GIVING

God is pleased with personal giving. It's in the Bible, Exodus 35:22, TLB. "Both men and women came, all who were willing-hearted. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold, jewelry—earrings, rings from their fingers, necklaces—and gold objects of every kind."

God is pleased when we give generously. It's in the Bible, Ezra 2:68-69, TLB. "Some of the leaders were able to give generously toward the rebuilding of the Temple, and each gave as much as he could. The total value of their gifts amounted to #800,000,000 of gold, #350,000,000 of silver, and 100 robes for the priests."

God is pleased with regular sacrificial giving. It's in the Bible, II Corinthians 8:2, TLB. "Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others."

Generosity takes preparation and planning. It's in the Bible, Leviticus 19:9-10, TLB. "When you harvest your crops, don't reap the corners of your fields, and don't pick up stray grains of wheat from the ground. It is the same with your grape crop—don't strip every last piece of fruit from the vines, and don't pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and for those traveling through, for I am Jehovah your God."

Giving can be an act of worship. It's in the Bible, Matthew 2:11, NIV. "On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."

Gifts should be given willingly. It's in the Bible, II Corinthians 9:7, NIV. "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Each person should give as much as he or she is able. It's in the Bible, II Corinthians 8:12, TLB. "If you are really eager to give, then it isn't important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven't."

Much is required of those who have been given much. It's in the Bible, Luke 12:48, NIV. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Giving tithes and offerings assures the blessings of God. It's in the Bible, Malachi 3:8,10, NIV. "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and offerings…Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

Generosity comes back to the giver. It's in the Bible, Luke 6:38, TLB. "For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you."

God is the ultimate example of giving. It's in the Bible, John 3:16, TLB. "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

FRIENDSHIP

Real friendship involves loyalty. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 17:17, TLB. "A true friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need."

The best friend to have is Jesus. It's in the Bible, John 15:15, NIV. "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you."

Choose friends who love the Lord and have pure hearts. It's in the Bible, II Timothy 2:22, TLB. Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts."

What characteristics make you a good friend? It's in the Bible, Philippians 2:3-4, TLB. "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing."

Gossip can destroy friendships. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 16:28, NIV. "A gossip separates close friends.

Friends are worth keeping. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 27:9-10, TLB. "Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father's. Then you won't need to go to a distant relative for help in your time of need."

A friend cares enough to be honest with you even if it hurts. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 27:6, TLB. "Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy!"

EMPLOYMENT

Employees are to work as though God were their boss. It's in the Bible, Ephesians 6:7-8, NIV. "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."

Employees should be trustworthy. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 25:13, NIV. "Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters."

Christians should be known as those who do their best. It's in the Bible, Titus 2:9-10, NIV. "Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."

Does attitude on the job matter? It's in the Bible, Colossians 3:23, TLB. "Work hard and cheerfully at all you do, just as though you were working for the Lord and not merely for your masters."

Exploitation of workers by employers does not escape God's notice. It's in the Bible, James 5:4, TLB. "For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. Their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts."

A man who fails to work to provide for his family denies the faith. It's in the Bible, I Timothy 5:8, NIV. "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

DISCERNMENT

Discernment is essential in making wise decisions. It's in the Bible, James 1:5, TLB. "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him, and He will gladly tell you, for He is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask Him; He will not resent it."

Discernment is essential for spiritual growth. It's in the Bible, Hebrews 5:14, TLB. "You will never be able to eat solid spiritual food and understand the deeper things of God's Word until you become better Christians and learn right from wrong by practicing doing right."

Discernment comes to those who are humble. It's in the Bible, Psalms 25:9, NIV. "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 2:13,14, NIV. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

CONTENTMENT

What brings contentment? Contentment is a gift from God and grows out of having His perspective on life. It's in the Bible, Philippians 4:12-13, NIV. "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Contentment grows out of humility and trust in God. It's in the Bible, Psalm 131:1, NIV. "My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me."

Contentment grows out of devotion to Christ and eternal values. It's in the Bible, Matthew 6:24, NIV. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Coveting is a barrier to contentment. It's in the Bible, Exodus 20:17, NIV. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Materialism is a barrier to contentment. It's in the Bible, I Timothy 6:9, NIV. "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction."