Session 17

Why give time and money to the church?

From 1 Corinthians: A 35-Day Devotional

It’s easy to hide in a big church. When hiding we may not fully appreciate the consequences of failing to fulfill our commitment to serve and give as members of the church. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul challenges the people of Corinth to come out of hiding and support the ministry of their church. Paul argues that ministers of the Gospel should be considered worthy of financial support and that God instructs His people to support those who serve in the church.

 Our lack of participation does not cause the church to fail, rather it causes us to miss out on being part of what God is doing. 

God calls us to give and serve in the church even if our service and giving goes unnoticed. Ultimately, our lack of participation does not cause the church to fail, rather, when we fail to serve and give in the local church, we don’t get to participate in what God is doing among us. What a loss!

While Paul chose to not take an income from the church he planted, he wanted the church to know that his generosity was no excuse for their disobedience moving forward. While we may not see the immediate needs or results of our giving and serving, the ultimate motivation is to please Christ simply because He calls us to and because we love Him. When we give and serve we have an opportunity to participate in God’s work and see it really is true that you can’t outgive God.

Reflect:

• Is it time to take a next step and start serving at NewSpring?
• Are you experiencing real community? Is it time to consider joining a Group?