CEP 20: With Guest Paul Benger - How To Take Up A Great Vision Offering
By Dave Mckeown and Nathan Benger
Welcome to Episode: 20 of the Church Explained Podcast. A conversation to help grow your leadership, develop your team and build your church. Your hosts will be Dave Mckeown and Nathan Benger. We will talk about all things leadership with key team players from IKON Church and other guests during each show.
Join us for part two as we chat with Paul Benger on the nuts and bolts of how you should take up a vision offering in your church. This episode is packed with many practical ideas you can instantly implement in your church or ministry. Check out part one on why you need to have a yearly vision day in your church.
SHOW NOTES - TALK IT OVER
FULL TRANSCRIPT
PLEASE NOTE THIS CONVERTED BY Ai so may not be perfect😀
David Mckeown 0:00
Hey, everyone who's been listening to the church explained podcast a big thank you for being with us this year. We hope that the contents really helped you and help you grow as a leader and help you to build the teams in your Church or organisation. It's coming to the end of our season one for the podcast this year, and we're gonna be back live in January 2020. see, we've got some exciting things lined up, which is there's we've got something dropping for you every Friday of the month for you. So we want to encourage you to get listening next year. We've got some amazing guests lined up. And we want to encourage you to get people listening to get people to subscribe to it. Thank you for everyone who has been with us on the journey so far, but season two, can I say it's going to be better than Season One Welcome to church explained podcast a conversation to grow your leadership and build your Church today we've got back with is a very important guest Paul Benger the lead Pastor of IKON Church. Today we're going to talk around this idea of it's the party of hi to take up a great vision offering in your Church. I am
Nathan Benger 1:17
Dave and I'm Nathan.
David Mckeown 1:18
Welcome to the church explained podcast so good to have you join us online or wherever you're listening from. We're back again with Paul Benger the Pastor of IKON Church, Ryan to Paul Yes, great. It's gonna be great, isn't it? Yeah. Fantastic. So today we're going to be talking about the nuts and bolts of taking up a vision offering. Yeah, we then our last show, we talked about having a great vision Sunday, and people can go back and listen to that. And we think this should help explain this better. But we want to talk about what are the practicals? And what is a vision offer? Yeah, all that stuff. And Ryan, we've just done one at Radio IKON Church, which is really inspired to do these two podcasts. Because lots of listeners are asking us can we have nuts and bolts? practical stuff? So Eric, come on. So here comes here it
Nathan Benger 2:06
comes. The idea or language of a vision offering might be new to some people? So I guess to start with, like, let's explain what it is what and why it forms like part of the rhythm of IKON Church.
Paul Benger 2:20
Yeah, so for us, the vision offering is an annual gift day with the purpose of moving the vision forward, as you've just mentioned, the word rhythm. We every February, March, we will have a vision Sunday. And the previous podcast, we talked all about that. So please have a listen to that. But the giving is the day the vision offering is a sense of being able to move that vision forward with the resources that needed it. You know, I think I always think about, you know, when the Scripture talks about giving it talks about tithes and offerings. Yeah. You know, the Molokai verse where it says, people God says, people have robbed me, how have we robbed you? Through tithes and offerings. And so I think it's a biblical principle that the people of God bring offerings to God, not just their regular giving. And so And God's people have always done that, in the Old Testament, that festivals, different times seasons, it was a big things, they've always reached out into the new, and it's always needed resources to do that. When you think about, I guess, Abraham was the start of that looking for a city, who was, you know, foundation and builder was God, you know, reaching out. And that's been the story of God's people, and is still the story of God's people today. So, Vision offering is an annual gift day to help yours, I guess, in our iteration of that reaching out that progressing, keeping vision going forward.
Nathan Benger 3:51
And that's what we would communicate, we would communicate that the vision offering is to push the vision forward. Yeah. Is the language that we would use and also that it is above ties, yeah, the regular ties, but it's bringing in this offering to God,
Paul Benger 4:06
I would probably use the phrase in the services over and above your regular given. Yeah, you know, so and we would anticipate many people are most people who come to IKON Church would have some rhythm of regular giving, however they do that. But then vision offering is over and above regular giving.
David Mckeown 4:27
And, Paul, as you said, highly connected to the vision day. Yes, that happened earlier in the year. And I think that's important to connect to gather really, isn't it? Yeah. You know, this is we're talking about the vision. They were going to talk about vision offering and a practical way of how to help us work out that vision. Yeah. In the life of the Church. Yeah.
Nathan Benger 4:47
What are some of the steps that we take him kind of preparing our Church but also preparing the team for the vision offering.
Paul Benger 4:56
So again, set the date early.
Nathan Benger 4:59
Like we said in the previous Yeah, time.
Paul Benger 5:02
Yeah. And this last year was a bit of a challenge, of course, because of lockdowns, we didn't know where they were, when we've been meeting where we are, and all the rest of it. So. But I guess because we've got an annual rhythm, our team know it's coming. Yeah. So and our Church gets to know that it's coming. You know, it's every February, March is vision Sunday, every October is vision offering. Yeah. And so we're able to set those dates early to set those times in there. So I think set the date early. If there's an annual rhythm set a faith goal, as as well, you know, so actually, I always ask for a gift of faith, you know, from from God, and I didn't know what that would be this year. But, you know, the great news is we've taken the biggest offering in the history of our Church on a single on a single day. And that was on a holiday weekend, as well. So I'm sure there's more to come but set a faith goal, in terms of not something crazy, not something like that. You just pluck out the air, but something that really helps you move the vision forward.
David Mckeown 6:11
Yeah, and I think that's key, really, you know, when we're coming, and we're asking people for the to give generously like that. It is for a purpose. It's not just so we can have, like lots of money in the Church, it shouldn't really do that you don't have a vision offering then have, you know, a lot of money sitting there. It's kind of be as we said that move the vision forward. Yeah.
Paul Benger 6:32
It's not for comfort. No, it's adventure. It's for venture. Yeah, and, and compassion. And all those are the other things, we announce it four weeks out. So you know, obviously, it's in our rhythm. So people know, it's come in, and it will have been talked about, you know, periodically through through the year. But then four weeks out, we'll, we'll set the teaser. We'll put the teaser out week one. And then weeks two, and three, we will explain vision Sunday's come in. And we'll do all kinds of ways. We'll do that in the Sunday services, we'll do that via social media, emails, et cetera, we'll use the language of an annual gift day, and explain what it's for, you know, to meet these needs, but it's also to help the vision go forward in this way, and then on the day, we will have a message that inspires faith inspires giving on the day, and then we'll we'll try to create a special moment where the whole Church gives together. Yeah, and we we've done that in various various ways. And this year, you know, it was at the end of the message, we just take our time, we just slow down on the you know, in the pulpit, I will do my offering, you know, time right at I take time, and I'll write it out in the envelope. So I know that people have got enough time to do that. And of course, there's a variety of ways people can give today's to do that. We don't apologise for taking it. Like I've just mentioned, it's biblical. Yeah, God's people have always done it. And, you know, if we don't do over and above, given, we're robbing God, according to Molokai, so we don't apologise now for it. But we do say thank you. And we say thank you a lot. Yeah. Because people still have a choice. Even though people have a choice whether to or not, they have a choice whether to their heart to marry their heart with a vision. And so when we see God at work in people, and them doing that, we just say thank you. Yeah, and, you know, there'll be some givers, you know, who will write out to personally and say, Thank you for knowing their circumstances and knowing the sacrifice. Yeah, we will actually do that. Because always you are surprised by the level of generosity and sacrifice that people some people get,
Nathan Benger 8:58
and we would use a phrase, it's, it's not equal, given it's equal sacrifice. And we would know, the sacrifice that some people make, and yet, you know, it's not the
Paul Benger 9:11
sacrifice. Yeah,
David Mckeown 9:13
doing it and doing that together. Isn't it? Yeah, exactly. I mean, you've said our Paul, don't apologise that sort of connects a little bit back to the previous podcast, when you cast vision did convincingly and I think that's connected to that. If you get up as a leader gets up and apologises because they want to take up a vision offering. It really doesn't go well does. It doesn't inspire faith, really. And the police are in the gentlemen people are thinking, you know what's going on here? So yeah, don't apologise.
Paul Benger 9:42
And one of the reasons you don't apologise is this is a great thing. Yes. We get to do this we get to push our vision board. We get to meet our needs, you know if that's if that's what you need the vision offering for that moment, we get to do this and that's that's A great thing.
David Mckeown 10:01
So just just thinking of the day then itself, you know, we're coming to the vision day. Could you sort of describe what that looks like the vision offering day? You know, what are some of the practical things that's going through your mind as the senior leader? Yeah, of what you need to consider for the Church? At that time?
Paul Benger 10:19
Yeah. So I think some things I would say, you know, it's always a big day in the life, we treat it as a big day, and a day of unity, when we're all doing this together, and a day for us to embrace and ask for a spirit of faith. So in that run up, we'd have been saying to the people, pray, ask God, what he would have you to do, and come with a spirit of faith. So we're anticipating a spirit of faith. And I don't know about you, but like, I always feel the atmosphere is slightly different on vision of the day. There's a charge in macrophylla on Sunday, you know, and, you know, just something in the worship, just something in the whole whole thing. And then the message on the day is about thinking and dreaming big. But it's not just noise and faith. It's not just, you know, it's not just out there somewhere. Like to walk to wild and
Nathan Benger 11:13
and yeah, yeah, just just a little bit on that. Because you we talked about this hat being convincing. You're convinced. But it's not a sales pitch. Now. That's important. Yes. Good point. Because it's not a pressure moment. It's not a sales pitch. It's a vision. Yeah, moment. It's a thinking and dream. And it's why it's vision offering. And it's why we link it with the vision Sunday. It's because it's a moment of vision, and thinking and dream. And that's a great point.
Paul Benger 11:45
Because it's a holy moment. Yes.
David Mckeown 11:47
And commit and commitment rather than pressure. Yes, it's good to think of that way as you're able to compute the commitment, but without price, you know, no pressure isn't people to give one away.
Paul Benger 11:57
No. And that, and we don't want to put pressure on people. And that confidence comes from the conviction that this is God's vision. Yeah. And we're giving to enable, you know, God's God's vision. Yeah, what God wants to do. Yeah. And we're convinced of that, you know, even in, in good seasons, and in difficult seasons, were still convinced. God wants to build his Church, wants to see people come to faith, wants to empower people, fill them with a spirit, etc. So we'll tell stories. I think in my message, I told six or seven stories about what God has done. And, you know, I, I just read some texts out actually, this year, you know, and in two different sections, three or four texts, just read them out from people, again, will say thank you. Thank you. Thank you for giving thank you for regularly given. But we will ask everyone to do something. Yeah. In that moment. We'll say again, we'll use that phrase that, you know, great churches are not built on the gifts and talents of the few but the sacrifice of many. And we'll say this needs all of us. Yeah, to do something inclusive language. Yeah. And your something might be x. And someone else's something might be 10x. Yeah, but it actually needs all of us to do something.
David Mckeown 13:16
Yeah. I'm Paul just thinking about that, you know, just trying to think nuts and bolts, practically like here IKON Church, when you were describing that in your language, you use some fingers didn't you would say to people, you know, you may give be able to get 500 pound or you may be able to get 1000, byowner, 10. pines. What was your thinking? And not really?
Paul Benger 13:38
Well, it was just to try and give that picture of, you know, Matt, what I can do as a sacrificial faith offering over and above regulation for some body could be 100 pounds. Yeah. So if that's you, that's you. But if for someone else that could be 15,000 pounds, in fact, in the 11 o'clock service, which you won't hear on the asset, you know, and if your something is 15,000 pounds, I thought
David Mckeown 14:08
you said 50 actually
Paul Benger 14:12
should have done 15 Yeah, don't give five Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah. No, because actually requires all of us to do and somebody could be really a massive step of faith to give Yeah, 500 pounds. And and it's small change. 50,000 could be small change to somebody else
Nathan Benger 14:33
in this. Yeah. In the show notes. We're gonna link the podcast to the message.
David Mckeown 14:38
Yeah. So
Paul Benger 14:41
yeah, you Scripture as well. And again, I think in the show notes, there's 20 verses that are 20 verses that I think are very helpful for special offerings to, to look up. And then I guess the last thing is provide options. So you need to provide that moment where people can give Everybody can do that together, make it special. We pray over, we know we take our time we slow down, we pray over it. We believe it's a holy moment. Yes, a set, you know, and holy means set apart. It's a moment of being set apart for God and doing something for God's. But we also provide options, the different ways you can get, we've still got envelopes. People can give cash and cheque and some people do that people can obviously give by bank transfer, just like most people, just get on their phones and transfer transfer it. Other people are in a place where they're not quite ready to give, but they want to participate. So they pledge Yeah. And they'll pledge an amount to give, even though they might not have that available with this Pay Pal. Okay, but you're providing the options for people to participate. Yeah.
Nathan Benger 15:49
And we do that standing order as well standing so so people might pledge a certain amount. They would say, an hour pay this by this day. And they'll set up a standing
Paul Benger 15:59
order for 10 months or even 12 months. And,
David Mckeown 16:02
and even thinking of the options there, because we're thinking of the vision offering day, but we are we want to be practical realise that not everybody will come on that day. So we often will encourage people in the week after that, that they still give
Paul Benger 16:16
Yeah, we usually announce it two weeks later. Yeah. And so the following Sunday, the envelopes are there again, the options are there, you know, connect with people and say, you know, it's still open, that vision number is still open. So you know, you've still got chance to participate. The other thing is we get kids involved. Yeah. So in our kids, I mean, you've got great story about your eldest, haven't you?
Nathan Benger 16:39
Yeah. So he had some money in his bag. I don't know how to ferry Ben. He scored some goals at football as well. So he gets a pound a goal. And he just had that in his bag. And the next thing he comes out with this envelope with his money in all of that money, like I want to give this into the vision offering How do I do it? Yeah. And so I took into our money man and said, Yeah, yeah. Is is his vision offering. But that's because we're involved in the children. Yeah. And so it's not a separate. I think this is important. Because it's not a separate like, are the adults are doing this? And we'll just do something different. No, it was a special day for the whole
Paul Benger 17:19
Church is a big day. Yes. And on big days, we all do it together. And yeah, in the Church. He did it again at night, because he he came to our house and got some money from you. Yeah. So normally, if I've got some loose change, I'd say somewhere in the house, there's some loose change where I think it was like four pounds something so he put it all in the vision offering again on Sunday evenings.
Nathan Benger 17:42
I've just got to teach him the don't tell you show you left. Given 10 power today.
David Mckeown 17:51
So So Paul, in the life of IKON Church, you we've been running sort of vision offering for the last 10 years. Yeah. So what do you think happens in the life of Church are the individuals when people give on a day like now what what's the key things that you've noticed over that time?
