Song 1 – I Believe (The Creed)

Psalm 111:1–4

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
   in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
   studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
   and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
   the Lord is gracious and merciful.

Song 2 – The Lord is Gracious and Compassionate

Song 3 – Gentle and Lowly

Song 4 – Be Thou My Vision

Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.

For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team or any of our staff team members for more info on giving online.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!

If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes! 

Song 5 – I Am Not My Own

Our Scripture text today is 2 Corinthians 8:16–9:15. Hear the Word of God:

8:16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.

9:1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

This is the Word of the Lord.

UCC Espoo:

The Joyful Harvest of Gospel Generosity
(2 Corinthians 9:6–15)

Paul shows that Christian giving is a joyful act of faith that meets real needs, glorifies God, and flows from the generosity of Christ.

I. The Gospel Frees Us to Sow Generously v 6
II. The Gospel Produces Cheerful and Trusting Hearts vv 7–11
III. The Gospel Multiplies Impact and Glory vv 12–15

UCC Helsinki:
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
2 Corinthians 8:16 – 9:15

1. Cheerful giving is a proof of love for the saints and faith in Christ (2 Cor 8:16–24)
2. ⁠Cheerful giving displays contentment with readiness and willingness (2 Cor 9:1–5)
3. ⁠Cheerful giving is a work of God in us to grow in righteousness (2 Cor 9:6–10)
4. ⁠Cheerful giving produces thanksgiving to God, who provides all our needs (2 Cor 9:11–15)

Song 6 – Let Us Be Known

Song 7 – The Lord Almighty Reigns

For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements

Espoo study questions:

Introduction
1. What’s one of the most joyful or meaningful ways you’ve experienced generosity, either receiving or giving?

2. In the sermon, we talked about how giving can feel risky. Why do you think it’s so hard to give freely?

Into the Text
3. Read verse 6. How does Paul’s farming metaphor challenge the way we normally think about giving? What is the main principle he is teaching?

4. Verse 7 says that God loves a cheerful giver. The word cheerful comes from the Greek hilaros. How does this reshape your idea of what giving should feel like?

5. In verses 8 to 11, Paul describes God’s provision. What stands out to you about how Paul emphasizes God’s ability to provide? How should this encourage us?

6. In verses 12 to 15, what are the results of Gospel generosity? How do we see both practical help and spiritual impact at work here?

Apply the Text
7. The sermon reminded us that generosity is part of our Gospel witness. In what ways does our giving show that the Gospel is real?

8. Are there any steps you feel challenged to take to be more intentional, cheerful, or generous in your giving? What might that look like?

9. How can we as a group or as a church grow in reflecting God’s generous heart more fully?

Challenge: Commit to regular, planned, and cheerful giving to your local church.

10. If UCC is your church family, we encourage you to take the practical step of setting up consistent giving. This is a key way to support Gospel ministry, care for others, and reflect the generosity of Christ in a real, tangible way. Trust that God will use your giving to make an eternal impact.

Helsinki study questions:

Getting started:

1. When was the last time that you were so eager and zealous to give for the work of ministry in your church or for missions or for the poor? What made you eager and zealous to do so? If not, what is limiting you to be eager and zealous in giving with a cheerful heart? (Read 2 Cor 8:1–15)

Into the text: 

2. How does Paul describe the messengers of the churches? Why should the Corinthian church confidently give their gift to these fellow workers of Paul? (2 Cor 8:16–23) 
3. Why is cheerful giving proof of one’s love for the saints and one’s faith in Christ? (Read 2 Cor 8:24 & 9:13, James 2:14–17)
4. What is cheerful giving according to the Bible? (Read 2 Cor 9:1–7, Matthew 6:1–4)
5. Read Mark 12:38–44 and 2 Cor 8:13–14. Was Jesus teaching the disciples to give like the widow, or is Jesus teaching that the scribes were burdening the people to give without fairness?
6. How does cheerful giving relate to contentment or “having all sufficiency in all things at all times”? (2 Cor 9:8)
7. How does cheerful giving produce thanksgiving to God? And what kind of a work does this act of grace do in the hearts of both the giver and the receiver? (2 Cor 9:10–15)

Application:

8. What steps do you want to take in order that you can give with a cheerful heart? Think about praying, planning and being ready; consider where, why and how much you want to give. (2 Cor 8:5, 9:5–7, Matt 6:1–4) 
9. We want to be careful who we give to when we give to missions, and only support those who preach the true gospel and not those who twist the word of God. (Read 2 Cor 8:18–23). How can we discern the trustworthiness of who we give to?