Sermon Notes April 14, 2013

I. Grace giving is _______________ giving.
A. “Out of the most severe ____________, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” (2 Corinthians 8:2)
B. It is not how much we have, but what we ____________ with what we have that makes the difference.
1. “For if the ____________ is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12)
2. Grace giving is not found in the amount of the gift that we give, but in the ____________ the gift represents.
II. Grace giving is _______________ giving.
A. Grace giving is motivated by ____________.
B. The secret of the giving of the Macedonian Christians was simple … they gave ___________.
(2 Corinthians 8:3 and 4)
1. “The people rejoiced at the ____________ response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 29:9)
2. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose ____________ prompts him to give.’” (Exodus 25:1-2; see also Exodus 36:5-7)
III. Grace giving is _______________ giving.
A. “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave ____________ first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” (2 Corinthians 8:5)
B. There is some giving that is unspiritual and has ulterior ____________. (Matthew 6:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Acts 8:20)
C. Someone has described money as ____________.
“Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us
for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.”
(2 Corinthians 8:3-4)

Next Sunday’s Message … Steve will begin a sermon series through the Gospel of John titled “Falling in Love with Jesus.” Next week’s sermon is “I Fell in Love with Jesus the First Time I Met Him” from John 1:1-18.