Skip to content The Generosity Decision - Pastor Steve Robinson Aug 12 · 37 min ...more
The Generosity Decision - Pastor Steve Robinson
August 12, 2025 · 37 min
Explore the transformative power of choosing generosity and how it can impact every aspect of life.
Series Decide to Thrive August 12, 2025 · 37 min · Decide to Thrive
Explore the transformative power of choosing generosity and how it can impact every aspect of life. ...more Show the full description Show less Explore the transformative power of choosing generosity and how it can impact every aspect of life.
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The Generosity Decision 0:00 Today, I wanna finish up and I wanna talk to you about the sixth decision and that is the generosity decision. The generosity0:11 decision. Did you guys know, and I wanna say this, all of our locations, you may not know this, but generosity is proven to be contagious.0:23 Matter of fact, there was an experiment that was done. Researchers discovered through this fascinating experiment. They gave 240 strangers a simple game to play. They gave each 1 of0:35 them 20 coins. And here's what they said. You can keep all the coins for yourself. They put them all in a room. They said, you can keep all the coins yourself or you can give them to0:47 an individual. But you can't give watches. You can't give the same to the same person more than 1 coin. Everybody's kinda standing around. They're watching to see what's happened and a literal0:59 chain reaction begins. 1 gives to 1 and then 1 gives to another and then 1 gives to another. As a matter of fact, it was so dynamic. People were so excited. There was like this surge1:11 in the atmosphere because generosity was contagious. As a matter of fact, when I began to think about this, I began to think about these experiments. Why is1:23 that? Why is it that somebody who has an opportunity to hold on to something when they see somebody else giving, what happens on the inside? Is it something in their heart?1:36 Body? In other words, what motivates somebody watching somebody else be generous to cause them to do likewise? I wanna talk to you today about a1:48 decision, 1 of the most important decisions that you'll ever make. Matter of fact, it'll transform your marriage, it'll transform your family, it'll transform your church, it'll transform your1:59 business. Business people, It'll revolutionize your whole entire business. Matter of fact, it'll transform your community. When you and I begin to2:11 collectively as a group, first as individuals and then as a group, we make the generosity decision. It is literally transformational. Matter of fact, when I was doing quote research on2:23 this topic, I began to realize the ripple effect that has happened in my life as I've been around different people. My dad, who's a super generous person. I remember2:35 as a young kid, my dad was always giving to people, buying groceries for people, paying off light bills, paying mortgage payments. And I and I remember as a young boy seeing that, and it would stir my heart. Why?2:47 Because generosity is contagious. Science shows it. The bible proves it. Sociology plays it out. Why? Because when you see somebody generous,2:59 it motivates you. Now, I have a question. You ever stop to think about this for a moment? How generous God is? Just think about that for a moment. How God created not3:10 just the heavens but the earth and how God intricately placed man. Notice, God put man in a garden, not in a desert. Color is important to God. There's3:22 no 1 type of bird species or 1 type No. God made thousands of species of birds. Think about landscape. Think think about where you go. Think about I I like to go in the summertime. Any beach folk in3:34 the house? Come on. Anybody like to go to the beach? And there's something about it. It's just so amazing when you're sitting there, and you get out early in the morning, and you see the powerful waves and say Florida.3:45 We like to go to the Destin area every year. It's just powerful. Why Listen. Why is that the way it is? Because God made it for us to enjoy. God made the mountain3:57 range for us to enjoy. I I like to spend times in the mountains and and and coming over different mountain ranges and and different things. Not just talking about flying, but those of you that ever hiking or you ski or4:09 people mountain bike. There's just something about when you come up on the top of that peak. It's just amazing. Matter of fact, it fills your lungs. You literally feel a chemical release in your body. Why? Because we4:21 serve a generous God. God wasn't stingy with us. God created a beautiful majestic planet for us to enjoy. God is a generous4:34 God. I love the scripture in James chapter 1 verse 17. Every good gift Here it is. Every good gift.4:46 Every good gift. Every good gift. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. In other words, anything good in your life was given to you by the way. So4:58 the the things that you enjoy and the matter is God gave us taste buds. How many of y'all enjoy you some good food? Come on. I mean, listen. Everybody say every gift. Every5:09 gift. Every good gift comes down from above. It comes down from the father of lights with whom there's no variation or shadow of turning. I I can5:21 think back in my life when I've enjoyed the outdoors and enjoying it with my family and with my friends. There's just there's been times matter of fact, I'll say that last summer I was in Florida and I was able to go5:33 out on the beach 1 morning. Matter of fact, the last 2 summers I've been here. I preach at a church in Florida and had the opportunity to go and and I was on the beach and to be able to experience and I walked up there5:45 and sat early and I was overwhelmed. Sense of God's presence. Do you know that when you look at the5:57 creation that God made, it actually listen, you can see the Bible talks about the glory of God. The creation speaks of the glory of God. The bigness of God. The6:09 richness, the bounty of God. And guess what? Guess what? We are made in the image of God. So think about this. If God is generous, God's not stingy with6:20 you, God's not stingy with me, why would we want to be anything but generous? We're made in the image of God. God created us that way. You and I have been created by God6:33 for God. And the reality is is that when we act like God, there is a release of healthy hormones in our body. There's a motivation of the heart. There's a spiritual renewal that takes6:44 place. There's an emotional and a mental thing that takes place in our body. There's chemicals released. Why? Because we're made in the image of God. And God designed us that when we're generous, it's good6:56 not only for the receiver but also for the giver. Let me give you a roadblock to being generous. This is so big. 1 of the biggest roadblocks to people being generous is they7:08 think all of their stuff is theirs. It's the mind principle. Mind, don't touch it. You can't have it. Don't take it. Matter of fact, it7:20 is probably the biggest selfishness. They think that, oh, I mean, I'm just gonna hold on to everything. The Bible says everything belongs to God. And we're actually the manager of that. Pastor, give me a scripture on7:31 that. First Chronicles chapter 29 verse 11. The scripture says yours, Lord. Everybody say yours, Lord. Well, what? Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty7:43 and the splendor for everything. Here it is. In heaven, everything up in heaven, it doesn't stop there. And on earth is yours.7:55 Yours Lord is the kingdom. You are exalted as head over all. Take a moment and just say this out loud. Everybody say yours at the count of 3. You ready? 1, 2,8:07 3. Yours. Everything belongs to God. And the problem is is that people that think that everything belongs to them have closed hands. But if they8:19 understand that God is big and that God has given everything to us and that there's more than enough, See see a say a mindset of scarcity is there's only so much to go8:31 around. When we understand that God is unlimited and God has blessed us, we understand that our stuff is actually not our stuff, but our stuff is actually8:43 God's stuff. A matter of fact, when God created Adam, God placed Adam in the midst of the garden. Genesis chapter 2 verse 15, God said, I'm putting you in this garden. Here's what he said, tend it. Everybody say tend8:55 it. In other words, take care of the garden. Now watch this. It wasn't Adam's garden, but as long as he took care of it, he could eat from the fruit of it. Did you know that all the opportunities you have,9:07 the relationships you have, the health that you have, the strength that you have, the mind that you have By the way, the gifts and talents and abilities you have, do you know they actually come from God? They actually9:17 belong to God. Well, Pastor, I thought they were mine. Now, we steward over those. There's an old English term called stewardship. A stewardship. It was somebody would take care of people and and help them9:29 literally on a ship. And to steward means, watch this, to manage over something that belongs to someone else. Generosity is stopped in people's lives9:40 when they think when they move from managing God's stuff to holding on tightly just to their stuff. Yeah. You guys remember when your parents when you'd borrow something from a neighbor? Do you guys remember9:52 what your parents would tell you? How many I remember? My parents would tell me this all the time. I borrow 1 more or something. Maybe ours wasn't working. And they'd say, Steve, don't forget. Bring it back. Everybody10:02 say it. Better than you got it. You know that's called stewardship. So in other words, the the the concept that opens up the heart and opens up the10:14 hands is when we understand that we're actually managing God's stuff. And yes, we are diligent to manage God's stuff. But what I found is the more that we manage God's stuff, the more God10:25 blesses us and the more he actually increases that stuff. God has called you and I to be generous. God is watching to see what we do with what he's entrusted to us.10:37 Do we hold it at all stake, or are we generous? You're walking down the street and somebody gives you 20 dollars, and, you walk about a hundred yards, and you10:49 got somebody on the street begging for money and say, hey, can I have 20 dollars? It's really easy to lose real easy to let something go when you realize that the truth is it wasn't yours a minute before.11:01 Right. I his funny story, I got I got to tell you talking about having stuff and God's stuff and a dad's stuff. My my my son, 1 of my boys, I think he was11:13 a senior in high school and being generous. And and he was a senior, had some friends and it was I think after football practice on a Saturday. And he came to me and goes, dad, I, you know, I11:25 gave my credit card. He had to get some fill up his car with gas. And he goes, dad, I gotta talk to you. I said, what? And he goes, dad, listen. He's kinda, you know, a little teary eyed. He goes, dad, I, I I11:37 really felt God today. I said, what do you mean? He goes, man, I was at lunch with my friends, a bunch of buddies there. And you know how like that you know how like you just kind of bless people? I I really felt11:49 moved. And, you know, I was ordering. I just said, guys, I just real I I felt God. And I just said, I'm a take care of everybody's lunch at the table.12:01 And I just dad, I just I just I mean, I was just doing exactly like you. It's amazing how it made me feel. And I said, next time use your money. Come on somebody.12:15 Now the truth is it really didn't bother me. You wanna know why? Because we do what we see. Do you know that in your family, do you know that with your kids, they're actually12:26 doing what they see? You do. And as Christians, you know what we do? We actually do what we see. God does. And when we understand that God is12:38 generous, we understand he's a good god, that he has open hands and he blesses his people, I'm telling you, it moves our hearts. Let me be clear.12:50 I've said this many times. If I've been your pastor for any length of time, I've said I say this actually every year in October when I do what's called a stewardship series, I always say the same thing. Money13:02 is a wonderful tool. It's just a lousy god. Fact of the matter is there's only 2 masters. In this earth, there's only 2 masters. This is an enemy13:14 another another enemy, by the way, to generosity. It's having money as a wrong place in your life, wrong position in your life. God wants money to be in your hands. He just doesn't want money to be in your heart. He13:25 doesn't mind you having money. He doesn't want money having you. And when money has you, it actually constricts your hands because it watches because money fills your heart. Matthew chapter13:37 6 verse 22, the scripture says this, no 1 Jesus said this. These are the words of Jesus. He said no 1 can serve 2 masters. Either he will hate the 1 and love the other, or hate the 1 and love the13:49 other or you'll be devoted to the 1 and despise the other. Here it is. There's only 2 gods. In this earth, there's only 2. You cannot serve both,14:00 everybody say it, God and what? Say it. Money. Generosity keeps money in its proper place. What do I mean? It14:12 keeps money out of your heart and it keeps it in your hands. And by the way, when it's in your hands, it'll do a lot of good for others and for your family. Now here's what I wanna do. I wanna talk14:24 to you real practically here as we wrap up this series. I wanna talk to you about 3 dimensions of giving Because a lot of times we talk about generosity, it's like we don't define it. I wanna give you actually 3 aspects14:36 or 3 dimensions of giving. Number 1, I wanna talk to you about spontaneous giving, spontaneous giving. I'll never forget a lesson that my friend taught his children about being14:48 spontaneous as a giver, you know, spontaneous generosity. And he would tell them before they walk into a store, here's what he'd say. He says, guys, as we walk into the store, I want you to find15:00 somebody and ask God pray and ask God who God would have us as a family to bless and buy groceries for. Matter of fact, the kids would get so excited about they'd walk into the store15:12 and they'd be like, man, dad, what about this person and what about that it really moved my heart to hear that story. And part of the reason why is because it it so reflects the nature of God, how God15:24 blesses and how God's spontaneous with us. And I begin to think about in this in this whole message, what is happening to the individual, watch this, that is spontaneous. They15:35 can hear from God. God pricks their heart. Help this person. Bless this person. Something happens spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and chemically actually in their body. Being a15:47 spontaneous giver matter of fact, cultivating an attitude of spontaneous giving is to be aware of the needs around