Some thoughts on today's message.

This morning, I was preaching from 2 Corinthians 9:1-15. This is a passage dealing with giving. Paul presents gicing as a grace from God, and a gift beyond description! What an interesting thought. Two very important points Paul brings to our attention are first, that in order to experience God's grace in the action of giving, we have to be willing to "take a risk". Just like the farmer who scatters see for a harvest is risking all that he has on the future, so we also have to be willing to risk; trusting that God will provide a rich harvest for our obedience and faith in Him. The second though is that the Scripture tells us that He (God) has provided both the seed to sow (the substance to give). and the bread to eat (the resources for our own existence). Therefore, eerything we have to both give and exist come from Him. He has already predetermined our faithfulness so to speak, with the only hinderance being our faith, and "concern" over our well-being after we give. GOd loves a cheerful giver! What allows us to be cheerful in our giving is that we give with the full knowledge that God has already provided what we are to give, and what we need to live. When we figure that out, we then can in faith give cheerfully, knowing that the "risk" we take is really not a risk at all but a response to the