The purpose of the church is to bring glory to God.

Love God • Love People • Make Disciples

Worship - lifting up the name of the Lord Jesus ChristConnect - living in community, loving and supporting one anotherGrow - equipping believers to live in obedience to God’s WordServe - helping people discover and use their God-given talentsReach - transforming lives and communities with the good news of Jesus Christ

Our Purposewhy we exist

Our Missionwhat we do

Our Core Valueshow we do it

Church Address: 4040 Tully Road Modesto, CA 95356

Phone Number: 209.577.1604

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday - Sunday: Closed

Website: www.bigvalleygrace.org

Stay Connectedw w w.bigval leygrace.org

Latest news and eventsAudio messages and sermon notes

Information about our ministries

Contact Information

small groupsDiscussion Questions

QuestionsIf you were to remove all the clutter or non-

essential things from your daily life, what would be left? Why those things?

How hard would it be to let go of the non-essentials?

What have you done to remove “clutter” from your life? If you haven’t yet, why not?

Do you own anything that is a reflection of who you are? What is it? What would your friends and family say?

Would the people in your daily life say you are a wise manager of your time, money and things? Why?

How were you taught to manage your resources? Do you need to relearn or learn more?

Do you know someone who embodies being a wise manager of the stuff in his/her life? Why did you think of that person?

Time in the WordRead 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Do you pray over how much you give to the Lord? Is your giving to the church intentional or random?

When asked to donate to a charitable group or cause, what motivates you to give or not give?

When asked to donate to a person, what motivates you to give or not give?

What does a cheerful giver look like?

Novem

ber 10/11, 2012

The Generous LifeSelected ScripturesPastor Rick Countryman

Sermon Notes

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them [you] a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 (NLT)

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

4 survival tips to help navigate our materialistic culture

1. Don’t allow your ________________________ to be defined by what you own.

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15 (NIV)

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 (NLT)

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT)

3 myths about money

1. Money brings ______________________________.

2. Money brings _________________ of mind.People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good

night’s sleep. Ecclesiastes 5:12 (NLT)

3. Money ___________________ all your problems.Riches will not help when it’s time to die, but right living will save you from death.

Proverbs 11:4 (NCV)

2. Realize that ____________ is the owner of all you have. The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth… Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

3. Learn to be a ____________________ of what God has given you.Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest

with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? Luke 16:10-12 (NIV)

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

How do you effectively manage the money God has entrusted to you?

1. Give to ____________.Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will

fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT)

2. Provide for your __________________.Whoever does not care for his own relatives, especially his own family members, has turned

against the faith and is worse than someone who does not believe in God. 1 Timothy 5:8 (NCV)

3. Help _________________. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his

own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)

4. Commit yourself to ________________________ and

__________________________ contribute to God’s church.Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under

compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

Memory VersesCommand them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and

willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18 NIV

Daily Meditations November 10/11

Monday – Begin the day in prayer; meditate on the memory verse.Review the sermon outline and read through all the verses. Through which verse did

God speak to you? Spend time meditating on the verse. What do you sense God saying to you?

From the sermon outline, which survival tips will you practice as a spiritual discipline? How will you begin?

Tuesday – Begin the day in prayer; meditate on the memory verse.Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-16. Who did David acknowledge as the owner of

everything?

In verse 12, who does David acknowledge as the ruler of all things? Who do you acknowledge as the owner and ruler of all your stuff? How might the things you own rule you? (Be specific.)

What example did David set in verse 3?

When you spend money, whose money are you spending? Why is spending money a spiritual decision?

Why are ownership and finances an important topic for families to discuss and set principles? How might children feel about spending their parents’ money?

How can your understanding of spending money allow you to effectively give back to God what He has entrusted to you?

Wednesday – Begin the day in prayer; meditate on the memory verse.Read Genesis 4:2-4. What do you think was the problem with the gift Cain brought to

the Lord?

Read Genesis 8:20-22. What was impressive about Noah’s sacrifice?

Exodus 35:4-36:7. What was good about Israel’s giving to the Lord?

What principles for honoring God in giving have you found in these passages?

Which will you apply to your life?

Thursday – Begin the day in prayer; meditate on the memory verse.Read Malachi 3:7-12, Leviticus 27:30-34 and Deuteronomy 14:22.

What does the Lord ask of Jacob’s descendants? What does the Lord promise?

How were they robbing God? What resulted?

What does God ask the people to do in verse 10? What does this tell you about God?

What will unbelievers know about God as a result of your obedience? How might this affect their lives?

Friday – Begin the day in prayer; meditate on the memory verse.Meditate on Romans 8:29. How does your spending reveal that you are being

conformed into the image of God’s Son?

What do you think Jesus would do with your income? Why?

Personal Reflection & ApplicationWhat new thoughts about giving has God placed on your heart this week?

How has this week’s study changed or reinforced your spending and giving practices?

Reaching OutGive generously to someone in need AND sign up to deliver groceries this Saturday,

November 17 at 10 a.m. Go to www.bigvalleygrace.org or call 571.4399 x337.