Transformative Power of Generosity in God's Kingdom
Summary
Generosity is a powerful force that can lead to life change in God's kingdom. As we look towards our legacy goals for 2025, our focus is on the next generation, orphans, widows, and those in need. Our church has been on a journey of generosity, and despite challenges like COVID-19, we have seen incredible growth and impact. Our campuses have expanded, and our outreach efforts have increased significantly, demonstrating the power of unity and generosity.
The parable of the rich man in Luke 12 serves as a reminder that abundance is not just about wealth but about how we respond to it. The rich man's mistake was not in his hard work or saving, but in his self-centeredness. His life was all about himself, and when he died, his story ended. Jesus teaches us that giving is the only thing that can outlast us. When we give, we invest in something eternal.
Generosity, according to Jesus, involves priority giving, percentage giving, and progressive giving. Priority giving means making generosity a fundamental part of who we are, not just something we do when we have extra. Percentage giving challenges us to examine how much of our resources we are willing to dedicate to God's work, regardless of our income level. Progressive giving encourages us to grow in our generosity over time, just as we grow in other areas of discipleship.
Our generosity has the power to change lives. In Uganda, our missions giving has increased by 393%, providing for orphans and those in need. Locally, our Choose Life Fund has supported women in crisis, offering them hope and a support network. As we continue to give, we are building a church for the next hundred years while living as if Jesus could return at any moment.
God is our source, and when we trust Him with our resources, He speaks to us and guides us in ways that transform our lives and the lives of others. Let us be generous, not just with our finances, but with our time, our words, and our love. As we take our next steps in generosity, may we listen for God's voice and respond with open hearts.
Key Takeaways
- Generosity is not about the amount we give but the heart behind it. The parable of the rich man in Luke 12 teaches us that when our lives are centered on ourselves, they end with us. True generosity invests in something eternal, outlasting our earthly existence. [15:21]
- Priority giving means making generosity a core part of our identity. It's not about waiting until we have extra but giving from what we have now. This reflects God's nature as a giver and aligns us with His heart. [19:33]
- Percentage giving challenges us to evaluate our financial priorities. The story of the widow's mite shows that God values the heart behind the gift more than the amount. It's about trusting God with our resources and recognizing Him as our source. [27:39]
- Progressive giving is about growing in generosity over time. Just as we grow in other areas of discipleship, we should strive to become more generous with our resources, time, and love. This growth reflects our deepening relationship with God. [29:41]
- God is jealous for our hope and commitment. He desires that we place our trust in Him alone, not in our wealth or possessions. As we listen for His voice and respond to His call, our lives and the lives of others are transformed. [33:55]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:08] - Generosity and Life Change
[05:22] - Church Growth and Outreach
[07:35] - Choose Life Fund Impact
[12:23] - Parable of the Rich Man
[15:21] - The Eternal Impact of Giving
[17:41] - Being Rich Toward God
[19:33] - Priority Giving
[22:43] - Lessons from Sister Francis
[23:58] - Percentage Giving
[25:46] - A Lesson from Uganda
[27:39] - The Widow's Mite
[29:41] - Progressive Giving
[30:32] - Future Generosity Goals
[33:55] - God's Jealousy for Our Hope
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Luke 12:16-21 - The Parable of the Rich Fool
- 1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Instructions to the Rich
#### Observation Questions
1. In the parable of the rich man in Luke 12, what was the man's plan for his abundance, and how did God respond to it? [12:23]
2. How did the church's outreach efforts change during the COVID-19 pandemic according to the sermon? [05:22]
3. What was the significance of the widow's mite in the context of percentage giving? [27:39]
4. How did the pastor describe the impact of the Choose Life Fund on women in crisis? [07:35]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does the parable of the rich man teach about the dangers of self-centeredness and the importance of being "rich toward God"? [16:47]
2. How does the concept of priority giving reflect God's nature as a giver, and why is it important to make generosity a core part of one's identity? [19:33]
3. In what ways does the story of the widow's mite challenge common perceptions about the value of a gift? [27:39]
4. How does the sermon suggest that progressive giving can lead to spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with God? [29:41]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current approach to generosity. How can you make giving a priority in your life, even if you feel you don't have much to give? [19:33]
2. Consider the story of the rich man in Luke 12. Are there areas in your life where you might be storing up treasures for yourself rather than being rich toward God? How can you shift your focus? [16:47]
3. Think about a time when you gave sacrificially. How did it impact your faith and your relationship with God? What steps can you take to grow in percentage giving? [27:39]
4. The sermon mentioned the impact of the Choose Life Fund. Is there a cause or need in your community that you feel called to support? How can you take action this week? [07:35]
5. How can you incorporate progressive giving into your spiritual journey, not just with finances but also with your time and talents? What is one specific area where you can start this week? [29:41]
6. The pastor shared a personal story about hearing God's voice regarding generosity. Have you ever experienced a similar prompting? How can you be more attentive to God's guidance in your giving? [32:06]
7. Reflect on the idea that God is jealous for our hope and commitment. What are some practical ways you can place your trust more fully in God rather than in material possessions? [33:55]
Devotional
Day 1: Generosity as an Eternal Investment
Generosity is not about the amount we give but the heart behind it. The parable of the rich man in Luke 12 teaches us that when our lives are centered on ourselves, they end with us. True generosity invests in something eternal, outlasting our earthly existence. [15:21]
"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." (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV)
Reflection: Consider your current priorities. What is one way you can shift your focus from temporary gains to eternal investments today?
