1. A BIBLICAL GIVING EXPERIENCE!
FAITH PROMISE
The
A BIBLICAL GIVING EXPERIENCE!

2. One Half Of The World Is Without An Adequate Gospel Witness.
Did you know that one-half of the world is without an adequate gospel witness?
Yes, one fourth of the world has never even heard the name of Jesus!
And another fourth of the world’s population has not received sufficient gospel to be able to make a decision for Christ.
This means that over 3 billion people are unaware that Jesus died for their sins and that they can be saved!
We have been commanded to reach everyone of them. Every man, every woman and every child, in every nation on this earth, has the right to know that there is eternal life.
WE HAVE BEEN COMMANDED TO REACH THEM!

3. WE HAVE ONLY TWO CHOICES
1. WE MUST GO AS MISSIONARIES -
Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV) or
2. WE MUST SEND OTHERS -
Paul wrote, “And how will anyone go and tell them unless someone sends him?” Rom 10:15 (TLB)
If we as Christians are going to obey our Master, we have only two choices.
We must sell everything that we own, tell our family and friends goodbye and go as missionaries because Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
Or, if God has not called us to go, then we must send others through our prayers and our faithful giving. Paul wrote in Romans 10:15, “And how will anyone go and tell them unless someone sends him?”
Our committed giving makes this possible.
COMMITTED MONTHLY GIVING MAKES THIS POSSIBLE.

4. COMMITTED MISSIONS GIVING:
IS NOT YOUR TITHE
Your tithe is God’s portion of what He has already provided for you.
IS NOT JUST A PLEDGE
Committed missions giving is not the tithe from your income. The tithe already belongs to God and should be brought to the local Church. Why? Because it is God’s will and because a strong Church will be better able to reach the world for Christ.
Committed missions giving is not just a pledge. A pledge is between you and the Church. In many denominational Churches, if you get behind in your pledge, someone from the Church office will call you and ask that you bring your payments up to date before the first of next month.
Since your commitment is between you and God, no one will be calling or sending a reminder if you should fall behind in your missions giving.
The Church office will not contact you if you fail to make a payment.

5. Paul wrote concerning the giving of the Macedonian Christians,
“For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,” 2 Cor 8:3 (NASU)
Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians about the exceptional giving of the Macedonian Christians giving. In 2 Corinthians 8:3 Paul records, “For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord.”

6. THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF COMMITTED GIVING THAT SUPPORT MISSIONS
“according to their ability”
BUDGETED GIVING
Paul identifies two kinds of biblical, committed giving: First, there were those who gave “according to their ability”. We can call that COMMITTED GIVING.
The second group gave “beyond their ability”. This is giving that requires a source beyond ourselves. We call that FAITH PROMISE GIVING.
Both of these groups are dedicated to obeying God and the work of missions would not survive without their faithful and committed giving.
“..beyond their ability..”
FAITH PROMISE GIVING

7. BUDGETED GIVING MEANS:
To give regularly
House
Car
Tithe
Missions
Food 
To include missions in your monthly budget as a priority item
Budgeted giving means to give a definite amount, regularly, each week or month.
It is included in the budget as a priority item, just like your tithe, housing, food, car and other necessities.
It means to give what you can truly afford. Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, “…Give as freely as you have received!” (TLB)
To give what you are truly able to afford

8. FAITH PROMISE GIVING LIFTS US TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF PARTNERSHIP!
It is not based on your ability to give but rests confidently in God’s ability to provide as your faith ascends to new heights.
There are limits, however, to the amount that we can afford to give. Some people have discovered that they can increase their giving beyond their own ability through the Faith Promise. Faith Promise giving lifts us up to yet a higher level of partnership with God. Although beyond our own ability, we rest confidently in God’s ability and willingness to provide as our faith learns to ascend to new heights of trust.
So what is a faith promise? It is not just a promise. We make promises on the basis of what we know we can afford. A Faith Promise is based on our faith in God’s ability to provide through us far beyond our own capabilities..
Someone has said, “God will give much more through you than He will ever give to you.”

9. WHAT IS A FAITH PROMISE? It is a sacred act.
It is a spiritual agreement between you and God to give monthly during the next year.
It is your total reliance upon God for divine provision.
A faith promise goes beyond ourselves.
It is a sacred act.
It is a solemn moment when you enter into partnership with God and complete your faith promise card.
It is a spiritual agreement between you and God that, with His help, you will give a pre-determined amount to your Church during the next twelve months to be used in world missions for the evangelization of the lost.
It is your total reliance upon God to provide the finance for the Faith Promise that you are making. And remember, just keep praying and believing. God is going to keep his part of the agreement and he wants you to keep yours.

10. WHO SHOULD MAKE A FAITH PROMISE?
Every family unit should make a faith promise.
Children and youth should be taught to make a faith promise.
Who can make a faith promise? Every family unit should make a monthly commitment to missions. That means that every couple, family and single adult can make a faith promise.
Children and young people should also be encouraged to make a faith promise and should be taught by the example of their parents.
If we have not been called to go as missionaries, we should remember that we have been called to send missionaries. We must be either goers or senders.
We are all called to be either goers or senders.

11. FAITH PROMISE GIVING IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER
Faith Promise giving is the great equalizer. Although not everyone can afford to give the same amount, no one is limited in how much they can believe God to provide. So it doesn’t matter if it is a child on a small allowance, a teen with only a part-time job, a single mother trying to survive, a growing family stretching their budget or an older person on a limited retirement income.
Everyone has the same right to believe God to provide. No one is unimportant to missions and no one, regardless of circumstances, is excluded from making a faith promise.

