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The Grace of Giving

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
Date: November 16, 2025
Speaker: Pastor Matt Albritton

Scripture Reading

Our Scripture this morning comes from 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, and I’ll be reading verses one through 7.

Let me encourage you to go home today and read at least chapter 8. That will bless you. But if you read the whole letter, that will bless you even more. It will probably take you about 30 minutes to read the whole letter of 2 Corinthians, but it is full of nuggets of truth.

Paul writes:

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a severe trial, their overwhelming joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

And they exceeded our expectations. They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God, also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

The Reluctance to Give

It was interesting as Ashley was sharing those different things that I knew all the answers to it. And I asked the kids as they were walking out, “Ask her about green stamps when you get to children’s church.” So maybe they’ll find out a little bit more about what we did in the olden days.

And speaking of olden days, some of you may have heard of Flip Wilson. If you have not heard of Flip Wilson, Google him when you get home and you will find out a little bit about him.

Flip Wilson was a comedian, and one of the characters that he portrayed was a preacher. And one Sunday, this preacher tried to encourage the participation of the people in his church to be more enthusiastic about those ministries.

So one Sunday, he stood up and he said, “If this church is going to get anywhere, we have to learn how to crawl!” And the people shouted, “Let’s crawl, preacher, let’s crawl!”

Then he said, “And after we learn how to crawl, we’re going to learn how to walk.” And the people shouted, “Let’s walk, preacher, let’s walk!”

Then the preacher got all excited—you know how I have to get sometimes when I get excited about something. He said, “And after we learn how to walk, we got to learn how to run!” And the people said, “Let’s run, preacher, let’s run!”

And then he said, “After we learn how to run, we’re going to have to learn how to give.” And the people said, “Let’s crawl, preacher, let’s crawl!”

The Truth About Generosity

There is some truth in that story. We like the idea of running as a church. We like the idea of making a greater impact in our community, of being a people of faith and sharing the hope that we have within our hearts. But when we find out that there’s a cost that comes along with that, we kind of want to put on the brakes a little bit.

And so when we talk about the subject of money, most preachers kind of shy away from it because they’re afraid that people are going to be offended. But the truth of the matter is that Jesus talked a lot about money. In fact, 15% of everything that Jesus said, 1 out of every 10 verses in the gospels, deals with the subject of money and possessions. In the gospels, Jesus talks more about money than he does heaven and hell combined.

Why? Because Jesus knows that money is the number one competitor for our hearts. He knows that our heart is where our treasure is. And so Jesus has a lot to say about money and possessions because he cares about us. He cares about the condition of our hearts, and money is one of the great indicators of the condition of our hearts.

Now, I want to talk to you this morning about giving, about generosity, and about how we can become better givers. The grace of giving—that’s our focus this morning.

Understanding the Macedonian Example

In our Scripture passage, Paul lifts up the Macedonian churches as an example of generous giving. Now, who were these Macedonians? The Macedonians were the churches in northern Greece—places like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. And Paul says something remarkable about them: despite being in extreme poverty and facing severe trials, they gave generously. In fact, they gave beyond their ability.

Think about that for a moment. They were poor. They were going through difficult times. And yet, they begged Paul for the privilege of giving to help other believers. That’s remarkable! Most of us, when we’re going through hard times, when money is tight, we hold on tighter to what we have. But the Macedonians did the opposite.

What made the difference? Paul tells us: “They gave themselves first of all to the Lord.” That’s the key. Their generosity flowed from their relationship with God. When you give yourself to God first, everything else follows. Your wallet follows your heart.

Give Generously Without a Reluctant Heart

The first principle I want to share with you this morning is this: Give generously without a reluctant heart, and the Lord will bless you; continue giving as you are able, based on the way the Lord blesses you.

Paul says the Macedonians gave “entirely on their own.” Nobody had to twist their arms. Nobody had to guilt them into it. They gave willingly, joyfully, generously. And that’s the kind of giving that pleases God.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

God doesn’t want your money if you’re giving it grudgingly. He wants your heart. And when your heart is right, your giving will be right.

I’ve seen this principle at work in my own life and in the lives of others. When we give generously, not out of obligation but out of love and gratitude for what God has done, He blesses us. Not always in the way we expect, not always financially, but He blesses us. He provides for our needs. He gives us joy and peace. He opens doors we never knew existed.

God Cares About Your Heart

The second principle is this: God is more concerned with the condition of your heart, your eternal soul, than anything you could ever earn, buy, or possess.

Remember the story of the widow’s mite? Jesus was in the temple watching people give their offerings. The wealthy were putting in large amounts, making sure everyone could see how generous they were. Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins—the smallest coins in circulation, worth maybe a penny or two.

And what did Jesus say? He said, “This poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Think about that. In God’s economy, the widow gave more than the wealthy donors. Why? Because she gave sacrificially. She gave from her need, not from her abundance. She trusted God with everything she had.

God doesn’t measure our giving by the amount we give. He measures it by the sacrifice we make. He measures it by the condition of our hearts.

