Secret Giving

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 6:1 (NIV)

1. DON’T ALLOW YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS TURN INTO SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”

Matthew 6:2 (NIV)

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:3-4 (NIV)

2. WHEN WE GIVE IN SECRET, WE KEEP IT SACRED.

“All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions], But the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth].”

Proverbs 16:2 (AMP)

3. OUR MOTIVES WILL DETERMINE GOD’S MOVE.

Victory Group Questions:

1. What have been your motives behind your ‘acts of righteousness’ (giving, serving, fasting, etc…)? Did you receive a reward for them? Share.

2. Describe what goes on in your heart when and if you do receive praise from people. How do you react? How rewarding is that ultimately compared to pleasing God?

3. Have you ever done the right thing in the wrong way or for the wrong motive? Share your experience of what happened.

4. What was your biggest takeaway from this message and why?