Making Change: Giving Is Good

MAKING CHANGE

“Giving is Good”

Acts 20:32-36

December 4, 2016

• Less Is More        •  Stress Is Bad
• Giving Is Good     •  Tomorrow Matters

…You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35 NLT

 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. ²⁵The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed... Proverbs 11:24-25 MSG

GROW IN YOUR GENEROSITY 

• TRUST GOD WITH THE TITHE

One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy. Leviticus 27:30 NLT

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10 

• PLAN YOUR GENEROSITY

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. Isaiah 32:8 NLT

• START BEING GENEROUS NOW

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6 NLT 

• TAKE TH E NEXT STEP UP THE GENEROSITY LADDER

“Some people spend their money freely and still grow richer. Others are cautious, and yet grow poorer.  Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped.”

Proverbs 11:24-25 GNT

Our “3 Buckets” of Giving

Bucket #1      Our Church Ministry Plan

Bucket #2      OutLive Your Life

Bucket #3      Go Fund

TAKING IT DEEPER

• How do you think your life would look in five years if you increased your generosity now? And if you didn’t?
• When do you find yourself living in a scarcity mindset? When do you act more from an abundance mindset?
• Start reading the four-day I’m Generous Bible Plan today. go2.lc/generous
• Try the three-month tithe challenge!
• How do you think your life would look in five years if you increased your generosity now? And if you didn’t?
• Read Acts 20:35 and Proverbs 11:24-25. Why do you think we still struggle to be generous?
• What could being generous now look like for you? Brad encouraged us to tithe, plan our generosity, and start being generous now and take the next step up the generosity ladder. What are your next steps?