Practices, The Necessary Actions
Giving, Do I Have To?
#MoneyMatters5
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. – Genesis 4:2—5
“Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORDthere, so that he will stop the plague.” “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice.” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” - 2 Samuel 24:21-24
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORDAlmighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. – Malachi 3:10
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
– Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on. - Mark 12:41-44
Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income… - 1 Corinthians 16:1,2
Prayer
Well, this week we will be wrapping up our message series 'Money Matters.'
It really has been a very powerful and practical series. Understand, money impacts every area of our life and when we handle our money God's way, it will empower us to - become debt free, store up resources for our future, and free up a bunch of money and resources that will enable us to bless the lives of others. I mean, we will be able to do things like...
• Buy groceries for a single mom
• Help a struggling widow with her utilities
• Rescue someone from human trafficking
• Take a short term mission trip every year or help someone else go on one
• Adopt a child who has little hope of having a family
• Buy clothing, food, and school supplies for at risk kids
• Help someone pay their rent who lost their job due to illness
• Help plant a church that will reach people who are not yet Jesus followers
• Help our church have the resources to expand our ministry impact
• Help people in undeveloped areas have clean drinking water… Yeah, the list goes on and on
Maple Grove...
attitude + principles + practices = freed up financially
attitude - money is not the answer, none of your money is yours, you are rich, it is okay to enjoy money, money can lead to real life
principles - gratitude, contentment, trust, humility
practices - debt-free living, planned spending, intentional savings
THIS MORNING – we will look at the 4 practice that we must embrace and take action on in our financial lives, if we are to be freed up financially… GIVING…
In his book – ‘Too Much’ Gary Johnson opens up his chapter on giving with these words…
Hot topics swirl around us at ever increasing speed. From immigration to religious radicalism to same-sex marriage, some topics have the power to demand our attention around the clock. In recent years one subject has topped the rest: the topic of money.
A survey by Wells Fargo & Company revealed 44% of Americans polled claimed that a discussion about personal finances is the most difficult conversation to have with another person.
Even so, you and I know that another money-related issue can make a conversation go nuclear. It is the topic of giving, and it has the potential to make any conversation explosive.
- Gary Johnson
QUESTION…
Do you think Gary is right?
Do think that conversations about giving can get pretty explosive and go nuclear at warp speed?
Do you like to talk about giving?
Do you like to talk about your giving?
Would you be uncomfortable if we took a few minutes and formed small groups round this room and everyone share what they have given this year to His church and His causes?
NOW – we may not want to talk about giving, but as those who claim to follow Christ and live by His word we must talk about it.
BECAUSE – giving is an essential part, a necessary action that we must take in our financial well-being.
YES – like it or not, it is a necessary topic of conversation to have in this room, and it is a conversation that God wants to have with each of us.
THE BIBLE – has more than 2,350 verses that talk about money related issues, and many speak directly about giving.
NOW – here is how I want to attack out conversation this morning…
Practices, The Necessary Actions (Giving, Do I Have To?)
BY - answering 4 questions…
1) What are some reasons why people do not give?
2) Why should we give?
3) Where should we give?
4) How should we give?
What are some reasons why people do not give?
In his book, “The Great Evangelical Recession,” pastor and author John Dickerson describes the current state of giving in the American church this way….
The financial crisis is not a shortage of funds. It is a shortage of commitment. We do not believe in tithing or for that matter, generous giving… More importantly we do not believe Jesus’ simple, direct statement, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will ne also,” (Luke 12:34).
If Jesus’ claim is true, then the heart of the typical evangelical is not in Christ’s Kingdom. Our hearts are in our cars, credit cards, mortgages and retirement savings.
- John Dickerson (The Great Evangelical Recession)
Wow!!!
UNDERSTAND - the struggle with giving is real…
I MEAN – the numbers speak for themselves.
The average Christian gives 2.43% of their income to the church, only 7% of Christians give 10% of their incomes, only 1% of Christians who make over $75k give 10%
What are some reasons people struggle giving generously to the church and other kingdom causes?
