Tag Archives: Giving

What’s Your Motive When You Give?

29 Aug

SPIRITUAL GIFTS (17)

The gifts we are discussing in this series are the Spiritual Gifts from Romans 12:3-8:

  • Rom 12:3-8
  • 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body , and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. NIV

We are focusing  today on one of the “Support Gifts” – The gift of GIVING. We’re going to look at some other traits of the GIVER:

•They want their gift to be administered well but do not designate every nickel – (They don’t have to “be in control.”)
•They usually do not enjoy serving on the finance committee

•They want assurance that those who do serve on committees that disperse gifts are themselves obedient givers.
•They enjoy giving special gifts to honor those called to vocational ministry
•They never attach any strings to the gift and do not want to be treated differently because of the kindness done

•Gifted givers sometimes (most of the time) do not want the recipient to know the source of the gift
•They do want to ensure that their gift is used for the purpose they intend
•They get extra pleasure in letting the transaction be between them and God, and the messenger
The Gift of GIVING – Matthew Was A GIVER
•They are able to discern wise investments in order to have more money available to give away – Matthew included more counsel on the wise use of money than any other Gospel writer (Matthew 6:19-20, 25:14-30)
•They usually give quietly without public notice – Matthew is the only Gospel writer who emphasizes that a person should give secretly so that God can reward him openly.    (Matthew 6:1-4)

•They give as unto the Lord at His promptings, not a man’s appeals – Matthew notes that when we give to the needs of fellow Christians which God reveals, we give to Christ  (Matthew 25:35-46)

•They are concerned that their gifts be of high quality – Matthew records in greater detail the costly gifts given to Jesus; gold, frankincense, myrrh, precious ointment, new sepulcher (Matthew 2:11, 26:6-13; 27:57-60)

•They have an ability to test faithfulness and wisdom by how people handle funds – Matthew reveals the foolishness and rebellion of those who misused what they were given (Matthew 21:33-34, 25:14-30)

•They practice personal frugality and are content with the basic necessities of life – Matthew had wealth and wealthy friends; however, he “left all” to follow Jesus

–(Luke 5:27-32)

•They are alert to see what other people do with their money – Matthew is the only Gospel writer to explain what the religious leaders did with Judas’ thirty pieces of silver and also how they paid the soldiers to lie.

–(Matthew 27:3-8; 28:11-15)

•They see financial needs which others tend to overlook – Matthew records Christ’s condemnation of the Pharisees for not supporting their aged parents (Matthew 15:3-7). He also details the fairness of paying all the laborers the same wage.   (Matthew 20:1-16)

•They use their giving to motivate others to give – Matthew was a tax collector. His job was to motivate people to give. (Luke 5:29) His is the only Gospel to record Christ’s condemnation of the man who was forgiven by another who owed him little.

–(Matthew 18:23-35)

In addition to my own material I have included quotes from the following:

  • C. Peter Wagner “Your Spiritural Gifts”
  • Gordon Lindsay “All About the Gifts of the Spirit”
  • Adult Education and Discipleship Ministries – FBC – Garland “Gifts are for Giving”
  • Biblesoft Libraries
  • Sandy Trice
  • David Francis

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Are You A Giver?

25 Aug

SPIRITUAL GIFTS (16)

The gifts we are discussing in this series are the Spiritual Gifts from Romans 12:3-8:

  • Rom 12:3-8
  • 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body , and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. NIV
  • Do you have a deep desire to see God’s work advance?
  • Do you have an eye for excellence?
  • Do you daydream about what churches, missions, and Christian organizations could accomplish if they had enough money?
  • Do you feel a burden when persons involved on the front lines of God’s kingdom work share their financial needs?
  • Has God blessed you with an ability to make money or be content with a simple lifestyle?

If your answer to any of these questions is “Yes”, then God may have given you the gift of giving

God gives us spiritual gifts to increase our joy, not to make us miserable! You can be assured that if God has given you the gift of giving, He has also given you the ability either (1) To make money or (2) to enjoy a simple lifestyle (or maybe both). THE giver (Jesus) always gives the “giver” both the gift of giving and the gift to give! The tithe is a minimum Christian responsibility
God expects 10 percent of our income to be returned to Him through our church to acknowledge that He is the owner of everything.

