Finding Hope and Generosity Amidst Grief

Devotional

Day 1: God Heals the Brokenhearted and Draws Near in Grief

In times of deep sorrow and heaviness, God is not distant or indifferent. He is the one who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, drawing near to those who are crushed in spirit. When tragedy and loss seem overwhelming, you are invited to bring your raw emotions—your pain, confusion, and anger—directly to Him. He is safe, good, and powerful enough to handle all that you carry, and He welcomes your lament as an act of trust and surrender. In the midst of a world that feels fractured, God’s nearness is a comfort and a promise that you are not alone. [10:03]

Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Reflection: When you think about your own grief or the pain in the world around you, what would it look like to bring your honest emotions to God in prayer today, trusting that He is near and cares for your wounds?

Day 2: Let Your Words and Actions Be Marked by Grace

Followers of Jesus are called to a higher standard in how they respond to the world’s pain and division. Instead of letting bitterness, anger, or slander take root, you are invited to let your words and actions be filled with kindness, grace, and forgiveness. This does not mean avoiding hard conversations or bold truth, but it means that the posture of your heart should always be to build others up and give grace, even in disagreement. In a culture quick to react with toxicity, you are empowered by the Spirit to be different—to be tenderhearted, forgiving, and a source of hope. [10:03]

Ephesians 4:29-32
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Reflection: Is there a conversation or relationship where you need to intentionally choose words that build up and give grace, even if it’s difficult? What would it look like to do that today?

Day 3: Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be Also

Jesus teaches that what you treasure most reveals the true orientation of your heart. Earthly treasures—money, possessions, status, comfort—are fleeting and can never fully satisfy, but investing in God and His kingdom brings lasting joy and freedom. The things you value most shape your desires, decisions, and even your sense of security. Jesus invites you to examine what you are truly treasuring, knowing that only in Him will your heart find wholeness and life that endures beyond the temporary. [16:53]

Matthew 6:19-21
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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Reflection: What is one thing you are tempted to treasure above all else? How might you take a step today to shift your focus toward treasuring God and His kingdom?

Day 4: Generosity Frees Your Heart from the Drag of Earth

Practicing generosity is not just about giving money—it is a spiritual discipline that reorients your heart away from control, comfort, and self-sufficiency, and toward trust in God’s provision. When you give sacrificially, you declare that money and possessions do not own you, and you participate in the heart of God, who gave Himself for you. Generosity is a tangible way to break the grip of materialism and to experience the joy and freedom that comes from trusting God as your provider. [36:24]

2 Corinthians 9:6-8
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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.

Reflection: What is one specific way you can practice generosity today—with your time, resources, or encouragement—to declare your trust in God and participate in His love?

Day 5: Jesus Is the Only Treasure Worth Losing Everything For

Every earthly treasure demands that you give yourself to obtain it, often at the cost of your heart and soul. But Jesus is the only treasure who gave Himself for you—He lost all so that you could be His. When you truly see Jesus as your greatest treasure, you are set free from the endless pursuit of significance, security, and comfort in lesser things. This good news—that you are more loved than you ever dared imagine—empowers you to live with bold, sacrificial love and radical generosity, knowing your worth is secure in Him. [40:41]

Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are holding back from making Jesus your true treasure? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him today, trusting that He is worth it all?

Sermon Summary

In a week marked by grief, confusion, and heaviness, it’s important to remember that we gather not just to process pain, but to anchor ourselves in the hope and love of Jesus. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome and loved here. Our mission is to help people find their way to God from wherever they are, and we do that by practicing the way of Jesus together—especially in times of sorrow and uncertainty.

Recent events—tragedies both near and far—have left many of us feeling overwhelmed, angry, and heartbroken. Yet, as followers of Jesus, we are called to a hope that transcends the brokenness of our world and to a way of living that refuses to mirror the division and toxicity so prevalent around us. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control—are not just ideals, but the very posture we are invited to embody, especially in times of crisis.

