Thesis
Pastor Bill calls the church to recognize that genuine love — the kind modeled by Jesus in John 3:16 and the Great Commission — always gives and always goes. Using his own journey from financial fear to faithful generosity, the Parable of the Sower, and the story of David and Goliath, he argues that a believer's willingness to give sacrificially is not merely a financial decision but a heart indicator of whether God's love has truly taken root. The sermon challenges every person to move from an 'I can't do it' posture to an 'I can't not do it' moment of courageous, Spirit-led commitment.
Key points
- 1
God's love is defined by giving — 'God so loved, He gave' — and He calls us to the same pattern.
- 2
The Great Commission commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, meaning love that is real always moves outward.
- 3
The Parable of the Sower reveals that only those who truly hear and understand God's Word produce a lasting crop — the other soils, including those lured by wealth and worry, never bear fruit.
- 4
Money is the chief competitor for the heart; Jesus talked about it more than heaven because it is where the battle for trust in God is most fiercely fought.
- 5
David's courage against Goliath illustrates the call to take what you have been given and run toward the fight God has called you to, trusting Him for the victory.
- 6
Faithful stewardship in the small, daily moments prepares us for the larger battles — just as David's faithfulness as a shepherd equipped him to face the giant.
- 7
Sacrificial giving is a spiritual-growth issue, not merely a financial one; it is the moment where a believer declares that God — not money — is their true provider.
Outline
Personal Testimony: From Fear to Faithfulness
Pastor Bill recounts how a confrontation from a mentor about his giving — and his own fear during the church-planting season — led him to a moment where he 'couldn't not' obey God financially, setting the stage for Rock Point's existence.
Big Idea Introduced: Love Gives and Love Goes
Pastor Bill introduces the sermon's central theme — love gives and love goes — anchored in John 3:16, arguing that if we truly love, we give, just as God gave His Son.
Love Goes: The Great Commission
Drawing on Matthew 28, Pastor Bill explains that Jesus' final command was to go and make disciples, calling the church to center its life around giving time, talent, testimony, and treasure to fulfill that mission.
The Parable of the Sower: What Kind of Soil Are You?
Pastor Bill walks through Jesus' explanation of the Parable of the Sower, pressing the congregation to examine whether the 'lure of wealth' has choked out genuine fruit and whether they are truly believers whose lives produce a harvest.
The Heart Issue: Why Money Matters Spiritually
Pastor Bill confronts the church with giving statistics, the cognitive dissonance of saying 'I love God' while withholding financially, and the call to 'choose your hard' — trusting God leads to victory even when it is difficult.
Vision: Beyond Rock Point — Local and Global Church Planting
Pastor Bill casts vision for Rock Point's future of planting churches locally and globally, sharing stories of daughter churches in Zambia, India, and the UK, and urging the congregation to see their giving as participating in a worldwide harvest.
David and Goliath: Run Quickly at the Giant
Using David's defeat of Goliath as an extended illustration, Pastor Bill challenges the church to stop retreating in financial fear and instead run toward the battle God has called them to, throwing what they have at the calling in front of them.
Call to Action and Gospel Invitation
Pastor Bill closes by urging immediate obedience — give now, run to action — while first inviting anyone who does not know Jesus to settle the question of His love before anything else, because the giving only means something when it flows from that love.
Memorable moments
God doesn't promise following him makes it easier. He just promises it makes it better
what does all of that have to do with what God has actually asked you to do to trust him? The giving isn't about you or where it goes, whatever. It's about you and showing that I know it's God that takes care of me, not this
I will throw rocks at the heads of giants
We might only have a strip of cloth and some stones. But with God on your side and going into the battle he called you to, you take what you have and you throw it where he told you to throw it, you will defeat the enemy. You will have victory, and you will be holding the sword in the end
If you give, it goes
I want to be in on what God's doing in this world and be blessed by it, And I want to honor him with my money
Application
Pastor Bill's challenge is direct and personal: stop retreating from the giant and run toward it. For many people in the room, money is that giant — not because God needs your dollars, but because your willingness to give is the truest indicator of whether you believe He is your provider. The practical next step is to act now, before the feeling fades. If you have never given, start somewhere — even one percent — and watch what God does. If you have been giving a token amount, ask honestly whether it reflects trust or just comfort. And if you have never settled in your heart that Jesus loves you and died for you, do that first, because giving without love is empty. The goal is a life that produces a real crop: people knowing Jesus, churches being planted, and the gospel going where it has not been in a generation.
