WEBVTT - Chip Ingram - Nov 05 - 9:30 am

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<v Speaker 1>Today on living on the edge with chip ingram if.

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<v Speaker 2>I ask you do you consider yourself a generous person

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<v Speaker 2>how would you respond yes or no well i actually

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<v Speaker 2>did that at a shopping mall it was crazy and

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<v Speaker 2>you can't believe what they told me that's today stay.

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<v Speaker 1>With me You've been told it's more blessed to give

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<v Speaker 1>than to receive, but do you actually believe that? I'm

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Drury, and today on Living on the Edge, Chip

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<v Speaker 1>Ingram gives us four counterintuitive principles about sowing and reaping,

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<v Speaker 1>and then he takes a personal step to help us further.

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<v Speaker 1>He reads his own manifesto out loud, five declarations he

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<v Speaker 1>has made before God about how he will handle money, lifestyle,

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<v Speaker 1>and giving for the rest of his life. This is

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<v Speaker 1>much more than a theory about giving. It's a personal

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<v Speaker 1>financial reckoning that Chip hopes will become yours too. Now

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<v Speaker 1>here's Chip Ingram with his message titled, My Generosity Manifesto.

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<v Speaker 2>Generosity is the way to stop the greed in my

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<v Speaker 2>heart and yours. And it's how God begins to grow

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<v Speaker 2>and cultivate transformation. Now let me show you the principles.

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<v Speaker 2>Principle number one, we reap where we sow. Second principle

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<v Speaker 2>is that we reap how much we sow. The third principle,

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<v Speaker 2>and this is the one, at least for me, was like, oh, wow.

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<v Speaker 2>Do I really believe this or not? Kingdom sowing is counterintuitive.

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<v Speaker 2>Notice the wisest man in the world in Proverbs 3,

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<v Speaker 2>verse 9 and 10. Honor the Lord from your wealth

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<v Speaker 2>and from the first of all your produce. And here's

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<v Speaker 2>the promise. So your barns will be filled with plenty

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<v Speaker 2>and your vats will overflow with new wine.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know about you.

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't grow up reading the Bible. Someone's telling me,

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<v Speaker 2>take the very first and the very best of your

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<v Speaker 2>work and give it to God to love and help people.

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<v Speaker 2>And God says, that's how your barns are going to get.

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<v Speaker 2>That doesn't make sense. You give away and you get more.

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<v Speaker 2>It's kingdom. Notice the words of Jesus. Give and it'll

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<v Speaker 2>be given unto you. Counterintuitive. They'll pour back into your lap.

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<v Speaker 2>So bring a cup of generosity, you'll get a cup

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<v Speaker 2>of generosity. Bring a bucket of generosity, get a bucket

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<v Speaker 2>of generosity. It's just a law of the kingdom. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>there's no give to get here, by the way. That's

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<v Speaker 2>a perversion. There's no like, hey, I'm going to give

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<v Speaker 2>away a lot because, okay, now you owe me. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>guess what? You've just violated the spirit of it. It's

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<v Speaker 2>not generosity. That's manipulation. Final principle is we never reap

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<v Speaker 2>in the same season that we sow. This is why

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<v Speaker 2>it's hard. Okay, you're listening to me thinking, man, I've

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<v Speaker 2>got a bunch of debt. and I'm supposed to start giving,

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<v Speaker 2>or okay, I give 1.3%, or I'm doing this, or

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<v Speaker 2>I'm doing that. And even the thought of this, now

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<v Speaker 2>I've seen God do it radically, but when you begin

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<v Speaker 2>to give, don't expect the next day to get a promotion.

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<v Speaker 2>He says, don't lose heart in doing good, and do time,

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<v Speaker 2>underline do time, it'll reap if you don't grow weary.

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<v Speaker 2>So then what should we do? While we still have

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<v Speaker 2>the opportunity, let us do good. Get this to all people.

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<v Speaker 2>Circle all people. We don't just love each other. All people.

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<v Speaker 2>Especially the people that they don't think you care at all.

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<v Speaker 2>The marginalized people. The people whose politics or lifestyle or

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<v Speaker 2>sexual orientation is different. Do good to all people. That's

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<v Speaker 2>what Jesus did. But especially to the household of the faith.

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<v Speaker 2>The reason we continue in unhealthy, unwise behavior selfish, greedy practices,

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<v Speaker 2>and did you hear we, all of us, is because

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<v Speaker 2>the consequences don't show up right away. I mean, if

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<v Speaker 2>I sat down to watch a good basketball game and ate,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, this whole box of Triscuits with my super

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<v Speaker 2>duper sharp cheddar cheese and my super diet Coke in

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<v Speaker 2>a moment of binging, and then if I got up

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<v Speaker 2>and walked into the bedroom and and immediately two pounds

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<v Speaker 2>went around my waist, I think I could kick my

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<v Speaker 2>Triscuit addiction. But it doesn't work like that. And more seriously,

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<v Speaker 2>small neglects in my marriage, small neglects in my investment

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<v Speaker 2>in renewing my mind, just a little pecking around with

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<v Speaker 2>some pornography here, just a little flirting here. Nothing happened, right?

