Thank you For Giving
We Have 3 Different Ways to Give
You can make a One-Time Gift or an Automated Recurring Gift
Our Giving is to be motivated by the Gospel!
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."2 Corinthians 9:7
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9
We are all about the Gospel here at Friendship Baptist Church. It should drive every aspect of our lives, and this certainly includes giving!
Take a look at 2 Corinthians 8:9 again (above). You will notice throughout these two chapters that Paul never uses the Law to compel them to give. He doesn’t quote the Mosaic code, or even tithing laws. He doesn’t even give them a new law using his apostolic authority. There can be much discussion with whether we should still give a tithe being 10%; however, there are some things that are very clear. God has called us to be cheerful givers. And the reality is that he has already given us everything and so it is all His anyways (not just 10%).
There is no question how Paul addresses it often in scripture. Here in 2 Corinthians, he appeals to their hearts. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart.” Could you imagine God saying that in Leviticus? Me either. However, there is something we must note as we look at the entirety of scripture. Because of the Gospel and the finished work of Christ, we now have a new heart--the heart of Christ. A desire to please God, to love Him and others. Paul trusts their hearts and appeals to their grace filled motivations that are given by the Gospel.
We must evaluate our own hearts here. If you struggle to give, maybe you are first struggling to receive God’s grace. If you are holding tight to your resources, maybe you still struggle to have faith in the grace of God that He meets all your needs, and has met all your needs in Christ.
Paul simply uses the gospel to motivate the Corinthian believers to give. Re-read 2 Corinthians 8:9. He connects their everyday Christian lives and service through giving to the gospel of Jesus. Jesus is a generous giver. Jesus’ poverty brought others to riches. He did this for you. And now, he blesses us with the opportunity to join in the mission.
Talking about money and giving should not ever be guilt driven; however, it should be driven by grace! This is the example we have here with Paul in the New Testament.
Take a look at 2 Corinthians 8:9 again (above). You will notice throughout these two chapters that Paul never uses the Law to compel them to give. He doesn’t quote the Mosaic code, or even tithing laws. He doesn’t even give them a new law using his apostolic authority. There can be much discussion with whether we should still give a tithe being 10%; however, there are some things that are very clear. God has called us to be cheerful givers. And the reality is that he has already given us everything and so it is all His anyways (not just 10%).
There is no question how Paul addresses it often in scripture. Here in 2 Corinthians, he appeals to their hearts. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart.” Could you imagine God saying that in Leviticus? Me either. However, there is something we must note as we look at the entirety of scripture. Because of the Gospel and the finished work of Christ, we now have a new heart--the heart of Christ. A desire to please God, to love Him and others. Paul trusts their hearts and appeals to their grace filled motivations that are given by the Gospel.
We must evaluate our own hearts here. If you struggle to give, maybe you are first struggling to receive God’s grace. If you are holding tight to your resources, maybe you still struggle to have faith in the grace of God that He meets all your needs, and has met all your needs in Christ.
Paul simply uses the gospel to motivate the Corinthian believers to give. Re-read 2 Corinthians 8:9. He connects their everyday Christian lives and service through giving to the gospel of Jesus. Jesus is a generous giver. Jesus’ poverty brought others to riches. He did this for you. And now, he blesses us with the opportunity to join in the mission.
Talking about money and giving should not ever be guilt driven; however, it should be driven by grace! This is the example we have here with Paul in the New Testament.
Your Giving Impacts the World with the Gospel!
One of the ways we know this is to be true and not an exaggeration is through the Cooperative Program (CP). Our church gives 10% of our giving to cooperate with nearly 50,000 like-minded churches around the world for the global work of the gospel. Your generosity through our church and the Cooperative Program shares the good news of Jesus Christ with lost and hurting people around the world every day.
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