Open Hands, Open Hearts: Embracing Generosity and Trust

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. [01:12:22]

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. [01:16:59]

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. [01:24:51]

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. [01:27:28]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[47:27] - Announcements and Updates
[51:29] - Open Hands and Open Hearts
[56:30] - Trusting God's Provision
[01:00:44] - Living Open-Handedly
[01:02:25] - The Widow of Zarephath
[01:04:06] - Generosity and Multiplication
[01:06:13] - The Power of Generosity
[01:08:19] - Cultivating Open Hearts
[01:09:57] - The Good Samaritan
[01:12:22] - Compassion vs. Sympathy
[01:16:21] - Inviting God's Flow
[01:18:32] - Jesus Feeds the 5000
[01:24:51] - Embracing the Breaking
[01:27:28] - Living with Gratitude
[01:29:25] - Invitation to Salvation and Closing Prayer

**Bible Study Discussion Guide**

**Bible Reading:**
1. Psalm 24:1 - "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
2. 1 Kings 17:12-16 - The story of the widow of Zarephath.
3. Luke 10:25-37 - The Parable of the Good Samaritan.

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**Observation Questions:**

1. In the story of the widow of Zarephath, what was her initial reaction to Elijah's request, and how did her actions demonstrate trust in God's provision? ([01:02:25])

2. How does the parable of the Good Samaritan illustrate the difference between sympathy and compassion? ([01:12:22])

3. According to Psalm 24:1, what does it mean for everything to belong to the Lord, and how does this perspective influence our view of generosity?

4. What was the significance of Jesus breaking the bread before distributing it to the multitude, and how does this relate to the concept of being broken for God's purposes? ([01:24:51])

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**Interpretation Questions:**

1. How does the widow's story in 1 Kings 17 challenge our understanding of giving and receiving, especially when resources seem limited? ([01:02:25])

2. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, what societal barriers did the Samaritan overcome to show compassion, and what does this teach us about our own biases? ([01:12:22])

3. How does the concept of "open hands and open hearts" relate to the idea of aligning with God's flow, and what might this look like in practical terms? ([01:16:21])

4. What does it mean to live with gratitude, recognizing that everything belongs to God, and how can this mindset transform our daily lives? ([01:27:28])

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**Application Questions:**

1. Reflect on a time when you felt called to give generously despite having limited resources. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? How might the widow's story inspire you to trust God more in similar situations? ([01:02:25])

2. Identify a person or group in your community who might be considered a "neighbor" in the context of the Good Samaritan parable. What practical steps can you take this week to show compassion and meet their needs? ([01:12:22])

3. Consider an area in your life where you feel "broken." How might God be using this experience to expand your influence and impact, similar to the breaking of the bread? ([01:24:51])

4. How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude in your daily routine, especially in moments of scarcity or challenge? What specific practices can help you maintain a posture of thankfulness? ([01:27:28])

5. Think about a recent situation where you felt sympathy for someone but did not take action. How can you move from sympathy to compassion in future interactions? ([01:18:32])

6. What are some ways you can invite God's flow into your life, allowing His blessings to move through you to touch others? Identify one specific action you can take this week to align with God's flow. ([01:16:21])

7. Reflect on the idea that everything belongs to God. How does this perspective change the way you view your possessions and resources? What steps can you take to live more open-handedly? ([01:00:44])

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?

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! My favorite part of that song is, "He saved me from myself."

See, sometimes you think it's the enemy without; it could be the enemy within. That doubt, that shame, that fear, that self-talk. But He saved you from yourself. Can we give God a praise for that worship and that word on today? Amen. Thank you, thank you.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you today. We pray that God, you will speak in this place. Speak to our hearts, speak to our minds. You know the mountain, you know the valley that these people are in today.

And Father, I pray that this word will find us exactly right where we are. God, we're talking about one subject today, but God, you have a way of taking that subject, God, and letting it be exactly what we individually need in our life.

So God, I pray today for healing, for deliverance, for a breakthrough. Just God, be specific in what you do in this place on today, God. Father, we declare that we're going to be blessed by you today, God. Nothing that needs to be moved, God, it will be moved. Those things that need to be moved will be moved.

We thank you for every door that needs to be shut; you're going to shut it. Every door that needs to be opened, God, you're going to open. God, do what only your power can do. God, we say thanks be to God who called us to triumph over everything that tries to triumph over us.

So I bless these, your people now, God. Do what only you can do today, God. Show up, and God, when you show up, God, show out. We bless you now, in Jesus' name we pray. Come on, let's give God one more hand clap of praise. Amen, amen, amen.

Amen. You can go ahead and take your seats. It's good to see you, Minister Tanya and Floyd. Welcome back to Georgia. Are y'all coming back home? Are y'all coming back home? Y'all coming back to stay? Because if not, just leave now, okay? Are you staying?

Okay. I've been praying to the Lord. I see y'all back here. So are the prayers working? I don't care how big that new house is. I don't care. The Lord can do something with it. Amen. But it is good to see y'all's faces on today.

Just a couple quick announcements, and I'm going to jump right into the Word. I shared last week that Minister Shanna Ruff, thank you, sir. Minister Shanna Ruff, one of our ministers, she went through, actually had been in prayer for months, and she finally got the call last week to go to Atlanta for a kidney transplant.

And so she got that transplant. It took place. And then found a few days later, again, I shared on last Sunday, a group of you stood up, raised your hand to be a part of that group that's going to sow $100 into her life. And some of you wanted to still do that. We do have a link available on the website. It's a special offering. All that goes to Shanna and her family.

And so those who want to do that today, you can just simply go to the website. It's a special offering. Get that offering today or drop it in the offering box. All those will go to her. But she got a phone call, or we got a phone call, I think Thursday or Friday from her husband, letting us know that.

And if you know anything about kidneys and going through dialysis and stuff like that, it's not a beautiful, fun thing to endure. But she got the call that she no longer has to take dialysis. Come on, somebody! And so that by itself is absolutely amazing and huge.

And so come on, I know, right? Yeah. And she's probably watching online right now, so let her hear y'all. Just praise God for that right now. Amen.

And so it's nothing fun to watch. My dad goes three days a week, you know, to it. It can wear you out. It could drain you. And to get the call, get a message that you no longer have to take that is absolutely a miracle within itself.

And so she was watching, or at least the husband was watching service on last weekend when we did the special offer. They were overwhelmed. And so again, thank you, Hope City, for your generosity. We can't do what we do here, even in spontaneous ways like that, without your faithfulness and commitment.

So again, thank you for that. Those who will be giving today, again, there's an offering link on the website. In the giving option, just choose special offering, and those will go to her. And then if you're doing a physical envelope, you can just drop those in the buckets. Well, as the buckets already went by, you can drop them in the black boxes on your way out of the auditorium. Amen.

And last announcement is, I think I missed this in the second service, so I'm repeating it now, but I said it last Sunday. And I think in the first and third service. But I don't think I missed it in the second service. Starting when we launched the Pooler Campus, starting in January of next year, the first service in Pooler is the first Sunday in January.

Excited about what God is doing there. Had an awesome interest meeting on last Sunday. Excited about how that church is going to really take off from day one. I believe it's going to be packed out amazing. We announced that service time there will be at 10 o'clock for those that will be going to the Pooler Campus.

But I also wanted to be clear that starting in January here, we are going to be doing a service there. And I think in the first service, we're only going to be doing two services. And that will be temporary, going to two services, 9 and 11 o'clock, starting the first Sunday in January.

And this will give us a chance to give our volunteers, our Dream Teamers, a little break at the beginning of the year. We've already warned them, don't get too happy. It will be a pause break. As soon as we see the need to add a third service back here, the third service will be back at it. The latest will probably be Easter at the latest, but more than likely looking all of January and February, we'll be going to those two services.

But immediately, we're going to be doing a service there. And I think in the first service, we're going to be going back to three. So, I mean, everybody has to make a change starting the first Sunday in January. Whether you're going to Pooler, staying here, non-service or 11, everyone has to make an adjustment.

So, start praying now. Most of you already made your decision in your head already. I'll be at 9, I'll be at 11. But just pray about it. Maybe God wants you in a particular service for a season for a reason. Maybe some people you bump into, you would have never saw.

You'll be surprised how many people go shopping and they bump into somebody, "Man, what church you go to?" "I go to Hope City." "Yeah, me too, girl. I'll never see you there because one is an 8 o'clock service and the other is at 12 o'clock." Been going to the same church for two years, but they're in two different services.

