The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled Wide Open Generosity. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Generosity is more about what God wants for us than what God wants from us.
William Borden owned Borden Diary. He was wealthy as a young man. He grew up under R.A Tory. Borden traveled the world. He had a heart for people. Borden once went back to Yale University to meet with two men. They would pray together. This group eventually grew to over 1000 people. Eventually Borden would sale to China but he first stopped in Egypt to study Arabic. He wanted to minister to Muslims. While in Egypt, Borden became ill with spinal meningitis. He died one month later. He was only 25 years old. Before his death, he had penned three words: No reserve, no retreats, no regrets. In his young years, Borden lived his life in wide open generosity. I know I'm leaving out so much information about William Borden's life. Please learn more about this man who was sold out to Christ here.
Ho do we live our lives with wide open generosity?
1. Believe God to do the Impossibly.
God told Sarah that she would have a baby in her old age.
And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. - Hebrews 11:11-12
Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son. - Genesis 18:14
We never need to lose hope. We must trust God. By faith, Sarah conceived. God is always faithful. He always keeps his promises.
And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. - Hebrews 11:12
God doesn't call us to religion. He calls us to relationship.
2. Be willing to sacrifice in a significant way.
A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.
In Genesis 22, Abraham's faith was tested. Who did Abraham love more, the blessing or the blesser? He loved the blesser.
We must love our blesser.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24
We must be willing to let go of anything that does not honor God. Let go of anything you love more than God.
3. Be assured that God keeps His promises.
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,your very great reward, your very great reward. - Genesis 15:1
Abraham was afraid. He struggles with fear and doubt.
But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” - Genesis 15:2-5
The stars and the sand cannot be counted, yet when Abraham considered the stars, he considered you.
God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly devoted to Him.
Generosity is more about what God wants for you than from you. This is a phrase we've been saying a lot at our church as we have been studying the topic of generosity. Today, we are talking about discipling generosity.
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Generosity is an invitation and an opportunity. Don't miss out.
Remember when you were a child, and your teacher gave you a pot and a seed. It was time for you to learn how to plant seeds and grow plants. You planted the seed. Then you nurtured the seed and waited patiently for a sprout. Then you nurtured the sprout. Finally, the sprout became a nice plant, and you thought, "Wow, look what I did! The truth is that the seed was not yours. Your teacher gave you the seeds. You reaped the harvest of a seed that didn't belong to you. This is an example, a picture of the generosity of God.
In the beginning, God created everything in a generous act of love.
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you. - Genesis 1:29
God created things to exist and the potential for everything else to exist. The seeds of His creation were an entire orchard waiting to bloom.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul is challenging the church at Corinth to excel in generosity.
Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.9 For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. - 2 Corinthians 2:8-9
Generosity is part of discipleship, growing in godliness. When we are generous, we are reflecting the heart of God.
2 Ways Paul is Discipling Generosity
1. See generosity as a seed to sow.
Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously. - 2 Corinthians 9:6
We reap in proportion to what we sow. Sow a little. Get little. So a lot. Get a lot. We cannot expect to reap a harvest in places where we have sown no seeds. We reap what we sow.
Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7
The heart is central to the practice of generosity. Grateful hearts give willingly. It is a response of love. You can give without loving but you can never love without giving. This sowing and reaping is true for spiritual things as well as it is for material things.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. - Galatians 6:7-8
The seed and the harvest belong to God.
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. - 2 Corinthians 9:10-11
God is owner. We are manager. God is supplier. We are distributor.
Generosity looks like two open hands, one to receive and one to give.
Sowing seed brings more seeds to sow. God never runs out of generosity.
For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. - 2 Corinthians 9:12
Generosity is more than money. It's ministry. Generosity is reflecting and revealing God's heart to others.
Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all. - 2 Corinthians 9:13
Generosity invokes worship.
While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. - 2 Corinthians 9:14
Discipleship is the process of becoming more like Jesus.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! - 2 Corinthians 9:15
We have been talking a lot lately about generous living. Today at church, we are talking about learning to love living generously. Our focal passage for today is in 1 Timothy.
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.13 I direct you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,14 that you keep the commandment without fault or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. - 1 Timothy 6:10-17
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
How to Love Generous Living
Loving generosity will protect you from the love of money, which causes people to wander away from their faith.
A generous person will be prosperous, And one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty. - Proverbs 11:25
One who is generous will be blessed, Because he gives some of his food to the poor. - Proverbs 22:9
Generosity invites God's blessings into your life. It is more about what God wants for you than what He wants from you.
The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever. - 1 John 2:17
How to Love Generous Living
1. We need a spiritual understanding.
Money is temporary. It is not permanent.
As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind? - Ecclesiastes 5:15-16
When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. - Proverbs 23:5
Money is not certain. Only God and His Word are absolute.
Money is not satisfying. When we have a little money, we tend to want more.
The love of money will never cure the greed in a person's heart.
2. We need a personal understanding.
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. - 1 Timothy 6:17
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. - 1 Timothy 6:18
Tithing is Biblical.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. - Malachi 3:10
Tithing is more than a law. It's about love. Tithing is not commanded in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, it was law. In the New Testament, it's about grace and loving others.
Generosity is more about what God wants for you than what He wants from you. Today's scripture passage is in 1 Chronicles 29.
Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord wholeheartedly, and King David also rejoiced greatly.
