Replay | Generous Life with Chris Schlotterbeck

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It is mentioned or written 272 times in the Bible.

How about the word pray?

Is that an important word?

Of course it is.

I encourage you to pray all the time.

Pray without ceasing.

In fact, is what we read in the Bible.

That is written 371 times.

How about love?

Is love important?

That's right.

God's love.

We always discuss it and talk about it.

That's written or referred to 714 times.

The word that is written 2,261 times throughout the entire Bible is the word give.

The word give is challenging us to be generous.

The word give actually reflects God's heart.

God's heart.

When we read throughout the Bible we discover that this God that we follow, that we serve,

that we are in a relationship with is a generous God.

How do I know that?

Well John 3,16.

Many people know it, have quoted it, memorized it.

It says this.

That God so loved the world that He gave.

You want to try that again?

For God so loved the world that He gave.

That's better.

Excellent.

He gave.

We have a desire that the people follow Him are generous just as He was.

That literally generosity flows out of our hearts.

I believe that when a person falls in love with Jesus, meaning their heart is changed

with God's mercy, His forgiveness, His love, that He literally places a new heart within

us.

I mean that's referred to being born again.

We experience a second birth, a rebirth if you will.

God's heart of generosity is placed within us.

Here's the reality.

We either allow that heart to guide and direct our life or we are going to find ourselves

struggling.

Proverbs 11,24 says this.

The world of the generous gets larger and larger.

The world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

And if we recognize and read that in fact God is a generous God, He has a heart of generosity

and He wants us to follow, then we want our lives, our minds, our outlook to be larger

and larger.

It only happens when we allow our hearts to change.

See when I talk about those over 2000 verses in the Bible, quite often when they reference

generosity, they do not try to motivate us by the people that is receiving our generosity.

Now there's scriptures written that challenge us.

They serve the poor and give to the widows.

Now don't get me wrong that God does motivate us to reach out to those in need, but quite

often when the word generosity is used or give or generous, it refers back to how we

are changed.

How our outlook is changed, how our life is changed.

It's not about the person that we are serving or giving to, it's about us receiving back

and being Jesus for them within the world.

It's not about them, it's not about you and me, it's about giving our lives a way to impact

others that makes us better.

That changes us.

When we live our lives thinking about others or serving others or giving to others, it

takes the focus off of us and then we have the ability to point them back to God.

Point them back to God.

But see I firmly believe that a constant struggle for those of us in a relationship with Jesus

specifically living in the United States is that our society tells us to receive the glory.

You do it.

You volunteer.

You raise money.

You give your time and you take the glory.

It's not about pointing people back to Jesus, it's about what you do for your country.

No, it's about pointing people to Jesus.

When we are in a relationship with God, if we are going to allow that generous heart

to flow out of us, we have to be focused on allowing God to use us.

Winston Churchill said this, we make a living by what we get.

We make a life by what we give.

We make a life by what we give.

Let's be honest here.

One day we are all going to be at a place where we are looking back over this life that

we have been given and we are going to ask the question, did I live a life that was meaningful?

Am I living a legacy behind for others to follow or did I just get what I wanted?

Mother Teresa says it this way, a life not lived for others is not a life.

I read that quote and I was simply convicted of that's truth.

That's not the Bible, that's just a little old lady that is serving the poor and giving

away and setting an example for what a relationship with Jesus would still look like.

I truly believe that if you and I live out this simple character trait of God, that if

we partner together with Him and allow our lives to be one of hospitality and generosity

and giving it away, we are going to change our world.

We are going to change the Tri-state area.

We are going to change our neighbors and our workplaces because that is God working through

us and that is His heart for the people that live around us.

So let's take a look at the world of the generous.

What does it mean the world of the generous?

It means a person that is generous with their life.

God paints us a picture of what that person looks like.

The first is this, the generous are happy.

The generous are happy.

Generous people enjoy being generous.

I think about to why we give things away, why we give away glow necklaces or flowers

and every time one of those events are coming up, I get excited about it because I think

about the smiles that I receive when I give stuff away.

When I give a glow necklace to a child and he thinks, I didn't have to pay for this or

she didn't have to pay for this and families they just light up, I'll take one, I'll take

one, I'll take one.

They are all happy.

Or an adult that is driving in their car and downtrodden and they get handed a flower in

the square and they look back at you like, how did you know?

Like when you are generous, you see it in people's faces that they give back to you

a smile or a thank you that is just simply priceless.

But let's even take this a step further.

Scientists in fact have discovered in their experiments that people who behaved generously

were happier afterwards than those who behaved more selfishly.

They've discovered according to the article of neuroscience of giving found in psychology

today that when you are generous it releases a hormone called oxytocin and it's this boosting

hormone that changes or counteracts the effects of cortisol which is the stress hormone.

And the higher levels of oxytocin are found in people that are more generous.

Like in their generosity, in their servanthood, in their ability to give they receive pleasure

is what scientists say.

Continuing on in this article, listen to this.

When most people think of giving they may have too narrow a focus.

All giving works wonders, not just cash given once, twice a year weekly.

How can you help others?

Is there a cause you support, a friend that needs help, a stranger that needs a random

act of kindness?

You should fill every day with small acts of giving as this is an effective way to bring

happiness to yourself and others.

Even just smiling at someone is an act of giving that will brighten both of your days.

That's not from the Bible, that's not from a Christian author, that's from psychology

today.

And let's be honest, that whole point about smiling, we all need to work on that.

Some of you need to practice it as you leave here, as you're driving down the road.

I mean, heck, just share a high five with a neighbor.

Are you, are you, Donnie, Donnie, give me a beat.

Can you give me a beat, Donnie?

Donnie, can you give me a beat here?

Everyone listen for the beat.

Everyone, here it is.

Come on, let's go.

Come on.

Let's go.

Here we go.

Now get up and give someone a high five.

Let's go.

Get up.

Get up.

Give someone a high five.

Come on.

That's it.

Move around.

There we go.

Let's go.

Here we go.

Come on.

Hey, go get those people that aren't standing up.

Go find them.

Give them a high five.

They need one.

Let's go.

There we go.

Better.

Better.

Okay.

Bring it back.

Bring it back.

And whoo.

Hey, look.

You're smiling.

You're happy.

Right?

That's a generous life.

Now why did I have to get a beat going?

I just shared with you what happens when you are generous and when you smile and when you

give it away and all of you just went, yeah, high five.

I shouldn't have to get a beat going.

Right?

That should just be the way we live.

And the amazing thing is this.

God has designed within us to be generous.

Like now don't get me wrong.

Scientists have now discovered it.

But it was already there.

God had already designed us this way because that's how good He is.

Proverbs 11, 25.

The generous will prosper.

Now that word prosper there, when it's written in the original Greek, it's not about money.

Prosper means that you're pushing forward in life.

You're being successful in life.

Those who refresh others will be refreshed.

Like some of you feel refreshed right now because you got up and moved around and smiled.

Proverbs 21.

Some people are always greedy for more but the godly love to give.

They love to give.

I mean just this week I was walking out of our building and a car pulled up and this

little old lady got out and she smiled at me and then she went to her back seat and

grabbed this whole bag full of Micah's backpack supplies and she handed it to me and she had

this biggest smile on her face.

And I said, man thank you so much.

But it's just an example of generosity.

Friday I got an email from one of the guidance counselors of the schools that we serve throughout

the county and she sent me this email.

She goes, hey Chris, is your church planning on doing the Thanksgiving boxes again this

year?

And she just asked me that question and I sent it back and I said, yes, all caps.

You know I said, yes, that's what we do.

She goes, I kind of figured that but I didn't want to assume it and she was just excited

that our church would partner together with her school to reach the community.

See that's just an example of being generous.

Jesus says this in Matthew 621, wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart

will also be.

And see if you struggle with generosity, if we're at a place in our heart that it's just

hard to give, be honest.

Sometimes it's just hard to give a little extra money if you have to or it's hard to

give when you see a need or you think, I don't have extra money or I don't have extra time

or I don't have extra resources, I can't really do it and you don't really get a joy in it.

If you give begrudgingly, that's a heart issue.

That's all that is.

It's a heart issue.

It simply stated you need to ask the Holy Spirit to identify what that issue could be

that's causing it.

Maybe you have the spirit of worry or fear or you have resentment.

Maybe someone has hurt you and you don't want to give your time, you don't want to give

your money.

And my challenge to you is this, God desires that we're happy, we're only happy when we're

generous.

We're only happy when we're giving.

And we need to seek forgiveness so we can move on past those hiccups that we all live

with, which moves us to our second thought, the generous or compassionate.

See, generous people are in tune with those in need, meaning they see a need, they hear

it, they recognize it and then they respond to it.

After all, Jesus said what?

He said do it and you'll live.

He didn't say hear it, see it, recognize it and then walk away.

He said no, live a generous life, be a good neighbor.

And this even includes that person that's not aware of the relationship with Jesus.

I want to challenge you to take it a step further.

When people are struggling or they're not able to overcome or they're in these addictions,

Jesus is the answer.

You know, Jesus had compassion on people and when we read about his compassion, he said

yeah, they're sheep without a shepherd.

They're wandering lost.

Friends, there's a lot of people in our community who are just wandering lost and they're looking

for an invitation, they're looking for a prayer, they're looking for the ability to just say

yes, I want this good news that you're talking about.

Proverbs 29, 7.

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

Right, friends, I don't want to be labeled a wicked person.

I want to care for others and love one another and there's churches all around the world

today, not just vineyard churches, churches, all kinds of churches all around the world

making a difference in the lives of people.

You know, orphanages and hospitals and clinics and food pantries just serving people and

loving on people for Jesus.

And this is just, it's evident today, but if you look back in the history of Western

culture, Western civilization, I just did a quick Google search, the impact of Christianity

on Western civilization.

I just popped it in, you know, Google the Almighty Go, it gives you results.

Pops it right back at me and it's interesting, I read this article, it's just Jesus facts

and what, like just people and different scientists and historians have discovered the power of

what the church has done.

For example, they found that the church values human life and they point to how the church

was involved in ending slavery, eradicating slavery within Western society and it's because

the church values life.

They talk about how within Western society that there's a spirit of compassion.

For example, if there's a tsunami or a hurricane, you see it the next day in the news, give,

give, true or false?

Like people want to give and they point that back to the founding fathers and the Jesus

followers that came into the new world that brought Jesus' principles, education.

All but one of the first 123 colleges in colonial America were Christian institutions founded

on Jesus' principles.

You can dig into them. You can look at the founding statements of these schools. For example, Harvard. Has anybody ever heard of Harvard?

Right, it's pretty, it's pretty good institution, right? It means Ivy League school, only the best of the best.

Listen to their

statement of why the school was founded.

Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well

the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life.

Harvard University.

Art, music, literature, science,

all point

to Jesus followers. Our government,

for example, 50 of the 55 original signers of the US Constitution,

Jesus followers.

Right, followers of Jesus that were passionate about wanting to see his truths just

expand in the Western society. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of things have changed in time.

But it's there, it's evident. That's what the church does. Proverbs 21 13,

if a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

God never allow us to be that way.

Never allow us to be selfish

about our own needs and how our own needs aren't being met because then we become callous towards the poor.

If you're anything like me, you've made statements like this. Well, they need to get a job.

They need to stop being so lazy.

They need to work harder.

Well, they have enough money to buy cigarettes.

What? They can't buy food.

I mean, be honest. We've become these self-appointed experts in other people's pain when in reality that's just judgment.

Forgive us.

You know that that's not being generous.

I mean listen to these recent studies from from the report on the poor of Maryland.

One out of every eight Washington County residents is living in poverty.

One out of every eight.

Washington County's poverty rate was the eighth highest out of 24 counties in Maryland.

Their average per capita income is $23,850 for a family of four.

And the cost of living is going up and wages aren't.

I mean friends, we're called to see people in need. Jesus's words in Matthew 6, 8.

Give as freely as you have received.

You know Jesus, Jesus God, he doesn't lay it out that we have to give something back to receive Jesus. It's all free.

