giving

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What gets in the way of us feeling satisfied with our lives? What does Proverbs have to say about how to live a satisfied life, and how can we get there?

“A Satisfied Life” by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Matthew 6:24-33 (NLT) ; 馬 太 福 音 6:24-33 (CUVS)
Proverbs 3:1-4, 9-10 (NLT) ; 箴 言 3:1-4, 9-10 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Yannis H on Unsplash

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 Jesus taught by his words and actions that giving to the poor and needy was of top importance. Yet, when Mary poured a whole jar of super-expensive perfume on his feet in a most unseemly display of outlandish love and gratitude, and Judas objected on the grounds that the money could have been given to the poor, Jesus defended her. How are we to understand this seeming contradiction?

“Jesus First”, by Pastor Ryan Emmons

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also download Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

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A panel of three people from our congregation talk about their journey with giving and trusting God. These are the questions they posed and answered:

  • Why do you give?
  • How did you learn about giving?
  • What challenges do you face with giving?
  • Is there a point of encouragement or a teaching you would like to share?
  • Is there a story of giving in your life or someone else’s that has been particularly impactful to you?
  • Is there a Bible passage that especially shapes your thinking about giving?
  • Where do you give, and what is your perspective on where God calls us to give?
Panel on Giving (David, Joleen, Moses)

Psalm 112:1-10 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 112:1-10 (CUVS)
2 Corinthians 9:6-10 (NLT) ; 歌 林 多 後 書 9:6-10 (CUVS)

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Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash

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God made a promise to Abraham, then to his son Isaac. Then, when Isaac’s son Jacob was running for his life after cheating his brother out of his birthright, God made the same promise to him. What can we learn from Jacob about God’s promise to us, and about what should be our response?

“Giving as Good as You Get”, by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Genesis 28:10-22 (NLT) ; 創 世 記 28:10-22 (CUVS)
Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT) ; 箴 言 3:9-10 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also download Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

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Pastor Ryan’s Fall 2023 sermon series “Generosity” is inspired by a series of videos put out by the CBWC Foundation on that topic. You can watch the videos there.

The key verse for the series, chosen by the Foundation, is the words of Jesus in Luke 6:38: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

路 加 福 音 6:38: ” 你 们 要 给 人 ， 就 必 有 给 你 们 的 ， 并 且 用 十 足 的 升 斗 ， 连 摇 带 按 ， 上 尖 下 流 的 倒 在 你 们 怀 里 ； 因 为 你 们 用 甚 麽 量 器 量 给 人 ， 也 必 用 甚 麽 量 器 量 给 你 们 。”

(Pastor Ryan notes that this is not an invitation to bargain with God by giving with the expectation of getting more financial return. It is an attitude of the heart and part of the larger principle of treating others with compassion, the way God treats us.)

  1. Why Give?
  2. How Should We Give?
  3. Where Should We Give?
  4. How Much Should We Give?
  5. Giving: A Transformation of the Heart

He also did some other sermons on the general topic of Giving:

Pastor Ryan recommends these three books as good resources on the topic of giving and generosity:

  • God and Your Stuff (The Vital Link Between Your Possessions and Your Soul) – Wesley K. Willmer
  • Your Money Counts (now more than ever) – Howard Dayton
  • How to be Rich (It’s not what you have…it’s what you do with what you have) – Andy Stanley

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