Almsgiving

Series: 12:24: A Lent Series

Summary

Almsgiving

Pastor Brandon Berg

Alm: something and especially money given to help the poor

“We may cover a multitude of sins with the white robe of charity.”
Henry Ward Beecher

Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the LORD, and the Lord will fully repay them.
Proverbs 19:17

But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:3,4
Some thought that, since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus told him, “Go, buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
John 13:29

When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather every remaining bit of your harvest. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:22

Big Idea: Almsgiving is an invitation for us to evaluate and calibrate our consumption, obedience, and trust.

1. Our Consumption

  • 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 per day
  • As of the fourth quarter of 2022 the total credit card debt in the US is 986 billion dollars
  • There are 1.27 billion credit cards in use within the US
  • Americans constitute less than 5% of the world’s population, but consume 17%-24% of the worlds energy
  • Americans eat about 815 billion calories per day, 200 million more than needed. This overage could feed 80 million people.
  • The average American generates 5.7 pounds of personal waste per day; more than double that of the next closest country.

2. Our Obedience

Then Samuel replied, “Does the LORD want entirely burned offerings and sacrifices as much as obedience to the LORD? Listen to this: obeying is better than sacrificing, paying attention is better than fat from rams.
1 Samuel 15:22 

Jesus said this, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
John 14:15

3. Our Trust

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever been the recipient of someone’s generosity when you were in need? How did this impact you?

2. When you think about giving to the poor, what are the concerns that surface in your mind?

3. As you consider your own consumption, have you ever felt it is excessive? If so, are there creative ways to cut back on the excess and redirect those resources to those in need?

4. What are a few steps you can take now to begin building in this discipline of almsgiving?

Speaker: Brandon Berg

February 26, 2023

Brandon Berg

Executive Pastor

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