And we need to allow our actions, our attitudes, our words to reflect God's heart

that he gave his son for you and me for free.

Which means this to our next thought. The generous are blessed.

The generous are blessed.

Truth we never give to get.

Hear me out. And I want to steer this steer this clue

where I'm going here. It's true the Bible does say that we're going to receive from him a blessing when we give but that can't be our motivation.

I'm not a prosperity gospel guy.

I'm not going to sit here and say yeah you give 10,000 he's going to give you a million. I'm not going to say that.

Because that's the wrong motivation to give.

Right our motivation has to be that God's kingdom is advancing, is changing lives, is making a difference in the tri-state area.

That's why we're generous.

Proverbs 22, 9. Blessed are those who are generous because they feed the poor.

Blessed are those who are generous because they feed the poor. Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing.

But those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

I mean God is just challenging us and imploring us to to just live a generous life.

To look, to see, to hear, to just reflect God's love.

But we have to guard against it because remember I said I even challenged you at the beginning one of the biggest struggles

in the western society in the United States and in living in a relationship with Jesus is to be about you.

And Jesus challenges us in Matthew 6, 1 through 2. Watch out.

Don't do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others for you will lose the reward from your father in heaven.

When you give to someone in need don't do as the hypocrites do. Blowing trumpets in the synagogues and the streets to call attention

to their acts of charity.

Jesus challenges us to live a life of generosity every day without anybody recognizing it.

Except God and those that we're serving being pointed back to him.

That's his challenge.

Which moves us to our next thought. The generous are rewarded.

The generous are rewarded.

And I want to share with you a few minutes of my motivation of why I pastor this church.

I live everyday friends in the fear of God.

Because see I'm going to be held accountable for how I lead this church.

I'm going to stand in front of God. I'm going to be held to a whole different level and whole different standard as to how

I lead this church.

And I just want to let you know here this morning that my heart for this church is that we constantly

and are always relevant to our society.

Meaning that we are going to be active involved giving serving leading inviting people

into his kingdom.

That I am always going to be pushing us out so that we see the needs and meet the needs.

Because God's church makes a difference.

God's church makes a difference.

And he desires that we do the same.

Proverbs 19 17. If you help the poor you are lending to the Lord and he will repay you.

I mean think about this.

How much more would you give if you know that you're giving as a deposit?

And you say what do you mean? Well see God.

God is going to repay you and me because of our generosity.

And see I'm not talking about repayment here in this world. That's not what I'm talking about.

I mean the Bible refers to and just like I shared at the beginning we're going to all come to that time.

At the end of our life we're going to look back and we're going to see and we're going to think did I live a legacy?

Did I live a life that others can follow? And then

if you're in a relationship with Jesus you're already in the kingdom.

We're still going to stand before God.

And he's going to look at our life. He's going to look at what we did in Revelation 22 12.

We read this look I'm coming soon bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.

See we're going to receive rewards in God's kingdom.

Rewards based on our generosity.

Rewards based on how we serve and love and give and and and point out.

Other people to him.

Second Corinthians 9. The point is this.

Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly.

And whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully.

And friends I want to challenge you this morning that that that I am leading us forward.

Outward.

Challenging you to make a difference to be generous to to to live a life to remember.

I had the opportunity on Monday night to to share this past Monday night to share with a local football team.

I was invited to just share anything I wanted. Open platform.

So I got to meet him after practice all dirty smelly eating ice cream.

You know just crazy high school kids. You know what I challenged him with? I challenged him with this.

Don't live a normal life.

I said a normal life is just going through the motions.

Right.

Going to school. Doing the job.

Working your classes. Having your friends.

You know playing your video games.

Doing that. I said don't live a normal life.

Live a life to remember.

Live a life that's making a difference in the lives of other kids in this school.

And I pointed them outwards.

And I want to do the same with you this morning.

Same goes.

Don't live a normal life.

You know don't don't worry about Dolly Parton singing 9 to 5.

Don't worry about 9 to 5.

Worry about a legacy.

A lifestyle.

What you're leaving behind.

I mean cause let's be honest.

Everyday generosity in a selfie world is hard.

