The Joy of Reciprocal Sharing.

Grace bookends this passage in 2 Corinthians. Those who are overwhelmed with grace are compelled to share their resources. God is the centerpiece of today's passage, 2 Corinthians 9:8-15. He gives to us first; we realize many benefits from His giving.

God's Care for Those Who Share.

Remember that this whole section of 2 Corinthians 8-9 is bookended by grace. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, God is mentioned repeatedly, and His work is cause for rejoicing. When God is at the controls of our lives, He will care for those who share resources because they care for His cause. If we want to know the full capability of God's grace, we will meditate on Christ's riches generously shared with us. His divine reciprocity was given for a cause.

God never intends excess resources to be hoarded, but distributed for the Gospel's sake in a trustworthy manner.

This passage in Corinthians discusses what Christians do with the normal excess that the Lord provides.

Longing for Home.

Psalm 84 describes a person longing for God's dwelling place and points us toward the home we were created for.

The Integrity and Character of Sharing Resources for Gospel Purposes.

The primary application of this chapter is not an individual giving to their local church, but local churches helping one another meet needs for Gospel purposes.

What Sharing with Equality Is and Is Not.

We have been studying the character of the saved heart that desires to share resources to meet the needs of the church Body in order to share the Gospel more effectively. The context of 2 Corinthians 8-9 is that of one church giving to another. The giver's heart is based in the principle that everything we own is God's, not ours.