Are we giving to be seen? Are we giving to get something in return? Are we giving out of obligation? Or are we giving out of love and gratitude for what God has done for us?

That’s what matters to God. The condition of your heart.

Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Giving

The third principle is this: It’s equal sacrifice, not equal giving, based on our love for God.

What does that mean? It means that God doesn’t expect everyone to give the same amount. He expects everyone to give sacrificially, according to what they have.

If you make $20,000 a year and you tithe $2,000, that’s a much greater sacrifice than someone who makes $200,000 and tithes $20,000. The percentages might be the same, but the sacrifice is different.

God knows our circumstances. He knows what we have and what we don’t have. He doesn’t expect us to give what we don’t have. But He does expect us to give according to what we do have.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:12, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.”

The key is willingness. The key is a generous heart that says, “God, I want to honor you with what you’ve given me.”

Some of you are in a season where you can give more. Some of you are in a season where you’re struggling just to make ends meet. God understands. What He wants is for all of us to give sacrificially, according to our ability, out of love for Him.

Going Into Business With God

The fourth principle is this: When you tithe for the right reasons, you have gone into business with God.

Let me say that again: When you tithe for the right reasons, you have gone into business with God.

What does that mean? It means that when we give to God, we’re not just giving money away. We’re investing in God’s kingdom. We’re partnering with God in His work in the world. And God takes care of His partners.

Let me share a story with you about a man named George Mueller. George Mueller was a Christian leader in the 1800s who ran orphanages in England. Over the course of his lifetime, he cared for more than 10,000 orphans. And he did it all by faith, never asking anyone for money, only praying and trusting God to provide.

And God did provide. Miraculously. Time and time again. There were times when they had no food for the orphans, and at the last minute, someone would show up with exactly what they needed. It was amazing.

But here’s what’s even more amazing: George Mueller himself was extremely generous. He didn’t just receive; he gave. In 1870, he personally contributed to the full support for about 20 missionaries with the Inland China Mission. From 1831 to 1885, he gave away 86% of his personal income. And as the Lord prospered him, he lived simply and kept giving it away.

George Mueller understood that he was in business with God. He understood that everything he had came from God, and he was just a steward of it. And so he gave generously, and God continued to bless him and use him.

The same principle applies to us. When we tithe—when we give the first 10% of our income to God—we’re acknowledging that everything we have comes from Him. We’re saying, “God, you’re my provider. I trust you.” And when we do that, we enter into partnership with God.

Now, I want to be clear: we don’t give to get. We don’t tithe so that God will make us rich. That’s not how it works. But when we give for the right reasons—out of love, gratitude, and obedience—God takes care of us. He provides for our needs. He blesses us in ways we can’t even imagine.

Examples of Excellence in Giving

So what’s the signal here? The Macedonians, the woman who gave from scarcity, George Mueller—all excelled in the grace of giving. They were obedient to what God was calling them to do.

So what is God calling you to do?

If we desire to become more generous, then we must take some practical steps. We must make some practical decisions that call us to leave some behaviors behind.

To give more to God may mean reprioritizing and spending less on other things. We may have to prune some expenses and change some of our spending habits.

But here’s this wonderful insight, this truth, this spiritual nugget: When we tithe for the right reasons, we have gone into business with God.

The person who practices godly generosity responds out of love and gratitude to God. They give with joy, energy, and passion. They develop a different discipline for giving, much like J.D. Rockefeller developed a discipline for giving when he started tithing that $1.50 salary that he made for a week.

The only reason that he was able to tithe that first million dollars was because he already had a discipline for giving. And they faithfully manage the resources that God has supplied them.

How Will You Respond?

Yes, giving is between you and God. But it’s based on our response to His love.

How will you respond today?

If you believe in the work that God is doing in His church, then give generously as God has prospered you, out of love for Him. Give in a way that reflects your gratitude and your trust in God.

And as we respond to God’s love this morning and practice the grace of giving, may we also excel in the grace of giving.

I pray that God will continue to bless you in all your endeavors and meet all of your needs in this day and in the days to come.

Amen.

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us the wonderful opportunity, the privilege to manage the resources that you put into our hands. We thank you, Lord Jesus, this morning for the opportunity that we have to come alongside you in mission and ministry, to be a part of what you’re doing in this world.

Lord Jesus, don’t leave us out of anything that you are doing today. And we pray, Lord, that as we consider how we might give—not only a monetary gift but our time, our energy, our lives—Lord, guide us in that. Help us to know what you are calling us to do, what you are calling us to give, and how we can give in a way that shows our love and gratitude for all that you have done in our lives in these days.

And I pray all this in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Key Takeaways

1. Give generously without a reluctant heart and the Lord will bless you; continue giving as you are able, based on the way the Lord blesses you.
2. God is more concerned with the condition of your heart, your eternal soul, than anything you could ever earn, buy, or possess.
3. It’s equal sacrifice, not equal giving, based on our love for God.
4. When you tithe for the right reasons, you have gone into business with God.

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