Open Hands, Open Hearts: Embracing Generosity and Trust

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting in God's Abundant Provision

In a world that often emphasizes scarcity, the call to trust in God's provision invites us to live with open hands, giving freely and generously. This trust is not just about financial resources but encompasses all aspects of life, including time, love, and presence. The story of the widow of Zarephath serves as a powerful reminder that when we trust God with our limited resources, He multiplies them to meet our needs and bless others. By embracing this mindset, we shift our focus from what we lack to the abundance that God provides, allowing us to be conduits of His blessings. [51:29]

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, ESV)

Reflection: Consider an area in your life where you feel scarcity. How can you trust God to provide abundantly in this area today?

Day 2: Compassion in Action

Moving beyond mere sympathy, we are called to cultivate a heart of compassion that actively seeks to meet the needs of others. The Good Samaritan exemplifies this by showing mercy and kindness, regardless of societal divisions. This call to compassion challenges us to be conduits of God's love, breaking down barriers and extending grace to those around us. By aligning our actions with God's heart, we become instruments of His peace and love in a world that desperately needs it. [01:12:22]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Identify someone in your community who is in need. What practical steps can you take this week to show them compassion and support?

Day 3: Aligning with God's Flow

Aligning with God's flow means keeping our hands open, allowing His blessings to move through us to touch others. This requires a shift from self-reliance to trusting in God's unlimited resources and His ability to meet our needs abundantly. By inviting God's flow into our lives, we position ourselves to be used by Him in ways that exceed our expectations, impacting those He desires to reach. This alignment is not passive but an active participation in God's work, trusting in His timing and provision. [01:16:59]

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (John 7:38, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on an area where you have been self-reliant. How can you invite God's flow into this area and trust Him to work through you?

Day 4: Embracing the Breaking

Understanding that being broken is part of God's process to multiply and use us for His purposes is a profound truth. Just as Jesus broke the bread to feed the multitude, we must be willing to be broken so that God can expand our influence and impact. This breaking is not meant to harm but to prepare us for greater service and effectiveness in His kingdom. By embracing the breaking, we allow God to mold us into vessels that can carry His love and grace to a hurting world. [01:24:51]

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt broken. How can you see God's hand in that experience, and how might He be using it for His purposes?

Day 5: Living with Gratitude

Living with gratitude involves recognizing that everything we have belongs to God and maintaining a heart of thankfulness, whether in abundance or lack. This posture of gratitude shifts our focus from what we don't have to what God has already provided, fostering a spirit of contentment and trust in His goodness. By living with gratitude, we acknowledge God's sovereignty and His ability to work all things for our good, even when circumstances are challenging. [01:27:28]

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your current circumstances. What are three things you can thank God for today, and how can this gratitude change your perspective?

Sermon Summary

Taking a moment to reflect on today's message, we are reminded of the profound truth that God saves us not only from external adversities but also from the internal struggles that often hinder our spiritual growth. The essence of our gathering today is captured in the theme of "Open Hands and Open Hearts," a call to live generously and with compassion, trusting in God's provision and timing. As we navigate through life's mountains and valleys, we are encouraged to maintain a posture of gratitude, recognizing that everything we have belongs to God. This perspective shifts our focus from scarcity to abundance, allowing us to be conduits of God's blessings to others.

The story of the widow of Zarephath illustrates the power of trusting God with our limited resources. When we give freely, without fear, God multiplies our offerings, ensuring that our needs are met. This principle of generosity extends beyond financial giving; it encompasses our time, love, and presence in the lives of others. We are called to be like the Good Samaritan, who did not angle away from the needs of others but instead showed mercy and compassion, regardless of societal divisions.