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<v Speaker 2>Nothing happened. A little obsession with work and not really

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<v Speaker 2>spending time that's knowing what's on your kid's heart. Nothing happened.

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<v Speaker 2>Everybody seems okay. 10 years, 12 years, 20 years, marriage

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<v Speaker 2>falling apart, kids disengaged. So you never reap in the

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<v Speaker 2>same season that you sow. That's why it takes faith.

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<v Speaker 2>The goal, God's goal is not to get some people

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<v Speaker 2>to come to meetings, church, listen to someone talk, sing

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<v Speaker 2>a couple songs, and be relatively a little bit nicer

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<v Speaker 2>and maybe a little bit more moral than the world.

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<v Speaker 2>That is not a Christian. Those are some activities that

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<v Speaker 2>Christians are in. Following Jesus is the seed of the

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<v Speaker 2>living God, of the Holy Spirit, comes and takes residence

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<v Speaker 2>inside your body. When you recognize your sin and turn

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<v Speaker 2>from it and ask God for forgiveness and base it

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<v Speaker 2>totally on what he did on the cross and his resurrection,

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<v Speaker 2>he actually enters your life and he begins to develop

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<v Speaker 2>and cultivate the very character of Jesus in you as

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<v Speaker 2>you get in community and get in his word and

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<v Speaker 2>talk to him and become generous. This is, it actually says,

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<v Speaker 2>my generosity manifesto, so this is mine, all right? It's

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<v Speaker 2>in yours. And here's the question. Do you want to

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<v Speaker 2>be extraordinarily kind, and do you want to be extraordinarily generous?

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<v Speaker 2>If so, you can, you know, check a box or two,

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<v Speaker 2>and at the very end, you know, you can do this,

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<v Speaker 2>and put that somewhere. That's what I really want to be,

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<v Speaker 2>and God will start doing it. Or, I would never

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<v Speaker 2>say this out loud, if you would rather choose to

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<v Speaker 2>be a and a bit less generous, and be miserly,

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<v Speaker 2>which usually ends up in miserable, then I wouldn't do anything.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I really wouldn't. But there is, remember, we're deceived.

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<v Speaker 2>Money has the power to deceive. We actually think we're

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<v Speaker 2>doing okay. Your money is probably the clearest x-ray or

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<v Speaker 2>MRI of your soul. And it's so clear and so measurable.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why Jesus talked about it. Because our money and

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<v Speaker 2>hearts are connected. So let me walk through. Here's my manifesto.

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<v Speaker 2>Whatever part you're willing and ready by the grace of God,

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<v Speaker 2>here's an invitation. I hereby declare by the following actions,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm inviting you to do that, that I believe it is,

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<v Speaker 2>as Jesus said, more blessed to give than to receive.

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<v Speaker 2>If you really believe it's more blessed to give than

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<v Speaker 2>to receive, that your life is better and blessed in

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<v Speaker 2>every way, relationally, friendships, financially. Well then, okay. Check number one,

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<v Speaker 2>I thereby declare that all that I have or ever

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<v Speaker 2>will have belongs to Christ. That was the turning point

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<v Speaker 2>for me. Second, I hereby declare to act in obedience

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<v Speaker 2>to God's word by giving back to God the first 10%

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<v Speaker 2>of what he's blessed and entrusted to me. And you

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<v Speaker 2>can hear debates on tithing for today or whatever. It's

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<v Speaker 2>probably not worth going into. Long before there was a law,

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<v Speaker 2>Abraham gave 10% to Melchizedek after God richly blessed him

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<v Speaker 2>with spoils. Pre-incarnate Christ. Moses, they gave 10% of everything.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you add it all up, they gave like 23%

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<v Speaker 2>of their income because they were living in a theocracy.

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<v Speaker 2>Part of it was kind of like tax. And the

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<v Speaker 2>other part was these thank and voluntary offerings. You keep moving, Jesus,

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<v Speaker 2>his life. The Pharisees of the day, boy, they tithe,

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<v Speaker 2>but they miss the heart. Mercy, justice, kindness. He said,

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<v Speaker 2>don't forsake the former, tithing. but you got to get

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<v Speaker 2>your heart right. Malachi would just say, you know, the

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<v Speaker 2>reason you're having financial issues and relational issues and your

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<v Speaker 2>life has got, he talked about like you have a

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<v Speaker 2>purse with holes in it. In other words, you keep

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<v Speaker 2>putting stuff in and it keeps leaking. He said, because

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<v Speaker 2>you're robbing God. You declare it really belongs to him

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<v Speaker 2>by giving the first portion. For some of you, man,

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<v Speaker 2>that'd be a big step. You probably have to rearrange

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<v Speaker 2>your finances and to do it first and not know

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<v Speaker 2>how it's going to work out.

