Bulletins - Sunnyside First Baptist Church

Goodness Of God
Worthy Of It All
Hosanna
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
- - John 14.27NIV2011
- - John 14.27NIV2011
— Giving, stewardship, giving back, giving everything, and giving nothing.
— These are just some of options that we have when it comes to giving back to God.
— The storehouse for the “gathering” of tithe and offering is the local church.
— Your storehouse is Sunnyside First Baptist Church, primarily.
Christians refer to ownership as “stewardship,” to remind us that what we “own” we do not own. But only as stewards taking care of what really belongs to God.
Wayne Grudem
— Stewardship is not merely a financial concept but a lifestyle.
— My goal is that we all would understand our responsibilities, our obligation to steward, to take care of what God has given us in Time, Talent and in Treasures.
Prayer
— God we are grateful for your presence here today with us
— God we ask for each person that they listen with open ears, hearts and minds
— God I pray as we discuss over the next couple of weeks the topic of stewardship and generosity.
—That you are with us… you lead and guide when we can’t
— God I pray that you would by the power of the Holy Spirit work in our hearts and minds allowing us to step up and step out in our stewardship and generosity efforts.
— By increased commitment to giving of our time, talent and our Treasure as a sacrifice to you God
— Amen
— I’ll ask
Who’s In Charge Here?
— I think that’s a good place to start
— Of course we want to be in-charge of ourselves, of our choices, of our circumstances, our money, our things
— But the fact of the matter is that God gave you all of your money and those things and about a million more. God owns it all!
Understanding God's Ownership
— I have a couple of scriptures that I’d like to share with you
Psalm 50:10–12 ESV
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.
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— Psalm 50 is very unique in that God is renewing His covenant or a set of promises.
— For us… in 2024 we need to RETURN, REBUILD and RESTORE a fundamental understanding, that we have forgotten or never knew…
This is ALL God’s! Everything!
— The house we live in, the toys we have, the cars we drive, our jobs, our retirement accounts, our social security checks. All belong to God! 100%
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Let’s Get Financial Stewardship Right
- Faithful stewardship requires honesty, diligence, and prudence in managing our finances.
Proverbs 13:11 ESV
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
— Little-by-little we gain, get ahead, we may begin to thrive
— The Proverb says… “As quick as it comes; it can go away just as quickly. It will dwindle!!
Your Generosity Pleases God!
— When you have seen generosity in your life
— It is easier to be generous…
— When you come to acknowledge that God’s generosity freely gave us Grace, wealth, possessions. It’s easier to be generous
— Here’s what N.T. Wright has written about generosity
The kingdom that Jesus preached and lived was all about a glorious, uproarious, absurd generosity. Think of the best thing you can do for the worst person, and go ahead and do it.
N. T. Wright
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Generosity Reflects God’s Character
— We are reflections of what we truly value
— IF we value beauty, wealth, success and accumulating wealth without honoring where it all came from we are stealing from God.
2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
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— Generosity is not only a matter of giving but also a reflection of God's character and love towards humanity.
— As stewards of God's resources, we are called to be generous and cheerful givers, knowing that God blesses us abundantly so that we can bless others in return.
OK, I need to understand “Faithful Stewardship.”
— The Bible, especially the New Testament, has many, many examples of Faithful stewardship.
— We just need to apply the example that scripture give us
— as a…
Test of Faithfulness
— There are parables that can be difficult to understand
— Here is definition that might help
God evaluates our “faithfulness” not on what we accomplish… but also on how faithfully we steward the resources He has given us.
Faithfulness and Generosity
— So how Faithful and Generous must we be?
— We must consider our faithfulness and generosity not to our present situation
— In the end-times when we stand before the Lord; the kindnesses, the generosity that we had on earth will be acknowledged and credit to you in the end.
What are we faithful towards…
— Ultimately we are being a light shining in a very dark world
— Listen to this quote concerning faithfulness… And the work, trial and tribulation that comes with being faithful
“Genuine faith comes forth from the iron smelter of affliction.” - Robert Bertram
— It seems that our faith is enhanced as we come up against trials and we weather them.
Here is what scripture says…
1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV
2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
— Stewards will be on the front lines of serving and teaching
— As such will be the first one fired upon.
— Yes, our faithfulness will cause increased attention from satan or his minions.
— Constantly trying to draw us from God/Jesus and replacing with the world and satan.
— We need to be there for our servants, acting and helping them as needed
— I love this next verse from Hebrews
Hebrews 11:1 ESV
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
— How do you mark your faith?
— Do you wear it on your sleeve or is it safely tucked away… never to be seen.
— Or… do look at our faith is the PROMISE of things hoped for. That we can also give this as a PROMISE to others.
Generosity is a State of Mind!
— “Generosity starts with an understanding that everything we have is a gift from God and for God. Generosity is giving above and beyond what is expected. It's giving selflessly and sacrificially.”
The bible addresses “Generosity” like this
Proverbs 11:25 NIV84
25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
— For me; I was caught by the last phrase…
— You are looking for a pay off for what you do? Here it is
— “…he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
— Want some encouragement for what you are doing already? Listen
Luke 6:38 ESV
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
— This is the person, man or woman that gives out of their poverty.
— This is also the person that gives out of their wealth.
— Which of those people are you?
“Everyone who has…will be given more and he will have an abundance.”
— Not participating in the Lord’s generosity, by not being generous yourself
— comes with great regret… Not here, not now
How Can I Make This Right with God?
— I hope and pray that I have not beat you up about your own stewardship patterns, your own giving patterns, your own serving patterns
— But the reality is that we must step it up here at First Baptist.
How Do We Practice “Faithful Stewardship?”
Faithful stewardship to the church with our Time, Talent and Treasure is not a burden but a privilege and a responsibility.
—By managing God's resources with integrity, generosity, and a commitment to His kingdom purposes, we not only honor God but also become channels of His blessings to others.
— IF your are in the habit of giving and giving generously… Don’t stop!!
— IF you don’t give and you don’t serve, you’re not a “cheerful giver.” Think about it… Pray what God would have you do.
How do I even get started being a servant of God that supports this local body.
Here is a bit of scripture to clear up some ideas
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
— Notice here; Paul gives some direction concerning generosity… ultimately giving is between you and God… But he does like a “cheerful” giver.
I’m going to say something… The back doors are locked so you can’t run away… Listen.
— God demanded your 10% tithe in the Old Testament.
— In the New Testament He wants not only 10% of your money… but ALL OF IT.
— He may be asking you to live on 10% and give 90% away.
— But apart from those extreme examples, God wants ALL of you. All of your Time, Talent and Treasure.
How do I start? Giving, Serving and Being
— If 10% of your income is a BIG NUMBER TO YOU”
— I want you to decide to get started… Maybe 1% or 5% of your income back to God. Commit to it, and don’t stop.
— Maybe you can only $10 a week or a month
— Whatever the amount, or the percentage… commit to doing it EVERY SINGLE week or month.
— Then next year commit to doubling your offering to 2% or 4, 5, 6 percent.
— And so on
Let’s Pray
— God, thank you for our time today
— As we go from here, we will consider our stewardship patterns
— That we will seek your face in regards to our commitment to support our local church
— God we need you NOW, We need you tomorrow and forever.
— Amen