Lament is a biblical practice that gives us space to bring our raw emotions—our grief, anger, and confusion—before God. The Psalms remind us that God is near to the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. In our lament, we find both comfort and transformation, and we are reminded that our hope is not in circumstances, but in the God who heals and restores.

Turning to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6, we are confronted with the reality that our hearts are the true battleground. Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, which are fleeting and vulnerable, but to invest in treasures in heaven—treasures found in God himself and in loving others. Our relationship with money and possessions is a window into the state of our hearts. Whether we seek approval, control, or comfort through our resources, Jesus calls us to a deeper freedom: to treasure him above all else.

Generosity is not just a duty, but a practice that shapes our hearts and declares that money does not own us. The story of Evan’s journey with giving illustrates how trusting God with our resources is an act of faith, mirroring the generosity God has shown us in Christ. Ultimately, every earthly treasure demands that we give ourselves to obtain it, but Jesus is the only treasure who gave himself for us. When we truly see ourselves as treasured by God, we are set free to live lives of radical generosity, sacrificial love, and unshakeable hope—even in the midst of a broken world.

Key Takeaways

1. Lament is a sacred practice that allows us to bring our pain, confusion, and anger before God without fear or pretense. In lament, we acknowledge both the reality of suffering and the nearness of God, who binds up the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. This honest engagement with our grief is not a sign of weak faith, but a pathway to deeper trust and transformation. [10:03]
2. The heart, as described in Scripture, is the command center of our lives—shaping our desires, actions, and responses. It is possible to have a heart that is numb, apathetic, or even dead to the things of God without realizing it. Regular self-examination and accountability are essential, because we are often blind to the subtle ways our hearts drift from God’s purposes. [18:08]
3. Our relationship with money and possessions reveals the true orientation of our hearts. Whether we seek approval, control, or comfort through what we own, these pursuits can easily become substitutes for the security and significance found only in God. Generosity is a spiritual discipline that breaks the power of these false treasures and reorients our hearts toward trust in God’s provision. [29:53]
4. Every earthly treasure ultimately demands that we give ourselves to obtain it, often at the cost of our peace, joy, and even our integrity. In contrast, Jesus is the only treasure who gave himself for us—surrendering all so that we could become his treasure. This gospel truth liberates us from the endless striving for significance and security, inviting us to rest in the love and acceptance of God. [39:32]
5. Practicing generosity is not about meeting a need or fulfilling an obligation, but about participating in the very heart of God. When we give—of our time, resources, and love—we declare that our hope is not in what we possess, but in the God who treasures us. This kind of generosity forms us into people who can love sacrificially, serve boldly, and live with a hope that endures beyond the brokenness of our world. [43:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - City Church Mission and Invitation
[02:30] - Serve Sunday: Radical Generosity in Action
[04:06] - Processing a Heavy Week: Grief and Lament
[07:26] - The Call to a Better Hope and Way
[09:02] - Holding Grief and Hope Together
[10:03] - God’s Nearness to the Brokenhearted
[11:16] - A Moment of Lament and Prayer
[15:47] - Jesus’ Teaching on Money and the Heart
[18:08] - The Deceitfulness of the Heart
[21:18] - Earthly Treasures vs. Treasures in Heaven
[25:58] - What Does It Mean to Store Up Treasure in Heaven?
[27:22] - The Blindness of Materialism and Greed
[29:53] - Money as a Window to the Heart
[32:24] - Evan’s Story: Learning Generosity
[36:24] - The Practice and Power of Generosity
[38:10] - What Do You Treasure?
[39:32] - Jesus: The Only Treasure Who Gave Himself for Us
[42:14] - The Gospel: Brokenness and Belovedness
[43:33] - Generosity as Freedom and Formation
[45:20] - Prayer: Treasuring Jesus Above All
[47:21] - The Parable of the Treasure in the Field
[48:16] - Responding to God’s Generosity
[49:13] - Worship and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) — > “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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Psalm 34:18 (ESV) — > “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) — > “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Observation Questions

