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Faith Promise at Christ Community Church
4Where does the money come from? Making a commitment, as one trusts in the provision of God, to give money above and beyond his/her normal tithe to missions. Brings glory to God
"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." -- 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 Encourages Christ’s lordship in our lives
"And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." -- 2 Corinthians 8:5 “Stewardship does not begin with the question, ‘How much shall I give?’ The first question of giving is ‘Who is the real owner of everything I have?’ Even before this question there is another that is more foundational: ‘Who owns me?’” -- Kooistra “’How much should I give?’ is a self-centered question. It focues on bank accounts, bills, obligation, and regulations. ‘How much does God want me to give?’ places the focus on Him. He is the center.” -- Kooistra Reminds us to keep an eternal perspective
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -- Matthew 6:19-2 “Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth, and you will get neither.” -- C.S. Lewis Promotes voluntary giving that is not duty oriented or compulsary,
but rather is motivated by God's grace to us "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -- 2 Corinthians 9:7 “The Macedonians, even though they could have qualified for a hand out, begged for the privilege of sharing with others. God's mercy and grace, not rules and obligations, were at the center of their stewardship.” -- Kooistra “A farmer who was known for his generous giving was asked what his secret was. ‘It is no secret,’ he replied. ‘I keep shoveling into God’s bin, and He keeps shoveling into mine. But God has a bigger shovel.’” Teaches us that the “promise” in Faith Promise is not ours to keep to God
but rather is a promise of His faithfulness from Him to us "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." -- 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 "Attempt something so great for God that it is doomed to failure if He is not in it.” Develops trust in God that He will provide for our own needs
"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." -- 2 Corinthians 9:8 “God provides for us financially so that we can have money to give generously to His kingdom.” -- Kooistra "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:19 “Making a faith promise encourages us to consider that God alone is our Provider.” -- Kooistra Allows for spiritual growth as we reap from the blessings
of giving generously and sacrificially
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." -- 2 Corinthians 9:6 “When we fall down in our stewardship, some say we are stealing from God. God, however, doesn’t need our money. Others indicate that Christian work will be handicapped, but God cannot and does not fail. When we fail in our giving, we rob ourselves of the privilege, the joy and the blessing that comes from giving.” -- Mission to the World “Ask that your longing to give will be so great this it would hurt too much not to give.” -- Kooistra "And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability." -- 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 “God wants you to give more than you think, because He wants to stretch your faith far more than you can imagine.” -- Kooistra "But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving." -- 2 Corinthians 8:7 “If we want to grow in giving, we must grow in faith; if we want to expand our faith, we must expand our giving. The one moves the other.” -- Kooistra “Let me stress that God is not promising to make generous Christians wealthy. He is promising to make generous Christians capable of even greater generosity.” -- John Piper Where does the money come from? Before we ask where the money comes from, the most important thing is that we pray for a giving heart rather than added income. Giving is generated not by increased income but by the grace of God at work in our lives. As you consider your faith promise commitment, realize that nothing should be off limits to God—everything is already His. Lifestyle changes/Changing your spending priorities
Evaluate your expenditures and ask, “Where can I cut back or what am I willing to give up so that the Good News can be proclaimed and churches planted?” “…If our expenditures on comforts, luxuries and amusements, etc. are up to the standard common amount with those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. There ought to be things we should like to do but cannot do because our charity expenditure excludes them.” -- C.S. Lewis Creative sources
Creatively think of ways to earn money to commit to missions (make an investment and dedicate all proceeds to Faith Promise, make and sell crafts/baked goods, etc). Unexpected income
Give money that comes unexpectedly in the form of gifts, overtime, bonuses, inheritance, tax refund, etc. Of the 20+ churches in the U.S. with the largest missions budgets, almost 90% utilize Faith Promise. One example is Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian in Braselton, Georgia, where less than 1000 members give $300,000 in Faith Promise offerings.
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