The Joy of Giving

A young boy, setting out for church one Sunday morning, was given two nickels: one for the offering plate and one for himself. As he rambled down the street, he played with the coins. One of them slipped out of his hand, rolled away, and suddenly disappeared into the sewer drain. The boy stared down through the grate in disbelief, then sighed, "Well, there goes the Lord's nickel."

When money is tight, it's easy to give God the short end of the stick. But in the process, we miss out on the tremendous joy of giving. Over the past five weeks, I've been preaching through 2 Corinthians 8-9 on the subject of financial stewardship. We concluded the series last Sunday, and our church is now beginning a season of prayer and practical financial planning.

No one would deny these are tough economic times. I don't know yet how the Lord is going to meet our church's needs, but this much I know: God is faithful and promises to bless those who give generously to His work. I'm thankful for this opportunity to cast myself at God's feet and see how He's going to provide.

Here are links to the messages in our series. May the Lord use His Word to create a passion for His glory and an eagerness to give toward the needs of His church.

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 1 (2 Cor. 8:1-6)
Theme: joyful giving begins with total surrender to God 

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 2 (2 Cor. 8:7-15)
Theme: joyful giving is a natural response to Christ's great gift to us

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 3 (2 Cor. 8:16-24)
Theme: joyful giving must be managed with integrity 

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 4 (2 Cor. 9)
Theme: joyful giving invests generously in God's kingdom work 

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 5 (2 Cor. 9)
Theme: joyful giving is a voluntary act of faith and love