“And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again… And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”—Acts 20:25, 32-35

“In the end, generosity is the best way of becoming more, more, and more joyful.” —Bishop Desmond Tutu

“Money can buy happiness, if…we spend it on other people.” —Douglas Abrams

Generosity is associated with better

and longer life expectancy.

The Greatest Obstacle to Generosity Is the Problem of Fear

We are afraid of not having

for today, for tomorrow, for retirement, for our children and grandchildren.

“As we mature in Christ, it is actually possible to outgrow fear.”—Dallas Willard

What you

about God is the most important thing about you.

Jesus told a story about how

God is. (Matthew 25:14-15)

A talent was worth

years’ wages. (Matthew 25:16-19)

Today in our area, it would be like being asked to

$7.5 million, $3 million, or $1.5 million. (Matthew 25:20-23)

They do not yet know that “enter the joy of your master” will include the master’s

. (Matthew 25:24-28)

At the end of the story, one was blessed with $16.5 million, another with $6 million, and one with

.

The master wanted to bless and be generous to all, but the

one could not receive the blessing. (Matthew 25:30)

“We don’t believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.” —Dallas Willard

Generosity Is a Gift and a Blessing

“You cannot serve God and wealth.” —Jesus, Matthew 6:24

“Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” —Arthur Brooks

Wealth is to

God’s purposes. (Matthew 5:16)

We use money, love people and praise God, or we use people, love money, and praise self.

God is always

you; it is God’s character.

God is and will be

with you. (Philippians 4:19)

Because God will always be generous with you, you can be

with others. (Proverbs 11:24-25, 19:17)

The joy of generosity

us to something larger than ourselves, to something beyond us, to God.

In the Old Testament, God’s people are instructed to

ten percent of what they have. (2 Chronicles 31:4-5)

In the New Testament, the early church was willing to give

. (Acts 2:44-47)

“Your talents merely flow through you; you give yourself to the one who made you.” —David Brooks

Today, we can act through generosity of

, resources, and expertise.

Volunteering reduces the risk of death by

.

“Voluntary giving is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to improve your mood.” —Arthur Brooks

Generosity is a

of open-handedness where God is in control.

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” —Frederick Buechner

“How many Thanksgivings do you have left?” —Arthur Brooks

Will the world be a better place because I have lived, or will it have more problems to overcome?

Joy emanates from love of

, from standing with those in need.

We are never more like Jesus than when we

those who are socially, economically, or politically marginalized.

Generosity of life is “stepping out into the unknown, allowing ourselves to be displaced as we enter into relationship with others

.” – Mary Clark Moschella

Jesus gave it

.

The Holy Spirit uses our generosity not only to help others, but to help

as well.

Action Steps

Each day, ask, “How can I give my time and attention to others today? Who needs my encouragement, counsel, or

?”

at others when you walk down the street.