Exceeding Grace In Giving Series

I challenge you to do this with me. Those of you who may feel that you can’t answer all the questions that someone may ask can still sow bountifully. Here’s three things you can do that I heard on a tape recently. First, bless people. Just say, “The Lord bless you, or God bless you.” Now do it seriously or don’t do it at all. Sow the blessing and see what harvest God gives. Second, take your Bible with you everywhere you go and leave it where people can see it. It may amaze you to see what God can do with just that little act. I was working in Memphis, TN in 1977 in a company called Dixico. They made candy wrappers and potato chip bags. I worked in the quality control office, usually the 11 PM to 7 AM shift. At times the machines would be down and I had nothing to do, so I brought my Bible to work. A couple of men came into the office and noticed my Bible and began asking questions and I found out that one was a deacon at the church of Christ and the other was a Bible teacher. These men had worked side by side for a few years and didn’t know that they were brothers in Christ. Why? Neither showed any signs of who they were beyond honesty and hard work. Our lives need to be examples and show Christ, but faith still comes by hearing the word. Unless a person hears the word, they will not believe and come to Jesus for salvation. We need to sow the word and the works. Bringing my Bible opened the door for many other conversations in that office on break time. There is no law in this country that would keep you from doing that… yet. Now there may be teachers who can’t open their Bible in class and teach from it at school, but you can bring it and keep it on the desk and read it as an example to the kids just as you would any other book. I challenge you.

Sow.

God may just be waiting on us to do the simple things. And pray for his increase. Third, do random acts of kindness in the name of the Lord. This is like the blessing, but it is more aggressive. You give a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus, and there is a reward. If you help someone out, don’t forget to bless them. Are we poor in this area because we have not been sowing enough? The more you sow God’s blessings and holding out the word of life and doing good works in the name of the Lord, the more God will increase our store of these things too! We can become generous givers of God’s treasure! You don’t need all the answers to all the questions someone may have. All you need is to put in a good word for the Lord.

Now I realize the passage we are studying is about giving, but the principle of sowing applies here too. Jesus even told a parable about it. When we do what we are supposed to do in the kingdom of God we find that we not only are blessed ourselves, but others receive a blessing as well. This leads to the last point…

3. Another Positive Product and Proof of your Profession are the Prayers and Praises of the Poor

12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,