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Discussion Questions
How does acknowledging God's ownership of all things impact your perspective on money, possessions, and success?
How can you avoid the trap of valuing material wealth over honoring God with your resources?
What steps can you take to ensure that your financial stewardship includes honesty, diligence, and prudence in managing your finances?
How can you thrive financially while also being faithful in your stewardship?
Why is it important to view generosity not just as giving, but as a reflection of God's character and love towards humanity?
How can you reflect God's character through your generosity?
How can you become a channel of God's blessings to others through your stewardship efforts?
In what ways can you improve your stewardship patterns in terms of giving, serving, and prioritizing God's kingdom purposes?
How can you begin with a small percentage of your income, time, or talent and gradually increase your commitment over time?
How does the concept of stewardship remind us that everything we have ultimately belongs to God?

John 14.27NIV2011

John 14.27NIV2011

Prayer

Who’s In Charge Here?

Understanding God's Ownership

This is ALL God’s! Everything!

Let’s Get Financial Stewardship Right

Your Generosity Pleases God!

Generosity Reflects God’s Character

OK, I need to understand “Faithful Stewardship.”

Test of Faithfulness

Faithfulness and Generosity

What are we faithful towards…

Here is what scripture says…

Generosity is a State of Mind!

How Can I Make This Right with God?

How Do We Practice “Faithful Stewardship?”

I’m going to say something… The back doors are locked so you can’t run away… Listen.

How do I start? Giving, Serving and Being