This week is about how we give. “Cheerfully” is still very important, and we’ll add a bit about the mechanics.
In these verses Paul is answering a question about giving for the church in Jerusalem.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2
1 Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.
Paul is saying that each person is to store up the offering each week, not wait until he comes back to get it and take up a collection then, emphasizing that our giving should be deliberate and systematic, rather than sporadic and random. For us, we might consider our pay cycle - weekly, bi-weekly, etc. However our budgets work, we should include our giving in that. I think it’s not a stretch to say this passage supports that we should include weeks we don’t make it to church in our giving. Again, our giving should not be an based on what we have on hand when we get here on Sunday, but deliberately giving of our first fruits.
We also see here that he gave the same instructions to another church, showing that he means for this to be the way a church operates.
Verse 13 is interesting, given Barry’s sermon last week:
13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
Offering Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we present this offering today, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from your abundant grace. We give back to you with thankful hearts, recognizing our role as stewards of your blessings. May this routine act of giving reflect our commitment to you, and be used to further your kingdom and touch the lives of those in need. Guide us to be strong and courageous in our giving, always doing it generously and cheerfully, in Jesus' name, Amen.
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