Right cause our world is telling us to focus on the self.

And I just want to say no that's wrong.

What we do for ourselves dies with us.

What we do for others lives on.

Lives on.

That's the legacy we're going after.

So I want to challenge you with four simple things.

Living a generous life.

What it looks like in a simple everyday just practical example.

And the first is this.

You have to be generous with your time.

Be generous with my time.

Psalm 112 9.

They share freely and give generously to those in need.

Their good deeds will be remembered forever.

They will have influence and honor.

And truth is for most of us our time is more valuable than our money.

True or false?

Our time is more valuable than our money.

And I just want to share with you right now.

I'm thankful.

I'm thankful for all the people that serve in our community of faith.

Every person that gives their time.

Their energy.

A lot of people they serve one gathering and then they worship another gathering.

Right?

And they put in they show up early and they set things up and tear things down.

And they make the nursery nice.

And there's people right now picking up your kids messes.

And loving on them and praying for them and pointing them to Jesus.

And there's a team up here that volunteers and leads us into encounters with God.

Right?

I was back there worshiping both the first and the second gathering.

And there's just nothing like hearing all your voices give back.

I mean it's just such a beautiful sound.

But that doesn't happen unless people are serving.

Can we just stop?

I just want to give those that serve in our community of faith.

Can you give them a hand?

Thank you so much.

It's not about me.

Thank you for serving.

And I want to encourage all of you.

You need to serve.

I mean simply say that today is start with why.

And what is start with?

Well of course what is start with?

Start with why it takes you 20 minutes after this gathering to go hang out with this guy named Mike Watson.

He'll be in a room and he'll say hey this is the church.

This is what we're about.

This is what we do.

You'll meet me on a video screen.

And then we'll just get plugged in.

It gives you opportunities to learn all about the church.

There's a smile and balloons down there waiting for you.

I want to challenge you.

If you haven't been to start with why, do it.

Do it.

Spend 20 minutes.

Get involved.

Because you're going to hear me say this quite often.

If you can't serve here, you're serving nowhere.

Next week is team up Sunday.

And you learn about all of our teams.

And I know some of you are thinking oh it's the second Sunday of the month.

It's Crumpy Sunday.

Can't wait to have a donut.

More importantly it's team up Sunday.

And it's how you get involved and how you join a team.

I want all of you on a team.

Because it's just so valuable to be generous with your time.

And it goes beyond our church.

You know you've got big brothers, big sisters.

You know that I constantly challenge you.

I coach.

You know I serve local youth sporting places by my coaching and my time.

Because I value giving back to kids.

I did a quick search this morning.

There's an entire website called Volunteer Washington County.

Just put in Volunteer Washington County.

And it's like blub.

All these things come up.

But where you can serve in Washington County.

I mean we have got to realize.

That when we give our time.

We're giving it back to God.

And we're giving it to people so that we can point them back to him.

Ephesians 5.

Be careful how you live.

Don't live like fools.

But live like those who are wise.

Make the most of every opportunity.

In these evil days.

Don't act thoughtlessly.

But understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Be generous with your time friends.

Which moves us to our next step.

You've got to be generous with your talent.

Be generous with my talent.

Now for many of us we think when we hear talent.

We think well Chris I'm not talented.

Right I'm not going to be on American Idol.

Or America's got talent.

Or the voice.

I don't have that kind of voice.

But guess what I don't either.

If you heard me sing you'd say dear God turn it off.

I don't have that talent either.

But it's not about that type of talent.

All of you have a spiritual gift that God has put inside of you.

Some of you have multiple spiritual gifts.

And it's about activating those gifts.

And using it for God's glory.

Psalm 112.

God will come to him.

Who is generous and lends freely.

Who is generous and lends freely.

Who conducts his affairs with justice.

Surely he will never be shaken.

A righteous man will be remembered forever.

That's called a legacy.

It's called leaving a life behind.

That others can follow.

1 Peter 4 10.

God has given each of you a gift.

From his great variety of spiritual gifts.

Use them well.

To serve one another.

And I just want to challenge you this morning.

How are you using your gifts to serve one another?

