GOD’S PATTERN FOR GIVING, TO RELEASE KINGDOM LIVING

1 Corinthians 16:2 NLT - "On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once."

Giving shows God is first place in your life, not money.  God's nature is that of a giver.  Giving is a process to release prosperity into your life.  As We Increase Our Giving, It Increases Our Capacity for Receiving - Luke 6:38 "...the amount you give will determine the amount you get back."

WHAT IS GOD’S WAY? “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.”

Proverbs 11:24 NKJV - To walk in increase we must release!

1. THE HOARDER

WITHHOLD means “accumulation that is carefully guarded, to hoard” - Having stuff does not mean you have provision!

• Hoarding is a Self-Preservation mentality
• Hoarding prevents giving
• Hoarding is based in fear
• Hoarding prevents giving.

There is Wisdom in Preparation but NOT at the expense of OBEDIENT Giving!!!

RESULTS OF HOARDING:

POVERTY means “insufficiency or lack of necessities” - WHEN YOU HOLD BACK – YOU LIVE IN LACK!

2. THE SOWER

SCATTER means “to disperse or sow”.  Plant the seed and pray for the harvest!  The seed only GROWS when someone SOWS.  Tithing and Giving doesn’t affect your salvation but it does affect your blessing as you walk in obedience to God’s Word!  Sowing always precedes reaping.  Our motive for giving is not to get more stuff.

WHY DO WE SOW?

• We love God
• We want other people to be blessed
• We are blessed to be a blessing!
• We don’t want to consume all we have on ourselves Acts 20:35 “…It is more blessed to give than receive” - JESUS

RESULTS FOR THE SOWER:

“There is one who scatters, yet INCREASES more…”

• Hold Tightly - Have Less
• Give Freely - Gain More

BE GENEROUS & PROSPER! - Proverbs 11:25 says "A Generous Person will Prosper…"

• IT PRODUCES: TREASURES IN HEAVEN
• IT PRODUCES: PROVISION AND MULTIPLICATION NOW

What You Keep is ALL You Have, What You GIVE Multiplies.  John Wesley said "Earn all you can, give all you can, then save all you can."

Challenge:
At HWC we are known as "The Friendly People" and that's good; now let's trust God and covenant to be generous on all occassions so that we become known as "The Friendly, Generous People".