Paul Benger 18:06
Yeah, I think there's a spirit of energy and life that comes into the Church, there's definitely a sense of unity, that can sometimes be challenged, as well. There's also a spirit of faith that comes into the Church and an expectation. We've talked a lot a lot about that sense of forward momentum. Pinyon people say to me, and sometimes in surprising forums, they'll say, to me, the thing, the thing we love about this Church is just this is always this sense of vision of moving forward, even in difficult times, even when we know. You know, we know things are difficult. There's always a sense in this Church that the Church is moving forward. I was in a meeting just a couple of weeks ago, actually a meeting on dealing with racial equity. And people were asked the question by the facilitator, if you were to describe this Church to someone else, and two or three people said exactly that. The thing about this Church, it's got great leadership, which I was pleased. But there's always vision. Yeah, churches always got vision. And, and, and even when we're overcoming setbacks, I love these verses, if I can read them in one Timothy six, yeah, it says, command those who were rich in this present world, not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope and God which really provides for us everything for our enjoyments command them to be good, to be rich in good deeds and be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age so that they may or take hold of their life that is truly like there's two promises at the end of that, that when you're generous, willing to share one year laying up treasure for eternity as well. So there's the stuff that happens right here right now, I believe. Yeah. But you're also laying not treasure for eternity. Yeah. And also, there's this promise that you receive the life that is truly life. And I would say the happiest. Most fulfilled people in any Church are the generous, yeah, they're generous. And, you know, that's the people who are willing to be sacrificial. And yeah,
David Mckeown 20:30
and I think I think it is just worth clarifying on that verse are Paul versus the rich, who, you know, who are the rich? Well, we often think the rich or somebody else. But in reality for for many people, especially in the West, like we are the rich, yeah, whether we realise that, gentlemen, so that come on, they're like this, that's to us as well. You know, mean, to make sure we're putting God first. Because
Paul Benger 20:56
it's another reason for me why it's important, because the Scripture tells us, you know, if Paul could write that to Timothy 2000 years ago, how much does that apply towards those who were rich to be generous? Yeah. So I think it's part of that without when, you know, onerous points, nothing, but it's actually just fulfilling
David Mckeown 21:16
to realise he isn't. Who that rich person is really. Yeah.
Nathan Benger 21:21
So the question, should every Church include the topic? Maybe, maybe we'll combine the both vision Sunday and a vision offering as part of their rhythm of their Church? And also, if the answer is yes. Does it matter what.
Paul Benger 21:37
So if you'd have asked me that question a few years ago, I'd have said, I'm not sure. But now I want to say yes. And yes, I want to be emphatic, and say yes. And the reason for that is, I preached in North Carolina for a friend of mine called Kurt Bowman. And he's got a great Church, The Rock Church in Asheville, North Carolina, and fantastic facility, and I was preaching there. And I think the week before they'd had their vision offering or whatever they call, and we're in the car, and we're travelling somewhere. And I was just amazed how well they do it over there, and just wanting to learn a little bit as well, myself. And I just asked him about it. And he said to me, do you know what, Paul, I think it's one of the most important things we do as a Church. He said, If I was planting a Church from scratch today, I would do it, even if a Church only had two people, like I would do it right from the offset, which we didn't do now, as a Church, and his conviction around it. And the other things, he said, really got on me and really, and I thought you're absolutely right. You know, I've almost had this sense of, shall we, shall we? But, you know, two, three years ago, whenever we went over there, that really got to me. So I would say yes, definitely. I think you want to be communicating vision, have a vision Sunday, don't just that last year, we had to vision Sunday's just you know, because of the circumstances of the year with the pandemic. So we did one in February, March. And we did another one a little bit later on in the year, you know, communicate vision, but also taken offering to give people the opportunity to give into it. And that's where does it matter when you do it comes in because we've just done it on a holiday weekend. Now West, we're happy, it was a great offering bigger, you know, single offering we've ever taken, etc. But of course on on holiday weekend, so you've not got everybody there. So you know, pick your time pick your pick, when you do it. You don't want to do it in December, no. Christmas, you don't want to do it in January, because everybody spent all the money in the summer, like so you've just got to be you've just got to think through what the rhythm of your you know, people's lifestyle is as well, in terms of that. So some people do their offerings, like March April time, which is a good time other people like us do September, October,
David Mckeown 24:11
I suppose the key is get the rhythm rather than the life of the Church or Paul, brilliant song brilliant nuts and bolts stuff. There isn't a Nathan lots. Come on, we'll be your last little bit of advice, or to churches or leaders listen to this as they're thinking about vision days or vision offerings. What would you say to them that you haven't already said? Yeah, well,