Where are you serving?

Because see if we're not

activating our spiritual gifts.

We're not following God's best for our life.

We're not living a generous life.

So we have

Be generous with my time.

Be generous with my talent.

Number 3. Be generous with my touch.

Be generous with my touch.

Each and every one of us

have the ability to touch someone right now.

Everyone take your phone out.

Take your phone out.

Put it in the car. God bless you.

Thank you for leaving it in the car.

But I know many of you didn't.

Take it out. But I know it's on silent.

Go to your message center.

Text message. Everybody do it.

Do you need some pump up? Do I need to get a bass?

Do I need a bass? Donnie, give me a bass.

Give me a bass beat.

Come on these people here.

Give me a bass. Alright here we go.

Go to your text messages.

Hit new text message.

Pick anybody you want out.

You can be your mom, dad,

aunt, uncle, brother, sister, co-worker,

classmate. I don't care.

Pick anybody out.

Don't make a number up because that doesn't count.

It's got to be someone you know.

Okay. I picked someone.

Let me find them. There they are.

Now encourage them.

Send a message. Do it right now.

Do it right now.

Come on. Get your foot on.

Now why are people sending them to me?

Come on.

Oh there's another.

Done.

Did everybody do it?

Come on. I'll put a bass on for you. I'll put a beat on.

Did everybody do it?

Just nod. Give me a nod. Yes Chris. Yes.

Alright. Thank you. Thank you Donnie.

There isn't any reason

that we're not sending 10 to 15

texts every day to people to encourage them.

There's no reason.

We're not being generous

if we're not doing it.

Because we all have the time. We all have a lunch break.

We all have a 15 minute break

that we can go on.

15 seconds to encourage everybody.

I mean it's just that

simple. And when people receive

hey I love you. Hey you're the best.

You have so many talents. You're gifted.

God loves you. Send them a scripture.

Like when we

do that it makes a difference.

True or false?

Darn right it's true. But that's

a generous heart. That's a generous

life. Check out. For example

I want everybody to see this video. I

watched it a week or so ago and I knew

I was supposed to share it with you. It's very emotional.

Very moving. Check it out right

now.

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

What the world

needs now

is love, sweet love

It's the only thing

that there's just

too little of

What the world needs now

is love, sweet

love

Not just for some

but for everyone

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Lord

we don't need another

mountain

There's mountains and

hillsides, enough

to climb

There are oceans and rivers

and a

mutual cross

Enough to last until the

end of time

Until the end

of time

What the world needs now

is love, sweet

love It's the only

thing that there's just

too little of

What the world needs

now is love,

sweet love

Not just for some but

for everyone

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

Ooh

What the world needs now

is love, sweet

love It's the only

thing that there's just

too little of

What the world needs now

is love

Now does anybody want to get take a

anybody want to just take a little guess of how I found

that video

anybody want to guess

nope someone shared it with me in a text

said hey I think this would be meaningful for

you I think this really ties into our

to our series and

what we're doing and what we're trying to do and

see that's the power

of just touching someone

you know I watched it when I first watched that video for the first time

I was just in

tears

just because that's what we want

and that's what

God wants for you and me

it's what God wants for you and me

five simple

touches that you can make every day, everyone ready?

