Notes From Sundays Message ••••••Generous•••••• Everything we do as a church is about reaching the lost and those in need We should live our life so that other peoples life can be affected Generosity isnt a money thing its about helping others Our church is making a difference in the community The #1 thing we do as a church is to reach the lost Live a life that has an eternal impact in the eyes of Christ , If we arent doing this then what are we doing? Live our lives in a way that impacts others -at work -in school We are all known for something but at the end of the day let others say they are everywhere What we want to be known for: One thing Connecting Point Church does is going after the lost 1 Timothy 6:17-19 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. The motivation the bible gives us isnt a worldly motivation , its a reward in Heaven when Jesus looks at us and says well done my faithful servant. What life is all about is when we begin to put others before ourselves You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. -John Bunyan They might not acknowledge it They might not thank you They might not even know you did it. Words mentioned in the Bible: Believe- 272 times Pray- 371 times Love- 714 times Give- 2161 times!!!! Giving is the core and heart of what God wants and what God is all about! Give is the verb of the Bible, the subject is God, and the Object is us! Generosity of our Father in Heaven above is giving us everything we need Psalms 37:21 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously Proverbs 11:25 25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Want to feel good? Go serve someone other then yourself Generosity is not all about writing a check or how much money you can give, its about the heart. Generosity is a way of life! We decide every day to be generous or not. You dont give to get, we should be generous for a different reason. The Core of generosity is the heart! Change others life by showing them the heart of Jesus! 2 Corinthians 8:1-12 8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Be rich in the things God wants the most: Faith Knowledge Love Peace Time Ideas Give out of the overflow of joy and extreme poverty It doesnt matter how much you have or how rich you are, Its about giving yourselves! Generosity is a lifestyle! Get out of your comfort zone! Take part in random acts of kindness Give your time and talent Never give out of obligation or guilt Prosperity vs generosity God is more interested in our heart and the reason behind what we are doing rather then what we are doing. 3 ways to know your heart is in the right place: 1) Be Generous Joyfully Acts 20:25 25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 2 Corinthians 9:7 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful Proverbs 21:26 26 All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. God hard wired us to feel joy when we give, its in our DNA the DNA that we share with Jesus Christ and it is scientifically proven that when we give a chemical is released that causes you to be happy! Because we have Gods DNA and our God is a generous God! 2) Be Generous Selflessly 2 Corinthians 8:5 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. God didnt throw us a few dollars he gave us the life of his son John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 2 Corinthians 9:15 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! We are all impacted by the generosity of others: What if Noah said I dont do boats What if David said I dont want to deal with giants What if Paul said I dont do letters What if Michael Angelo said I only do walls How awesome is it that Jesus didnt say I dont do crosses?!?! 3) Be Generous Willingly 2 Corinthians 8:12 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Give out of a love in our heart! When we are generous out of the heart it changes the way we give and live! Generosity is an act of worship Its thanking God for all he has done in our lives When we dont feel like we deserve this God says Out of the abundance of his heart I give you my son Psalms 116:12 12 What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? Its not the amount..... its the heart, God can take a generous heart and use it to change the world. Anyone who calls on The Lord will be saved because Jesus died for you, God gave us his son to love us and die on the cross for us so that we can be forgiven of all sins and spend eternity with Him in Heaven Lord beginning today I accept you, your gift of generosity and I follow you. I pray as we go out today that you allow our hearts to be generous, let us step out of our comfort zone and start living a generous lifestyle
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 03:03:06 +0000
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