Greeting Members and Friends
It time once again for our weekly Sunday School preview so thanks for joining me and welcome back. The Spring Quarter entitled “Acknowledging God” focuses on ways God’s people have acknowledged His Greatness. The May unit is entitled “Give Praise to God,” and has four sessions that emphasize the people’s response by bringing offerings and dedicating their lives to God’s work. Three of the responses are found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and 2 Corinthians. The unit concludes with one session drawn from the books of Psalms and Hebrews that rejoices in God’s reconciling action on behalf of the people.
This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Giving from a Generous Heart” or “Generous Giving”. One of the stumbling stone to saving faith in Christ is giving. Whether it’s giving of time, resources, money, gifts or talents or in any other form, people fail to give because of lack of faith in God and selfishness. Godly giving is always sacrificial. Some people give out of the abundance of what they have or give what they no longer desire or have a need for. But giving that denies a person of something they needed, could use or wanted for themselves or that causes them suffering in some matter is the type of giving God calls upon us to give. It is the type of giving Jesus demonstrated in the life He lived and the death He died
The lesson text describes what the children of Israel did when they were asked to give for the building of the tabernacle. This was a freewill offering of whatever they could and wanted to contribute. The text emphasized the fact that people gave anything of value including skills, jewelry, linen, precious stones including silver and gold of a free and willing heart. Another aspect of Godly giving is the motivation and attitude of giving.
The second part of the lesson text comes from 2nd Corinthians which addresses the purpose in giving. We shouldn’t give out of a sense of guilt or obligation or grudgingly, but because we want to help bless others as we ourselves have been blessed by God. The song says we can’t beat God giving no matter how we try. Some people will never prosper because they give so little. If a person plants or sows only a small portion, they can only expect to receive a small portion. But if a person plants or sows a large portion, they can expect to receive a large portion. This is a biblical principle of giving.
To become a Godly giver, we must have faith in God that whatever we give, God will more than take care of it by providing for us all that we need. I know from my own personal experience that it gives me joy to give to the work of the Lord and God has rewarded me many times over and above in countless ways what I have given for His sake. And I know there are many others who can give this same testimony concerning giving. Well, that’s all for this week’s preview. Be sure to join us in Sunday School this week for a fuller discussion of this lesson and the general topic of Give Praise to God. So, until then
Grace and peace
Pastor Jordan