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<v Speaker 1>That's faith.

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<v Speaker 2>That was a hard one for me. But I can

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<v Speaker 2>look back and realize, wow. Third is I hereby declare

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<v Speaker 2>that Jesus' blessings, both financial or otherwise, are not designed

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<v Speaker 2>primarily to raise my standard of living, but to raise

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<v Speaker 2>my standard of giving. See, when you're unconsciously greedy and deceived,

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<v Speaker 2>every time you get more money, you get bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I used to drive this kind of car,

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<v Speaker 2>now this kind of car, this kind of car. I

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<v Speaker 2>used to make this much, so here's my house. Now

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<v Speaker 2>this is my house. Now here's my two houses. And

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<v Speaker 2>we just do it. Now, I think God wants to

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<v Speaker 2>raise our standard of living. He's very, very gracious. I

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<v Speaker 2>live in a really great house. I have a really

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<v Speaker 2>nice car. But ask yourself, when do you say, this

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<v Speaker 2>is good? This is my standard. This is all I want.

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<v Speaker 2>This is where God wants me to live. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>for some of you, that's a five-year-old Volkswagen. For others,

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<v Speaker 2>it's a Tesla. You figure that out. You know, because

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<v Speaker 2>of your roles and your work and however, you figure

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<v Speaker 2>out what it is. But just what if you said,

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<v Speaker 2>when God brings more in, maybe it's not for a

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<v Speaker 2>second home. Maybe it's not for a remodel. Maybe he

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<v Speaker 2>actually gave me some to help some refugees in Syria

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<v Speaker 2>or some clean water in Africa. or some local ministry

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<v Speaker 2>right here. The next little box that I've checked is

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<v Speaker 2>I hereby declare to intentionally and aggressively remove the shackles

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<v Speaker 2>of personal debt that have limited my giving, my going,

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<v Speaker 2>and my peace. 40 and 50 percent of all marriages

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<v Speaker 2>that fail are traced back to financial issues that cause tension.

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<v Speaker 2>Some of you, the next step is, okay, I'm going

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<v Speaker 2>to give this. I mean, there's certain things that are appreciable.

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<v Speaker 2>God bless us, right? I'm paying for a house, but

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<v Speaker 2>I actually pay a bunch off on the principal every month.

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<v Speaker 2>Your personal debt, attack it. Go to a counselor. Cut

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<v Speaker 2>up your credit cards. There's plenty of good books about

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<v Speaker 2>how to do that. But here's the deal. When I

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<v Speaker 2>pay everything on time and I make minimum payments, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>the slave, the Scripture says. borrow the slave to the lender.

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<v Speaker 2>So if I have a card and a lot of stuff,

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<v Speaker 2>they're charging me 12, 13, 14 percent. You're more than tithing.

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<v Speaker 2>You're just not doing it to God. It's called Visa, MasterCard, Discover.

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<v Speaker 2>You are, and you're paying that much more. We better

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<v Speaker 2>move quickly on that one. That was very convicting for

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<v Speaker 2>some of you.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll continue in just a moment. Chip has been

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<v Speaker 1>in ministry for more than three decades, and his passion

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<v Speaker 1>has never changed, helping Christians live like Christians, not just

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<v Speaker 1>on Sunday, but every single day. If today's message is

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<v Speaker 1>connecting with you, we'd love for you to dig deeper.

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<v Speaker 1>Every program in this series and hundreds more are available 24-7,

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely free, on our website, livingontheedge.org. Well, right now, let's

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<v Speaker 1>get back to Chip. Peace.

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<v Speaker 2>Next box is I hereby declare that I'll prayerfully cap

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<v Speaker 2>my lifestyle expenses to become an extraordinarily generous person. And

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<v Speaker 2>this was something that I did not that long ago.

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<v Speaker 2>I grew up really pretty poor and my wife grew

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<v Speaker 2>up pretty poor and had four kids and sometimes two

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<v Speaker 2>in college and two in private schools. And gosh, I

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<v Speaker 2>remember like we have a thousand dollars in savings. We're

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<v Speaker 2>doing really, really great, you know. And that wasn't all

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<v Speaker 2>that many years ago. But I made some decisions, and

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<v Speaker 2>one of them was to do pre-decisions about generosity because

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<v Speaker 2>your heart is deceitful. So I had a guy that

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<v Speaker 2>was a mentor, and he said, someone had asked me

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<v Speaker 2>to write a book, and I was on my first book.

