Elements City Church
Jesus had much to say about money. It’s like he knew that this subject would compete for our hearts devotion like none other and he wanted to remind us that we cannot serve 2 masters. So the Scriptures have some wisdom for us as it comes to relating and interacting with money. This wisdom we must return too again and again, because it’s counter cultural to what swirls around us. When it comes to resources, the Bible is less concerned about how much you possess and more concerned about how much what you have possesses you.
Matthew 6:24 NIV
We've looked at some Money Mental $hifts we need to make and last week we looked into some wisdom tacts we can adopt and implement as it comes to being good managers of the money and resources God has entrusted to us. *feel free to go back and watch/listen in our app
Tonight I want us to finish our time leaning into navigating money & life by growing generosity in our living. It truly is the More Blessed Way to living life.
Acts 20:35 NIV
It can go against our instincts to turn around and give away what we’ve worked really hard for. Generosity isn’t a natural reaction – but it can be a cultivated habit and choice! Generosity helps loosen the grip money tries to get on my heart. Remember Jesus said we can’t serve both God AND money.
Generosity TRANSFORMS and GROWS me.
Generosity is always about your heart and God is wildly interested in your heart. "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children." --Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)
John 3:16 NIV
There's no more important event in history and there's no greater picture of love. God loved humanity so much that He gave the most costly thing He could give; He gave His only Son.
Truth is: God’s LOVE PROMPTED GOD TO GIVE
God is a notorious, unstoppable, insatiable giver and if we're going to follow His example = imitate him == generosity has to be growing reality & driving force within our hearts and through our actions. LIVING GENEROUSLY IS GOD’S WAY
TRANSFORMATION HAPPENS THROUGH IMITATION
The act of loving others, giving to others actually changes us. We’re not simply imitating God, we're becoming more & more like Him as we emulate Him.
Generosity is: THE WISEST INVESTMENT
As we’ve talked about before, accumulating money and things can be a distraction from what really matters in our lives. Generosity has a way of clearing out the distractions that vie for our attention, to focus on what matters most!
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV
1 Timothy gives us 3 quick, wonderful reminders:
Do good. = think: everyday, in every choice we make, about if it is the right thing to do. And that includes our money choices.
Be rich in good deeds. = each and every one of us can do good deeds for others. Being generous with our time and energy is just as important as being generous with our money.
Be generous and willing to share. = “willing” is important here. It’s not enough to give begrudgingly, or out of a sense of obligation. God wants us to have a willing heart when it comes to generosity. “cheerful giver”
Generosity BLESSES AND REFRESHES ME.
Generosity on any level works that way. It promotes a contagious spirit of joy and gratitude.
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. -Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)
The generosity of God is meant to generate generosity in us.
Don’t fall for the lie that you will be generous one day when you have more money. If you’re not generous now, you won’t be generous then.
One doesn’t not become generous when they reach a certain financial threshold.
THIS WEEK: Activity:
Our hearts grow in generosity, not when we think about it - but when we practice it!
INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION:
=so this week we challenge us to do an individual act of generosity to someone not related to you. If they ask you why?
Tell them “I’m part of a church that’s trying to grow a heart that reflects the generous heart of God”. We just wanna be a bigger blessing to those around us. In fact, I’d love to pray for you if you’re up for it? Anything going on I can pray for?
Corporate Community Expression: invite you by midnight tonight to join us in bringing a generous blessing to 4-5 people within our church that would be blessed by a surprise gift. (Single mom, Young growing family, Couple Individuals embarking on mission trip experiences, someone battling health issues)
LOGIN IN to give via the app or online: select HOPE MOB in drop down menu and give $5, $10, $25, more….. and we’ll make sure to surprisingly bless some folks within our community that could use it. And we’ll report back to you in a couple weeks on how that went!
IF YOU'RE NEW:
We throw a 10-minute party immediately following the service in the back corner of the room. If you're new, we'd love to meet you and we have a small gift for you! We also want invite you back with us next Sunday at 5pm.