Giving Unleashed: Passion Week

Friday, April 6, 2012

3 Ways to Celebrate Easter Through Giving

It's Good Friday, although when I was younger, I often wondered what was so good about Good Friday. Of course, now that I'm in my mid-30s, I clearly understand that The Resurrection could never have happened without being preceded by the death of Jesus Christ. So, in that respect, it has to be good.

But I digress, that has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of my blog post. Because I write a blog that centers on giving, I would like to spend a (very) few minutes talking about how, among other ways, can celebrate Easter through GIVING.

1. Give a little bit more of your TREASURES: Yes, I talk about giving money all the time. Am I obsessed with money? Anyone who looks at my bank balance would know that I don't have enough money to be obsessed with it. But, no matter how much you give back to God on a weekly/biweekly/monthly/quarterly basis, consider giving up a luxury this weekend to give just a bit more this weekend. After all, Jesus gave everything and since He is our model for living, shouldn't we give as much as possible on the weekend where we celebrate His ultimate sacrifice?

2. Give a little bit more of your TIME: Do you have a food bank or soup kitchen in your area that is looking for volunteers? Is there a local charity that you could help out? Does your elderly neighbor need to have their lawn mowed? Jesus gave almost every single second of His ministry helping others. If you truly call Him Lord, is there some way that you can model that sacrifice for others who are in need?

3. Give a little bit more of your TALENTS: Each one of has been given a collection of interests and talents by God. If we aren't seeking out ways to use those for God's greater glory, then we are wasting those gifts. This is just as much an example of poor stewardship as hoarding our money. Over the next few days, find a way that you can take your talents and use them to serve others. Then commit to action and, most importantly, pray and ask God to provide you an opportunity to fulfill that commitment.

That's it. That's all I've got today.

Celebrate His gift to you. Give a gift to others.

Celebrate the sacrifice. Sacrifice for others.

Celebrate your Salvation. Share Jesus with someone else.

CELEBRATE!

Jesse S. Greever is the CEO of 3G Publishing, a digital publisher for Christian authors. If you are a Christian author and have a manuscript that you think is worthy of publication, check out the submission guidelines and follow the directions for manuscript submissions. Greever is also a co-author of the book, Learning to Give in a Getting World, and numerous fiction titles from Untreed Reads publishing.

You can become a fan of 3G Publishing on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/3GPublishing

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Learning to Give in a Getting World, by Marc Farnell and Jesse Greever, is available as both a paperback and eBook at the following locations:

CreateSpace (paperback, $13.99)

Amazon.com (paperback, $13.99; eBook, $8.99)

It is also available to Amazon Prime members as a free eBook download as a part of the Kindle Lending Library. Pastors and church administrators can contact me directly at jesse@accidental-author.com to find out about discounts available for churches that wish to use this for teaching and small group curriculum.

You can also become a fan of the book at www.facebook.com/LearningToGive.

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JesseSGreever

Monday, April 2, 2012

Squabbling Over Percentages

I was at my normal service post (making sure the coffee pots were all full), and one of the members of CrossRidge Church was kind enough to stop by and tell me how much she enjoyed Learning to Give in a Getting World. And we started talking about the tendency people have to start squabbling over 10 percent when it comes to giving back to God. Clearly, as we establish in the book, we are not trying to be legalistic about the tithe, but 10 percent makes a great, easy-to-calculate figure for people to strive for when they are first starting the journey of "giving God's way".

It occurred to me as we were conversing that I'm terribly glad that Jesus did not squabble over percentages when He decided to give everything He had (including His life) to save us all. Now, I realize this is not doctrinally or theologically sound, but for the sake of illustration, imagine a different scenario in the Garden of Gethsamane. (And no, this is not meant to be offensive, nor am I making a mockery of the Passion Week and Jesus's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane).

What if Jesus, after asking for the cup to be taken from Him, he began a negotiation session with His Heavenly Father. What if it went something like this?

"Okay, Father. Listen. I've seen what they do to people on those crosses, and it's brutal. I'm telling you, these people are awful. So, I've been thinking, what if I just suffered a little bit, just enough to cover, say, half of humanity. What do you think about that?"

Silence.

"I mean, seriously. How many of these people are really worth saving anyway? I'd say we're lucky to answer one-in-five. Tell you what. Let's just do the whipping and the torture, and that ought to be enough to cover, oh, 20% of humanity, right?"

More silence.

"And, you know, now that I think about it, it's probably more like one out of twenty people really would happily accept the gift of salvation anyway. So, why don't we just do the arrest, maybe a few whips and some public humiliation, and that ought to cover--what? Five percent?"

Thank God this is not how the scenario played out. Jesus gave up everything and endured torture the likes of which very few people in history ever went through, and did it so that all may have access to the free gift of Salvation.

So, why? Why do we get so bent out of shape over 10%?

Aren't you glad Jesus didn't dicker over your salvation?