Page 92 - Personal Spiritual Life Syllabus w videos

Study Section 15: Grace Giving

15.1 Connect.

Sometimes God will ask you to give even when you don’t want to. Years ago, my wife
became pregnant with our third child. We were in ministry and did not have insurance
that would pay for all the hospital costs, so I started taking on side jobs to earn extra
income during the months before our daughter was born. Our insurance would pay the
first $400 and then we had to pay the rest. My wife went into the hospital early in the
rd
AM, was there all day and the next, and then was released before noon on the 3 day. I
went to pay our bill but was informed that the hospital policy was not to charge for the 1 and 3 day,
st
rd
so we only owed $396 which was covered by insurance. I got really excited because now I could
purchase a table saw with the money I had earned, since we did not have to pay for the baby.
On the way back to tell my wife, a friend from church was weeping on a bench. I asked him why he was
sad and he said his wife just had a baby, but he did not have the money to pay the bill. I went to tell my
wife that I had the money to buy a saw and told her about my friend’s situation. She said, “You earned
the money for a baby, and your friend’s baby is a baby.” Reluctantly I paid my friend’s bill with my hard
earned money.

I got my wife and daughter home, and then went to the church office feeling depressed. I wanted a
table saw but gave the money away! On my desk was an envelope, and on the outside it said, “God told
me to give you this!” Inside were five $100 bills. God gave me back the money I gave away! Let’s learn
how God wants us to give in this lesson….

15.2 Objectives:

1. The student should be able to share that Grace Giving is based on II Corinthians 9 and is
a whole new giving pattern given for New Testament believers.

2. The student should be able to explain what Grace Giving is NOT and what it is.

3. The student should be able to explain the principles for giving, presented in II Corinthians 9.

15.3 What is Grace Giving?

(The following information was presented in a sermon by Steven J. Cole of Flagstaff Christian
Fellowship presented September 4, 2013.)

So what does the NEW TESTAMENT teach us about giving?

The New Testament teaches GRACE GIVING.

As Christ fulfilled the demands of the Old Testament Law, He rent the veil of the temple from top to
bottom. This was a symbol that His death fulfilled the demands of the Law and He ushered in a new
covenant of GRACE to all who believe.

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