12. IS YOUR PROMISE REALLY MADE IN
FAITH?
If it is an amount that you can afford to give, it doesn’t require as much faith.
If the amount you have promised to give isn’t a challenge to you, it may not stretch your faith.
So, now for the question!
Is your promise really made in FAITH? Are you making a faith PROMISE or a FAITH promise?
If you are thinking of promising an amount that you can afford, an amount that you already have in the bank or will easily have available each month, it doesn’t require as much faith as it would to believe God for provision beyond your own ability.
If the amount you have promised to give isn’t a challenge to you, it may not stretch your faith.

13. WHY MUST I FILL OUT A FAITH PROMISE CARD?
Missionaries cannot leave for the field until their budget is complete.
Missions leadership will not know how much the church can commit to support of missionaries until your promises are totaled.
Some may ask, “Why must I fill out a faith promise card?”
Missionaries must raise their full budget before they are cleared to leave for the field and the Division of Foreign Missions must have a record of each church’s commitment to the missionaries they intend to support.
The leadership of the your Church must know how much income to expect monthly from the faith promise that you make today before they can make a monthly commitment to the missionaries.
Your faith promise helps them know how much they can budget for missionaries who are seeking regular support.

14. I DON’T WANT OTHERS TO KNOW WHAT I AM GIVING!
Amounts, but not names, will be announced.
Confidentiality will be maintained.
Only those who administer missions funds will see your card.
For those who are thinking, “I don’t want others to know how much I am giving.” Don’t worry. The congregation will never know.
The amount of each faith promise will be read when total faith promise giving is tallied but your name will not be announced.
Confidentiality will be maintained. Only those who are involved in the administration of missionary funds will see your card.

15. IF I MADE A FAITH PROMISE LAST YEAR, MUST I MAKE A NEW ONE?
Yes, because each faith promise is made for one year.
Yes, because you WILL want to increase your giving for next year.
Yes, because we start fresh today.
You may ask, “If I made a faith promise last year, must I make a new one today?” The answer is yes, yes, and yes.
Yes, because most faith promises are made on a yearly basis. That means that your new faith promise will begin today and will continue for the next twelve months.
Yes again, because you should want to increase your giving for next year. You have seen God’s hand in providing the funds for you to fulfill your faith promise made last year. This means your faith should now be stronger than it was a year ago.
And a third time, yes, because we start fresh today. If you made a faith promise last year and were unable to complete it, don’t let that keep you from making a new faith promise today. Close the book on the past and ask God’s guidance as you seek Him for the amount that you should promise for this coming year.

16. HOW DO I GIVE MY FAITH PROMISE?
Most will give on mission’s Sunday.
Some will give as they receive their salary.
Others must wait until God provides.
All should clearly mark their giving “missions”.
Where, how and when do I pay my faith promise? Most Churches set aside one Sunday each month as Missions Sunday. You may place your faith promise in this offering.
Some have chosen to pay their faith promise more frequently, upon receipt of their salary check paid every week or every other week.
Some will pay what they can on a regular basis but will not be able to make full payments until God has provided. They will continue to believe God for His provision.
Missions giving can be placed in almost any offering in the sanctuary but should be clearly designated, “Missions”, so that it may be directed to the missions fund.

17. HOW MUCH IS A FAITH PROMISE?
GOD GAVE HIS SON
JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR LOST SOULS
SHOULDN’T WE GIVE MORE TO REACH THE LOST THAN WE SPEND ON:
So how much is a faith promise? How big is your God?
Since God gave His Son to redeem the lost and Jesus gave His life to save those who still haven’t heard, shouldn’t we give more to reach the lost than we spend on such things as pet food and care or cable television?
That’s the question. Have you got the answer? ?

18. CALVARY DEMANDS OUR BEST,
Calvary demands our best! God does not want our leftovers but that which is most precious to us. David once said, “I will not make an offering to God that has cost me nothing.” There is no bargain basement when serving God!
CALVARY DEMANDS OUR BEST,
NOT OUR LEFTOVERS!

19. So, How Much Should My Faith Promise Be?
Here’s a revolutionary idea.
JUST ASK GOD!
HE WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOUR FAITH PROMISE SHOULD BE.
So, How much should my faith promise be?
Here’s a revolutionary idea.
Just ask God. He will tell you how much your faith promise should be.

20. WILL UNLOCK THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO COMPLETE YOUR COMMITMENT
ACTIVE FAITH
WILL UNLOCK THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO COMPLETE YOUR COMMITMENT
And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. 2 Cor 9:8 (RSV)
Your active faith, day by day, will unlock the resources that you will need to complete your commitment.
Don’t forget the assurance that Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 9:8. “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.”
What a promise. We can’t lose because God never fails.
So make your commitment now and watch with marvel what God does as He responds to the cry of your heart.
Let us pray.
Father, open our spiritual eyes that we might see the eternal suffering of the lost. Open our ears that we might hear the cry of those in darkness who have never heard of Jesus. Open our hearts that we might love them as you love them and let that love guide us in our response to their need through our committed giving today and throughout the next 12 months. In the name of our Lord, Amen.

21. ACTIVE OBEDIENCE WILL LEAD YOU TO MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT NOW!
Your active obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit will lead you to make a commitment now. The question should not be whether you will give to missions but whether you will give according to your abilities or beyond your abilities. It’s your choice. Paul said that “each one must do as he has made up his mind…”
Go ahead. Move to a higher level of giving. Test God, at His invitation, and you will discover that He is always faithful with divine supply.
“Each one must do as he has made up his mind…” 2 Cor 9:7 (RSV)