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<v Speaker 2>And he said, I want to hire a professional financial

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<v Speaker 2>planner for you to help you with your finances. I said,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't need a financial planner. I got two kids

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<v Speaker 2>in college doing this, doing that. This is how much

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<v Speaker 2>I make. This is what we're giving. I don't have

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<v Speaker 2>any money. I don't need a plan. He goes, no, no, no, no, no, no.

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<v Speaker 2>You need a plan. He said, you need to decide

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<v Speaker 2>in advance, Chip, what you're going to do if God

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<v Speaker 2>decides to bless this. He said, do you want to

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<v Speaker 2>be dependent on like income from books? I said, no,

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<v Speaker 2>but I'd like to be able to pay for college

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<v Speaker 2>education and some stuff. He said, okay. So I got

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<v Speaker 2>with this financial planner. And basically this is, they tell pastors,

0:13:05.150 --> 0:13:08.880
<v Speaker 2>it's a Christian one. So look, If you fall morally,

0:13:09.300 --> 0:13:11.660
<v Speaker 2>you wreck your life, you wreck the church. Whatever you

0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.020
<v Speaker 2>have to do, don't do that. If you get arrogant

0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:16.000
<v Speaker 2>and full of yourself, you wreck your life, you wreck

0:13:16.020 --> 0:13:18.140
<v Speaker 2>the church. But the one you guys don't think about

0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:20.339
<v Speaker 2>is if your finances get out of line, you wreck

0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:23.500
<v Speaker 2>your life, you wreck the church. So why don't you decide,

0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:26.480
<v Speaker 2>I've worked these things out, what should you give before

0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:28.500
<v Speaker 2>you ever write the first book? So I prayed about it.

0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:31.490
<v Speaker 2>Talked with Teresa. Okay, we don't want to be dependent

0:13:31.510 --> 0:13:33.330
<v Speaker 2>on this. So why don't we say in advance, this

0:13:33.370 --> 0:13:37.090
<v Speaker 2>was really easy, you know, at least half of anything

0:13:37.130 --> 0:13:39.650
<v Speaker 2>that comes in from any book, any time, we just

0:13:39.670 --> 0:13:42.370
<v Speaker 2>give to the Lord's Word. It was really pretty easy.

0:13:42.550 --> 0:13:47.150
<v Speaker 2>I gave half of nothing away. But that decision in

0:13:47.210 --> 0:13:53.460
<v Speaker 2>advance changed my world. And, you know, as a result, yes,

0:13:53.550 --> 0:13:55.880
<v Speaker 2>I have a very comfortable lifestyle, but then we said,

0:13:56.380 --> 0:13:59.780
<v Speaker 2>anything living on the edge goes to them. Here's our lifestyle.

0:14:00.100 --> 0:14:01.500
<v Speaker 2>All of that that comes in, we're going to give.

0:14:01.420 --> 0:14:01.839
<v Speaker 1>It all away.

0:14:02.970 --> 0:14:07.410
<v Speaker 2>And it's been, it's so exciting. I mean, we're poor people.

0:14:07.530 --> 0:14:09.610
<v Speaker 2>We grew up, I mean, poor people. Like, we couldn't

0:14:09.670 --> 0:14:12.190
<v Speaker 2>pay the rent and stuff hardly. And now to write

0:14:12.230 --> 0:14:15.450
<v Speaker 2>a check for all these orphans in Zimbabwe and to

0:14:15.490 --> 0:14:19.670
<v Speaker 2>write a check to an institution. The joy and the

0:14:19.750 --> 0:14:22.660
<v Speaker 2>excitement and looking into people's eyes. God wants that for you.

0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:24.800
<v Speaker 2>This is not about give your money, give your money.

0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:28.359
<v Speaker 2>But cap your lifestyle. And you cap it where he

0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:30.780
<v Speaker 2>shows you. You know, I'm going to limit myself to

0:14:30.820 --> 0:14:35.230
<v Speaker 2>two houses, okay? Great. Do whatever God chose you to do.

0:14:35.590 --> 0:14:39.310
<v Speaker 2>But at some point in time, draw a line. It's

0:14:39.410 --> 0:14:42.109
<v Speaker 2>really exciting. And then the last one here is I

0:14:42.150 --> 0:14:46.290
<v Speaker 2>hereby declare I'll volunteer my time and talent X percent

0:14:46.330 --> 0:14:49.220
<v Speaker 2>of my waking hours. I'd like to write 10 percent.

0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:51.960
<v Speaker 2>And I'm being really gracious with you. Are you ready

0:14:51.980 --> 0:14:56.860
<v Speaker 2>for this? 168 hours in a week. Hardly anyone sleeps

0:14:56.900 --> 0:14:59.600
<v Speaker 2>eight hours, although we should. So eight times seven, 56.

0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:03.890
<v Speaker 2>Subtract that out. Now we're down to 112. Let me

0:15:03.930 --> 0:15:06.810
<v Speaker 2>give you some time to eat. Take those 12 hours away.

0:15:06.870 --> 0:15:10.910
<v Speaker 2>So you got 100 hours every week. Imagine. Are you ready? Imagine.

0:15:11.690 --> 0:15:12.110
<v Speaker 1>Imagine.

0:15:13.170 --> 0:15:16.280
<v Speaker 2>Can you imagine if all of us gave 10 hours

0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:21.620
<v Speaker 2>a week? That's 10% of our awaking in the name

0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:25.620
<v Speaker 2>of Jesus to love people. I mean, you could volunteer

0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:29.500
<v Speaker 2>in the church. You can volunteer outside the church. Here's

0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:31.760
<v Speaker 2>what I want to ask you. Which of those boxes

0:15:31.780 --> 0:15:33.980
<v Speaker 2>are you going to check? And what's your next step?

0:15:34.580 --> 0:15:39.020
<v Speaker 2>You grow into generosity. Well, here's some specifics. First step,

0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:42.140
<v Speaker 2>and just do it for 90 days. If God doesn't

0:15:42.180 --> 0:15:44.560
<v Speaker 2>show up, don't do it anymore. But for 90 days,

0:15:45.260 --> 0:15:47.640
<v Speaker 2>I commit to take the first step in generosity by

0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:53.840
<v Speaker 2>committing to give, and you put a Maybe you're saying,

0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:55.700
<v Speaker 2>I don't have much faith. This is all new to me.

0:15:56.360 --> 0:16:00.520
<v Speaker 2>Dear God, I have 2.5% faith. So that's what I'm giving.

0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:04.620
<v Speaker 2>Or 5.7, or 1.3, or 8.9. I don't care what

0:16:04.660 --> 0:16:07.590
<v Speaker 2>it is. It's between you and God. There's no number here.

0:16:08.330 --> 0:16:11.390
<v Speaker 2>But what if all of us did something? Half of

0:16:11.610 --> 0:16:15.070
<v Speaker 2>all the people in America that are Christians give nothing.

0:16:17.310 --> 0:16:20.590
<v Speaker 2>Sounds really strong, but it's true. But I think if

0:16:20.670 --> 0:16:23.300
<v Speaker 2>I ask you, are you generous enough You know what?

0:16:23.420 --> 0:16:25.630
<v Speaker 2>We don't make the connection. You're not a bad person,

0:16:26.730 --> 0:16:31.080
<v Speaker 2>but we don't get it. Next step, as a follower

0:16:31.100 --> 0:16:34.620
<v Speaker 2>of Christ, I commit to generously and faithfully give 10%

0:16:34.620 --> 0:16:38.640
<v Speaker 2>of my time weekly. I mean, there's probably lots of

0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:40.730
<v Speaker 2>you who know, this is what I really ought to do.

0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.930
<v Speaker 2>I intellectually believe that. But right now, because of, I'm

0:16:43.950 --> 0:16:45.630
<v Speaker 2>going to give some time and, you know, I've got

0:16:45.650 --> 0:16:47.550
<v Speaker 2>these kids in school and I've got this here and

0:16:47.970 --> 0:16:49.910
<v Speaker 2>things at work are a little hard and I'm concerned

0:16:49.930 --> 0:16:52.530
<v Speaker 2>about the future. Guess what? None of those things ever change.

0:16:52.610 --> 0:16:55.680
<v Speaker 2>This is about faith. God, it all belongs to you.

0:16:56.060 --> 0:16:58.700
<v Speaker 2>You have told me, demonstrate that I really believe that

0:16:58.780 --> 0:17:01.820
<v Speaker 2>by giving first and foremost. Above and beyond, I commit

0:17:01.860 --> 0:17:05.139
<v Speaker 2>to joyfully growing my faith and generosity by giving blank

0:17:05.180 --> 0:17:10.280
<v Speaker 2>percent above my current tithe of 10% of my income

0:17:10.300 --> 0:17:15.040
<v Speaker 2>in weekly time. It's interesting that as our income and

0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:17.780
<v Speaker 2>things grow, I've met people that they've been a Christian

0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:21.190
<v Speaker 2>for 30 years. 30 years ago, I believe in tithing.