Five simple touches that you can make every day

Dear God smile

just smile

smile at people

smile in your situations I a few weeks

ago I went down to

you know my daughter Trinity is at the University of Maryland

playing softball and

she was all excited it was her first game

and we went down and spent the day with her

and was watching her play

and she pitched and when she pitched

she just was terrible

she just had a bad outing

dude it's not funny

because you don't understand my daughter is a lot like me

and she puts everything into it

and

she just didn't pitch well

she was putting too much pressure on herself and for a dad

you know I'm sitting there in the seats

and man my heart went out to her

and it wasn't that

she was messing up or not doing well

or it was like man I just

know how passionate she was about

wanting to be good

and wanting to be successful and my heart broke for

just the look on her face

of just man I suck today

and that's what the look was she was defeated

and I'm sitting there in her

seats and God just whispering in her ear saying hey Chris smile

and it's like

you just whispered into my ear you know something

she's going to

look over at you

let her see a smile

because that's the most important thing

that people see

God's generosity in your life

smile

number two sympathize

like just listen to someone

just stop and listen

right hear their hearts

share a hug with them

number three speak up

like write a post-it note and put it in your kids lunch

like leave a post-it note

on their refrigerator or on a co-workers desk

or on a classmates desk

someone that's just having a bad day

like leave them a note

speak up

serve

right if you're not serving

you're not being generous

God calls us to serve

and number five

the final one sacrifice

do something that actually

is going to cost you something

right when we do something outside

of or beyond

just the everyday like if you're going out to lunch today

listen to

your waiter or your server if God prompts your heart

give them a 50 percent tip

like do something that hurts

because a lot of times when we get

outside of ourselves and suddenly that's when

God works

we've got to be willing to be generous

with our touch John 15

remain in me and I remain in you

for a branch cannot

produce fruit if it is severed from

the divine and you cannot be fruitful

unless you remain in me

yes I am the vine you are the branches

those who remain in me and I in them will produce

much fruit for apart

from me you can do

nothing

Joyce Kilmer wrote a poem

about a tree and in his poem

he wrote this poems

are made by fools like me

but only God

can make a tree and think about

it God makes a tree

and all of its fruits

through the power of touch

true or false

that tree is connected

it's connected to the world

connected to the dirt

connected to the soil

and that tree produces fruit

and the same goes with us

you know make a difference in someone's

life this week through your touch

so we've got time

talent touch and number

four be generous with

my treasure

give and it will be given to you Jesus told

us in Luke 6 a good measure

pressed down shaken together and running over

will be poured into your lap

for with the measure you use

it will be measured to

you you know and hear me out

I a hundred percent firmly

believe in giving to God first

you know I give to God

first I tied I ten percent

of my income is to God

before I even see it and I

see the benefit from it I'll meet

with any one of you face to face

who wants to discuss it

because I know what God calls us

to do he calls us to give

first but then he calls us to give

beyond that to be generous

to listen to the Holy Spirit

to see how we can serve

in different areas with with

Micah's backpack or or

or just whatever it may be that

he's calling you to

right just simple practical ways

to be generous you know

I was prompted about a month ago

God took me back several years

it's like seven or eight years

right that we did this little

event at our community of faith we are a small

church then right where we did this event

about shoes how many of you have

an extra pair of these laying around in your closet

by show of hands come on

seriously dude come on every hand should be

up I know I know you don't have one pair

of shoes like as

Americans I think we average like ten or

twelve per person

right all of us have extra shoes

well about six or seven years ago

we did shoeless Sunday

right and we had everybody wear

their shoes to church but also bring

all their extra shoes they wanted to donate

to this organization called souls for souls

and there's this organization

that collects used

or gently used or new shoes

and it makes a difference

around the world I mean

I looked up I got to hopped on their website and I was like

why why do they do this

the sale of one

pair of your shoes

can provide five meals for

Marie and her family in Haiti one pair

of you shoes twenty pairs

of shoes can provide a years worth of shelter

for Jeanette and her family

in Haiti thirty pairs of shoes

can provide a years worth of schooling

for Tracy's daughter

in Honduras what an

incredible organization

that they're willing to just take our

shoes and send them around the world and make a

difference and I said man I want to do it

again because guess what

seven or eight years ago does everyone remember

in when we were Bower Avenue everyone remember

the wooden church pews in the back

everyone remember those well like we

filled one up like you

couldn't even see it anymore there was that many shoes

and we were a lot smaller back then

so I want to be spontaneous

you guys like spontaneous

you like spontaneous

are you sure

alright next week now hear me out

next week that's right see you thought

I was going to say take your shoes off

you thought it you thought it was coming