David’s Prayer
So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.Yours, Lord,
is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty,
indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the
dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.
“But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You.15 For we are strangers before You, and temporary residents, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope.16 Lord
our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house
for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours.17 Since I know, my God, that You put the heart to the test and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:9-17
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
What if there was one specific practice in life that would guarantee the following?
3. Meet your greatest need while meeting the needs of others.
4. Open up the windows of Heaven and invite God's blessings into your life
5. Protect you from envy, greed, comparison, and self-absorbed living
Here is the one word that brings these results - generosity. Generosity is more than meeting a need. Meeting a need is great, but to be generous is to "give to overflowing." All God puts into our hands should flow from our fingertips to others. What keeps us from living life wide open with generosity? STUFF
There is nothing wrong with having things, but it is wrong when things have you.
How to Live Life Generously
1. Ownership
All we have belongs to God.
The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who live in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. - Psalm 24:1-2
Yours, Lord,
is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty,
indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the
dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.13 Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.
14 “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:11-14
For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. - 1 Timothy 6:7
“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes which I am commanding you today;12 otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, and you build good houses and live in them,13 and when your herds and your flocks increase, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have increases,14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;15 He who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions, and its thirsty ground where there was no water; He who brought water for you out of the rock of flint.16 In the wilderness it was He who fed you manna which your fathers did not know, in order to humble you and in order to put you to the test, to do good for you in the end.17 Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’18 But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. - Deuteronomy 8:11-18
If you don't own it, you don't worry about it. Let the Owner, God, worry about it.
For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:14
For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. - Matthew 25:14
God is trustworthy? Are we trustworthy?
We don't own our stuff. We just manage all that God has entrusted to us.
3. Worship
Everything is entrusted to us for His glory.
Lord
our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house
for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours. - 1 Chronicles 29:16
Trusting God is an act of worship.
Every time we act generously, we are reflecting the heart of God.
I want to say to God, "God, You are worthy of my trust. I want to honor You with all my stuff."
Today, we continue our Step Up series with my pastor's sermon titled "Banded Together."
Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. - Colossians 2:6-7
You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "Banded Together."
Banded Together
God is building us up and establishing in the faith. If Christ is first in my life, I will want to spend time with Him.
Two things you can't do alone:
1. Be married
2. Be a Christian
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. - Romans 12:3
Thinking you can do it all is arrogance. We need each other. We are a unified body of Chris,t but we are all different.
For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function,5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another.6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith. - Romans 12:4-6
Desiring relationships with others is not neediness or weakness.
What does it mean to be banded together? Being banded together means we are together on the mountaintops and when we are down in the valleys.
Behave respectfully with one another. Pursue what is best for others even when it is not the best for you.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4
5. Serve together.
We have a shared mission and a shared vision. We should be burdened that our friends, neighbors, and family members do not have a relationship with Jesus.
6. Perseverance
We might feel helpless, but we are never hopeless. Be consistent in prayer.
7. Generosity and Hospitality
Look for opportunities to bless others. Show hospitality without grumbling.
Be hospitable to one another without complaint. - 1 Peter 4:9
8. Graciousness
When someone else's "ship comes in," rejoice with them. When the ship sinks, weep with them.
Be humble.
Walk in humility.
Pride can keep us from being banded together. We are all fellow strugglers.
Jesus was generous. We should develop the habit of living generously. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "Jesus Habits: Generosity."
Jesus was generous.
You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
What does it mean to be generous? Generosity is defined as being intentional in life by offering yourself and resources to others in the name of Jesus. We are never more like Jesus than when we are generous. Generosity is a foundational Jesus habit.
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” - Mark 1:41
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” - Matthew 9:27-29
A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. - John 5:5-9
At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. - Luke 7:21-22
Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:13-14
Jesus always made time for those who were hurting.
Jesus was generous to His enemies.
Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. - Matthew 26:48-50
But Jesus responded and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. - Luke 22:51
34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing His garments among themselves. - Luke 23:34
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. - Romans 5:10
And you were dead in your offenses and sins,2 in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.3 Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). - Ephesians 2:1-5
Jesus gave Himself to us.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. - John 1:12
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. - Philippians 2:3-8
When we see how much we have been given, it is easy to give.
What does the habit of generosity look like in our lives?
The biggest lie Satan wants you to believe is that you have to already have a lot in order to be generous. Not true! Let's read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.16 The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents.17 In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more.18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.20 The one who had received the five
talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you
entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.’21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
22 “Also the one who had receivedthe two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.’23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’ - Matthew 25:14-23
God has given each of us a "measure of talents" to be used to invest in God's kingdom. Some of have 5 and some of us have 2. The "talents" we are given are to be used as Jesus commands and that is to love Him and love others. How do we love others? We follow Jesus' example. We are to be generous to others.
We do not need a lot to be generous. We only need a changed heart.
There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?”10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline to eat.” Now there was plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.11 Jesus then took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted. - John 6:9-11
Generosity is not just and act. It is an attitude of the heart.
Generosity is not just a feeling. It is a lifestyle choice.
We don't always feel like being generous. Sometimes we don't want to be generous because we feel the other person doesn't deserve our generosity. Well, generosity is not based on how we feel or whether or not the receiver deserves our generosity. Our generosity is based on who we are in Christ Jesus.
