John Jackson teaches about giving thanks to God and learning to be a cheerful giver.

3 parts to the financial equation of life:

• Working & Making Money
• Spending & Saving Money
• Giving Money

I want to provide value to you for how you live your life. That’s my goal this morning. In fact, let me start up front with something that will make today’s teaching worthwhile for you personally if you listen to nothing else.

10 Principles of Christian Finance That Will Last A Lifetime

1. God is the owner of everything in my life
2. I am responsible to do my best as a steward of what He has entrusted to me
3. I need to be faithful in my income and in my expenses
4. I need to give to God in accordance with the Scriptures
5. Set goals that reflect God’s heart and wise stewardship
6. Live by a spending plan that flows out of your Godly goals
7. Reduce and Eliminate Debt
8. Make a covenant commitment with your spouse to monitor your financial lives
9. Consider sharing your financial goals with others as a step of accountability
10. Practice “Whole Life Stewardship” with your income, assets, time, talents

Riches are resources for sharing

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”  (1 Tim 6:17-19)

Anyone who is within the sound of my voice in North America is rich in the things of this present world. Relative to the rest of the world, we are rich!  And God has entrusted these riches to us for His kingdom purposes. Learning to be a thankful giver is an important part of our spiritual health!

Most of us understand the basic concept of needing to work and make money. We even are somewhat aware of the concept of the need to have a spending and saving plan.  But the whole area of Giving is one where we don’t really know where to start, except that we know we can’t give very much because we don’t have much money left at the end of the paycheck.

God’s economic plan sees the priority of things from an entirely different perspective.

God’s economic structure:

• Lifestyle
• Debt
• Savings
• Taxes
• Giving

Total income-tithe-taxes-debt-savings=lifestyle resources, not the other way around!

Today, I’d like to teach you about giving thanks to God and learning to be a grateful giver. I believe God wants you to enjoy giving, and to do so with hilarity in your heart. Also, God promises that He will supply what it is that you give to Him!

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

God wants us to understand that it is His will for us to learn the grace of giving

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (II Corinthians 8:6-14)

Timeless Truths About Giving

*  The law of sowing and reaping

*  The location of thankful giving:  The heart!

*  The logic of God’s economy

*  The lesson of generosity