So, you never know. There'll be some people you bump into that you may need to know something about, or they may be your connection to something else in this next season. And so pray which service you'll be in and watch what God does with that. Amen?

With that being said, let's go ahead and jump into the Word on today. I'm kicking off, or I started last week, a series called "Blessed to Be a Blessing." And it is crazy how this is the last Sunday in the month already.

I mean, time is flying by. The last Sunday of November, we will be in December. And to all of y'all who have put up your Christmas trees already, I pray for deliverance in your life. I pray that your Christmas tree will fall tonight at midnight.

You're putting up Christmas trees prior to Thanksgiving. You ungrateful bunch of people. You got to be—this is Thanksgiving. It's not Christmas season right now. So, but, you know, sometimes you can't beat the people. You got to join them. So I may have up six Christmas trees in my house tonight just because I can't beat y'all.

I'm literally thinking about putting my trees up on tonight. But, yeah, enjoy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family. Enjoy almost everything that happens here. Here at Hope City this week will be on pause. So enjoy your family. Be grateful for all that God is doing because whether you're on a mountain or a valley, you lost some things in 2024 or not, we all still have a reason to be grateful, and we all have a reason to be thankful. Amen?

Amen. Come on, let's give God a praise for His generosity towards us in 2024. 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.

In Deuteronomy chapter 15, verse 10, it says, "Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart. Then because of this, the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."

Look at the promise that when we have a generous heart and we're not giving with a grudge, we're not giving with a grudging heart, God promises to bless you in all your work. Somebody say "all." So in everything you put your hands to, God promised you that when you trust Him with your life, when you trust Him with your resources, He will ensure you that all your work will prosper.

Everything you set out to do, everything that you set out to achieve, when you put Him first, He will bless you in all your work and everything you put your hand to. That means if you're starting a business in 2025, writing a book, whatever the specificity of it may be, He says, whatever you put your hands to, it will prosper.

I want to talk to you today from this idea of open hands and open hearts. Open hands and open hearts. That's my hope and my desire for Hope City, my desire for you as an individual that we end this year, that we go into 2025 with this mindset that my hands are going to be open, meaning I'm going to be a generous person, that whenever God places somebody in my life, in my space, where I could be generous to, I want to have open hands to give and open hearts to be putting it out.

And here's the beautiful thing about open hands and open hearts. Those same open hands and open hearts, God is also putting you in position to receive as well. Now, we know the scripture tells us it is more blessed to give than it is to receive. But here's the beauty about God, that when you put out, He promises to bring it back into your life.

When you are willing to open your hands and to give, God promises to put it back in your life. I want to read a verse of scripture I read on last week from 2 Corinthians 9, verse 6. It says, "Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

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. He doesn't want us to be angry and mad and being forced to give. He wants us to purpose in our heart.

I say, and I'm going to talk about these three things next week. There's three types of giving: systematic giving, special giving, and spontaneous giving. When it comes to us making sure that when we purpose in our heart for spontaneous giving and special giving, that we do it not reluctantly. We want to do it because we have it, that we love to give.

That God is making us a cheerful and an exciting giver. Your favorite song ever comes to me like, "Oh man, you blessed it. Man, that's my jam." You get excited about it, right? That's the mindset that God wants us to have when it's time to give. That, "Oh man, it's offering time. Oh man, it's giving time."

Why? Because we understand that there is a blessing in the giving. There is a blessing in the putting out. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you. He blesses you abundantly so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Don't miss that, y'all. And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things, at all times. So that means when you're going to get a house at all times. That's meaning when you want to maybe start a business or you want to go shopping for groceries.

In all times, He says, "I will make sure you are blessed to have everything that you need." Meaning that when it's time to go to Walmart or the Publix to pick up that Thanksgiving turkey, no matter what the prices are right now, you don't have to say, "I can't afford that right now."

In all, at all times, prices go up, prices go down. At all times, God promises to supply all of our needs. And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things, at all times, whether it's a famine in the land or not, whether prices go up or not, God said you can position yourself in such a way with me that when a famine hits the land, when prices go up, all your needs still can be supplied.

Come on, somebody! Why? Because you are not dependent on this system to meet your needs. You're dependent on God's system to meet your needs. And God knows how to make sure. He knows how to make sure that even when systems down here go up, your needs still can be met.

