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i’m pretty much convinced that the measuring stick of spiritual maturity can be summed up in a single word: generosity.
generosity of time…of money…of energy…of emotional resources…of belongings…of love…of gratitude…of worship.
no matter how much talent you possess or how much money you have in your pocket or how much time you have at your disposal or how much stuff you own, you can still be generous with it. you can still give it away.
every one of us is faced with daily…no…moment by moment decisions of whether we will hold tight to what we have or whether we will loosen our grip on what we claim we own, and be generous for the good of others.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25
we don’t give because we want something in return. we give because we have faith that god will take care of us. generosity is a statement of belief. generosity is a declaration of commitment. generosity is an act of trust.
more than anything else, generosity is an expression of kingdom priorities. everything i have belongs to god. my time and my money and my energy and my resources. everything. how can i not help but be generous with it for the good of others…and the honor and reputation of god?
yesterday was a good day for the north point family. a generous day.
many people extended themselves above and beyond, to provide an amazing christmas experience for a bunch of kids. and i mean a bunch!
we had nearly $9000 given yesterday towards advent conspiracy. that puts our total over $17,000. it is humbling to realize there are so many who are willing to spend less on themselves for christmas, so that others can receive what they need.
on a day of extravagant giving to advent conspiracy, we also had a really generous general offering to keep things running around north point…over $6000. wow.
nearly 60 women shared life together last night at their yearly christmas party…enjoying old friendships and welcoming new ones in. generosity of life and heart for the good of others.
yeah. it was a good day. it was a generous day.
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