Practicing Generosity
Todd Thorpe - Lead Pastor
Part of Summer at Watermark '25
July 20, 2025


Following Christ leads to a of .

Luke 9:23 CSB
23Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Matthew 6:24–34 CSB
24“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Biblical guidelines for

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The Tithe

Malachi 3:10 CSB
10Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”

Haggai 1:6 CSB
6You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.””

Matthew 6:25 CSB
25Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

Offerings

1 Corinthians 16:1–2 CSB
1Now about the collection for the saints: Do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches. 2On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.”

Luke 6:38 CSB
38Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.””

Proverbs 3:9–10 CSB
9Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; 10then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

Matthew 6:33 CSB
33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”