  • –Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse , that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
  • –I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. (Mal. 3:10-12) NIV
•The person with the gift of giving will give more and expect less
–They go beyond the Christian responsibility of giving a tithe.
•Their motives are pure
•They are ready and willing to give of their finances to see that a project is accomplished
•This person will usually make personal sacrifices in order to give a large amount of money
•It is a God-given drive on the inside to give

•They want their gift to be of high quality and used in a worthwhile manner.
•They are more likely to give to ministries or projects than to individuals.
•They are not usually a “soft touch” but wait for projects and needs that really make a difference.
  • They are alert to needs that others overlook that really make a difference –Vacations – Clothes – Vehicles – Equipment–Medicine – Gas Money – Money for Repairs–Food – and so on
“Too good,” “too expensive”, and “good enough for the church” are not in their vocabulary. They have a heart for missions. They sometimes misinterpret the desire  to give to missions as a “call” to the mission field. If a person gives to 10 missionaries, he should be sure God is calling him before he stops supporting them so he can go himself.

  • In addition to my own material I have included quotes from the following:

    • C. Peter Wagner “Your Spiritural Gifts”
    • Gordon Lindsay “All About the Gifts of the Spirit”
    • Adult Education and Discipleship Ministries – FBC – Garland “Gifts are for Giving”
    • Biblesoft Libraries
    • Sandy Trice
    • David Francis

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    Recognize Your Motivation

    22 Jul

    Spiritual Gifts (7)

    We are now ready to get more specific with the individual motivational gifts. As you meditate on them you may recognize some of your personal characteristics and those of your friends and family. It may take a while for you to identify your gift right away, so be patient and give yourself plenty of time. When you do recognize your gift, realize that it is your gift for life and that as you grow stronger in the Lord, your gift will also mature.

    Train yourself to be sensitive to your reactions to your likes and dislikes and your motivation for doing what you do. For example, if you are asked to help someone move, and you agree to help – examine how it makes you feel. Are you agreeing because you feel obligated or because you really enjoy helping people? If you really want to help someone because you enjoy helping others, chances are that your gift may be “Service”. If you do it mainly because you are obligated or for any other reason, you can probably mark “Service” off your “Gift” list.  Keep in mind that we are not excused from “Service” just because we don’t have that particular motivation!

    Motivational Gift of PROPHECY – Characteristics

    • Strong desire to understand the Bible and God’s Word to His people
    • Strong discernment
    • Able to forsee the consequences of decisions made
    • Strong desire to help others to correct their bad decisions – (not their feelings and not their attitude)
    • Not interested in whether or not they are accepted by others, just that others know the truth and don’t make choices that will bring them more problems

    Ways the Gift of PROPHECY can be used:

    • Teaching
    • Moral Concerns
    • Church Council
    • Counseling
    • Personnel Committee
    • Church Officer
    • Group Committee Leader
    • Worship Committee
    • Prayer Groups

    Motivational Gift of TEACHING – Characteristics:

    • Strong desire to clarify truth
    • Desire to search out and study God’s Word in detail so they can validate the truth
    • Carefully investigates the Word of God
    • Very interested in words and the way they are used
    • God-given interest in getting details correct

    Ways  the the gift of  TEACHING can be used:

    • Bible Teaching
    • New Member Training
    • Mission Education
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Sunday School
    • Church Training
    • Church Council

    Motivational Gift of ADMINISTRATION – Characteristics:

    • The ability to see the overall picture
    • Can clarify long-range goals
    • Can see and understand what needs to be done
    • Knows who can do the job the best
    • Likes to appoint the individuals to do them

    Ways the Gift of ADMINISTRATION can be used:

    • Records and Statistical Data
    • Church Finance
    • Financial & Budgeting Resources
    • Office Administration
    • Insurance Committee
    • Priority Planning
    • Church Council

    Motivational Gift of SERVICE – Characteristics:

    • Can become grieved when they see the person they are serving squandering their time and wasting it on minute things
    • Greatly delighted in giving of themselves to serve when they see the other person is investing their life in worthwhile projects
    • They are willing to invest service in your life in order to help you get what you want out of life, then you, in turn, are going to be motivated to do more
    • Has the gift of giving of themselves in order to help someone else to succeed in whatever their interest is

    Ways the Motivational Gift of SERVICE can be used:

    • Hospital Ministry
    • Deacon Ministry
    • Benevolence Committee
    • Social Ministries
    • Missions Committee

    Motivational Gift of GIVING – Characteristics:

    • Gives more and expects less
    • Ready and willing to give of their finances to see that a project is accomplished
    • Will make personal financial sacrifices in order to give a large amount of money

    Ways the Motivational Gift of GIVING can be used:

    • Stewardship Committee
    • Moral Concerns (Poverty, Politics, Family)
    • Outreach Ministry
    • Church Finances
    • New Ministries

    Motivational Gift of EXHORTATION – Characteristics:

    • Has the ability to see your potential and desires to motivate you to reach that potential
    • They have discernment and may sometimes seem nosey
    • They usually make good counselors
    • They want you to learn something and move on to the next step of action

    Ways the Motivational Gift of EXHORTATION can be used:

    • Vocational Guidance
    • Youth Ministry
    • Counseling
    • Ministry to Families
    • New Member Training
    • Church Leader Training
    • Nominating Committee

    Motivational Gift of MERCY – Characteristics:

    • Reaches out with genuine love which uplifts, soothes and heals those who are hurting
    • This gift keeps others on their toes because even if words are not spoken, they can pick up on the feelings and attitudes of others
    • Has a greater vulnerability to deeper and more frequent hurts because of lack of love

    Ways the Motivational Gift of MERCY can be used:

    • Prayer Groups
    • Hospital Ministry
    • Couseling
    • Benevolence
    • Homebound Ministry
    • Social Ministries
    • Mental Health
    Some of this material was quoted from the following:
    • C. Peter Wagner “Your Spiritural Gifts”
    • Gordon Lindsay “All About the Gifts of the Spirit”
    • Adult Education and Discipleship Ministries – FBC – Garland “Gifts are for Giving”
    • Biblesoft Libraries
    • Sandy Trice

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    What Do You Love To Do?

    3 Jul

    Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts (1)

    Rom 12:3-8
    4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body , and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. NIV

    I want to do a series on Spiritual Gifts. I believe that every Christian should know their Spiritual Gift. Knowing your gift will assist you in understanding why you do what you do. You will also better understand those close to you and what motivates them.

    A Spiritual Gift is sort of like an assignment from God. It is an ability He give us. Some may describe it as a natural ability we possess. This gift from God motivates us to use our talents in a specific area.

    As born-again Christians we have been commissioned by God to go into all the world with the Good News. Hold on – this isn’t just for Pastors, Music Leaders, Sunday School Teachers and other Church Leaders. We all have a part to play. Remember that Jesus said we are all one body of which He is the head. God empowers us with the desire and the energy to accomplish His work with excitement, not dread. There is a difference between “good work” and “God work”.

    The Spiritual (Motivational) gift God has given you makes you happy. You are the happiest when you are using this gift. You seem to have more energy in this particular area. You get excited at the thought of being involved in projects where your gift can be used. God has something for each of us to do for Him. He never intended for us to just sit and watch everybody else get things done.

    As an example, let’s take a look at how many workers are needed for any event. A successful event cannot be accomplished by only one person. There are a number of gifted and talented people involved. Look at the list below to get an idea of some of the helpers needed in any event. This list covers only a few of the areas where those with differing gifts will be asked to help.

    • The Origination of the event – A Banquet
    • Establish a Committee to make decisions
    • A Treasurer
    • A Secretary
    • A Venue
    • A Caterer
    • Decorations
    • Tables & Chairs
    • Table Linens
    • Musicians
    • Media Person
    • Concessions
    • T-Shirts
    • Transportation
    • Printer
    • Speaker
    • Entertainment

    This will give you an idea of the teamwork required to create a successful event. Everyone has a particular area of interest they are responsible for. No one is more important than the other. It takes everyone doing their part to make it all happen successfully.

    We can’t all be the leader. Each one of God’s children is gifted and their gift is as important as any other on the team. Consider a football team without a football; a concert without musicians; A play without actors.

    God has distributed His gifts throughout the church to prepare us to do His work – so that we can help one another – so that we can build up one another.

    Throughout this series we are going to examine this subject closely. God gave His children, you and me, ministry gifts, speaking gifts, gifts of faith, the desire and ability to serve, a hunger to speak to the world about Jesus (Evangelism), the ability to understand and explain God’s Word to others, the ability to lead, the heart of mercy to comfort those in pain, and exhortation to help people in setting goals.

    These are only a few of God’s gifts to us. Stay with me and we will explore this subject in greater detail. I invite your comments and questions.

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