I have a friend named Matt Blair who lives in Alabama and serves as a pastor of a church. In the mid-2000s, we both lived on Oak Island and hung out as 20-year-olds trying to figure out adulthood. Matt was the worship leader at Generations Church where I attended when I worked at Caswell. In the summer of 2006, I had just bought a new truck—the same white Chevy Silverado that my son Luke now drives—and was excited to show it to my friend Matt. I remember standing in his driveway and him saying, “Thank God for a new truck. I pray you get to use this for all kinds of ministry.”
I thought about that prayer when I pulled out of my driveway on Sunday in a different new truck. Matt’s words were a prayer for opportunities to be generous.
On Sunday, we began a 3-week Sunday morning series about Generosity. We are diving into the question of, “What does it mean for us as the Church to be radically generous?” Scripture has a lot to say about what it means to be generous. As we talked about on Sunday, true generosity is found in the example that God gave us in Jesus.
I truly believe God is calling us as a church to be Radically Generous, and not just because we are pushing to pay off the Cornerstone building. I believe we see this calling throughout scriptures in more ways than just with our money. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, one of the many ways Jesus transforms our life is that we become more generous with our LIFE:
L – Labor I – Influence F – Finance E – Experience
We are to give generously in the way we work and in our jobs. We are to give generously in the way we use our influence and connections. We are to give generously when it comes to our finances and resources. We are to give generously from our experiences…looking for ways to pass on wisdom and knowledge that we’ve gained.
We are generous as believers in the Gospel of Jesus, because the Gospel message is the greatest story of generosity ever told. To be a Christian is to let the story of Jesus become who you are, allowing it to transform you into someone who gives like He did. The Gospel should lead us to give like Jesus.
God’s generosity in Jesus is the ultimate example. We give because He has given so much to us. It is absolutely amazing to think that your generosity can point people toward Jesus.
We renewed a calling for our church to be generous. Are you ready and willing to give?
Prayer: God, thank you for teaching us through Your Son what it means to be generous. Help us to follow that example and do the same. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.
Grace and peace,
Aaron