If one were to make a list of all possible topics that a preacher could discuss and divided that list into “What folks want to hear about” and “What folks don’t want to hear about,” at the very top of the “don’t want to hear about” list would be “money”—and more specifically, a Christian’s responsibility to give to the Lord. However, that topic saturates the pages of the Bible, so how could any responsible preacher avoid talking about it?
If I could help Christians to see just one thing about their giving, it would be Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 8:8. Paul emphasized that while giving is a “commandment” of God (cf. 1 Cor. 16:1-2), truly it is a “test” of “the sincerity of your love.” How much do I love God? How much do I love Christ and all that He has done for me? What is one tangible way that God specifies I can express the genuineness and depth of my love? It is through my giving back to Him! May God help my giving to be full of “love” and “cheer” (2 Cor. 8:8; 9:7)!