Day 2: Making Generosity a Core Identity
Priority giving means making generosity a core part of our identity. It's not about waiting until we have extra but giving from what we have now. This reflects God's nature as a giver and aligns us with His heart. [19:33]
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on your daily habits. How can you incorporate acts of generosity into your routine, even when resources seem limited?
Day 3: Trusting God with Our Resources
Percentage giving challenges us to evaluate our financial priorities. The story of the widow's mite shows that God values the heart behind the gift more than the amount. It's about trusting God with our resources and recognizing Him as our source. [27:39]
"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.'" (Mark 12:41-43, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one area of your finances where you struggle to trust God. What step can you take today to surrender this area to Him?
Day 4: Growing in Generosity Over Time
Progressive giving is about growing in generosity over time. Just as we grow in other areas of discipleship, we should strive to become more generous with our resources, time, and love. This growth reflects our deepening relationship with God. [29:41]
"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." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: Think about your journey of generosity. What is one practical way you can increase your giving this month, whether in time, resources, or love?
Day 5: Placing Hope and Trust in God
God is jealous for our hope and commitment. He desires that we place our trust in Him alone, not in our wealth or possessions. As we listen for His voice and respond to His call, our lives and the lives of others are transformed. [33:55]
"Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.'" (Jeremiah 17:5, 7, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on where you place your trust. What is one step you can take today to shift your reliance from material possessions to God's provision?
Quotes
I'm going to be teaching, continue to talk on generosity today, but I want you to know that at the end of our service, maybe you're new to our church, we always have a time of prayer for anyone who needs, just have a need of any kind that we could pray for you about. And so our prayer team is going to come forward. You don't have to be a member. You don't have to give money, none of that kind of stuff. You don't have to be dressed right. You don't have to know the lingo. [00:00:00] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Jesus said, where your treasure is, your heart is also. So every time you make a gift financially, you have made a spiritual decision. I want to clap my hands and praise God for $5 .6 million. That's great. [00:03:18] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
I've never been about buildings. Listen, I have never been one of these people like, the church has got to buy more space and build more buildings and have more stuff. For us, the building is simply ministry space. That's all it is. It's not holy. It's brick and mortar. In fact, you call this place the sanctuary. [00:06:18] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
When we gather together, this becomes a sanctuary. We care a whole lot more about the people outside the walls of this church. I've always said, what about the people? You're building brick and mortar. What about the people? What about outreach? I want to give you a little report. I had my team look that stuff up. Since we started raising money for brick and mortar, we increased our outreach giving by 70%. That's a massive number of people in need. This is like serve projects, helping people out in the community that will never come to our church. [00:06:34] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Generosity, Jesus style means priority giving. Come on, say with me, priority giving. That giving for me is not something I want to do to be seen or to alleviate some guilt that I have, but it's a priority because it's who I want to be. The Bible says God so loved the world that he gave, he's a giver by nature. I want to be like him. And so if you wait until you feel rich or you feel like you have extra, you will never be generous because right now is the time to be generous. [00:18:05] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Set's a moving target, right? There'll never be extra. And if we wait until there's extra, we'll never be generous. But hear me, well, something supernatural happens when you give in spite of dollar figures or bank accounts. When you decide, I will not put my hope in me, in my job or in my, my bank account. My hope is in Jesus. Everything changes and it becomes a supernatural part of who you are. Can I hear an amen? Somebody knows what I'm talking about. [00:19:59] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
And that actually is the principle Jesus taught in that famous story of the widow's mite in Luke chapter 12. In fact, look at his statement to his disciples. Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in, say that word with me. More. Well, she didn't put in more. She put in two coins. But God's kingdom doesn't count like this earthly kingdom. That's why I'm telling you. I'm telling you about all of your politics. Don't get so tied up in U .S. kingdom politics. God's kingdom is so far above it, and it's so much better. Can I hear an amen to that? [00:27:42] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
And so, see, the thing about God is, this is crazy, God is jealous. The Bible teaches against jealousy, and God's the standard for everything, and yet it says, I am a jealous God. would God say that? Here's why. Because he's jealous of you. That's what the Bible says. He is jealous of your hope. He doesn't want you to put hope in anybody or anything except him. He is jealous for your hope and your commitment. [00:33:48] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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