Practices The Necessary Choices - Part 2 Series

Practices, The Necessary Actions

Giving, Do I Have To?

#MoneyMatters5

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. – Genesis 4:2—5

“Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORDthere, so that he will stop the plague.” “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice.” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” - 2 Samuel 24:21-24

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORDAlmighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. – Malachi 3:10

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

– Matthew 6:19-21

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on. - Mark 12:41-44

Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income… - 1 Corinthians 16:1,2

Prayer

Well, this week we will be wrapping up our message series 'Money Matters.'

It really has been a very powerful and practical series. Understand, money impacts every area of our life and when we handle our money God's way, it will empower us to - become debt free, store up resources for our future, and free up a bunch of money and resources that will enable us to bless the lives of others. I mean, we will be able to do things like...

• Buy groceries for a single mom

• Help a struggling widow with her utilities

• Rescue someone from human trafficking

• Take a short term mission trip every year or help someone else go on one

• Adopt a child who has little hope of having a family

• Buy clothing, food, and school supplies for at risk kids

• Help someone pay their rent who lost their job due to illness

• Help plant a church that will reach people who are not yet Jesus followers

• Help our church have the resources to expand our ministry impact

• Help people in undeveloped areas have clean drinking water… Yeah, the list goes on and on

Maple Grove...

attitude + principles + practices = freed up financially

attitude - money is not the answer, none of your money is yours, you are rich, it is okay to enjoy money, money can lead to real life

principles - gratitude, contentment, trust, humility

practices - debt-free living, planned spending, intentional savings

THIS MORNING – we will look at the 4 practice that we must embrace and take action on in our financial lives, if we are to be freed up financially… GIVING…

In his book – ‘Too Much’ Gary Johnson opens up his chapter on giving with these words…

Hot topics swirl around us at ever increasing speed. From immigration to religious radicalism to same-sex marriage, some topics have the power to demand our attention around the clock. In recent years one subject has topped the rest: the topic of money.