I am generous, because I serve a generous God!

John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

To live a generous life I…

…Must leverage the Law of Planting & Harvest

2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

…Must give with the right attitude

2 Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

Matthew 6:21 NIV
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Provision Giving:
I give so that my needs are met, my life is blessed,
and to enable me to be generous with others!

…Can’t forget it all comes from God!

2 Corinthians 9:10-11a NLT
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.

…Will choose to make a difference!

2 Corinthians 9:11b-12 NLT
And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God

God so loved that he GAVE! That right there is the essence and the backbone of the story of God, he is a giver. He gave life, and when we disobeyed, he gave restoration, and when we sin, he gives forgiveness, and when we fall short he gives help. When we are weak, he gives us strength. GOD IS A GIVER, and when I give I am most like God, because his generosity is at the core of who he is!

What is the law of Planting & Harvesting?
A corn kernel is a great example of this. A farmer plants 1 kernel which creates 1 stalk, but that 1 stalk has 2 ears and each of those ears has about 800 kernels, which gives you 1,600 kernels! That’s the law of planting and harvest, when you plant you are never left with less than you had before. Let that sink in for a moment!

Let’s say you plant 2000 kernels of corn, but only 50% of them grow, that’s 1,000 stalks, with 2 ears each, at about 800 kernels apiece, that leaves you with 1.6million kernels. The Law of Planting & Harvest always produces exponential results even in bad years.

If I want to enjoy a bumper crop of generosity in my own life, I must be willing to take the risk of planting generously! You might be wondering, what is the risk? Well, before you can receive the harvest you must plant the seed. Before you have anything in return, you must put the seed in the ground and let go! (2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT)

God wants me to trust him and to test him – Malachi 3, God actually says, test me in this and see if I won’t throw Heaven open to bless you! (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Prosperity Giving – I give to get

Poverty Giving – I give to show my piety, the broker I am the more spiritual I am, holier than thou!

Provision Giving – I give so that my needs are met, my life is blessed, and to enable me to be generous with others!

God demonstrated generosity, and created the law of Planting and Harvest not because He needed it, it wasn’t because he needed to prove his faithfulness to himself…He created all of this specifically for us, and designed it to teach us about himself, to root out selfishness and greed within our hearts, and to deepen our trust of him. More than anything else in this world, God wants our hearts to be fully devoted to him. (Matthew 6:21)

He provides the seed that’s planted, he provides the rain that makes it grow, he protects the harvest from destruction, he gives the yield at harvest, he gives the strength to bring in the harvest, the ability to grind the seed, which produces bread, which sustains your life!

Enriched in EVERY way – It’s not just financially that God will bless you, he will bless you relationally, spiritually, emotionally, physically. The blessings of God are not limited to the number in your bank account

Have you ever heard of supply chain economics? It’s the process by which a supplier moves it’s product to it’s final destination. All the stuff in between the Supplier and the End user is the supply chain.

God owns it all, he is the ultimate supplier, he wants everyone to know and accept his gift of salvation and we are the supply chain!

God who owns it all, sees a need, and then he moves in the heart of one of his followers and points out the need, and he says “GO, use what I have given you to meet that need!” It could be your time, it could be your creativity, it could be your abilities, it could be your finances, it could be your story.

But, and here’s where this really matters, you’ve got to be willing to do what it takes to make a difference! You’ve got to be willing to say, I’m giving of my finances so that message of Jesus can continue to be heard. I’m going to volunteer so that people who come feel welcomed and open to the gospel. I’m going to give of my time to invest in someone who needs hope! That’s what it means to be generous, being the conduit of God’s blessing into someone else’s life!

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