Giving Matters: The Commitment To Give
Giving Matters: The Commitment To Give
Illustration: Chapter 11
Two old friends met one day after many years. One attended college, and
now was very successful. The other had not attended college and never had
much ambition.
The successful one said, "How has everything been going with you?"
"Well, one day I opened the Bible at random, and dropped my finger on a
word and it was oil. So, I invested in oil, and boy, did the oil wells gush.
Then another day I dropped my finger on another word and it was gold. So,
I invested in gold and those mines really produced. Now, I’m as rich as
Rockefeller."
The successful friend was so impressed that he rushed to his hotel, grabbed
a Gideon Bible, flipped it open, and dropped his finger on a page.
He opened his eyes and his finger rested on the words, "Chapter Eleven."
When It Comes To Investing Are You A...
Consumed Investor, An Involved Investor or a Hands Off Investor?
Play Investment Movie
Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" [15] Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [16] And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. [17] He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18] "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' [20] "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' [21] "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Wealth Is Dangerous Because It Can...
Illustration: Greed Is Good
GEKKO: The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good.
GEKKO: Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed — you mark my words — will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Consume Out Thoughts
Cut Our Ties
Communicate Our Theme
Luke 12:13-15 (NIV)
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" [15] Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Proverbs 21:17 (NIV)
He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
You Are More Than The Sum of Your Stuff!
Luke 12:15 (NIV)
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Lessons From The Parable
Blessings Will Show Up
Luke 12:16-17 (NIV)
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. [17] He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
-The Production was Heavenly Not Earthly vs. 16
-He Consulted The Wrong Person vs. 17
Luke 16:14 (NASB)
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him.
Blessings Are For Sharing Not Storing
Luke 12:18-19 (NIV)
"Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
Our Wealth Can Give Us A...
-False Sense of Fiscal Responsibility vs. 18
“This is not a game, ... Debt has become a part of who we are. It's become that spoiled child in the grocery store with their lip stuck out: 'I want it. I want it. I deserve it because I breathe air.' And, well, that's an uphill climb in our culture right now, to go against that and say, 'Hey, let's be grownups here. Let's be mature, learn to delay pleasure, save up and pay for things.'” ~Dave Ramsey
Illustration: We Must Battle Debt!
Nearly 75% of those seeking help from a credit counselor held a credit card.
The average person seeking a credit counselor carries a balance on two credit cards.
The average client seeking the help of a counselor had $43,000 in debt, of which $20,000 was consumer debt and $8,500 was revolving debt.
The size of the total consumer debt grew nearly five times in size from 1980 ($355 billion) to 2001 ($1.7 trillion). Consumer debt in 2010 now stands at $2.4 trillion.
The average household in 2010 carried nearly $6,500 in credit card debt.
-False Sense of Importance vs. 19
-False Sense of Completion vs. 19
Ecclesiastes 5:13 (NASB)
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.
Build a Strong Eternal Portfolio
Luke 12:20-21 (NIV)
"But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' [21] "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Illustration: Make It Crawl
Flip Wilson was a popular comedian several years ago, and one of his characters was a Preacher at the “What’s Happening Now Church.” Flip did a Skit where he told about this preacher. He’d shout out:
"IF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO SERVE GOD IT’S GOT TO GET DOWN ON ITS KNEES AND CRAWL!!!"
And the audience yelled back "Make it crawl preacher, make it crawl!
"AND ONCE THIS CHURCH HAS LEARNED TO CRAWL, IT’S GOT TO GET UP
ON ITS FEET AND WALK!!!"
"Make it walk preacher, make it walk" the audience moaned.
AND ONCE THIS CHURCH HAS LEARNED TO WALK ITS GOT BEGIN TO LEARN TO RUN!!!"
"Make it run, preacher, make it run!"
"AND IN ORDER TO RUN, ITS GOT REACH DEEP DOWN INTO POCKETS AND LEARN TO GIVE!!!"
(pause) "Make it crawl preacher, make it crawl."
A Church can’t grow if it doesn’t give. And if it doesn’t give… it’ll crawl.
Illustration: Drive Through Evangelism and Fall Festival.
Let 1Timothy 6:18-19 Be Your Investment Model!
1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV)
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Invest Your Time, Talents and Treasures Today
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