If you need an off an offering envelope, if you’ll lift your hands up, the ushers will have put one in your hands. And um I I’m I think we did an amazing job this year of really renewing our mind to the fact that we we don’t give out of obligation and um we don’t give out of duty. We give out of love and we give out of devotion.

not to get but to become a part of what we already have to participate in the finished work of wholeness and soundness and prosperity and care and that uh we understand now that the only people that have problems with giving are those who just really don’t believe that God can take care of them. >> Uh we even realize this week this uh past year we don’t give to get blessed.

Why? Because we’re already blessed because of Jesus. Our giving makes us a part of what we already have. And so 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 6 in the uh New Living Translation. I want to bring that to your remembrance again as you prepare to give. And um he says, “But this I say, he which seweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which seweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

” He uses the farmer and the planting of seeds uh in the ground as an illustration. But he says, “Every man according as he is purpose in his heart.” That’s how we give. We give as as as we have you as you purpose in your heart. So let him give not grudgingly uh or of necessity. That’s very important to do do something grudgingly means I’m doing it but I don’t want to do it.

And God wants you to do for him because you want to. You know we just finished Christmas. If somebody gave you a gift and complained the whole time about how expensive it was and how they really want didn’t want to do it, but they gave out of obligation, I’m not too sure if you want to accept that gift. Amen. >> God’s the same way here.