SELFLESS

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6–7 (NLT)

EXTRAVAGANT IN GENEROSITY

Science Shows Us We Are Selfish. Being concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself and having no regard for the needs or feelings of others. Diane Barth

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. Mark 8:34 (NIV)

Taking the easy way out is the habit of a lazy man, and it will be his downfall. All day long he thinks about all the things that he craves, for he hasn’t learned the secret that the generous man has learned: extravagant giving never leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:25–26 (TPT)

We must always cherish the words of our Lord Jesus, who taught, ‘Giving brings a far greater blessing than receiving.’ Acts 20:35 (TPT)

1. The Bag Mindset

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:5–6 (ESV)

There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. Mark 14:4–6 (ESV)

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. Mark 14:10–11 (ESV)

2. The Basket Mindset

All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country… Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:2-3, 5–6 (NIV)

We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to Me,” He said. Matthew 14:17–18 (NIV)

He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Matthew 14:19–20 (NIV)

Our proneness to look at the bucket and forget the fountain. Watchman Nee

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. Luke 6:38 (NIV)

3. The Barn

Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing. Proverbs 3:9–10 (NIV)

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31–33 (NIV)

The Kindom of God is activated by sowing.

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10–11 (NIV)

No man ought to live to himself; the two great ends of every Christian’s life ought to be, the glory of God, and the good of others. Matthew Poole