• Don’t have a spending plan
• Lack of faith and trust in God
• Slaves to credit card debt
• Want to selfishly keep money for big purchases (vacations, new electronics, new furniture, new car)
• Fear
• People forget that their money belongs to God and wrongly think it is their money they are giving or not giving
• Poor money management… not doing it God’s way
• selfishness
• Unequally yoked
Simple. Lack of gratitude. When folks understand the magnitude of God’s love for them they will respond with love and open hearts and I might and open wallets. – Jim Book
Ignorance. People don’t realize that giving is an act of worship.
- Naomi Downer
In his book ‘Too Much’ Gary suggests a few other reasons…
• We rationalize that we are not in the right season of life to Give
When I gradudate college, I’ll give. When a get a job promotion I’ll give. When the kids are grown and gone, I’ll give. When I pay off this debt, I’ll give.
• We suffer from fiscal myopia
Myopia is being near-sighted, seeing only things that are up close. When we see only that which matters to us, we fail to to be far-sighted and see what matters to God and then giving to that cause.
QUESTION…
DO YOU - give generously to His church and other causes?
DOES GOD – think you give generously?
IF – you do not give generously to the church, what is your reason?
DO YOU – think that God (who owns all things) finds your reason acceptable.
Why Should I Give?
NOW - I would like to suggest a few reasons (7 to be specific) that should be pretty motivating in moving us to give.
Giving, Makes You More Like God
LISTEN - God (the creator and sustainer of the Universe)
IS a giver.
UNDERSTAND MGCC – everything we have is a gift from God.
AND WHEN – we give we are like God.
NOW - the most well known verse in the bible – says it like this…
God so loved the world that HE GAVE his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
– John 3:16
AND LISTEN - throughout scripture we see God giving again & again… I went on biblegateway.com and did a word search of the word give in the New Testament… and that search revealed what I already knew…
THAT – the God we love, serve and worship is a giver!
B/S God gives us…
• Us our daily bread
• Rest
• Forgiveness
• An inheritance
• Eternal life
• Every good and perfect gift
• Grace
• Mercy
• peace
• The Holy Spirit (btw the most frequently mentioned gift given by God in the New Testament)
• Life and breath
• New birth
• Freedom
• Insight/understanding/wisdom
• Endurance, encouragement, strength and victory
• Very great and precious promises
• The right to eat from the tree of life
• (if we overcome) the right to sit on His Throne
Peter is his first letter put it like this…
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. – 2 Peter 2:3
In other words God’s divine power has given us (you and me) everything we need to live a godly life!
Come on, how awesome is that!
YES – our God at his core is a giver…
I heard about a Pastor who wrote to a wealthy businessman, requesting a donation for the church. He promptly received a blunt refusal, which ended with these words: "As far as I can see, this Christian business is just one continuous GIVE, GIVE, GIVE!" Not long after, the minister wrote the following reply: "I wish to thank you for the best definition of the Christian life that I have yet heard!"
Reason #1 for giving is that it makes us more like God – and let me ask you a question - can you think of anyone better to imitate?
A 2nd reason is that…
Giving, Draws You Closer To God
Jesus said that, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… - Matthew 6:21
UNDERSTAND… -
• IF - I put my money into entertainment, into recreation, that's where my heart is.
• IF - I put my money into my house, that's where my heart is.
• IF - I money into my car, that's where my heart is.
YEAH – just ‘follow our money’ and we will find our hearts.
AND LISTEN WHEN – we put your money in the Lord…
AND – in the things that matter to Him (like the church)
Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her… – Ephesians 5:25
It - will always draws you closer to Him.
Which I contend is a very good thing.
Now the first 2 reasons for giving are pretty good ones… to be more like God and to draw closer to Him.
A 3rd reason why we should give is that –
Giving, Is The Cure To Materialism
NOW - I am sure that it comes as no surprise that we live in a very materialistic culture. I MEAN - advertisers are not even subtle any more.
They just pretty much come right out and say, "You can buy happiness."
BUY HEY - that's America! Life, liberty, and the purchase of happiness.
AND – this time of year… we see materialism at it’s highest level…
Question - How can we live in a materialistic world and not become infected by it?
UNDERSTAND – one way is to become a giver…
(yeah, I know that may seem pretty simplistic… but that does not change the fact that it is true)
BECAUSE – Materialism (our desire for stuff) is often what keeps us from giving…
HOWEVER – when we give materialism losses it’s grip on us, because giving, means that we no longer have as much money available to us – to buy or do what we want.