Come on, somebody. You know, folks say, "Man, you know, the gas prices going up. I guess I'll park my car. I ain't gonna be able to drive." Ain't none of y'all said that when the gas prices went up. Come on, somebody.

Matter of fact, some of y'all are driving more now with gas prices higher than when it was down. Why? Because there's a level of trust in you, whether it's in your own humanistic giftings and abilities or God. You have a level of trust and belief that I will be able to get and go where I need to go.

And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things, in all times. I just can't get off that. At all times. Meaning that you can position yourself in such a way that there can never be a moment in your life that when you need to be blessed and have, you got to give.

It's nothing like being in position that when somebody needs something from you, you got it to give. And God is showing you there's a way in Him so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Look what it says here in Matthew chapter 6, verse 19. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and venom destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

One more verse. Isaiah 32, 8. "But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand." Say it one more time. "But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand."

You know, one scripture says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's will that will prevail." Have you ever had an agenda or a plan for a trip, and things didn't go according to that agenda?

When I go on trips, particularly to New York, I set out a whole agenda. From Friday to Monday, the agenda is set. Friday is the travel day, and Monday is the travel day. Everything in between there is play date. And every event has a time frame that we're going to be there.

So that means if we go shopping, Pastor TK shops for three hours because we got somewhere else to go. Come on. If you go to New York, if you don't set no agenda, you'll miss a lot of the good activities because you stay in some of the places too.

But how many know many are the plans in Pastor Corrie's heart? But sometimes her plans will prevail. Come on, come on, come on. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it's the Lord's will that will prevail.

But the noble make noble plans, and by the noble deeds they stand. When you make plans according to God's will and God's way, the Bible considers those things noble. And those noble plans, those deeds, they will stand.

When you consider the Lord in everything that you're doing, He will assure you that those things will come to pass. That's the reason why it's important to submit your ways, watch this here, to the Lord. Submit your plans to the Lord.

If you are building a house here in Savannah, you have to take those plans and submit them to the right people. Why? Because they got to make sure that what you're building on and how it's structured, it is according to certain codes and standards.

Some of you got visions and plans that you're trying to establish, and God said, you haven't submitted them to me, and they don't meet code. They don't meet standards. And some of the stuff you've been praying for and dreaming for, they're not coming to pass, and you're getting angry with God.

And God has said, you're getting angry for no reason because I didn't tell you to do that. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He only delights in what He ordered.

None of us go to a restaurant and order something, and we order chicken and steak, just like a hot dog and a hamburger. You ain't going to eat that, right? You say, "I did not order that. I ordered chicken and steak. Bring me back what I ordered."

Listen, God is not going to stomach nothing in this season that He did not order for your life. He's going to send you back to the kitchen of life and say, "Bring me what I ordered."

The steps of a good man, good woman are ordered by the Lord, and He only delights in what He orders. I'm going to give you just three quick things here, some points to remember as we get this thought of open hands and open hearts.

Number one, let's live open-handedly. 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.

A great scripture that I believe highlights trusting God enough to give freely is found right here in 1 Kings chapter 17, verse 12. It's a passage about this widow woman, Zarephath, and look what it says here.

"As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread," because the prophet Elijah asked her, "What do you have in the house?" She said, "I don't have any bread, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I'm gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son that we may eat it and die."

I mean, she's already, she already sees what her end looks like. She already realizes the famine is here. The famine is not going to go away. I only have enough to eat for the next couple of days. After this last meal here, me and my son are going to die of starvation.

And Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. He said, but first make me a small loaf of bread first from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son."

Now, wait a minute here. I'm going to say, first of all, I ain't giving you nothing first. I'm going to eat first. If anybody can eat, we're going to eat first. And if we got something left over, then we'll give you what's left over.

Elijah said to her, "Well said, do what you say you're going to do. Go cook the meal, bring it to me, and then you and your son will eat the bread." What he was doing was he was about to work a miracle in her life.

You have to understand Elijah was a prophet. He was only doing this because God was not ready to work a miracle in her life. He was not ready to work a miracle in her life.

See, some of y'all think he's trying to get something from her when actually he's trying to get something to her. And I'm telling you, sometimes in some seasons, God has you to give certain stuff away, not because He's trying to get something from you. He's trying to get something to you.