you, to be ready to respond at a moment's notice. It's about developing a15:59 generous spirit question. Do you have a generous heart? Can the Holy Spirit speak to you to bless somebody at a restaurant? To bless somebody maybe in the line behind you in a drive thru.16:11 Why? Just because God has told you to. You don't know what you don't know what they're going through, but God does. And God is looking for some Christians, guys. He's looking for some people man that, watch this, have16:23 open hearts and open hands. Spontaneous giving. I I love this. Maybe it's again buying coffee for the person behind you in line. Maybe it's leaving16:35 a extra large tip for your server. I've had Christians, you know, they'll leave like a track and a small tip. Don't do that. Don't do that. Leave a big tip and bless them in the name of16:47 Jesus. Paying someone's car off. I've had people in our church, man, I just felt moved. We wanna pay somebody's car off. I've heard stories like that for years. My dad, blessing people, paying for things. Again, all16:58 of this moves your heart. But but my dad's the 1 that really I began to get the seeds of this, then another man discipled me. You say, pastor, do you operate in this? You know what? I'm gonna be honest. I'm gonna this is17:09 a transparent moment. I learned this as a young age as a Christian to the point that my mind and my heart are trained that I'm looking for opportunities to be generous and bless people spontaneously. But17:21 the person that crystallizes my life I gotta tell you guys I've talked about this guy before and, it's kinda sad, but he actually died last week. His name is Wayne Myers. I think I have a picture for all of our17:32 locations. Can you guys pull up that picture? Wayne Myers died leave that up for a minute. Wayne died last week at a hundred and 2 years old. And Wayne Myers is the17:44 1, watch this, that coined this term at least that I heard it from, live to give. Can y'all say that with me to count of 3? 1, 2, 3. Live to give. You guys can take that down.17:57 After I graduated from Tulane University in 19 91, I went to Christ for the nation. Some of you have heard this story. And, there's so many stories related to Wayne Myers, but I'm gonna give you 1 that I haven't given18:08 before. And and Wayne was so pivotal in my generosity journey of of really stretching my heart and keeping my hands open. Think about this statement,18:21 live to give. In other words, your life's motivation is to watch us, is to give encouragement, life, hope, resources, blessing. In other words, it's18:33 to give out. Think about that for a moment. Jesus said it's it's it's better to to give than to receive. In other words in other words, there's something happens and Wayne's the 1 that gave me that term, live to18:45 give. We we would have at, Christ for the Nations, we would have what's called Wayne Myers day. And on Friday, he'd preach all week long, and I went to this Bible school for 2 years18:57 after college and I went to seminary after that. This is a 2 year Bible college. And on Friday, you would have to pray and ask the Holy Spirit who you would bless. I gave away my my19:08 bible encyclopedias 1 year. I gave away my computer 1 year. I gave away this tie 1 time. I gave 1 of you guys heard this before. There was a missionary. There was a there was a student that came from19:20 Burkina Faso, 1 of the poorest countries in the world. His name was Ram. And Ram, I remember he he he was kinda cold when he came. He came in January, and he had no jacket. And I19:32 remember the Holy Spirit spoke to me about giving him that jacket. Some of y'all heard that story. It was a leather jacket. He picked me up, you know, and he was so happy and so excited, you know. And it was just just19:42 rejoicing. And every time he'd see me across campus, you know, he would wave and shout, you know. And it just makes you feel good, doesn't it? Wanted to meet Wayne19:54 Myers, and I never had the opportunity to. I had packed up all of my books. I graduated from Bible College. I packed up all the remaining books I had and my clothes. And I can't remember a20:06 car. I had a little Toyota or maybe Doc. I can't remember back then. And and and, I packed them all up. And right when I was pulling out of our our Bible college, there was a McDonald's across20:18 the street. And that McDonald's, I I I've not gone to that McDonald's a bunch because we would have they didn't have breakfast because all the dorms were shut down. The cafeteria was shut down. And I just thought, I'm20:30 gonna go I'm gonna I'm gonna go get McDonald's. And so I pull into McDonald's and I get out of the car. This is the last hour or 2 that I'm on that campus. I didn't go back20:41 for 20 years. And so as I'm standing in line like this, I'm thinking you know what what I wanna get? And I and I place my order and all of a sudden I hear behind me, I'll get it for that young20:53 man. And I turned around, it was Wayne Myers. Wow. I thought this is amazing. And we sat down