https://www.bible.com/events/49515652
Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus
Generosity Part 1
God, the Father of Generosity.
Today we are starting our new teaching series “Generosity”.
Over the next few weeks we will explore our generous God’s will for his people. This is journey, this study is not just about giving of our money. It’s about a lifestyle of generosity, where we give of ourselves in all areas of our lives.
Our series begins today by seeking to understand the great and lavish generosity of the Lord, and to understand that his generosity is our model for life.
So, what is generosity?
Simply defined, generosity is the quality of being generous. To be generous means to be liberal in giving. Open handed.
A willingness to give help or support, especially more than usual, or expected. Generosity is the voluntary, unselfish giving of money, time, attention, or other resources. That’s generosity.
We can be generous with many things.
Our time. In our busy and overwhelmed schedule, we can give time doing something for others.
Our talents. We can use our abilities and gifts to benefit others.
Our treasure. We can give our money and other material resources.
Our touch. We can give ourselves in relationship to others.
James 1:17-18
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
As we seek to understand the Lords heart of generosity, we can take a moment to realize that every good thing in our lives, in our world- they are gifts from God. We enjoy them because God has given them.
Generosity all starts with God, and he gives us more than just good things to enjoy. Verse 18 says he gives us so much more.
God chose to offer us new life in Christ Jesus- the word of truth. That we could have hope, that we could have peace, that we could be forgiven and saved- is all a gift of God.
The Lord’s generosity didn’t just compel him to give us lots of good things. His love compelled him to give us his absolute very best.
John 3:16-17
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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
The Lord loves us, you, and me so much that he gave… In God’s kingdom, Love is always accompanied by action.
The generous heart of God, is good news for the whole world, and it’s the model for his children, for us to follow after. That we too, as we receive our life from him, would also model our generosity after his.
That’s what it means to be generous. That our love would be accompanied by action, by giving.
Giving of ourselves, our time, talent, treasures, touch. Giving not because we have to, but because we want to.
That’s generosity.