This week, Pastor Chris shared a message on generosity and joyful giving. True joy in life is not found in accumulating wealth, but in releasing it for eternal purposes. This message explores the biblical foundation for generous, cheerful giving as a reflection of God’s ownership, our stewardship, and the reality that heavenly treasures last forever. By embracing a life of joyful generosity, we break free from materialism, align our hearts with God’s kingdom, and invest in what will truly endure.
“The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.” Hudson Taylor
Luke 3:11, 13-14 (ESV)
11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 13And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:25 (ESV)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
The Treasure Principle ~ You can’t take your money and possessions with you, but you can send them ahead.
Deuteronomy 8:17–18 (ESV)
17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Luke 16:10–13 (ESV)
10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (NKJV)
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Proverbs 11:24–25 (ESV)
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
“I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” Martin Luther
6 Keys to Send It Ahead…
1. God owns everything; I’m His money manager.
2. My heart always goes where I put God’s money.
3. Heaven—the New Earth, not the present one—is my home.
4. I should live today not for the dot, but for the line.
Psalm 49:16–17 (ESV)
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. 17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
5. Giving is the only antidote to materialism.
“God’s money has a higher purpose than my affluence. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and greater agenda. Giving affirms Christ’s lordship. It dethrones me and exalts Him. It breaks the chains of mammon that would enslave me. As long as I still have something, I believe I own it. But when I give it away, I relinquish control, power, and prestige.” Randy Alcorn
Proverbs 3:9–10 (ESV)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Malachi 3:8-12 (NIV)
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 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. 11 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.
“The chief motive for tithing is not the blessing that we will get from obedience. The chief motive is that we are jealous for God’s work, that we want it to thrive and prosper, that there be no hindrance whatever owing to lack of funds. WE GIVE BECAUSE WE CARE. We give because we believe the gospel. We give because we know God has used men to advance His work. Tithing is God’s way.” R.T. Kendall
“Tithing isn’t the ceiling of giving; it’s the floor. It’s not the finish line of giving; it’s just the starting blocks. Tithes can be the training wheels to launch us into the mind-set, skills, and habits of grace giving.” R.T. Kendall
“Every New Testament example of giving goes far beyond the tithe. However, none falls short. Whether or not the tithe is still the minimal measure of the first fruits, I ask myself, ‘Does God expect His New Covenant children to give less or more?’ Jesus raised the spiritual bar; He never lowered it (Matthew 5:27-28).” Randy Alcorn
“Do you’re givin’ while you’re livin’, so you’re knowin’ where its goin’.” Ron Blue
“Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its ways into my heart.” John Wesley
2 Corinthians 9:10–11a (ESV)
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to…
2 Corinthians 9:11b (ESV)
…be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
6. God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:14–15 (ESV)
14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
“God entrusts me with this money not to build my kingdom on earth, but to build His kingdom in heaven.” Randy Alcorn
Proverbs 30:8–9 (ESV)
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
“It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day.” Matthew Henry
“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” Martin Luther
My Giving Covenant
- I affirm God’s full ownership of me (1 Corinthians 6:19–20) and everything entrusted to me (Psalm 24:1). I recognize that my money and possessions are in fact His. I’m His money manager, His delivery person. I will ask Him what He wants me to do with His money.
- I will set aside the first fruits—starting with at least 10 percent—of all I receive, treating it as holy and belonging exclusively to the Lord. I do this in obedience to Him, desiring His blessing (Malachi 3:6–12). By faith I take God up on His challenge to test Him in this.
- Out of the remaining treasures God entrusts to me, I will seek to make generous freewill gifts. I recognize that God has entrusted wealth to me so that I can be “generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11). Realizing I can rob God by withholding not only the tithe but whatever offerings He calls upon me to give, I ask Him to make His will clear to me.
- I ask God to teach me to give sacrificially to His purposes, including helping the poor and reaching the lost. I commit myself to avoiding indebtedness so that I don’t tie up His funds and can therefore feel greater freedom to follow the Spirit’s promptings to give.
- Recognizing that I cannot take earthly treasures from this world, I determine to lay them up as heavenly treasures—for Christ’s glory and the eternal good of others and myself. Affirming that heaven, not earth, is my home and Christ is my Lord, I commit myself to lay out His assets before Him regularly—leaving nothing as untouchable—and ask His direction for what to do with and where to give His money. I’ll start with this question: “What am I hanging on to that You want me to give away?”
- Recognizing that God has given me my family, my friends, my church, and others in my circle of influence, I ask Him to help me share the Treasure Principle with them so they too may experience the greatest present joy and future reward. (Excerpt From: Randy Alcorn. “The Treasure Principle.”)
“Only one life twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” C.T. Studd
Discussion Questions:
- How can giving help us dethrone money as a “master” in our lives? (Luke 16:13)
- What does it mean to be a “money manager” for God rather than an owner?
- Jesus says not to be anxious about our needs (Matthew 6:25). What fears keep people from being generous?
- What are some specific ways you can “send it ahead” by investing in God’s kingdom now?