Giving, Is One Way We Honor God
Question – what is honor?
What does it mean to honor someone?
IT MEANS – comminucating through our words and action that someone, is important to us…
THAT THEY - matter to us…
THAT - we value them
THAT THEY - carry weight with us…
Check out the connection that the Italian prophet Malachi makes between giving and honoring God.
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!
“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’
“You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect. 8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies…
I am not pleased with you,” says the LORDof Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. 11 But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the LORDof Heaven’s Armies.
“But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the LORD,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
“Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the LORD.
“Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations! – Malachi 1:6-8,10-14
Pretty powerful words…
AND LISTEN - to how Max Lucado describes this attitude towards giving in the introduction to the book of Malachi in the Inspirational Bible.
The image is vivid. A family on their way to the temple realizes they have forgotten the sheep. He turns to her and says, “Did you bring a sacrifice?”
“No, I thought you did,” she replies. He stops the wagon sans says, “You go ahead and take the kids, I’ll go back.”
He goes back to the pen and begins to sort through the sheep looking for the one to be sacrificed. He picks up a big fat one with thick wool. “Too valuable,” he decides and puts it down. He picks up another fat one, “No, I want to enter this one in a contest.” He finds another healthy one, “No, I need to save this one for breeding…”
Finally he comes upon a frail lamb with a broken leg and spotted wool. “Ahh,” he says, “This will be a good one to get rid of…”
What the fellow doesn’t know is that God has been watching the process. God has been observing the choosing. What God has heard the man say is, I will give a token, but I won’t give my heart…”
Such an attitude angers God. And such anger is found in this last book of the Old Testament.
Now, we don’t offer sheep, but every Sunday we have an opportunity to give. Some people arrive at the altar with no thought given at all to their financial responsibility before God. As the plate comes, she elbows him and says; “What do you want to give?”
He says, “Let’s see what I got.”
Wallets come out and the process of proclamation begins. We begin to sort through the sheep pen. We consider the big sheep with the picture of Ben Franklin, no, that’s too much. We think about writing a check with a couple of zeros. ‘Better not,” we decide.
We forget the process itself is a statement…
We forget that God is watching…
Wow… that is some strong stuff.
And it is true…
Each week wallets come out and the process of proclamation beings…
B/S – have we forgotten that God is watching
Have we forgotten that our giving is a statement
About how much we value and honor God.
How much He matters to us.
Why should you give? Giving…
Makes you more like God
Draws you closer to God
Is the cure for materialism
Is one way for you to honor God
A 5th reason is that -
Giving, Strengthens Your Faith
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…. Without faith is is impossible to please God.
– Hebrews 11:1,6
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORDAlmighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. – Malachi 3:10
Understand – that God uses your finances to test your faith. Some of you are living proof of that.
Have you ever had to decide between paying a bill and giving? You only have so much money so where is it going to go?
This is a test.
Giving strengthens and stretches our faith.
Another reason to give; is that
Giving, Brings Blessings To Your Life
“Some people give much but get back even more. Others don’t give what they should and end up poor. - Pr 11:24
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. – Malachi 3:10-12
Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to GIVE then receive…” - Acts 20:35
NOW - the Greek word for blessed = ‘contentment’ being ‘satisfied.’
Jesus says that giving will make us content, satisfied.
AND – could you think of a better blessing than that?
Question – do you thbink that people really believe what Jesus said?
YOU KNOW – I am not sure, because if they did, we'd give more.
Have you ever heard anybody say, "You ought to give 'til it hurts!" Jesus says - You ought to give until it feels good.
Understand - there are only two kinds of people in life.
There are givers and there are takers.
You're one or the other.
You're either giving and generous with your time, your money, your efforts, your energy, your life.
Or you're a taker.
QUESTION - which type of person do you think is happier?
UNDERSTAND - there is a reason that the root word of "miserable" is "miser".
The more I hold in, the more stingy I am with my time, with my money, with my tithe, with my effort, the more unhappy I'll be.
