Four Weeks

Using Offering Talks

Get the most out of this 4-week giving script bundle.

One of the more stressful parts of a weekend worship service is taking up the
offering. It's not easy talking about money in church! Plus, with all of the
other things pastors juggle, finding media and stories to illustrate what the
Bible says about giving can be incredibly time consuming.

Yet, at the same time, pastors want to make sure they are giving their people
a healthy dose of what the Bible teaches about money. This is exactly why
we've created this packet of "Offering Talks." Included in this document are
four, 1-2 page talks that are each uniquely geared to help you and your team
speak about money in a clear and biblical way. Each week features a story,
statistic, or quote that will capture attention and prepare audiences to give in
the offering.

We believe that these talks will not only save you time, but also make your
weekly service more concise and intentional!

Tips for Utilizing this Bundle:

Take time to read over each script before service. Some of the talks
involve props, pictures, or videos.
The talks in this guide are kept short for a reason. It's up to you to
internalize them and make them specific to your congregation.
These talks are written in script form, so they can be read verbatim. For
best results, however, look to put these into your own words.
These can be printed out and given to a deacon or volunteer. With our
scripts, you can help build confidence in your team members who are not
used to taking up the offering.
Week 1
Offering Talks

"Throw Back"
[Come out on stage wearing an outdated shirt. Or, put a picture on the
screen of you when you were young and wearing clothes that are now
out of style.] How many of you have an embarrassing picture from back in
the day? Its funny because all of the clothes and hairstyles that we thought
were so cool, arent so cool anymore. Its kind of like that with everything in
life, isnt it? The computer we couldnt wait to get our hands on fifteen years
ago is now outdated. The shoes we worked all summer for when we were
teenagers are now gone. In fact, everything that we own will one day either
be thrown in the trash or passed on to someone else. Material items arent
bad, but we will always want and need more.

In the gospels, Jesus says this: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20,
NIV).

Jesus affirms that everything we own, every material item we long for, will
eventually disappear and/or go out of style. What we give to God, however,
will not. Today, as we take up the offering, its easy to think that what we
give will be gone forever. Quite the opposite is true! When we give, God
takes our gift and uses it to extend his kingdom. All of our stuff will one
day disappear, but the treasures we store up in heaven will last forever. Let
us reflect on this as the ushers come forward.
Week 2
Offering Talks

"Less Likely to Share"

As the ushers prepare to take up the offering this morning, let me read you a
short clip from an article that, frankly, shocked me. In a 2015 piece from The
Oregonian, the author, Melissa Binder, writes that, A new study in the
journal Current Biology found children in religious households are
significantly less generous than their nonreligious peers...Here's how the
study worked: researchers asked kids to play a game which required them to
decide how many stickers to share with an anonymous peer from the same
school and similar ethnic group.

Essentially, what they found was that the children from religious homes
were less likely to share than those who were not from religious homes.

As we take up the offering today, I want to thank you for being generous
through your giving. You see, when your children see you givewhen they
see you living generouslyit will make them want to be generous, too. Id
love for us to be such a generous church that if a study like the one I just
mentioned were done in our childrens church, theyd find that our kids
were some of the most generous in the country! Because, that is the example
Jesus offered to us. He gave and gave and gave, even when it cost him his
life.

Let us reflect on this principle as we pray.

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/faith/2015/11/religious_...
Week 3
Offering Talks

"Judging Success"
If you enjoy going to the movies, youll probably find what Im about to tell
you pretty interesting. Recently, I glanced over a list of the highest grossing
films of all time. Want to hear what those are? Well, Im going to tell you
anyway!

1. Avatar - $2,787,965,087
2. Titanic - $2,186,772,302
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - $2,068,223,624
4. Jurassic Park - $1,670,400,637
5. The Avengers - $1,518,812,988

If you adjust for inflation, you get:

1. Gone with the Wind

2. Avatar
3. Star Wars
4. Titanic
5. The Sound of Music

In the world of cinemaand lifemoney often implies success. But what

many people dont realize is, some of the greatest films ever released were
box office bombs. Its a Wonderful Life lost $525,000. Blade Runner and The
Shawshank Redemption both lost money upon release. And The Wizard of
Oz barely made its budget back!

When those films hit theaters, the general public essentially judged the book
by its profit cover.
We can do that too, cant we? Its tempting to judge a persons success by
their income. By their bank account.

Jesus says in Matthew 6, however, that our treasures on earth will one day
disappear. Theyll rot or be stolen. The treasures we store up in heaven wont
vanishthey will last forever.

As the ushers come forward, I want to express my gratitude for your

continued support through tithes and offerings. In a world that often defines
a person by their wealth, its not easy to give. Why would we want to trade
in our status for an offering envelope?! The reason we do that is because
God has already given us so muchnot just physically, but also spiritually
through his son, Jesus.

Let us reflect on this truth in prayer.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-gros...,
http://mentalfloss.com/article/59990/11-beloved-mo...
Week 4
Offering Talks

"Never Enough"
[Begin the talk by playing a portion of this Tom Brady interview clip:
https://youtu.be/4HeLYQaZQW0. If you are unable to play the clip,
consider relying the content of the interview at the beginning of your
talk]

This interview of New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, is pretty

interesting. Here, you have someone who, at the time, is at the top of their
game. Hes successful and rich. Yet, he believes there has to be something
more.

In the Bible, King Solomon once made a statement like this. One of the wisest,
richest men to ever live, Solomon reached the point in his old age when he
realized all of those things were ultimately fleeting. He writes this in
Ecclesiastes 5:10:

"Whoever loves money never has enough;

whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.

This too is meaningless.

'Meaningless' he says!"

You know, one of the lies that keeps us from being generous is the lie that
says money is the only thing that will make us happy. If we have it, all of our
troubles will go away.
But, like the Bible teachesand Tom Brady experiencemoney and success
are not able give us meaning. We as Christians know, that this is something
only God can offer us.

Today, as we take up the offering, I pray that wed all keep this truth in our
minds and hearts. Let us bow our heads as the ushers come to collect the
offering.