0:17:21.270 --> 0:17:23.050
<v Speaker 2>It all belongs to God. They gave 10%. 30 years later,

0:17:23.070 --> 0:17:30.619
<v Speaker 2>I give 10%. How can that be? How can our

0:17:30.740 --> 0:17:34.440
<v Speaker 2>hearts not grow? How cannot we see the opportunities? I

0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:36.760
<v Speaker 2>can tell you what happens. We get deceived. And so

0:17:36.780 --> 0:17:40.530
<v Speaker 2>what happens is our lifestyle grows, but our giving doesn't grow.

0:17:41.330 --> 0:17:44.430
<v Speaker 2>You know, like take a big risk. One percent this year.

0:17:45.450 --> 0:17:49.010
<v Speaker 2>I'm an 11 percenter this year. I met a guy

0:17:49.050 --> 0:17:54.379
<v Speaker 2>that literally supercharged my giving. He heard about that. the

0:17:54.420 --> 0:17:56.820
<v Speaker 2>year after he was married. And so he decided, every

0:17:56.859 --> 0:17:58.659
<v Speaker 2>year I'm married, I'm going to give one more percent

0:17:58.700 --> 0:18:01.220
<v Speaker 2>just to see if God shows up. I met him

0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:05.530
<v Speaker 2>when he was married 58 years. 58 and 10. He

0:18:06.030 --> 0:18:08.850
<v Speaker 2>was giving 68% of his income. And then he turned

0:18:08.869 --> 0:18:10.330
<v Speaker 2>to me, he goes, you know, it's really interesting, you know,

0:18:10.350 --> 0:18:13.149
<v Speaker 2>as a private architect, and somehow things worked out, and

0:18:13.170 --> 0:18:15.170
<v Speaker 2>I ended up kind of doing these shopping centers, and...

0:18:17.760 --> 0:18:20.179
<v Speaker 2>I can look back over, he talked like this, I

0:18:20.220 --> 0:18:22.850
<v Speaker 2>can look back over, he was really old, I can

0:18:22.869 --> 0:18:28.350
<v Speaker 2>look back over 58 years and I've never made less

0:18:28.430 --> 0:18:30.610
<v Speaker 2>money this year than the year before.

0:18:31.109 --> 0:18:31.810
<v Speaker 1>It's amazing.

0:18:32.150 --> 0:18:36.950
<v Speaker 2>God, you invest in the great bank of heaven. Sorry, Paul,

0:18:37.030 --> 0:18:40.600
<v Speaker 2>that's a bad invitation. But what would happen? What would

0:18:40.619 --> 0:18:44.140
<v Speaker 2>happen if we did that? The final one here is

0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:46.959
<v Speaker 2>for those of you that everything I'm talking about You

0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:50.119
<v Speaker 2>may even have the gift of giving, and you're going, yeah, yeah, yeah, rah, rah, rah,

0:18:50.180 --> 0:18:52.580
<v Speaker 2>I believe that. You're giving over and above. You're looking

0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:55.420
<v Speaker 2>at a pretty big percentage. Here's my word for some

0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:58.740
<v Speaker 2>of us that are kind of, we've been growing. Pause

0:18:58.859 --> 0:19:01.580
<v Speaker 2>and just ask about your motives. One of the dangers

0:19:01.640 --> 0:19:04.460
<v Speaker 2>of getting radically generous in your giving is to begin

0:19:04.500 --> 0:19:07.900
<v Speaker 2>to see numbers and, okay, I gave 29% last year,

0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:10.360
<v Speaker 2>but I gave 31% this year. Like, hey, God, hey,

0:19:11.100 --> 0:19:13.900
<v Speaker 2>look at me. And just back away and just ask,

0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:16.730
<v Speaker 2>is there still joy in And then ask, okay, Lord,

0:19:16.750 --> 0:19:20.790
<v Speaker 2>have I justified myself? Is there something really exciting you

0:19:20.810 --> 0:19:23.600
<v Speaker 2>would put on my heart? And would I do something

0:19:23.670 --> 0:19:26.800
<v Speaker 2>crazy and radical if you showed me? And just pray.

0:19:28.060 --> 0:19:32.720
<v Speaker 2>Because this is always about your heart. Although he was rich,

0:19:32.859 --> 0:19:37.260
<v Speaker 2>speaking of Jesus, he became poor. That we, through his poverty,

0:19:37.300 --> 0:19:40.460
<v Speaker 2>might become rich. The eyes of the Lord go to

0:19:40.500 --> 0:19:44.070
<v Speaker 2>and fro throughout the whole earth. that he might strongly

0:19:44.109 --> 0:19:48.040
<v Speaker 2>support those whose heart is fully his. Lord, I've talked

0:19:48.060 --> 0:19:51.780
<v Speaker 2>a lot about money. I know you have people all

0:19:51.840 --> 0:19:54.560
<v Speaker 2>across the spectrum you have some people that actually you

0:19:54.580 --> 0:19:56.580
<v Speaker 2>don't even want any of their money today you want

0:19:56.640 --> 0:20:00.360
<v Speaker 2>them to say could I receive something could I could

0:20:00.380 --> 0:20:03.180
<v Speaker 2>I receive forgiveness of my sins and you come live

0:20:03.220 --> 0:20:05.970
<v Speaker 2>inside of me and start a brand new life and

0:20:05.990 --> 0:20:09.830
<v Speaker 2>have all my sins behind me today Lord, that's your heart.