for 2 hours.21:05 And at the end of it, I mean I got tears coming down my face. I'm just like and I said brother Wayne, he was a missionary in Mexico. Listen to me, for 80 this is crazy. Or21:17 75 years he was a missionary. Almost 80 years. Think about that. And I just said, can you put your hands on my head and pray for me? And I'm telling you, he prayed21:29 for I felt an impartation. How many of y'all believe that God imparts things when great men and women of God will pray for? I'm telling you, we can pray. And I felt a download.21:41 Something happened on this inside of me. Let me say this, generosity is so contagious that I wanted what he had. What what did he have? He had the21:52 spirit of generosity. Everybody say spontaneous generosity. Number 2, the second type of giving is not just spontaneous but it's also what's called strategic giving. So22:04 it's spontaneous giving but there's also what's called strategic giving. There's an important place for planned purposeful generosity. So level 1 is you're just blessing people wherever22:16 you go. Whatever the Holy Spirit speaks to you, bless somebody at work, bless somebody at church, bless somebody in the playground, bless somebody in the neighborhood, God will speak to you.22:41 Trusts you with more. But there is a strategic component too. Isaiah chapter 32 verse 8. So there's spontaneous. Everybody say spontaneous. Spontaneous. And now22:52 everybody say strategic. So there's spontaneous giving, but there's also strategic giving. It's not just pray, what does the holy spirit do today? But you can plan to be generous. Isaiah 3223:04 verse 8, scripture says, but a generous man or woman of course, devises generous things and by generosity he23:16 shall stand. Strategic givers plan and devise. So spontaneous we ought to be like that. Holy Spirit speaks, we bless somebody. Hey, life gets fun like that. Going to a restaurant,23:29 you go into a store and you just you just you you you've got You're just you're praying and asking. Again, it's not the amount. Alright? But you're you're operating in the in the frequency of heaven, which is23:41 generosity. You're blessing people. But then there's also strategic giving. Strategic generosity. Here's where you plan. Pastor, is it okay to plan or does it just have to be spontaneous?23:53 Of course it's okay to plan. The Bible says a generous person devises generous things. A generous man devises. The word devise means strategically plans. In other24:04 words, you look at your paycheck, you look at the resources that you have, however your income and wherever and you go, you know what? I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this, but I'm gonna make sure24:16 that I set aside, watch this, and I plan to be generous with this. In other words, it's not just go to a store and who does the holy spirit tell you to bless, it's I'm going24:28 to plan. Strategic giving involves things such as practicing, practicing the principle of tithing to the place that you're fed spiritually, your local church. In other words,24:40 those of you that have been through Financial Peace University How many of y'all been through Financial Peace University? Just raise your hand. We're a big FPU church. Matter of fact, you'll be able to sign up in March.24:52 I think we've had close to 10000 adults go through Financial Peace University. You'll see right on the top of your budget is 10 percent of your income. Boom. It's just right off the bat. It goes to God. It's where you're25:01 fed spiritually. It's just right off the bat. So in other words, you can plan that. Oh, that's not spiritual. No. It's actually very spiritual. The Bible says by by you can devise, you can plan to be generous. So25:13 generosity is spontaneous, but generosity is also strategic. And part of that is you work it into your budget. You say, you know what? I'm gonna pay God. Everybody say, pay God. And25:25 then you pay yourself, that's called savings, then you pay everybody else. Everybody say, pay God. Pay God. That's giving your first tenth to God. You pay God, then you pay yourself. Everybody say pay myself. That's25:36 called savings where where you're wanting your the the wealth that God's interested you to grow. And then you're paying everybody else. Pay God. Pay yourself. Pay others. That's called strategic. So you practice the25:47 biblical principle of tithing. And I wanna say this, if you're not a tither right in the beginning of the year, 20 25, man, step out in faith and become a tithe. The Bible says25:59 try me in this, saith the Lord of hosts, If I'll not open the windows of heaven and pour out such blessing that there'll not be room enough to receive it. Become a tither in 20 25, and you watch what God does. Let me26:10 give you another way that we can plan to be generous. Here's another way. This is all strategic. Financially supporting a missionary, the poor, a ministry, or a project by giving over and above the tithe. Over and above26:22 the tithe, the bible calls them offerings. We