Give gladly
Everything we have is a gift from God. When we give, we say thank you to the God who gave us Jesus, and we join in his work here in Kapolei, West Oʻahu, as a revitalized church plant.
A thread through Scripture
Blessed to be a blessing
“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2, ESV)
Where your heart is
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21, ESV)
More blessed to give
“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35, ESV)
A cheerful giver
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)
Go and make disciples
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)
Ten reasons to give: John Stott, The Grace of Giving
Christian giving is an expression of the grace of God (2 Corinthians 8:1–6)
Paul starts with God’s grace at work in the Macedonian churches, not with their generosity. Stott notes that grace is another word for generosity: our generous God makes his people generous too. Out of severe trial and deep poverty, they gave themselves first to the Lord.
Christian giving can be a charisma, that is a gift of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 8:7)
The Corinthians already excelled in faith, speech and knowledge, and Paul urges them to excel in the grace of giving too. Giving also appears among the Spirit’s gifts in Romans 12:8. All Christians are called to be generous, and some are given a special gift of giving.
Christian giving is inspired by the cross of Christ (2 Corinthians 8:8–9)
Paul doesn’t command. He points to Jesus, who “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” His poverty is seen in the incarnation and the cross, and his riches are salvation and all its blessings. As we give, we remember what his death won for us.
Christian giving is proportionate giving (2 Corinthians 8:10–12)
A willing heart comes first. Then the gift is “acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” Stott concludes that Christian giving should never be less than proportionate to our income.
Christian giving contributes to equality (2 Corinthians 8:13–15)
Paul isn’t trying to burden one church to relieve another. He wants a fair balance, where today’s plenty meets today’s need and one day the need may run the other way. He points back to the manna in the desert, where no one had too much and no one went without.
Christian giving must be carefully supervised (2 Corinthians 8:16–24)
Handling money carries risk, so Paul took pains to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and of people. Trusted brothers chosen by the churches carried the gift alongside Titus. Stott says that kind of transparency in church life gives confidence to everyone who gives.
Christian giving can be stimulated by a little friendly competition (2 Corinthians 9:1–5)
Paul told the northern churches how eager Corinth was, and that zeal stirred them to act. Then he urged Corinth to be ready, so their gift would be generous and not grudging. Hearing about other people’s generosity can stir up our own.
Christian giving resembles a harvest (2 Corinthians 9:6–11a)
“Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Stott warns that this doesn’t mean the more we give, the more we get. God makes all grace abound so that we can abound in every good work. In Stott’s words, wealth is with a view to generosity.
Christian giving has symbolic significance (2 Corinthians 9:13)
There is more to a gift than meets the eye. The Gentile churches’ gift to Jewish believers in Judea showed that they were one body in Christ. Our giving can express what we believe too, such as our confidence that the gospel is God’s power to save and that everyone should get to hear it.
Christian giving promotes thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11b–15)
Generosity supplies people’s needs and overflows in many thanks to God. Stott calls this the heart of all spiritual giving: it ends in praise. Paul closes with “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
Imagine
What if we were a church so committed to the Great Commission, with our time, our lives and our resources… what could we accomplish here on this island?
Ways to give
Give online with PayPal any time, or in person on Sundays at 10AM at 91-1180 Midway St, Kapolei, HI 96707. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.