you thought it I'm not

that bold alright I got a lot

of faith I don't have that much faith

next week there's going to be a pickup truck out front

it's going to have a big cardboard box

that says souls for souls on it

and I want to challenge you as a community

of faith to fill that bed up

with shoes

we're going to take those shoes that's right

that's I mean practical

we're going to take those shoes we're going to

send them all around the world through that

organization souls for souls

and we're going to make a difference in a simple practical

way right now hear me out for some of

you bring your shoes in a trash bag

and just throw them in the back because I don't want to be smelling

them right and you know

who you are you know who you are

2nd Corinthians 9

the most generous God

who gives seed to the farmer that comes

bread for your meals is more than

extravagant with you

he gives you something you can then

give away which grows into full

foreign lives robust in

God wealthy in every way

so that you can be generous in every way

producing with us

great praise to God

when we're generous it all

goes back to him

you and I will never regret

living a generous life

the value of life

isn't determined by how

much you achieve or how much

you accumulate

the value of life is determined

by how much you're willing to give away

that is a life

rich in love

and generosity

and God

and that is what he's calling our community of faith too

so I just really felt prompted today we're going to close with communion

what a great way to just

close a talk about generosity

inviting and reflecting on what God is doing in our lives

if you miss

before we stand

if you miss getting an element on your way in

put your hand up we're going to get you right now

put your hand up we're going to come around

and put an element in your hand

if you need gluten free put

two hands up

we'll be sure that you

get your gluten free alternative

as soon as we get all of our elements out

and distribute it

we'll stand together and we'll share in communion

now I want to encourage all of you

our communion elements

the top is a little simply

plastic

the top is a little simply

plastic piece that you peel back

for the delicious wafer

and then there's a second

little flap that you pull back for the juice

so you can go ahead and start

to peel those a little bit

before we stand here together

now we take communion as a community

of faith once a month

as a corporate entity

and

it's going to be typically

the first Sunday of the month that we do it together

here we go

alright is everyone covered?

need a couple over here

good there we go

alright I think we got it

alright let's all stand together

on the night that

Jesus was betrayed

he took bread

he broke it

he gave it to his disciples

he said take eat

this is my body

which is broken for you

do it in remembrance

of me

likewise after supper

he took a cup of wine

and after he had given thanks he said this is my blood

which is shed for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins

drink it often

and when you do it do it in remembrance

of me

Jesus we are thankful

that you gave your life

for me

for our community of faith

for each and every person within our world

may we be a church

a people that reflect

your generosity your love to others

challenge us God

to live simply

extravagantly

in generosity

every single day with our time

with our talent with our touch

and with our treasure God

change us to reflect you

so that we can continue

to make a difference in the lives of others

amen

and before we go I just

God prompted my heart

this morning as I was

in the back there preparing that

there was going to be people here today

that simply just had a

crappy week

there is no other way to explain it

I would use a swear word but I don't

really want to you know you just had a

crappy week a crappy week

and I don't know what it was maybe it was a

relationship or your job or your school

or a test you took or whatever

you just had a bad week call it what it is

I want to pray for anybody

that just had a bad week today or this week

if you had a bad week we would put your hand out

I just want to pray with you that's all I'm going to do the

prayer and alright so if you

had a bad week just a bad week

put your hand up if you're around

someone with their hand up if you could just

gently put your hand on their shoulder

just so everybody's covered

again I'm going to pray but I just

believe that our touch right didn't I

just share that our touch you got

that alright good our touch is

important so if you're around

someone just touch them touch them

agree with them Holy Spirit

calm God I thank you for

honesty and truthfulness

God I just pray that you would use each

and every person that's stepping out

God that your love your mercy

your grace would just rain down right now

in Jesus name

that God your Holy Spirit would just fill

each and every heart that just

is honest and said hey I had a bad week a

difficult week a challenging week

God allow their outlook to be changed

their attitude to be changed and more importantly

their heart to be

softened to receive

the gift that you give us each and every

day the gift of life of

new life

God allow us all to

be outward focused and generous this

entire week just give

us Holy Spirit supernatural encounters

each and every day

and as we step out and are generous

we see other lives

change in Jesus name and we all

said Amen now God

bless before you run out listen before you run out

please take your communion element

with you please take it with you

and throw it away

we love you have an incredible week

souls for souls next week

bring all your shoes I want to fill an entire

truck up I cannot wait

we'll remind you there's no impossible I believe that you are working now pour it out oh pour it out