1. Jesus expects us to follow His example
John 13:15 “I have given you an example to follow…” (NLT=New Living Translation)
• Jesus arrived as a
Matthew 20:28 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (NLT)
• Jesus gave away
Matthew 14:14 “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (NLT)
• Jesus gave away
John 8:10-11 ““Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (NLT)
• Jesus gave away
John 15:15 “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (NLT)
• Jesus gave away
John 10:18 “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily…” (NLT)
2. Jesus expects us to embrace the paradox of generosity
Mark 8:35 “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” (NLT)
• Give up a
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it….
• Give up a self-focused life for
But if you give up your life for my sake…
• Give up a self-focused life for
and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it
Ephesians 4:1 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” (NLT)
3. Jesus expects our generosity to be motivated by compassion
Matthew 14:14 “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (NLT)
Luke 6:35-36 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” (NLT)
• True generosity begins with
• True generosity requires
James 2:15-17 “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (NLT)
I John 3:17 “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” (NLT)
Discussion Questions:
What is it about the topic of generosity that makes people uncomfortable?
Discuss the example of generosity Jesus’ entire life illustrates for us?
Discuss John 13:15 as it relates to generosity. Why do we not associate generosity with following the example of Jesus?
How do we embrace the paradox of generosity? Discuss Mark 8:35. Why does generosity begin with…me?
How is true generosity motivated by compassion? Why is it hard to feel compassion at times? How can we feel the compassion God wants us to experience?
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