I.NVESTMENT (OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OTHERS) 

When we begin to discuss goal setting, it is very easy to get stuck on continually looking at ourselves. WE get our eyes so set on our future and everything that WE want to accomplish that we forget one of the most important lessons to achieving success – to give others.

There could be no more appropriate time to speak of success by giving than to discuss it during the Christmas season. We find in Scripture that God Almighty, King of Glory came to earth and robed Himself in flesh so that he could give to us eternal life. We are told in

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

We find in Luke 2:7 the humble beginning of this King of Glory:

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

We this see after 33 ½ years of giving Christ gave all:

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Since God invested his entire life into us, He requires that we invest our lives into others. There are many reasons that we should give:

• Without Giving you will eventually wither.

• We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~ Winston Churchhill

• Giving completes you as an on-purpose person.

• We all possess special gifts, talents, and resources that can be shared with others.

ATTITUDE OF GIVING

There are three attitudes that we should have in regards to giving:

A) JOYFUL GIVING

• 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

• • Giving out of joy and thanksgiving for our blessings is the building block for successful giving.

B) INTENTIONAL GIVING

• Exodus 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God.

• • Meaningless in life stems from two primary causes: being off-purpose and not giving. Being an intentional giver means that our giving becomes a priority.

• • You don’t fit your life around giving – you make giving the first activity.

C) PROPORTIONAL GIVING

• • Genesis 28:22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

We must be joyful, intentional and proportional givers.

WAYS TO INVEST

We will now discuss three ways that we can invest in other peoples lives:

A) WE INVEST WITH OUR TIME

• Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

• We must give a proportional amount of our time. There are just twenty-four hours in a day, so at 10 percent we give two hours and twenty-four minutes a day to others.

• There’s a volunteer opportunity for you in your church, in the government, or somewhere in the community.

• We give the first ten percent of our time and finances, not the last ten percent. If not, then we are just giving leftovers.

• Love, in its many forms, is the greatest gift of all.

B) WE INVEST WITH TALENT 

• Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

If you have a special talent that can be used then use it for the glory of God.

• Some churches have a beneveoncy catalog that details the talents of men and women in the church who can help out in difficult times. It would list:

• Computer technicians
• Plumbers
• People who work on cars
• Builders
• Etc.

• • Our talents need not be perfected, only available.

• • You should try to help as many people as you can each year.

• • Set a personal goal of how many people you can help every year.
  • Giving involves tough choices and keeping priorities.

C) WE INVEST WITH OUR TREASURE

• Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

• Giving is done joyfully out of abundance and in thanksgiving for our blessings

• The willingness to give away our possessions means they no longer possess us.

• On-purpose persons have a minimum standard of giving,” explains the professor. We keep up to 90 percent of all we earn. In other words, we give a minimum of 10 percent to others – that’s giving in proportion to our means. My resources are different from yours. Our means are different from the means of an unemployed person or the chairman of a fortune 500 company. One person’s resources are no more or no less important than another’s – just different. (The On-Purpose Person: Making Your Life Make Sense by Kevin W. McCarthy) 

• I suggest that you make giving a family project. Include your wife and children with selecting the areas of giving. Involve them in financial planning. Then model it. Put your time and money into action. It will be an unforgettable lesson for your children.

• Christmas for Christ

• Sheaves For Christ

• Save our Children

• etc.

CONCLUSION

Take some time to write down all of your I.NVESTMENT goals on this page. We are much more likely to complete these goals when they are set before us.

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INVESTMENT GOALS COULD INCLUDE: 

1) Buy the books of 100 college students

2) Give away 1,500 books to people

3) Create “Mentorship” conference

4) Create Leadership Certification process that will certify student leaders

5) Create “Couples Coaching” that will “Equip” young couples in ministry

LIFE SURVIVAL SERIES

• SERMON ONE: THE ART OF SURVIVAL
• SERMON TWO: S.PIRITUAL GOALS
• SERMON THREE: U.NDERSTANDING GOALS
• SERMON FOUR: R.ELATIONSHIP GOALS
• SERMON FIVE: V.ISION GOALS
• SERMON SIX: I.NVESTMENT GOALS
• SERMON SEVEN: V.OCATION GOALS
• SERMON EIGHT: A.SSET GOALS
• SERMON NINE: L.EISURE GOALS