2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Study Guide: Generosity is Worship

Community Group Study Guide — God’s Supply for Our Generosity

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Study Information:

Intellectually we know that God has no lack or inability to supply for our needs, but in practice many struggle to believe that God will supply for our needs. Some of us grew up paycheck to paycheck and may have had an opportunity to see God provide in unique ways, but others may have a greater level of worry or anxiety from that. God often supplies through our hard work, but also through gracious gifts we were not expecting. This theological truth does not mean we get to be unwise with our money or ignore biblical teaching on saving, but it does mean we should fight an impulse to hoard or resources or to be anxious. Paul closes out his teaching on giving with a focus on God’s supply and generosity as worship to free us from either viewing God as stingy or seeing generosity as only a duty rather than a delight of worship.

God’s Supply

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

Generosity can be hindered when we either view God as limited in the way he provides or if we think of generosity as merely duty.

Paul addressed the first obstacle with a farming metaphor in verse 6. Paul states clearly that this is his point with this section on generosity, if you so sparingly you will reap sparingly, if you sow boutifully you will reap boutifully. This was not a prosperity gospel that promised that if you give you would receive more material wealth, that would be an appeal to the wrong motive and a false promise. Rather, Paul wants his readers to think of their generosity like a field they’re planting for the next season. If you are stingy with the seed you will see a stingy return. Likewise you do not just plant one small section of your field and expect to depend on that, you plant as much as you can so your needs are supplied for and you have something to give. We can often be limited in our generosity if we have a scarcity mindset, but we have to realize that even the metaphorical seed we plant with is from God. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:10, “He who supplises the sower with seed and bread will supply and multiply your seed for sowing…” Paul seems to promsie that God supplies those who are trustworthy in their generosity with a greater capactiy to give and that everything we have ultimatley comes from him. Things can feel tight financially for many of us with rising gas costs, grocery bills and a job market that feels pinched. Likewise, we should take the advice of Proverbs and save up for the future as we use financial wisdom. But at the end of the day, a lack of generosity does something to our soul. It can often cause us to think of God as stingy or holding back. It can create a hoarding mentality in us and as we will see in the next section (Generosity as Worship) it can lead to a lack of worship. God has no lack and God has no need, so if God has called us to generous giving we should trust that he will supply for our needs.

Second, we do have a responsibility to participate in generosity but we cannot see it as merely a duty. “God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7).” Cheerful giving starts with planning in the heart and is fueled by God’s grace (2 Cor 9:8). There will naturally be times where our generosity is less than joyful, because we’re human and our emotions and attitudes are not always what they should be which is why we have to first “decide in our hearts.” Likewise, Paul reminded the Corinthians that God is able to make all grace abound to us so we can abound in every good work, even the good work of generosity. If you find yourself struggling to be cheerful in generosity remember to Paul’s earlier words about the gospel and how Christ became poor so we might become rich and think deeply on the ways that God has supplied for your needs and as you dwell on those things bring them to God in prayer (2 Cor 8:9).

Generosity as Worship

2 Corinthians 9:12-15

Paul closed his teaching on giving by highlighting what giving produced in God’s people. Notice three things that dedicated and cheerful generosity produced.

First, thanksgiving to God (2 Cor 9:11). If you struggle with gratitude or thankfulness it could be that a root cause is a lack of generosity. Giving is a practical way to express gratitude to God, which is worship. Giving is not a paying of dues or money for services, it is worship.

Second, giving supplies for the needs of others (2 Cor 9:12). We’ve discussed the real and dire needs of the Jerusalem church in previous study guides, how did God supply for their needs? He did so thorugh the giving of the Gentile Christians. God likewise does similar things today as we give to emergency relief around the world, or to the supply for the spiritual needs in our own local church through kids and student discipleship ministries, teaching, communication and counseling.

Third, giving results in greater love among God’s people (2 Cor 9:13-15). The Corinthians were “submitted to the gospel” in their confession of faith and generosity and Paul was confident that this demonstration of love would lead to a greater degree of love from the Jersualem church who received this gift, back to the Gentile Christians. Notice that Paul worte that “they long for you and pray for you.” The one’s who received this gift grew in a desire for the ones who gave and in their prayers.

Generosity is not just about the physical needs, it is about worship and our spiritual formation. Church, God is not lacking in his ability to provide for us, in fact everything we have is from God already. Allow the grace of God to overflow through your life to bless others becuase that is an act of worship.

At your community group:

Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.

How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week?

Discussion Questions:

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Paul taught that if one sows sparingly they will reap sparingly. What are some of the things we “reap” in our bountiful generosity?

God loves a cheerful giver. Does this mean that if we do not feel joy in each gift that we give that we shouldn’t be giving? What are some reasons you think Paul talks about “deciding in your heart?” what you should give?

How does this passage teach us that giving is worship?

What are some of your big applications from the last five weeks we’ve learned about giving and what changes are you hoping to make in the coming weeks?