Pay It Forward

This message challenges us to examine the difference between conditional giving and true generosity by exploring 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. We're confronted with an uncomfortable truth: sometimes our 'generosity' is really just a transaction in disguise, where we're willing to give only when we can control the outcome. The sermon uses the agricultural metaphor of sowing and reaping to reveal a profound spiritual principle—seeds don't speak, they sprout. We're called to plant our resources, time, and gifts into God's kingdom without demanding to know every detail of the harvest. The passage emphasizes that God desires our heart posture over religious pressure, and that faith acts as the fertilizer for generosity. What makes this message particularly convicting is the reminder that we cannot pay God back for the grace He's shown us, but we can pay it forward. The free gift of salvation we received while dead in our sins should compel us to live like rivers rather than lakes—constantly flowing and bringing life to others rather than becoming stagnant reservoirs. This isn't about budgeting better or trying harder; it's about responding to undeserved grace with radical generosity.