“Fearless Generosity”

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4 NIV

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:21-22 NIV

The Fears that hold us back The Fear of not having enough Not having enough to live on – Luke 21:1-4; 1 Kings 17:12-14 Not having enough to really enjoy life – Matthew 19:21-22; Luke 12:12-21

The Fears that hold us back The Fear of being taken advantage of Being ripped off – Luke 6:27-31 Being used – John 6:25-27

The Fears that hold us back The Fear of not being appreciated Weary of not even being acknowledged or thanked – Luke 6:35 Generosity often goes unnoticed and unappreciated – Galatians 6:9-10

Generous Giving is a Test It’s a test of trust – Proverbs 3:5-6 Do we really trust God to take care of us? – Matthew 6:25-34 Do we really believe God will reward us? – Luke 6:38; Malachi 3:8-12

Generous Giving is a Test It’s a test of love – Matthew 22:36-40 Do we really love God and our neighbor? – 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 Generosity is proof of our love! – 1 John 3:16-18

Generous Giving is a Test It’s a test of motive – 2 Corinthians 9:7 There are lots of different motives for giving – Matthew 6:1 Motives are important to God – Matthew 6:2-4; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Start Practicing Fearless Generosity Trust God completely – Luke 21:1-4 Trust His teachings – Matthew 6:25-34; Acts 20:35 Trust His promises – Matthew 6:19-24; 19:16-22

Start Practicing Fearless Generosity Give Freely with no strings attached – Matthew 10:8 Much of our giving is conditional – Luke 6:32-36 Be like the good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37

Start Practicing Fearless Generosity Make the most of every opportunity! – Colossians 4:2-6 Generosity and evangelism go hand in hand – Acts 2:44-47 Follow in the footsteps of Jesus! – Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:3-6