Karl Menninger, the dean of American psychiatry, founder of the world famous Menninger Clinic, says "Giving is a criterion of mental health. Generous people are rarely mentally ill."
THINK – about that…
I MEAN – how many giving and generous people have you meet that were unhappy and miserable?
Giving, In An Investment For Eternity
Listen – we can't take it with us but we can send it on ahead. And the way we send it on ahead is by investing it in people who are going there.
Jesus said, "Store up treasure in heaven" –
Question - How do you do that?
1 Timothy 6:18-19 "Give happily to those in need and always be ready to share whatever God has given you. By doing this, you will be storing up real treasures for yourself in heaven. It is the only safe investment for eternity."
And has better rates too!
No "we can't take it with us." but we can send it on ahead.
I Heard about the guy that died and got to heaven. He saw all the big mansions and then one little shack. He said, "Is that where I'm supposed to live? Why?" Answer: "That's all the building material you sent ahead."
There are only two things that are going to last forever: the word of God and people. Everything else is going to burn up at the judgment. Invest your time and money in the word of God and people.
AND - when you invest in those two things, then you will store up treasures in heaven. The sub-title for today’s conversation is ‘Giving, Do I Have To?’ AND – the answer is…
NO – you do not have to, you don’t have to give
HOWEVER – if you choose to give you will…
1. Be more like God
2. Draw closer to God
3. Overcome the grip of materialism
4. Honor God
5. Grow in your faith
6. Have God bless you with contentment and satisfaction
7. Store up teasures in heaven
8. No longer be robbing God.
Where Should We Give?
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. – Malachi 3:10
Gary John writes…
In Malachi’s day, the house of God was called the Temple… Israelites were required to take their tithes to the priests serving at the Temple. The preists were required to put them into the storehouse, a place of safe keeping.
Tithes were used to accomplish 4 key purposes of the Temple…
• Provide for the priests and levites (similar to ministers today.
• Provide for the prophets to take the message out on the road (similar to missionaries today)
• Provide for widows and orphans (similar to benevolence today)
• Provide for the upkeep and repairs of The Temple (similar to maintaining the church building today)
UNDERSTAND – when we bring the whole tithe to the local church, it provides for… ministers – missionaries - benevolence and maintenance.
Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income… - 1 Corinthians 16:1,2
What we have practice as a family is to give our tithe to the local church and to give offerings to other kingdom causes…
AND – I contend that there is no greater cause, then the Church of Christ.
The body and bride of Christ
The hope of the world
How Should You Give?
We Should Give Willingly
For if the willingness is there, your gift is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don't have.
- 2 Cor. 9:12
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver.
- 1 Cor. 9:7
HEY – if you feel like I am pressuring you this morning, trying to pin you down to the mat, until you ‘tap out’ and say…
“okay, okay… enough already, I’ll give”
I apologize because that is not my intent
I do not want you to give because you have to
I want you to give because you get to.
We Should Give Thankfully
The Psalmist writes in Ps 116:12; “How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?”
How can I repay the Lord for… His grace, His mercy, His not treating me as my sins deserve, for living hope and the hope of heaven?
Answer - We can't. We'll never be able to repay God for all that He's done for us.
But - every time we give, we're saying, "Thanks, Lord. Thanks for all you have done, are doing and will do for me"
We Should Give Sacrificially
Like the verse in 2 Sameul we read at the beginning…
And David replied with these powerful words…
No, I insist on paying for it, I will not sacrifice to the Lord my god burnt offering that cost me nothing… 2 Samuel 24:24
We should give percentagely
UNDERSTAND - even before the Law was established, God put a principle in place for His people to give what’s called “a tithe,” ten percent of their income that would go to Him.
NOW IF - everything belongs to God, if everything is His anyway, then that seems more than reasonable, right?
That seems pretty fair.
IN FACT -the Bible says that when we refuse to give to God back what is His, it’s not a…
Listen. It’s not a failure to be generous; it’s actually stealing.
Do you see how that works?
Like, if it all belongs to God and God says, “I want you to give back to Me this amount,” and we don’t do that, it’s not that we’re not being generous; it’s that, the Bible says in Malachi chapter 3, we’re robbing God.
And that is a…you know, that’s a different perspective for some of us.
