{"id":723,"date":"2007-09-09T12:42:23","date_gmt":"2007-09-09T12:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/09\/contribution_le.shtml"},"modified":"2021-05-29T02:45:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T02:45:32","slug":"contribution_le","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/09\/contribution_le.shtml","title":{"rendered":"Contribution Lesson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why do we give our contribution? We all know the reasons given over the years of why we should give. God commands us to give and give generously, the church needs money to pay salaries, rent and other bills etc. Those reasons are all true and valid, and each at times may prompt us or encourage us to give when we might not otherwise want to.
\nSometimes we give out of habit. We give because we give. It’s what we do. Christians give money to the church.
\nBut God told Samuel that he looks at a man’s heart, not what man looks at. He’s not as interested in how often you give, how much you give or how consistently you give. He want’s to know why.<\/p>\n

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. <\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 9:7<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

God says here that wants us to decide what to give and that He loves it when we give cheerfully. He wants it to be on our hearts, not to be compelled to give by someone else or by fine sounding reasons.
\nSo what should prompt us to give? I think the answer lies in one simple, perhaps too familiar, verse:<\/p>\n

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. <\/p>\n

John 3:16<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The reason this verse is so familiar is the powerful, awesome truth that it contains. God loves us enough to sacrifice His Son. We give to God’s church because of what God has given us \u2013 His son.
\nI was reminded this week of the old Hymn, How Great Thou Art. After 2 verses of talking about the majesty of God as seem in creation, verse 3 says:<\/p>\n

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
\nSent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
\nThat on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
\nHe bled and died to take away my sin.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“He bled and died to take away my sin.<\/em>” That’s why we give.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do we give our contribution? We all know the reasons given over the years of why we should give. God commands us to give and give generously, the churchRead More Contribution Lesson<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nContribution Lesson - salguod.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2007\/09\/contribution_le.shtml\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Contribution Lesson - salguod.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why do we give our contribution? We all know the reasons given over the years of why we should give. 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Many have left our church in recent months, some as recently as this month. Many of these men and women were my friends, some of my dearest friends. It has hurt to watch them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles, papers and lessons"","block_context":{"text":"Articles, papers and lessons","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/articles-papers-and-lessons"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":427,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2005\/12\/to_the_church_i.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":723,"position":1},"title":"To The Church In Columbus","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"December 21, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"As we are going through this process of Corporate Repentance, we've looked a lot at Revelation 2-3. These letters to the churches were a wake up call to most of them, I bet. Nearly all were recipients of a serious reproof by God. 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