You are probably aware that churches often host fund raising events regularly.

The Bible says nothing about fund raising events. All it mentions is generous, sacrificial giving by the people. I would not say that fund raisers are sinful or unorthodox, but they are not really biblical. Biblically speaking, the funds necessary for the operation of the church come from the rich generosity of those who give.

If you’ve been here over the last few weeks, you know that 2 Cor 8-9 are all about rich generosity toward the Lord’s work. These chapters deal with an offering that Paul was collecting for the poor saints at Jerusalem. The people at Corinth had agreed to participate in this offering, but they were a little reluctant to actually collect the money.

The first few verses of chapter 9 deal with the preparation and collection of this offering. Paul is a bit concerned that the folks in Corinth would fail to follow through on their promise to give.

In today’s passage, we find several practical principles of giving; guidelines that tell us how we ought to give.

Let’s consider what the text says about giving to the Lord’s work.