THAT – our not giving is in effect stealing from the God who loves us, redeemed us and pours out His grace on us.
OKAY – let’s say you’ve got a wealthy uncle. And an investment comes up, and he signs the investment over to you. It brings in about ten thousand dollars a month, about $120,000 a year—a ton of money.
Ten thousand dollars a month…and your uncle says, “Look, hey, you can have this money. Ten thousand dollars a month it’s bringing in. All I’d ask you to do is…I need about a thousand of that for some other purposes.
So every month when you get that ten thousand dollars, if you would just send a thousand dollars on to me that would be great.”
QUESTION – who here would sign up for that deal?
Well, yeah! You know? That seems fair. If you’re giving me ten thousand dollars a month, I’ll give you back a thousand dollars. Why? Because it’s all his! He has the right to ask for that if he wants to.
AND - it doesn’t seem like too much to ask. We don’t do it begrudgingly.
And so it begins with this idea that everything belongs to God. Here’s what He’s asked for: the first…the first fruits…the ten percent and not the leftovers. And Malachi talks about bringing in the whole tithe.
AND - that when we, you know, don’t obey God in this, it’s robbing God.
AND LISTEN – Percentage based giving is also a NT concept.
UNDERSTAND – Jesus never said not to tithe…
IN FACT – when He did mention it, His comment was that they should continue doing it…
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith.
You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. – Matthew 23:23
YOU KNOW – this week I was thinking about this command of % giving and I got to wondering…
Why is giving one of the only commands that we think is it acceptable to not obey or to slowly ease into?
I MEAN – we do not do that with other commands…
LIKE – if a gut came to me and told me that he struggles with adultery, I would not tell him…
“Well, Hezekiah (safe name) I know this is hard thing for you, so if you could just commit adultery ½ as much, that would be a good place for you to start.
NOW UNDERSTAND – everyone gives a % of his or her income to God…somewhere between 0-100%.
Q - is the percentage that you currently give generous?
How do you know?
Have you ever asked God?
B/S – I want to challenge you to pray a bold and simple prayer
“Lord, show me what percentage of my income is generous.”
CHECKOUT – what God through Paul in 2 Corinthians 9
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. – 2 Cor 9:7,8
Each of us should give.
UNDERSTAND - giving is for everyone. Nobody is exempt from the blessing and joy of giving to the Lord. Giving is for the rich, the poor and everyone in between.
Give what you have decided in your heart to give.
B/S - Make a decision. Have a plan. Ask God what He wants you to give and then do it.
Do not give reluctantly or under compulsion.
LISTEN - Percentage-based giving provides great freedom. You make a decision about what percentage is generous, and then you give it right off the top. No questions asked. You give out of God’s abundant provision instead of your meager leftovers. hen AND LISTEN – when giving is the first thing you do with money, it becomes the most joyful thing you do with money.
God loves a cheerful giver
Do you feel God’s pleasure in the way you handle the money He entrusts to you? In the way you give?
NOW – it’s not that God will love you less if you refuse to give, but when we refuse to give, it places a rift in our relationship with God.
ON THE OTHER HAND - giving tightens the bond and draws us close to Him because it demonstrates trust and worship.
And God is able
LISTEN - You do not need to be afraid. God is able…
He can provide whatever you need.
Q - Is it more foolish to trust God and give, or to trust self and withhold?
When you give, you will abound in every good work.
REMEMBER - God’s provision is not for selfish gain but so we can abound in the work He calls us to.
Seeking and saving the lost
AGAIN – I want to encourage you to pray this bold and simple prayer…
“Lord, show me what percentage of my income is generous.”
Let’s pray it together?
Pray it silently yourself?
We Should Give Expectantly
2 Corinthians 9:6 "Remember this, Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will reap generously."
This is a law that every farmer lives by. He lives and dies by it. When a farmer wants to plant a crop or harvest a crop, all he knows he has to do is sow.
And that is what we are doing in giving….
MGCC – we should give… EXPECTING
• To become more like God
• To be drawn closer to Him
• Our faith to grow and be stretched
• Blessings, contnentment and satisfaction
• God to be honored
• Our materialism to be cured
• To have treasures being stored up in heaven
• It to impact our forvers and the forevers of countless others
•