And the mere fact that she's about to put this in his hand, she's about to experience a multiplication in her life. Some of y'all just used to being either added to your life or in the worst case scenario, being divided and subtracted.

But God is now ready to multiply some things for you, but you have to be willing to trust Him, move away from fear, and trust that He's going to supply all of your needs.

So as she was about to take this little and give it to the prophet, it reminds me of what the old folk used to say: little becomes a lot when you put it in the hands of the Master. Come on, somebody!

Us, 2025, to be totally honest with you, we don't know what lack is in comparison to what our grandmama and our grandma, meemaw, whoever she was to you, your grandmama, meemaw, big mama, whatever. They knew how to stretch some stuff.

They knew how to make some stuff work out. They knew how to make—you got 12 kids to feed, and this little food that we have here seems like nothing with these 12 kids. But somehow, nobody went hungry that night. Come on, somebody!

This is what Elijah was trying to work in her life, showing her that when you give God your little, when you give God your little, when you trust Him with your life, your resources, your sources, He has the ability to multiply.

He said, "But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says. The jar of flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land."

She went away and did as Elijah had told her, so there was food every day.

Anybody want food every day?

Anybody want their needs to be met every day?

So that in all things, at all times, having all that you need. She went from talking about how we're going to eat for two days and die, and the story changes that she's going to eat every day.

The jar will not run out until the Lord sends rain. In other words, you're going to have enough food in your life until the rain comes. So this won't last forever, but it's going to last long enough until the Lord sends rain in the land so that you can begin to meet your needs on your own again.

Come on, somebody!

He said, she went away and did as Elijah told her, so there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. Not even just enough for her and her family. Other people were taken care of.

It reminds me, the Bible says, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God." Paul and Silas were praying and talking to God, but when it says Paul, it says the prisoners heard them. Heaven heard, heaven shook, and it says that the prisoners' doors were opened, and not only was Paul and Silas set free, but everybody in the prison's bands were taken off.

What I'm trying to say is when one person does right with God, it can open up the door for other people. Come on, somebody!

Your generosity can bless a whole group of other people because of your faithfulness and your generosity. It's that her whole family ate and the prophet was able to eat as well. So there was food every day. Somebody say every day.

No, say every day. And see, you don't realize, you're talking about your own life right now. Every day, all your needs are going to be met. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry in keeping with the words of the Lord spoken by the prophet Elijah.

Can we give God a praise for His word?

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.

Here's the second thing I want to show you here. Living open-handedly, but secondly, how to cultivate or cultivate open hearts. Cultivating open hearts. 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.

I remember going to the hospital and just seeing members there with other, with the individual or the individuals who lost their loved one. They're standing with them, encouraging them, being a voice, a silent voice, if you would. Being by the bedside, watching the loved one make their transition.

What does the scripture say? It says it's about loving others and being available to meet their needs. Money is important. Finances are important. We need it, but even equal to that, people need people.

Being available to meet their needs. Over 50 volunteers went to the homeless shelter yesterday, serving. The 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 dozens of small groups going out doing various outreach and service projects in our community. I'm looking forward to our Giving Hope Christmas mall, meeting the needs of hundreds of children in our community who probably in many cases would not have a gift for.

It's about loving others and being available to meet their needs. Look what it says here in Luke chapter 10, verse 25.

On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. He said, "Teacher," he asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said, "What is written in the law? He replied, How do you read it?"

He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself."

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Because I want to help everybody. So I need you to be specific. Who is my neighbor? Is my neighbor white? Who is my neighbor black? Is my neighbor a Democrat or a Republican? Who is my neighbor? Because I don't want to help everybody.

Who specifically tell me who is my neighbor? Are they rich? Are they poor? Do they look like me? Do they dress like me? Do they add? Who is my neighbor? Because I don't want to help everybody.

He got more. Who is my neighbor? Are they Americans or are they people who come from different countries? Who's my neighbor?

Look what the scripture says here. But he wanted to justify himself, and he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" And he replied, and Jesus replied and said, "There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho."

It said when he was attacked by robbers, they stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. It says a priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

In other words, the church came by. A priest, a man of God came by. And so a person with a need, with an issue, with a problem. And as the priest was walking by, as the church was walking by, as Hope City was walking by, they saw the problem.