According to Matthew 6:19-21, what does Jesus say about the difference between treasures on earth and treasures in heaven? What is the connection between our treasure and our heart?
In Psalm 34:18, what does the psalmist say about God’s relationship to those who are brokenhearted or crushed in spirit?
The sermon described the “fruit of the Spirit” as the posture we are invited to embody, especially in times of crisis. What are the specific qualities listed as the fruit of the Spirit? [07:26]
The sermon mentioned that lament is a biblical practice found especially in the Psalms. What is lament, and what purpose does it serve for followers of Jesus? [10:03]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus warn against storing up treasures on earth? What are some examples of “earthly treasures” that people might pursue today? [21:18]
The sermon said, “The heart, as described in Scripture, is the command center of our lives—shaping our desires, actions, and responses.” Why is it important to regularly examine our hearts, especially regarding money and possessions? [18:08]
How does practicing lament help us process grief, anger, and confusion in a way that leads to transformation and deeper trust in God? [10:03]
The sermon shared Evan’s story about learning generosity. How does giving become an act of faith and trust in God’s provision, rather than just a duty or obligation? [34:17]

Application Questions

The sermon talked about recent tragedies and the heaviness many are feeling. When you experience grief or confusion, what does it look like for you to bring those raw emotions honestly before God? Is lament a practice you’ve tried before? If not, what might it look like to start? [10:03]
Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If you looked at your spending, your time, and your attention, what would it reveal about what you truly treasure? Is there something you feel God is inviting you to re-evaluate? [21:18]
The sermon described how our relationship with money can be about seeking approval, control, or comfort. Which of these do you most relate to, and how does it show up in your life? [29:53]
Evan’s story highlighted the struggle and growth in learning to give generously. What is one step you could take this week to practice generosity—whether with your money, time, or attention? What might hold you back, and how can you trust God in that area? [34:17]
The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control—are not just ideals, but postures we are called to embody. Which one do you sense God inviting you to focus on this week, especially in response to the brokenness around you? What is a specific way you can practice it? [07:26]
The sermon said, “Every earthly treasure ultimately demands that we give ourselves to obtain it, often at the cost of our peace, joy, and even our integrity. In contrast, Jesus is the only treasure who gave himself for us.” Are there “treasures” in your life that are costing you more than they’re worth? What would it look like to let go of them and treasure Jesus instead? [39:32]
Generosity was described as a practice that shapes our hearts and declares that money does not own us. How can you make generosity a regular part of your life, not just a one-time act? Who can you invite to help keep you accountable in this area? [43:33]

Sermon Clips

If you're a follower of Jesus, you are called to a better hope than those who don't know Jesus carry, but you're also called to a better way than the hateful and the toxic responses that you see just being slammed all over our country right now. [00:07:02]

There's not room for an us versus them mentality. In the way of Jesus, what we need today is the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Love and joy and peace, and patience, and kindness, and gentleness, and faithfulness, and self -control. [00:07:22]

A lament is a prayer born of feelings of suffering, frustration, and anger, and it's just to give space to acknowledge pain, and injustice, and to seek comfort, and guidance, and transformation from God. [00:07:52]

Don't let the calculated echo chamber of algorithms and headlines set the tone for your spirit, and how you respond to the events that have unfolded this week. Don't let the reaction dictate what comes out next, but rather, I would invite you to hold the tension of grief, and if you're a follower of Jesus, hope today, together. [00:09:12]

If you're not a follower of Jesus, I would invite you to know that there is available to you both a tangible hope in Jesus while we walk through grief simultaneously. [00:09:32]

It does not mean don't be bold. It does not mean don't have hard conversations, but the posture in which you carry the grace of the Lord Jesus is to set the tone. [00:10:30]

