18 Mar In God We Trust | Part 4 “Sowing & Growing”
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 and 9:6-10 ESV
Kingdom Builders continues! This past weekend was our First Fruits offering with $114,000 that came in so far and is still coming in! We are a blessed church, and are blessed people! There is still much to be done as far as: Building out the Waters Kids rooms, expanding our parking lot to make room for those not yet here, Woonsocket and Milford campus costs and opening a new campus next year! Please be sure to emphasize how important Kingdom Builders are in your group.
Kingdom Builder Testimonies:
A study was done where a group of Americans were asked how much more money would they need to be comfortable, they all said 10 percent more. Everyone believed that just a little bit more would make them comfortable.
The number one thing God does is give. The most popular verse is John 3:16. He is a loving and giving God. In 2nd Corinthians, Paul knows that the church in Corinth is being stingy, so he tries to convince them that they were generous. He did this for the purposes of God.
1. GOD GIVES MONEY AS A SEED TO SEW.
Money is a seed. The seed is supplied to the sowers – God gives the seed to those who know the power of the seed. God has put the seed in our hands. He wants us to sow the seed he as given us.
Seed bearing plants grow fruit of the seed that was planted. An apple seed grows an apple tree which grows many apples and each apple is filled with more seed. When you cut into the apple you get the meat of the apple to eat and enjoy, then plant the seeds to get more apples and plant more seeds. This is how God designed creation to work.
Q. Who is the most generous person you know and why do you think so? How does their generosity bear much fruit?
GOD GIVES ME THINGS TO ENJOY AND TO EMPLOY.
God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Money is a seed we sow into things in our life, then the seed goes to work and comes back to us. God wants us to enjoy things. The enjoyment is not the fulfillment, we must use what he has given us (money, resources, skills etc.).
Q. What is example of something you enjoy where you have used it in a good way (not to harm anyone) where it has come back to you?
Q. Why should the rich not be arrogant and put their hope in wealth? What is an example of where someone has put their hope in wealth and what was the outcome?
2. WHERE YOU SOW WILL GROW.
We sow our money and resources where we want it to grow. We want the Church to grow. We want people in New England to meet Jesus.
Q. What image comes to mind when you hear about ‘a cheerful giver’? Is it difficult for you to give cheerfully?
Some of us struggle with giving because we don’t know how to handle money.
FORMULA:
(10) GIVE, (10) SAVE, (80) SPEND
LEARN TO GIVE: Proverbs 19:6 ESV; Proverbs 11:25 NIV; Matthew 6:32-33 ESV; Luke 16:9 ESV
No one gives naturally. God will worry about our lives for us when we do what we are supposed to. We would probably rather have a generous friend, co-worker or boss than a stingy one.
Q. What can you share regarding someone you know who has a difficult time with generosity? What is a good example of unrighteous wealth?
LEARN TO INVEST: Ecclesiastes 11:2 NLT; Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT
God wants us to plan for unexpected risks.
Q. Have you ever encountered and unexpected risk? How did you handle it?
LEARN TO SPEND: Proverbs 21:20 NLT
If you are always spending, you will have no room to save or give.
Q. Can you share an example of how you wanted to give or save but could not and why?
A “BUDGET”: KNOWING WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING BEFORE YOU ARE WONDERING WHERE IT WENT.
3. GOD CAUSES KINGDOM SOWERS TO GROW IN EVERY WAY.
God starts pouring into our lives. He is able. As we give, it will be given to us. We need to learn to trust God. Our Father in heaven is waiting to bless us immeasurably.
Q. What are some ways He has blessed you because of your giving?
GOD IS READ TO DO ANYTHING FOR THOSE WHO SOW INTO THE KINGDOM.
Pray for each other, the lost, campuses, nation and leaders.
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