Today’s passage: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Helpful thoughts:
- God knows every intention of our hearts. What matters most about our giving is the heart with which we give. God loves a cheerful giver.
- Paul’s promise of “reaping what you sow” is not a promise of financial prosperity. The spiritual ministry Paul was encouraging the Corinthian church to pursue would yield spiritual results.
- Paul uses other words like “every” and “all,” accompanied with “righteousness” and “grace” and “works.” God will provide for His people, and the things He knows we need (That we might not typically think of) will be given.
- When Paul considers the mutual service, prayers and giving of the churches for one another, he sees the grace of God in Christ on display and says, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
- The inexpressible gift is Jesus. The result of the grace we receive through Christ is evidenced in our mutual love and service.
Questions to consider:
- How much should “each one” give to this special offering (Verse 7)? What is Paul (And the Lord) more concerned with than the total amount? Why do you think that is? In what way is the importance of both the heart and the total amount of the gift also emphasized?
- How do we rightly discern what is an appropriate thing to say/ask? How does the fact that Paul was an Apostle and that this offering was a special gift (Not regular giving to the church) impact what we learn and apply here?
- How was the church (And other churches participating) showing the grace of God in their actions? In what way does the gospel work itself out in our lives so that we might become generous and cheerful givers of our time, abilities, finances, etc.?