Paul Benger 24:32
I would, I would say, you know, consider it clearly and definitely, you know, to do it, like make a decision, have a conviction about it, but also have the right motive. Yeah. This is not about making us more comfortable. No, it's not even about giving us more, you know, bells, whistles, equipment, making everything nice. Although, like sometimes our vision offering goes to words all of all of that. But the purpose of it is to reach people. Yeah, to build a Church to see people come to faith, and to see people flourish in life. So it's the right motive to move, moving the vision forward. So you need that. You need the conviction that this is what God wants. I don't mean like the vision day or the vision offering, but what you're communicating the wants, rather than Yes. This is what God wants, you know, God wants this is the vision God's given us. It's from God, it's not shifting, it's not changing in on good days and bad days, it's still the same, God's not changed. Yeah. So it's what God wants. So let's communicate that. And that, that, you know, this is about vision and compassion, not about comfort, as I've said, and then finally, I would say, ask for a gift of faith. You know, just like it, you know, if you're a leader, if your leadership team, ask God to give you a gift of faith, you know, I'm convinced. I asked for that every year as specifically. And I'm convinced, you know, in the future, the level of the gift of faith we will need will be way greater. Could be 10x. What we need today, yeah, yeah, you know, and we might be asking for 10x, what we asked for, yeah, this weekend. So the good, you know, but actually get into that rhythm here of God, given you a supernatural gift of faith, to see your vision move to see your move forward.
David Mckeown 26:29
So I'll just to pick up on that a little bit. Before we wrap up. Be thinking about idea. You know, you need to get the fit. Right. So you've got the mind in your head. But I think just, you know, I can show for you really, because one of the things you did here and IKON Church is the fact that you showed up with the team. In other words, it wasn't just like your idea, your gift the fifth, but actually, this is what we're feeling. That's what we're thinking. Yeah, it was to the team. Yeah. So based on with that, it's not a solo act. Right. It's getting up doing that stuff together. Yeah. So you know, you did that very well here at IKON Church and a lot of that were out of luck.
Paul Benger 27:10
That's great. And that's a good point to make it both about vision Sunday's and vision offerings. So I may I always try and make sure that the team are included in that whole process beforehand. Yeah. And there's no surprises. So there's no surprises for them. So, you know, I don't I don't say, Oh, I've been thinking about this number in the team. And everybody thinks that's the number and then I turn up on vision, offering day and say, you know, oh, now we're doing this number. Yeah, no, no, we were were moving together. And even, you know, sometimes we've made that challenge to the team first, where we've said, you know, so we need to step up. And we need to lead. And I think, I think leadership teams do need to lead into that I can guarantee first opposite, I can guarantee, you know, that a huge amount of our offering would have come from our team. Yeah. Great.
Nathan Benger 28:09
So it goes well, excellent. It's been amazing. Two parts on vision, and how to have a great vision Sunday and the power of vision offering and want to thank Paul for being with us. But also thank you for tuning in and listening. Please rate review, subscribe, wherever you're consuming this content, feel free to share it and I want to encourage you to do that maybe you know Church leaders who might be having similar conversations, share the contact content that we're creating as well. And don't forget about the show notes, which you can download at IKON dot Church forward slash open, but it's been great to be together on the church explained podcast and we look forward to seeing you next time on the podcast.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
20 SCRIPTURES FOR YOUR VISION OFFERING
Deuteronomy 15:10 — “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”
Deuteronomy 16:17 — “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.”
Proverbs 21:26 — “The righteous gives and does not hold back.”
Proverbs 3:27 — “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”
Proverbs 11:24–25 — “There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”
1 Chronicles 29:9 — “Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.”
Proverbs 22:9 — “He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.”
Proverbs 28:27 — “He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.”
Malachi 3:10 — “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’”
Matthew 6:3–4 — “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Mark 12:41–44 — “And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.’”
Luke 3:11 — “And he would answer and say to them, ‘The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.’”
Luke 6:30 — “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–8 — “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
Luke 6:38 — “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him wouldn’t perish, but would have eternal life.”
Acts 20:35 — “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Romans 12:8 — “Or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
James 2:15–16 — “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”
2 Corinthians 9:10 — “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”