call them kingdom builder offerings at Church of the King. We're building the kingdom. My wife and I, we're tithers. I was a tither right when I got saved, way26:34 before I was a pastor. I was a Christian 12 years before I became a pastor. I've always given the first 10 percent of my income to God. Jennifer the same way. She was a she as a she was26:46 a Christian before she was married to me. We were both serving God as single people, as tithers. Then we got married, we're tithers together. But we also watch this, have also always set aside. We're gonna give over26:57 and above offerings. We've had compassion children we would give to different projects, building funds, the poor, supporting kids that would go on mission trips. Things. So I want27:09 to encourage you. This is this is actually being spiritually wise. So you set aside your first tenth to God, but you also should set aside it's not the amount, but just whatever the27:21 amount is. Say, you know what? We're gonna give to missions this year. We're gonna give to the poor this year. Here's another way, by giving the holiday outreaches in your community. I think we gave thousands and27:32 thousands of gifts away last year. Can we give the Lord a hand clap of all that God did through you guys at Church of the King? You are a generous people. Here's another 1, planning to give upon your death to27:44 your charity of choice. A lot of people forget that. They don't have it in their will. Death Now, don't wait to give until you death. Some people are like, well, I'm gonna wait to really give when I die. No. You should27:56 give while you're alive, and then even when you die, you should have your charities, whether your church, or missionaries, or or projects around the world, or orphanage, whatever God puts in your heart, you should be28:07 able to watch us put it in your will to be able to give on the time of your day. This is called strategic a lot of Christians. Well, I just want to be led of the Holy Spirit. Well, let me tell28:20 you something. Be led of the Holy Spirit in that store, that restaurant, but also be led of the Holy Spirit having a strategic Isaiah said, strategically give as well. We can strategically give as well. Alright. Let me28:30 give you the third and final thing. Y'all learn anything that's helping anybody? By the way, I will say this about strategic giving. You know, 1 of the the people that and families that have really impacted me28:42 and Church of the King, by the way, is the Green family who owns Hobby Lobby. They made a bold commitment by the way, for giving. David and Barbara Green are leading the charge. They pledged to give away28:54 the majority of their income. They've given their business to God. He still makes an income from it, but he's given the business to God the way he's done. It's amazing. And, by the way, you may not know this. All of our29:06 locations, they give a significant gift, to our Saint Charles project. And so can we give the Lord a hand clap for that? That was straight from the Green family, Hobby Lobby. So go to29:17 Hobby Lobby. Buy some frames. Anyway, so And, very grateful for that. I'm motivated when I see mister David Green. I'm motivated when I see him. I've I've been on the board of Oral Roberts University, I'm actually29:29 transitioning off, I'm finishing up 9 years and what he's done, what God's used them. Here's what he understand, here's what he said. He says, we as a family wanted to do something that mattered a hundred years from now.29:41 Think about that. Instead of just absorbing things ourselves, we wanted to do things in ministries around the world. Now very few people are in a position to give away millions and29:53 millions of dollars. That's not the point. The point is be strategic at whatever level you are. Let me give you the third and final thing, sacrificial giving. The third dimension of giving is30:05 sacrificial where we go beyond our comfort zone to meet the needs of others. 1 guy, I read this book years ago about earth moving. It was it was about mountain moving and it was RJ Letourneau who was 1 of the people30:16 years ago around the war where he was 1 of the first ones that really moved earth moving, mount he would move like like caterpillar, you know, they like big big earth moving30:27 equipment. Massive things, you know. And, he was 1 of the early people that developed patents on it. Here's what he said. And by the way by the way, you wanna talk about sacrificial. Sacrificial, it's not the amount,30:39 it's what you have left over after you give. Do you feel it at any level? So everybody say spontaneous. Spontaneous. Everybody say strategic. Strategic. Everybody30:50 say sacrificial. Sacrificial. Remember, generosity should be spontaneous generosity, strategic generosity, but there should also be a sacrificial element. He ended up31:02 living on 10 percent giving away 90 percent. That was what his call was. It was amazing though. Talk about Here's what he said. He said, it's not how much of my money I give