And instead of helping with the problem, the Bible says they angled and they went a different way as if the problem did not exist.

Look at the second thing here. It says here, watch where I'm going. It says here, "So too, in verse 32, so too a Levite, when he, the worshipers, the worship team, Hope City worship team, so too a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side."

Saw it, but angled. Hope City, this is not the time for us to angle. This is not the time for us to see a need and decide to go another way because we don't want to face opportunities that God is bringing our way. Come on, somebody!

It says here, "So too a Levite, when he came, he went another way." Then the third person, it says, "But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was, and when he saw him, he took pity on him."

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on him. Then he put the man on his own donkey. Come on, somebody! Brought him to an inn and took care of him.

The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Said, "Look after him," he said, "and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have."

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 expert in the law 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.

When it's time to enter heaven, God's not going to ask you, "Are you a Republican? Are you a Democrat? Are you white? Are you black? Are you a black American or are you an African American?" He ain't going to ask you that.

He ain't going to ask you, "Do you want to come into the kingdom?" Come on, somebody! He's not going to bring up your history. He's not going to bring up your lineage. He's not going to bring up your genealogy.

All He knows is that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever will, he can come in. Come on, somebody!

We don't have the right to angle. We don't have the right to shift or go in a different direction in this season here.

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Imagine us spending the next few weeks ending this year just showing mercy. Just not angling, but showing mercy.

Looking for opportunities to show mercy. Because watch this here. All of us at some point in our own life, we needed not just mercy, but we also needed some grace.

And the same God that showed grace and mercy on us, He's trying to use us as conduits, as people, that now can go out into the community, into the world, and show grace and mercy.

We need to be that good Samaritan. Not the Levite, not the priest who's dressed up that looks like church. It said the regular Joe with the dress in his head, with the tattoos. Come on, somebody!

With the motorcycle. That was the one that stopped and met the need. Not the one with the suit on. Not the one with the tie on. But the one that came in with the shorts on a Sunday morning.

Come on, somebody! Y'all remember, that was the guy that came here one Sunday at the school. He's still here now. And he comes from a different part of the country. And he plays golf every Sunday.

His concern was, "Can I go to church with my golf clothes on?" And I'm like, "Man, come as you are. I ain't going to judge you for your shirt."

That man faithfully comes to church wearing his golf shorts. People, y'all listen. People are looking for hope and help. But we sometimes push them away with the way that we think they have to look.

Or watch this here, even how we have to look. Now, listen. I ain't saying there's nothing wrong with no nice dress, no nice tie and suit. I like it. Every now and then, I like to get dressed up and show you how good I look. Come on, somebody!

Because I can let one out for you. No. I just choose not to. I don't want to hurt your feelings. Come on, somebody!

But this Samaritan was a regular person that came by, had the right heart, had the right spirit, saw a need, and wanted to fill it.

I hope that's your outlook as we finish this year here, that I may not have everything they got. I may not have the big title. I may not be a priest. I may not be a Levite. But I know God. I got a good heart. He has blessed me.

And if I have it within me to be a blessing, I want to be a blessing to somebody else.

Here's the third thing I'm going to leave us with, and then I'm done. Living open-handedly, cultivating open hearts, and watch this here, inviting God's flow.

Inviting God's flow. When we keep our hands open, God's blessing can flow through us, reaching those He wants to touch.

I'm not, I didn't say your flow. I'm saying God's flow. Because my flow, I ain't got enough. Come on, somebody!

If I was opening my checking account right now, I could do a little something, something. But I can't do everything.

Imagine being in God's flow. Imagine God giving you a peek in His checking account. Woo! I bet the zeros are boundless. Come on, somebody!

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. How we get in that flow, how we get into that vein.

Our bank account is limited, but God's bank account is unlimited. Come on, somebody! You may be a resource, but God is my source. Come on, somebody!

And so when we get in the right vein, God will make sure everything that belongs to you, even though it may come through people, God knows how to do what He needs to do to people so that His source can come through the resource.

But never miss it. He is the source. And He'll use whoever, whatever He wants to do to get His source into your life.

Inviting God's flow. This season here, invite yourself. Allow God's flow to come into your life.

Look what it says here in Matthew chapter 14, verse number 13. It said, "When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart."

It says, "And when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion toward them. And he healed their sick."