In this season, we are invited to align ourselves with God's flow, allowing His blessings to move through us to touch those He desires to reach. This requires a shift from mere sympathy to active compassion, where we not only feel for others but also take steps to meet their needs. As we open our hands and hearts, we position ourselves to receive God's abundant provision, trusting that He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

Key Takeaways

1. Trust in God's Provision: Embrace a life of open hands, trusting God to provide for your needs as you give freely and generously. This trust allows God to multiply your resources, ensuring that you have enough to meet your needs and bless others. [51:29]
2. Cultivate Compassion: Move beyond sympathy to compassion, actively seeking ways to meet the needs of others. Like the Good Samaritan, show mercy and kindness, regardless of societal divisions, and be a conduit of God's love. [72:22]
3. Align with God's Flow: Invite God's flow into your life by keeping your hands open, allowing His blessings to move through you to touch others. Trust in His unlimited resources and His ability to meet your needs abundantly. [76:59]
4. Embrace the Breaking: Understand that being broken is part of God's process to multiply and use you for His purposes. Just as Jesus broke the bread to feed the multitude, be willing to be broken so that God can expand your influence and impact. [84:51]
5. Live with Gratitude: Recognize that everything belongs to God and live with a heart of gratitude. Whether in abundance or lack, maintain a posture of thankfulness, trusting that God is working all things for your good. [87:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:27] - Announcements and Updates
[51:29] - Open Hands and Open Hearts
[56:30] - Trusting God's Provision
[60:44] - Living Open-Handedly
[62:25] - The Widow of Zarephath
[64:06] - Generosity and Multiplication
[66:13] - The Power of Generosity
[68:19] - Cultivating Open Hearts
[69:57] - The Good Samaritan
[72:22] - Compassion vs. Sympathy
[76:21] - Inviting God's Flow
[78:32] - Jesus Feeds the 5000
[84:51] - Embracing the Breaking
[87:28] - Living with Gratitude
[89:25] - Invitation to Salvation and Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

"Trusting God enough to give freely without fear of lack. When you get to a place where you can trust God with what you have, knowing that he owns it all, knowing that the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. Belongs to him, that if God, if you can trust to get it to me, I promise you can get it through me. He will make sure everything in your life is taken care of." [01:06:50] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Generosity isn't just about money. It's about loving others and being available to meet their needs. You know, I think about particularly in 2020. I can go through almost all the years of this church, but particularly this year here. I think about just the amount of hospital visitations. I think about several deaths that took place in this church in 2024." [01:07:23] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Being available to meet their needs. Over 50 volunteers went to the homeless shelter on yesterday. Serving, worship team went as well. Feeding them as well. They were making themselves available to meet. Their needs. In just a few weeks, there's going to be a dozens of small groups going out doing, doing various outreach and service projects in our community." [01:08:19] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Then Jesus says, which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? The exorcist. And the Lord replied, the one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, go and do likewise. Come on, somebody. We don't have an option to choose whether they're white or black, rich or poor, a Democrat or a Republican." [01:12:05] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"God is inviting us into his flow, his way of doing things, his way of setting yourself up for success, his way of setting you up for the breakthrough, his way of setting you up. So that scripture that I read on last week about, he said, Abraham, I will bless you and make you a blessing. See how we get in that." [01:16:59] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"But this is not even the greatest revelation yet, because the reason why Jesus had to use his bread multiplication as a miracle, because it was going to be the antithesis, a picture of him being the bread of life, who one day would be broken for us. See, you don't mind being blessed, you just don't want to be broken." [01:24:51] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"But if you're not willing to be broken, you can't multiply. Come on, somebody. See, see, that same bread, he actually did not have to break the bread. He could have just blessed it and gave it to the few. Just only a few would have been blessed, but because he was willing to break it, it was able to be multiplied." [01:25:06] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Let's live an open -handed life. That simply means trusting God enough to give freely without fear or lack. Trusting God enough to give freely, because some of us won't give because we're afraid if we give this here, we won't have nothing left over." [01:00:44] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Psalm 24, verse 1 says, The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live. I love that verse there. It reminds me that everything belongs to God. Everything that I have, everything that I need, it belongs to God." [00:51:29] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?