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The following are my Bible study notes from my pastor's sermon titled "Wisdom in Generous Living."

Wisdom in Generous Living

Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine. - Proverbs 3:9-10

When we honor God, He will bless our lives.

Wisdom keeps us from foolishness.

Wisdom protects us.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

Our God is a generous God.  He will bless our lives.

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. - 1 Timothy 6:9

 The rich fall into temptation.  We all fall into temptation.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. - Proverbs 11:24

1.  God expects generous giving.

Honor = to give weight to.

Honor = to glorify God.

First Fruits = Tithing

Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. - Leviticus 27:30

You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. - Deuteronomy 14:22

New Testament = Not commanded, but grace giving.


And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. - Genesis 14:20

Before the law, there was tithing.

What is a tithe?  A tithe is 10% of your income off the top.

Who should tithe?  Everyone should tithe.

Ask yourselves this question.  Are you unable to tithe because you are broke or are you broke because you do not tithe?

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. - Malachi 3:10-11

Why should we tithe?  We should tithe because God tells us to tithe in His Word.  We should tithe because tithing shows gratitude.


But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:20-21

2.  God blesses generous living.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.  - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8