S2 E9 Lessons in generosity with Anthony Delaney

Yeah, well, I think, I mean, when we're looking at churches and budgets and everything, it depends on our lens effectively in terms of how we're looking at these things.

And sometimes we can think, well, we look at what we did last year and then we think, well, can we still afford to do that because the world has changed or we've got less people or we've got more people? or whatever.

And that's often how lots of charities work.

It's lots of how businesses and organizations work.

But I think that in the end, we first start as a church, more than anybody, really, we should be looking at God.

And our God's a giver.

He started out Genesis by giving everything over to the people that he created and inviting them to steward it for him.

And then he's made incredible promises that if we will look after his world and wealth his way, then he's going to provide for us.

And so I think that sometimes we should be expectant to hear God, that the things that he calls for, he will not only provide for, but also multiply.

There's so many times in scripture where you read that somebody gave back to God.

I hesitate to say gave to God.

We gave back something to God.

And what does he always do with it? He multiplies it.

And so if we can come at it with that attitude, then we're going to start to see that the kingdom of God really must be a different way for us to think about finances.

Jesus spoke about finances so often in so many different ways, but he talks about it as being a seed.

And again, a seed is something that's planted, no good held onto, but when it's planted, it's going to multiply.

It's going to bring forth a lot more than you put into it.

So it's an act of faith to be able to do that.

And he said that when we do it, when we give back to him, we are really investing in heaven.

It's like we've opened up another account somewhere with your name on it, and one day, hopefully we'll be surprised positively that, wow, God really didn't forget that time when I was seven and I put that money in that collection pot.

It's like actually nothing we've ever given will ever be forgotten.

But he says, you know, even if one of my people give a glass of water to somebody who needs it, who's thirsty, then I'll remember that.

And our God's just so generous and wants us to reflect that heart.

So it's the way that if we can...

If we can think like that and think more like God does, I think, around finances, then we're going to be able to not suffer them.