GIVING WITH GRACE (16 OF 23)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
This content is part of a series.
Title: Giving With Grace (16 of 23)
Series: Suffer with Purpose
Author: Keith Krell
Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Hot-button topics in today's volatile world can make any conversation go nuclear. Religion. Politics. Death. But when it comes to the most difficult conversation you can have, surveys have consistently found one clear winner: Money. Americans fear talking about their finances more than any other topic.Many people especially struggle with any mention of money in church. Some people have had negative experiences with churches that always talk about money. And I'm truly sorry for your experience. Yet, we must not be ashamed to talk about money. In the Bible, giving money to the Lord is an act of worship. It is also a heart issue. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21). Jesus ties money to our hearts. Our giving, or lack thereof, is a worship and heart issue.
When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often poke, prod, and press various places while asking, "Does this hurt? How about this?" If you shriek in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!" So it is when pastors preach on giving and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard, or perhaps there's something wrongand the Great Physician needs to perform soul surgery because it's not supposed to hurt there."
We are studying through the apostle Paul's letter of 2 Corinthians. We've entitled this series, "Suffering With Purpose." In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul discusses giving. So, we'll take the next three weeks to talk about money. This is a series within a series. It's like when you order fries and get a tater tot thrown in. In these two chapters, we'll learn abou ...
Series: Suffer with Purpose
Author: Keith Krell
Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Hot-button topics in today's volatile world can make any conversation go nuclear. Religion. Politics. Death. But when it comes to the most difficult conversation you can have, surveys have consistently found one clear winner: Money. Americans fear talking about their finances more than any other topic.Many people especially struggle with any mention of money in church. Some people have had negative experiences with churches that always talk about money. And I'm truly sorry for your experience. Yet, we must not be ashamed to talk about money. In the Bible, giving money to the Lord is an act of worship. It is also a heart issue. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21). Jesus ties money to our hearts. Our giving, or lack thereof, is a worship and heart issue.
When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often poke, prod, and press various places while asking, "Does this hurt? How about this?" If you shriek in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!" So it is when pastors preach on giving and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard, or perhaps there's something wrongand the Great Physician needs to perform soul surgery because it's not supposed to hurt there."
We are studying through the apostle Paul's letter of 2 Corinthians. We've entitled this series, "Suffering With Purpose." In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul discusses giving. So, we'll take the next three weeks to talk about money. This is a series within a series. It's like when you order fries and get a tater tot thrown in. In these two chapters, we'll learn abou ...
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