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Planet Shakers Part 3
“Heart Transplant”
What does tithing have to do with being a planet shaker?
Let’s turn in our Bibles and read Luke 6:37-38 :
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you
will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it
will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you.
Have you ever heard the above passage abused or misused? Why is it
important for this verse to be kept in context and used correctly?
“God doesn't want us to catch the vision of getting. He
wants us to catch the vision of giving.”
Where is my heart in this whole giving thing?
Write down some memories you have of your parents or family when it
comes to giving? Were you raised to be generous? Did your family talk
about tithing? When did you first hear about tithing? Was money an
awkward subject in your family?
Spend a moment thinking about your own views on money and how you
came to form them. Let God speak to you and your heart about your view
of money.
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Let’s turn in our Bibles and read Deuteronomy 15:7-11:
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of
the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or
tightfisted toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend
them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked
thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so
that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow
Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the LORD
against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to
them 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. 11 There will always be poor people in the land.
Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow
Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. 12 If any of your
people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve
you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. 13 And
when you release them, do not send them away emptyhanded. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor
and your winepress. Give to them as the LORD your God has blessed
you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your
God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
1. At my core, I still tend to be selfish.
Deuteronomy 15:7b-8 …do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your
poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he
needs.
This weekend’s example of the $100 giveaway is similar to what Dave
Ramsey refers to as the “Open Hand” philosophy. Read as he talks about it
here:
“The fist is the international sign of anger or of a closed spirit. The
open hand is a gesture of invitation and acceptance. I often see the
closed fist in the area of money: a fistful of dollars tightly held so that
those precious dollars never get away. Some people think if they
clutch those dollars tightly enough, never giving, they are on the path
to wealth. The real world teaches that the opposite is true.
Have an Open Hand
The idea of holding money with an open hand might seem to violate
common sense. We feel that if we don`t hold on tightly to our money
and our relationships, they will slip away. I'm not saying literally hold
your money with an open hand; it represents our attitude toward
money. When you give, you open yourself up. You allow the dollars
to leave and the freedom to enter. Giving works because it is in your
personal blueprint to be a giver, and you unleash good things in your
life that you will never see until you learn the art of unselfish giving.
Giving lifts us out of ourselves; we take our eyes off our rights, our
problems, and our stuff. The new view gives us renewed vision and
hope. Giving is powerful.”
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a. When I worry I won’t have enough, I don’t give.
What are some other things you worry about that don’t have to do with
money? How does that change the course of your day or week? What
does it look like for you to give up worrying?
Jeremiah 29:11 states:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.
Deuteronomy 15:9a says to:
Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the
year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will
toward your needy brother and give him nothing...
b. Only God can change my stingy heart.
The send half of Deuteronomy 15:9b says:
He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found
guilty of sin.
1 Timothy 6:6-7 explains:
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought
nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 says:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will
put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be
careful to keep my laws.
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In 2 Corinthians 3:3 Paul explains that:
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry,
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
What are the things you are most selfish about? How does understanding
these areas help you learn to give wholeheartedly?
2. Motive matters when it comes to giving.
Deuteronomy 15:10a encourages us to:
Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart…
2 Corinthians 9:7 says:
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Do I give with strings attached?
Do I only give to what I’m interested in?
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a. God blesses those who give…
Deuteronomy 15:10b states:
…then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your
work and in everything you put your hand to.
a. ...but that can’t be my motive.
Proverbs 16:2 explains that:
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by
the LORD.
Why will I begin or continue to tithe?
Let’s turn in our Bibles and read Deuteronomy 15:12-15:
If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to
you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go
free. And when you release them, do not send them away emptyhanded. Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor
and your winepress. Give to them as the LORD your God has blessed
you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your
God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
3. When I see my money as God’s, I want to use it for His purposes.
Deuteronomy 15:14 says to:
Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your
winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.
Do I view my money as one way God can use me to build His kingdom on
earth? Why or Why Not?
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SHARE YOUR STORY
Stories of Faith are Everywhere. What's Yours?
If you go to our giving page (link at the bottom of this page) you have an
opportunity to join in and share your story about what God is doing as you
embrace this 90 day challenge. Each person that attends Newbreak Church
has a story. We want to hear your story too, so it can inspire others to walk
closer with God, support those in need, and encouraged people to
understand the work of the Holy Spirit more openly.
DIGGING DEEPER
Did you know that we have developed a list of frequently asked questions
(FAQ), videos, a place to sign up for the 90 day challenge, and a variety of
resources. Check it out at http://newbreak.org/giving/.
THE CHALLENGE
If you have been at church over the last two weekends, the pastors at each
campus presented a 90 day challenge for the church to take on. As you
prayerfully consider this challenge, feel free to email the pastoral staff or
anyone on our life group’s team with any questions or concerns that you
may have. We have also attached a copy of the commitment form for you
to look at and sign, if you choose to, in case you missed this past weekend.
We want to encourage you to go newbreak.org to our giving page to accept
or find out more the 90 day challenge from our Planet Shakers series.
Go to http://newbreak.org/giving/ to find out more.
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Planet Shakers Part 3