0:20:09.890 --> 0:20:13.440
<v Speaker 2>And God, for all of us, it's easy to say this,

0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:17.660
<v Speaker 2>but it's so true. You really, really, really neither need

0:20:17.700 --> 0:20:20.000
<v Speaker 2>nor want our money. But Jesus, you talked about it

0:20:20.100 --> 0:20:25.130
<v Speaker 2>so much because our heart is connected to it. My

0:20:25.170 --> 0:20:30.710
<v Speaker 2>heart's desire is that you, tender, kind, gentle, loving Holy Spirit,

0:20:31.790 --> 0:20:34.470
<v Speaker 2>would fill people with a level of courage and faith

0:20:34.490 --> 0:20:38.129
<v Speaker 2>that that you would break the power of darkness in

0:20:38.170 --> 0:20:41.490
<v Speaker 2>their heart and in mine, and that every one of

0:20:41.630 --> 0:20:44.950
<v Speaker 2>us would take at least a baby step toward being

0:20:44.990 --> 0:20:45.590
<v Speaker 2>more generous.

0:20:46.530 --> 0:20:52.649
<v Speaker 1>Amen. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram,

0:20:53.150 --> 0:20:57.560
<v Speaker 1>and a message titled, My Generosity Manifesto. It's from our series,

0:20:57.780 --> 0:21:01.240
<v Speaker 1>The Jesus Revolution, Join the Movement, which you can find

0:21:01.300 --> 0:21:06.409
<v Speaker 1>and listen to again anytime at livingontheedge.org. And Chip has

0:21:06.450 --> 0:21:09.180
<v Speaker 1>a closing word for us in just a moment. Don't

0:21:09.220 --> 0:21:12.320
<v Speaker 1>miss Chip's teaching Monday through Friday. Subscribe to the Living

0:21:12.420 --> 0:21:15.540
<v Speaker 1>on the Edge podcast or find the Chip Ingram sermon

0:21:15.560 --> 0:21:19.610
<v Speaker 1>podcast for his full-length messages. Both are free wherever you

0:21:19.619 --> 0:21:24.210
<v Speaker 1>listen to your podcasts. Five declarations. Each one is simple

0:21:24.290 --> 0:21:28.410
<v Speaker 1>on the surface and costly underneath. I hereby declare that

0:21:28.630 --> 0:21:32.540
<v Speaker 1>all I have belongs to Christ. that Jesus' blessings are

0:21:32.619 --> 0:21:35.620
<v Speaker 1>meant to raise my standard of giving, not my standard

0:21:35.660 --> 0:21:40.060
<v Speaker 1>of living, that I will prayerfully cap my lifestyle. The

0:21:40.100 --> 0:21:42.790
<v Speaker 1>story of sitting with a financial planner before his first

0:21:42.869 --> 0:21:46.310
<v Speaker 1>book was ever published, making decisions about money he didn't

0:21:46.369 --> 0:21:48.990
<v Speaker 1>yet have, is the picture of what it looks like

0:21:49.010 --> 0:21:52.030
<v Speaker 1>to actually believe that God owns it all and to

0:21:52.109 --> 0:21:56.120
<v Speaker 1>arrange your life accordingly in advance. And one more thing

0:21:56.140 --> 0:21:58.640
<v Speaker 1>before we go. This week, Chip has a special book

0:21:58.680 --> 0:22:01.820
<v Speaker 1>he wants you to check out. Wise Son, Smart Son

0:22:02.060 --> 0:22:05.980
<v Speaker 1>by Jack Alexander is a beautifully crafted resource that shows

0:22:06.020 --> 0:22:08.959
<v Speaker 1>you not just what wisdom is, but how to actually

0:22:09.020 --> 0:22:12.270
<v Speaker 1>pursue it day by day. On our next program, Chip

0:22:12.310 --> 0:22:14.930
<v Speaker 1>sits down with Jack for a special interview to close

0:22:14.990 --> 0:22:17.929
<v Speaker 1>out our series, The Jesus Revolution. And you'll want to

0:22:17.950 --> 0:22:22.330
<v Speaker 1>hear it. You can get the book right now at Wisesmart.com.

0:22:22.730 --> 0:22:26.940
<v Speaker 1>That's Wisesmart.com. Well, now here's Chip.

0:22:27.359 --> 0:22:29.879
<v Speaker 2>If we were talking across the table from one another

0:22:30.740 --> 0:22:33.000
<v Speaker 2>and you leaned in and said, you know, Chip, all

0:22:33.040 --> 0:22:36.900
<v Speaker 2>this stuff about generosity, it's really a lot deeper than that,

0:22:36.980 --> 0:22:38.649
<v Speaker 2>isn't it? And I would say, yeah, it really is.

0:22:39.810 --> 0:22:43.890
<v Speaker 2>The greatest act of generosity was that God so loved

0:22:44.109 --> 0:22:48.149
<v Speaker 2>the world that he gave generously his son, the Lord Jesus,

0:22:48.190 --> 0:22:52.830
<v Speaker 2>that whoever would believe actually would entrust themselves, would put

0:22:52.950 --> 0:22:56.520
<v Speaker 2>their faith in him and what he did. shouldn't perish,

0:22:57.480 --> 0:23:00.659
<v Speaker 2>but have everlasting life. And what I've learned over the

0:23:00.700 --> 0:23:03.040
<v Speaker 2>years is when I talk like this, God has already

0:23:03.080 --> 0:23:07.100
<v Speaker 2>prepared thousands and thousands of people to hear what I'm

0:23:07.140 --> 0:23:09.940
<v Speaker 2>about to say. And that is that you can have

0:23:09.980 --> 0:23:14.520
<v Speaker 2>your sins forgiven today. That the generous God of the

0:23:14.619 --> 0:23:18.560
<v Speaker 2>universe wants to say to you, would you receive my

0:23:18.680 --> 0:23:22.640
<v Speaker 2>son as the sole and only means of a relationship

0:23:23.100 --> 0:23:26.270
<v Speaker 2>with an absolutely pure and holy God? What I know

0:23:26.350 --> 0:23:29.730
<v Speaker 2>is that right now you need to respond and say, yes, Lord,

0:23:30.690 --> 0:23:33.859
<v Speaker 2>I want that with all the implications. And if you

0:23:33.900 --> 0:23:36.659
<v Speaker 2>would bow your head if it's appropriate or keep your

0:23:36.740 --> 0:23:39.780
<v Speaker 2>eyes open if you're driving and just say in the

0:23:39.859 --> 0:23:43.340
<v Speaker 2>depth of your soul and your heart and your integrity, oh, God,

0:23:44.660 --> 0:23:48.010
<v Speaker 2>I need you. Will you forgive me right now for

0:23:48.180 --> 0:23:51.650
<v Speaker 2>all that I've done? I believe Christ died in my place.

0:23:52.590 --> 0:23:55.490
<v Speaker 2>I believe that he rose from the dead. And I'm

0:23:55.820 --> 0:23:59.560
<v Speaker 2>asking you on that basis alone to make me your son,

0:24:00.580 --> 0:24:03.460
<v Speaker 2>make me your daughter. And what I want you to

0:24:03.500 --> 0:24:06.080
<v Speaker 2>know that God made that promise. And as you receive

0:24:06.119 --> 0:24:09.790
<v Speaker 2>it in this moment by faith, you're his son, you're

0:24:09.830 --> 0:24:13.590
<v Speaker 2>his daughter, you're forgiven. Now today you need to text

0:24:13.650 --> 0:24:16.810
<v Speaker 2>or call the greatest Christian you know and say, I'm

0:24:16.850 --> 0:24:20.169
<v Speaker 2>not exactly sure what I did, but I asked Christ

0:24:20.210 --> 0:24:22.440
<v Speaker 2>to come into my life. And then you need to

0:24:22.480 --> 0:24:27.320
<v Speaker 2>go to our website, livingontheedge.org. We don't want anything from you.

0:24:27.480 --> 0:24:30.800
<v Speaker 2>We have some resources to help new believers. And then

0:24:30.859 --> 0:24:34.320
<v Speaker 2>find a church that teaches the Bible this weekend and

0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:37.179
<v Speaker 2>start taking baby steps to grow in your relationship with Christ.

0:24:37.760 --> 0:24:38.300
<v Speaker 2>God bless you.

0:24:39.000 --> 0:24:44.320
<v Speaker 1>Just go to livingontheedge.org slash salvation. Well, I'm Dave Drewy,

0:24:44.560 --> 0:24:47.379
<v Speaker 1>inviting you back next time when Chip Ingram concludes our

0:24:47.440 --> 0:24:51.320
<v Speaker 1>series called The Jesus Revolution, right here on Living on

0:24:51.359 --> 0:24:58.060
<v Speaker 1>the Edge. Today's program is produced and sponsored by Living

0:24:58.160 --> 0:24:58.700
<v Speaker 1>on the Edge.