to God,31:14 but how much of God's money I keep for myself. Again, he was a massive giver to the kingdom of God, but it's not the amount. I immediately think31:26 of the widow. The widow's mite. Remember that 1 day when Jesus was in church? And he saw the offer the offering buckets passed? Luke chapter 22 verse 3. And a and a31:38 little widow put in 2 small copper coins. It's not what you give, it's what you have left over afterwards. Do you ever feel it at any level? Spontaneous generosity? We should31:50 all be operating in that all the time. Asking the Holy Spirit, who can we bless? What can we do? Strategic generosity. We should plan to be a tither. We should plan and set aside to give to missions and and the32:01 poor and at certain projects around the world through kingdom builders and other various ministries. But there also ought to be a moment in our lives where we can say, you know what? That I felt it when I gave for that.32:13 That there was a sack that was a sacrifice. Luke chapter 21 verse 3. Truly I say to you that this poor this is Jesus. This poor widow has put in more than all. For32:25 all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all of her livelihood. All the livelihood that she had. I want you to think about that32:37 for a moment. Just think about how that impacts people, how that moves people, how it moves her. So I wanna say to you, you you ought to ask the Holy Spirit,32:49 who can you who can you who do you can you bless through my life today? It's spontaneous. Number 2, Lord Lord, I'm gonna be strategic. I'm gonna become a tither in 20 25.33:02 I challenge you by the by the word of God. Man, step out, break out of your fear and begin to put God first. You watch what God does, it releases things in your life. And over and above offerings to the33:14 poor and to missions. And if you get a missions letter from some kid in our church, don't just throw it aside but say, you know what? God, I wanna send somebody. I wanna I wanna do something over and above my tithe in 2033:25 25. And my question on the sacrificial level, has it have you ever have you felt it ever? Has there ever been a moment when you have felt it?33:36 Generosity benefits my friend not only the receiver but the giver. When we give, I wrote this down, we strengthen our connections with others, we build trust,33:48 we foster cooperation, it creates a sense of community, generous people have stronger social networks, more satisfying relationships. Watch this. It releases chemicals34:00 in our body. Endorphins are released in our mind and in our body. Giving actually empowers you to fight stress in your body.34:12 There are healthy hormones and neurotransmitters that are released in your mind when we give. Now I wanna be clear, we don't give to get. That'd be missing the34:24 point. But when we do give, we do receive. I want everybody to hear me as I close. We are made in the image of generous God and because when we give we34:36 act like God, things positive happen on the inside of us as well as the receiver. The giver and the receiver. The giver and the receiver. Pastor Steve, time out. So this really does34:47 bless me. You gotta understand this as I close. Generosity blesses the receiver, but it also blesses the giver. Pastor, are you sure? Proverbs 11 25,34:59 last verse, a generous person will prosper. How many of y'all wanna prosper in 20 25? I wanna prosper. Well, the bible's real clear, a35:11 generous person I'm gonna say generous person. Generous person. A generous person will prosper and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.35:24 I wrote this down, I'll close. Science is now confirming what scripture has been telling us all along. Generosity is the key to thriving. Wow. So the next time you have an opportunity to be35:35 generous, to bless someone, know this, they're gonna be blessed. But so are you. You're activating your brain's reward system. You actually35:47 activate your brain's reward system. It feels good. Jesus said it's more blessed to what? Give than to receive. What is he saying that? Spiritually it making35:59 a difference. Yeah. But also emotionally you're making a difference. Also physiologically you're making a difference in you as the giver and in the receiver. When they receive,36:13 thank you so much. Chemicals are being released. Spiritual things are happening. Emotional health is happening. There is an absolute contagious explosion36:25 of good things when people are generous. Giving ultimately positions the believer to act more like36:37 God. I don't know how to say it the other way. For God so loved the world. For God so loved the world. For God so loved the world that he Come on everybody say that he what? Say it. Gave.36:49 That he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever shall believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. When we37:01 give, we're acting like our father in heaven.In this video 0:00 The Generosity Decision
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