The Ripple Effect of Giving

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 “And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.

- Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Three words to remember:

• Remember

• Return

• Rejoice

Remember God’s faithfulness

Return to God what belongs to Him

Rejoice in God’s overflowing love and provision

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

- 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

The Math of More than Enough

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

- 1 Timothy 6:6-10

The Myth of More

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

- 1 Timothy 6:9

The Math of More than Enough states:

Godliness + Contentment = Great Gain

Godliness

“In the New Testament, "eusebeia" refers to a reverent and devout attitude towards God, characterized by a life that reflects His holiness and commands.” - The Berean Strong’s Lexicon

• Loving God

• Living like Christ

Contentment

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” - 2 Corinthians 9:8

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

True satisfaction comes from the sum total of loving God; living like Christ; and, being happy with what we have.

If we want to increase the satisfaction that we find in God, then we can increase the variables in the “Math of More than Enough” equation.

A Surprising Way to Get Closer to God

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one 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.'

- Matthew 6:19-24

What does it mean to get closer to God?

'Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you... '

- James 4:8a

To get closer to God is to know His love and love Him more.

'We love because he first loved us. '

- 1 John 4:19

'And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. '

- Matthew 22:37-38

We should give God our hearts - but that’s easier said than done.

No one can serve two masters...

- Matthew 6:24a

Giving money to God can help us give our hearts to Him.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

- Matthew 6:21

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light…

- Matthew 6:22a

Our awareness of God’s love will grow and we will be closer to Him.