Now remember, it says He was moved with compassion. Now there's a difference between sympathy and compassion. A lot of people are sympathetic towards situations, but the question is, am I compassionate?

Sympathy says, "Oh, sympathy looks at a thing, looks at a problem, says, 'Oh, I feel sorry for you.'" Compassion looks at the same thing and says, "Oh, I feel sorry for you. What can I do to help?"

That's the difference between being sympathetic and compassionate. Sympathy is stagnant. Compassion, it moves you to do something. It forces you to get up. It forces you to give a response.

You cannot angle when you are compassionate. You can angle when you are a sympathetic person. But if you never move from that level of being a sympathetic person to a compassionate person, you will always find yourself angling and moving away from opportunities that God wants to use to be a blessing.

And was moved with compassion toward them. And He healed their sick. Watch this here. And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him saying, "This is a desert place and the time has now passed. Send the multitude away that they may go into the villages and buy themselves victuals or something to eat."

But Jesus said unto them, "They need not to depart. Give them something to eat."

Look at Jesus. Standing before thousands of people. See their need. See they're hungry. And He says to them, "Give them something to eat."

And one of them says, and if I was there, I know they said it with attitude. And they said to Him, "We here have nothing but five loaves of bread and two fishes."

If I was there, I think they said, "Jesus." And then He would have said, "Man, I don't know what's up with him. He didn't sleep. Because he's just doing too much. He do too much."

"Jesus, let me tell you something. Okay. Look real fast. You see all the people here? That's 5,000 people out here. The kids and the women. We only got five pieces of bread. And two pieces of fish. What can we do with this here? And what can we do with this here? We ain't talking about no loaves of bread y'all go get from Publix. We ain't talking about no loaf of bread. We ain't talking about a lot. Little pieces of bread. Five pieces of bread and two fish. Now come on, Jesus. Now can we go home now?"

But Jesus, His compassion, His heart, He wasn't going to stop there. Look what He said here.

"But Jesus said to them, 'They need not depart. Give them to eat.' And they said to Him, 'We have here but five loaves and two fishes.' He said, 'Bring them. Bring them here to me.'"

In other words, give me what you got. Give me your crucible oil. Give me your flour. Put it in my hand for just a minute. Just a minute.

Give me the pieces of fish. Watch this here. It's going to be just a minute. See, we always talked about how Jesus multiplied the fish and the bread.

But I'm going to show you here in just a moment. It did not multiply in Jesus' hand. It multiplied in the disciples' hands.

But it's hard for some of y'all to believe. It's hard for y'all to believe because you don't realize you are a miracle worker because the greater one is on the inside of you.

But hopefully I'll show you here in just a moment here. It says, "And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fishes."

And it says, "Looking up to heaven." Looking up to heaven. He got the five loaves. He got the two pieces of fish. He's looking up to heaven.

It says, "And He blessed it." He talked to the Father about the little bit.

Have you talked to the Father about your little bit? It's like He took it. He blessed it. And after He got through talking to the Father about His little bit, He took it and He began to break it up.

And He gave it to the disciples. Watch this here. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

I'm going to say it again. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it to His disciples, and His disciples gave it to the multitude.

Which tells me every time they put their hand into the basket, it kept multiplying to so much so in the end, they had baskets left over.

But this is not even the greatest revelation yet, because the reason why Jesus had to use His bread multiplication as a miracle is 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. 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.

And then it said it had baskets that were remaining, which was a picture of even when the Holy Spirit showed up on the day of Pentecost. Oh, come on, somebody!

Was available for that generation. It said, "This is just, this Holy Ghost is just not available for y'all, but it's also for them that are far off."

And so the leftovers were pictures of what was left over for all of us. Come on, somebody!

"My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches." This is God's blessing and glory by Christ Jesus.

He talked to the Father about your little bit. And after you talk to the Father about your little bit, allow Him to break you because you don't mind being blessed; you just don't want to be broken.

But if He don't break you, He can't use you the way He wants to use you. See, it's almost like a child. When you're now raising that child up, and that child got to stop doing certain things, you have to break that child.

Come on, somebody! You have to break him. You have to get him to learn what's right and what's wrong. And when you break him, you have to what? You have to discipline him.

And the more you discipline him while he's young, the Bible says if you spare the rod, you spoil the child. So when you understand that the breaking is not to hurt you, the breaking is to help you.