Jesus is after our hearts, not our wallets, not our bank accounts only. He's after those for sure. And our relationships and our thought life and our time and our energy, our hearts. [00:16:31]

More important than behavior modification and fixing outside is the source of those things, and that's what Jesus is after. [00:17:54]

The scary part of it was I had a dead tooth and didn't know it, and I would encourage you this morning that is equally one of the scary parts about our hearts, is that you can have an apathetic heart and be blind to it. You can have a hard heart and not know it. Something can be dead, and you'd be totally unaware. [00:20:01]

We live in a culture that's like, follow your heart, and the scriptures authors are like, don't do that. That is a bad idea. [00:20:28]

When Jesus is dealing with the heart, just know that he might be calling out and waking up something that you and I are blind to. [00:20:39]

If you're a follower of Jesus, you have submitted to his lordship, which is a good thing, right? He's good, he's trustworthy, he's powerful, he's true, he loves us. And so when we submit to him, we submit everything to him, our entire lives, including our money. [00:21:10]

Don't invest in the things that don't last, because all of those things will come undone. [00:23:06]

Heaven here, when Jesus is talking about heaven, is where God is right now. And if you learn to love and serve God right now, you will have treasure in the present, not just in the future. [00:25:46]

The only two things that are going to last forever are you and me. Everything else is going away and Jesus is making all things new. And so we invest in our relationship with God and others. [00:26:20]

Laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven means treasuring God and freeing yourself from the drag of earth. [00:26:39]

Materialism and greed have a unique power to distort the way that we see things. Materialism is one of those things that people don't talk about often. Like it keeps you from asking hard questions about your lifestyle. [00:27:22]

If you're committing adultery, you probably know it, right? So Jesus' warning there, do not commit adultery. If you're doing that, you're probably aware of it, right? And so the issue is when you're greedy, you probably are unaware of it. You're blind to it. [00:28:12]

Money reveals where our heart is. So let me give you just a couple of ideas here as we consider our relationship to money and stuff. It reveals where our heart is. [00:29:49]

Can I just point out that a master's degree or a full bank account can't stop the events of the last week that you walked through? But we pretend like they can. [00:30:51]

Our relationship with money and stuff can sometimes result in our effort for comfort or pleasure, right? And specifically that the goal is the more that I have access to, the more that I can numb my heart to the events of last week. [00:31:01]

The practice of generosity does something to our hearts. It is a willful decision to declare openly money does not own me. I'm not a slave to significance, comfort, success, control. Jesus, your heart is mine. [00:36:20]

Once you treasure something, you will do anything to get it. Sometimes it's a good thing. Sometimes it's a bad thing. Once you treasure something, you are willing to do anything to get it. [00:39:13]

Every other treasure will call you to die, to give of yourself to get it. Jesus is the only treasure that died to have you. [00:40:03]

Jesus was willing to lose all of his treasure so that you could be his treasure. This is the gospel. This is the good news. This is what sets our hearts free. [00:41:11]

If we can lean into Jesus, it brings life to where we can show up with sacrificial love in this world because we just really don't care that much about what people think about us. Like, I'm not better than you, but I'm of infinite value to the God who knows my name. And I can love you sacrificially as a result. [00:43:17]

Let the practice of generosity free you from the drag of earth. Don't settle for the triviality of treasures on earth, but find treasures in God today. And do it by giving away generously of your time and your energy and your resources. [00:43:49]

Connect your heart to Jesus first. Let the practice of generosity set you free from the drags of earth and find your true treasure in Jesus. First that he would treasure you and you'll learn to treasure him. And from there, live a bold life of generous love. [00:44:58]

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What does Jesus teach about storing treasures in heaven?

How does the heart influence our relationship with money?

In what ways does Jesus' sacrifice define true treasure?

What does Jesus teach about storing treasures in heaven?

How does the heart influence our relationship with money?

In what ways does Jesus' sacrifice define true treasure?