Grace Is Enough

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Sunday - 9:30 AM Sunday School, 10:45 AM Worship Service | Wednesday 6:30 PM Men's Bible Study, Ladies' Bible Studies, Youth Group

Nov. 20, 2022

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Grace Is Enough

1. The Prequel: The Collection (ch. 8:1-9:5)

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Romans 15:26-27

Philippians 4:14-20

A. The Churches in Macedonia (ch. 8:1-7)

Included the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea They had less financially than Corinth The Gifts do not mean much if not accompanied by “this act of grace” generosity

B. True Love (ch. 8:8-15)

Test of their love. Is it real?

C. Titus and a Famous preacher (ch. 8:16-24)

Coming to finish the Corinthian act of grace and to prove their love among the churches

D. Making Sure They are Giving Willingly (ch. 9:1-5)

2. Sowing and Reaping (vs. 6, 8-10)

A. God provides it all

Isaiah 55:10-11

Matthew 6:19-21

“Our hearts have room for only one all-embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord. Every competitor to that devotion must be hated. As Jesus says, there is no alternative—either we love God, or we hate him. We are confronted by an “either-or;” either we love God, or we love earthly goods.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Seven Lessons Learned from the Generosity of Jesus by Gary Hoag

B. Attitude is Everything (vs. 7, 11-13)

Deuteronomy 15:7-11

C. A Harvest of Thanksgiving

3. God Supplies (ch. 9:8-10)

A. Grace for Salvation and Far Beyond

2 Peter 1:3

B. Applied Grace=Generosity

1 Corinthians 16:3, 2 Corinthians 8:1, 4, 6, 7, 19

Psalms 112:4-5, 9

C. Koinonia “They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.” -2 Corinthians 8:4

Martin Luther said: I have had many things in my hands that I lost; the things that I placed in the hands of God I still possess.

D. Generosity will return Thanksgiving to God. (v. 12)

E. Faith in Action 13-14

James 2:14-17

F. We should all be thankful for the Gift 15

2 Corinthians 8:9

“Every spiritual discipline has its accompanying freedom. Generosity frees us from a raw possessive ego and also from our bondage to security in material things.” Maxie Dunnam ~ Generosity -November 27, 2014


Reflection:

1. When have you experienced the freedom of generosity in your life? When has generosity led you to thanksgiving to God?

2. Can you see the direct link that Paul is making to the grace we receive through Jesus Christ? How can you be generous and apply God’s grace to other parts of your life?


Follow Up in the Word through the Week…

Monday: Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

Who does Paul identify in these verses? What is their action and how does Paul instruct the Corinthians to be like them?

Tuesday: Read: 2 Corinthians 8:8-15

According to these verses where does the work of generosity begin for Christians? How does this understanding help you to process being generous with all of your resources from time, money, and material goods?

Wednesday: Read: 2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Who is Paul’s team sending to collect the gift from the Corinthians? What compliments that Paul says about these men stand out to you?

Thursday: Read: 2 Corinthians 9:1-5

Why is it important to be an act of grace and free will to give instead of a required act? How can we be the cheerful givers of verse 7 then?

Friday: Read: Psalms 112:4-5, 9

What do these verses tell us about generosity and difficult times? How were the Macedonian churches obeying this beyond even what they could afford (2 Cor. 8:1-7)?

Saturday: Read: 2 Corinthians 8 again

Underline all of the references to grace, giving, sharing, gift, and similar words. Does this help you to see the point Paul then is making about sowing and reaping as it applies to God and to us?