The breaking is to expand you. The breaking is to make you more than what you see right now because you are more than meets the eye. There's more potential in you. There's more greatness on the inside of you, but you cannot just be happy with being blessed and by willing to be broken.

Let's give God a praise for His word today. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

They did all eat and were filled, and they took up the fragments that remained. Twelve baskets.

Oh, God, can I have some of your leftovers? Come on, somebody! The next thing better than Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday is Friday.

Come on, somebody! That food be good on Thursday. But it hit different on Friday. Come on, somebody!

It hit different after that fourth, that fifth plate. Y'all better start asking God for some of His leftovers in this season here.

Y'all better start asking God for some of His remnants in this season here. I know you like what you got yesterday, but what He got for you tomorrow.

He said every day. That's going to be fresh manna. Every day. Come on, stand to your feet and give God a praise for His word on today.

And they had eaten were about 5,000 men. And that don't include the women and the children.

God has all you need. The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof and they that dwell therein.

Father, we thank you for your word today. For your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. Thank you for speaking to our hearts. Thank you for speaking to our minds.

May this Thanksgiving holiday season that we get the revelation we realize that you own it all. You have it all. Everything here, it is borrowed.

And God, if we can trust you with our lives, God, you have a way to assure that everything that we need, God, gets into our life. So we submit ourselves to your plans. We submit ourselves to your way. We trust your process.

We trust the fact that you're the Alpha and Omega. You're the beginning and the end. You're already in our future. You see something that we don't see. So, God, we trust you with it all.

Maybe someone is saying today, "Pastor Cora, I needed this word today. I know you, but I don't know Him. I've shaken your hand, but I've yet to shake God's hand. I got good religion, but I don't have a personal relationship with this God you're talking about.

I'm like that Levite. Who's religious and who's angled. But I want a personal, spiritual relationship with this God you're talking about. I want to know what it means to be born again. I want to know what it means to be saved, to have my name written in the Lamb's book of life.

Yes, I know we're all God's creation, but we choose to become a son. We choose to become a daughter. And I want to take advantage of John 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

He blessed Him. He allowed Him to be broken for us on the cross. But there was so much, even 2,000 years, there's so much of Him still left over.

That there's individuals in here today. You can take advantage of what we have already tasted and experienced and seen through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven.

Or maybe you're saying, "I already made that decision. I already given my heart to Christ. I'm confident. I'm confident if I take my last breath on this side that I will enter into the presence of my Creator.

I'm assured of my salvation. But I do need a church home that teaches the word of God in such a way that I can take it and apply it to my life. See my faith and my family transformed thereby.

And today I want to make Hope City Church my home. So if you're in this place, I'm not going to call you up. I'm not going to call you out. But I just want to know who to include in this closeout prayer.

If you can just simply slip up your hand. When I count to three, just simply slip the hand up for a second. And you can bring it back down. I just want to know who I am praying for.

So on the count of three. One, two, three. Will that be one? Will that be one? I see that one hand. I see that hand, that hand. I see that hand as well. Amen. I see those hands. Amen.

You can put them back down. If you can just do my fear all over again. Lift your hands towards heaven. Heads still bowed.

Say, "Lord God, I believe you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. But I also believe He rose from the grave with all power in His hand.

Say, "God, I ask you now to forgive me of any and every sin that has separated me from your love."

Now, say, "God, I don't fully understand what all this means, but I do believe with your Spirit living on the inside of me, I will become the person you desire me to be.

So, Holy Spirit, I welcome you to live in my heart for the rest of my life. Father God, your word declares any man being in Christ. He's a new creation. Old things are passed away, and behold, all things are become new.

I pray for those individuals who raised their hand for the very first time, who were spiritually separated from you, or those who have been physically separated from a Christian church body.

God, whatever the separation was, I declare that, God, whatever they lost in that separation, God, that they're moving into a season of recovery and restoration. Everything they lost prematurely, Father, I declare that was good. It is coming back into their life.

Father, I declare that, God, everything that was taken away from them, God, that the yokes, the chains, the strongholds, every addiction that sucked away at the quality of their life, I declare those things are falling off now.

And who the Son sets free, they are free indeed. Come on, if you believe that, let's celebrate with every decision made in this place on today.

"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)