"Earn-Save-Give"

I listened to a podcast this morning by Bruxy Cavey and really liked what it had to say... so here are some notes I took from it:

"God asks us to regularly give a portion of our income to God as acts of worship and thanksgiving. This practice will keep our hearts focused on God and lead to a life of contentment and generosity."
-Edwin Friesen

"Life is not measured by how much you own."
-Jesus, Luke 12:15

Why Should We Give?

1: Giving is at the heart of the Gospel.
-Ephesians 5:2 "He loved, therefore He gave"
-John 3:16
***When we are giving, we are living the gospel.

2: God wants our hearts (and we tend to attach our hearts to the things we own).
***Giving helps me experience the heart of Christ.

3: Giving helps free us from the myth that money can meet our psychological needs.
-1 Timothy 6:17 "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment."
***Contentment is an intentional, conscious, mental state that we need to work at cultivating.

*Giving should be a joy and not a burden.
-Acts 20:35 "...it is more blessed to give then to receive"
-2 Corinthians 9:7 "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully"