Overflow Begins Within
Ben Johnson - May 24, 2026
2 Corinthians 9:1-2 (NLT) – I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.
We don’t give to missions to EARN God’s favor, but to GET IN on what God’s doing.
Missions is not about MONEY, it’s about MINISTRY.
2 Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT – You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
The greatest OBSTACLE to missions is not greed, it’s FEAR.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT) – You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
We don’t give because we LACK resources, but because of EXCESS fear.
Before God CHANGES what comes through our hands, He must first LOOSEN our grip.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) – And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
God cannot pour THROUGH us what we choose to KEEP from him.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliot
Final Takeaway:
The goodness God pours INTO us was never meant to stop WITH us.
Life Group Discussion & Questions
BREAKING THE ICE: If money and responsibilities were no obstacle, where in the world would you love to go serve, help people, or make a difference?
DIGGING IN: Read 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 together. What do you think it means to have “plenty left over to share with others”? Do you think God’s idea of provision is different from ours? How?
1. In the message Ben said, “We don’t give because we lack resources, but because of excess fear.” What kinds of fears do you think keep people from living generously?
2. Have you ever experienced a moment where God asked you to trust Him financially, relationally, or spiritually? What happened?
3. Why do you think generosity is so connected to trust throughout Scripture? How does giving reveal what we rely on most?
4. How does seeing missions as “joining what God is already doing” change the way we think about giving or serving?
BRINGING IT HOME: As you go into this week, remember God is not asking you to live pressured or fearful. He is inviting you to live open-handed and trusting. The goodness God has poured into your life was never meant to stop with you. Ask God to show you one way you can participate in His mission this week: through generosity, encouragement, prayer, serving, or simply loving someone well.