Train converts and new church members from the beginning to give, and to discover why Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This is usually better done in small groups, normally when no visitors are present. In small churches or home groups, it is often better not to pass an offering plate but to instruct church members to put their offerings in a box or envelope provided for them.

Find in Luke 6:38 a command--and generous promise--of Jesus about giving.

Find in Matthew 6:19-34 several truths about our attitudes toward material goods and giving, including where our investment is stored.

How does this compare with the instructions in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8?

How was the truth of Malachi 3:10 applied by Abraham?

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T&M Student Activity Guide page 17b.

Discover the local cultural patterns of giving.

• Who gives to whom, what, how much, on what occasions, for what purposes, with what kind of accountability?
• In societies where people seem to outsiders to waste their substance on frivolous ceremonies, the members usually pay very close attention to what flows from whom to whom.
• This is their way of ensuring that a greater number of persons have their needs met at least some of the time.