is?
Bargaining is when you say, “Lord, help
me close this deal first.” Or “When my
ship comes in or when I hit the lotto, then
I’ll give some of it back to you. If You
will only help me then I’ll surely give.
And the bigger You give to me the more
I’ll give to You.” You try to work out a
deal and bargain with God, but God does
not bargain.
Faith is when you give to God in advance,
sacrificially give to Him and put Him first.
Faith is when you say, “God, I’m going to
give even though I don’t have. I‘m going
to do it as a personal sacrifice and put You
first.”
Faith giving is always putting
God first. Deuteronomy 15:10 says,
“Give generously and do so without a
grudging heart, then because of this the
Lord will bless you in all your work and in
everything you put your hand to do.” God
Or you can say, “I want to stay in
poverty.” And that's the way you’ll live.
But if you want to be blessed, then you
need to follow the principles that are in the
Word of God.
Don’t bargain with God. Don’t say, “I’m
too poor to pay my tithes, I’m too poor to
give.” You’re not too poor … but you’ll
stay poor if you don’t pay your tithes and
offerings. Take what you have and give it
to God. Put God first. “Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all things will be added unto you.”
It’s amazing, some people can trust God
for their salvation, for their eternity in
heaven but they can’t trust God when it
comes to finances. Isn’t that a shame?
What logic is there in that? They don’t
tithe or give offerings. What that means is
they actually lack confidence in God.
They are too afraid to trust God. They
don’t really believe God will keep His
promises.
If they can believe and trust God for their
eternal destiny wouldn't you think they
could trust God with their finances? He’s
the same God. If this is your struggle,
don’t let Satan rob you anymore of the
blessings that God wants to give you.
8. Giving Makes You
Happy. Giving people are happy
people. There’s something about when
you give, it makes you feel good. You
always walk away with a sense of
fulfillment inside, because you’ve done
something for someone, or you’ve done
something for the Kingdom of God.
There’s two kinds of people in life …
“givers” and “takers.” You’re either one
or the other. Either you’re a giver or
you’re a taker and you’re the only one that
makes that decision.
Many years ago, at the beginning of this
ministry, Julie and I made that decision.
We wanted to be very careful when it
came to government funding of the
ministry. We knew that God never
intended for us to be dependent on the
government to meet the needs of the
ministry.
This is a decision we had to make right
from the very beginning. I want you to
know that we didn’t make this decision
when we had it all together and had plenty
of finances for the ministry. We made this
decision when we were really hurting,
when we were broke financially.
You make the decision. Takers are
unhappy people. Givers are happy people.
The most happy people in life are people
that are givers. Jesus said, “There is more
happiness in giving than in receiving, it’s
more blessed to give than to receive.”
Paul said, “You already excel in faith.
You got saved didn’t you? See that you
excel in knowledge; and now add
generosity to your virtues.”
You should get excited when it’s time to
give in the offering. You should get
excited when it’s time to pay your tithes.
Paul said we should excel in the area of
giving.
We decided, “We’re going to live by the
principles of the Word of God. We’re
putting our trust in God, not in man.”
The reason we’re sharing these principles
of giving with you today is because if you
don’t learn to be a giver you’re not going
to make it financially. Not because we
need or want your money.
Our
dependency is not on man but on God.
Do you know what happened? In those
early days, all of those programs that put
their trust in the government, they folded
up. But Victory Outreach continued to
flourish and go forward.
If somehow you’ve short changed God
and haven’t been faithful in your giving,
God will raise someone else up to meet
the need. That’s the way God works. God
is a faithful God.
Our desire is to see God break
the curse of poverty within your
life. Perhaps today you find
yourself saying, “Somehow I
haven’t been consistent. I haven’t
been faithful in my giving. I need
to put my trust in God.”
Our prayer for you is that you
will learn to trust God in this
area of your life, in your giving.
Our desire is for you to receive
all the benefits that come to
someone who is generous and
gives.
Through giving you’ll grow to be
more like Him and draw closer to
God. You’ll break the grip of
materialism over your life and
your faith will be strengthened.
You will prove your maturity in
Christ and be blessed by
investing in eternity. And you
will be blessed here on earth as
well. You will experience the
peace and happiness that comes
to those who give.
The decision is yours. Learn to
put your trust and confidence in a
faithful God. In every area of
your life. May God richly bless
you and do something special
within your life. Julie and I
would love to hear from you.
Write us and share with us the
miracles God does as a result of
your faithfulness, God bless you.
“United We Can” Family,
Please remember to send in your
love gift today in the enclosed
envelope, and may God richly
bless you and provide for all of
your needs.
Today, if the government wants to give us
money, we’ll take it. But we’re not going
to depend on that money to sustain us.
Our dependency is always going to be on
God.
This is why people have to be careful
when it comes to welfare support. Some
people live their whole lives on welfare.
They become experts on getting money
because their dependency is on the county
or on the government. In the long run they
lose out.
We’re not against welfare if you really
have a need for financial assistance for
awhile. But it should only be for a season.
As you begin to come to church and get
into the Word of God; as you begin to
practice the principles in the Word of God,
then there is going to come a time that
you’ll tell the government, “Listen, I don’t
need to have your money anymore, God is
providing for me. God is meeting all my
needs!”
So what are you going to be? Are you
going to be a taker or are you going to be
a giver?
VICTORY OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL®
"United We Can..."
P.O. Box 3490
San Dimas, CA 91773
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SAN DIMAS CA
PERMIT 44
Sunday Morning's sermon at Victory Outreach San Diego by Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni
"Now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian
churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled
up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing
in this service to the saints. 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. So we urged Titus, since he had
earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just
as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and
in your love for us, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” ~ 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
In this passage, we find the Apostle Paul dealing with the Corinthian Church. They were a
people who had faith in God for many things but when it came to trusting God in the area of
finances, they had a problem; this was a weak area in their spiritual experience with God.
Likewise, many people today find it hard to trust God in this practical aspect of their lives.
They can believe God for great miracles … but when it comes to this simple, practical area
of their lives, many times they fail to put their faith and trust in God. Today, we want to look
at the benefits of trusting God and being a generous, giving person.
1. Giving Makes You More
Like God. Throughout the Word of
need to be a generous person because God
is a generous God.
God, we read about God being a giver.
Over and over we find He’s a generous
God. In James 1:5 we read, “God gives to
all generously, ungrudgingly.” Not only
does He give to those who are Christians,
but He gives to those who are not saved.
We see in the Bible, God’s given so much
to us. He’s given us the sun, and all the
things in nature for us to enjoy.
It should be automatic! The closer you get
to God, the more generous you become. If
you have His spirit living in your life,
you're becoming more like Him. He is a
generous God, so everytime you're
generous and give, you become more like
Him and you grow godlier.
Above all else, God gave us His Son, Jesus
Christ. “For God so loved the world that
He gave His Son ….” And if we’re going
to be like God then we have to learn to be
giving people, because He’s a giving God.
In 1 Chronicles 29:14 it says, “Everything
we have has come from You. Lord, we can
only give You what is Yours already.” That
means everything we have has come from
God. And whatever we give to God, is His
already. We’re giving Him something that
actually belongs to Him already.
If your desire is to be a godly person, if
you want to be more like God, then you
2. Giving Draws You Closer
To God. Jesus said, “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If your money is in an investment, that’s
where your heart is. If your money is in
your house, like many people today who
even worship their homes, that’s where
your heart is. If your money is in your
career or a hobby or anything else, that is
where your heart is.
The Bible says that money is
like a magnet, wherever we put
it, it tends to pull our hearts.
When we give money to God it’s like a
magnet, it pulls us closer to God. When