Generosity is about money.

There. We might as well get that out of the way. Whenever the Church begins talking about generosity, somebody immediately starts checking to see whether his wallet is still in his pocket. I understand. Churches have not always handled conversations about money well, and some ministries have used guilt, pressure and promises of material blessing to manipulate people into giving.

We reject that.

But we will not allow the misuse of biblical truth to keep us from teaching biblical truth.

Generosity includes money.

It just doesn't end there.

Generosity is a way of living that grows from understanding the grace of God. We have received freely from Christ. Grace we could not earn. Mercy we did not deserve. Forgiveness we could never purchase. The Gospel introduces us to a God who gives.

“For God so loved the world that he gave…”

Giving is in the heart of God.

As we become more like Christ, generosity should become increasingly visible in us.

We Live with Open Hands

Everything we possess has been entrusted to us by God.

Our time.
Our abilities.
Our opportunities.
Our influence.
Our homes.
Our resources.
Our money.

We are stewards.

We settled that at the beginning of this book, and the principle reaches far beyond the church building. If everything belongs to God, then the disciple must learn to hold everything with open hands.

That doesn't mean possessions are wrong. Scripture does not teach that poverty is inherently spiritual or that every believer must give away everything he owns. It does mean that we refuse to allow what we possess to possess us.

Jesus understood the grip money can have on the human heart. That's why He talked about it so often. Money can quietly become security, identity, status and power. We begin thinking we own it, and before long it owns us.

Generosity loosens the grip.

Every time I give freely, I am making a declaration:

God is my source. What I possess is not my god.

That's worship.

We Give Because We Have Received

Christian generosity begins with grace. We do not give to persuade God to bless us. We do not place money in an offering and wait for heaven to issue a dividend check. Giving is not a spiritual investment scheme.

We give because God has already been immeasurably generous toward us in Jesus Christ.

Paul points the Corinthian church to Christ when teaching about generosity: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Look at Jesus.

That's the pattern.

Christ gave Himself.

Therefore, generosity is not first a budget issue. It is a discipleship issue. The question is not simply, How much should I give? The deeper question is, What does my giving reveal about what I believe?

Do I believe God is my provider?

Do I believe Christ is my treasure?

Do I believe there is greater joy in giving than receiving?

Do I trust Jesus enough to open my hands?

We give because we believe Him.

Generosity Must Become Personal

It is easy to admire generosity in other people.

We love stories about someone giving sacrificially to help a struggling family or quietly paying a student's tuition. We are moved when churches respond to disasters or communities rally around people in need.

Those stories inspire us.

But eventually generosity has to reach my life.

My schedule.
My table.
My bank account.
My resources.
My convenience.

The generous life begins when I stop asking only, “What does the church have available?” and begin asking, “What has God placed in my hands?”

Perhaps you have a skill someone needs. Maybe you have a vehicle and somebody needs a ride. You may have an extra bedroom, a business connection or years of wisdom that could help a younger person avoid a painful mistake.

Sometimes what you have is money.

And, yes, sometimes the answer is simply to give it.

Not form a committee.

Not conduct a six-week needs assessment.

Help the person.

Wisdom matters, of course. Generosity should not become carelessness, nor should compassion continually enable destructive behavior. But we must also be careful that what we call wisdom is not just selfishness wearing glasses.

Love opens its hands.

We Give to the Work of Christ

The people of Cornerstone Fellowship Church support the ministry of the church through faithful, proportionate and cheerful giving.

Our giving makes ministry possible. It helps us teach children, develop disciples, serve our community, care for people in need, support Gospel work and prepare for future generations. Buildings require care. Ministries require resources. Mission requires investment.

There is nothing unspiritual about saying that plainly.

But our goal is larger than meeting a budget.

We are forming generous disciples.

A church can reach its financial goal while its people remain spiritually attached to their possessions. We want more than funded programs. We want hearts increasingly freed from the love of money and lives marked by joyful generosity.

This is why giving must be taught as part of discipleship.

Not pressured.

Not manipulated.

Taught.

We open the Scriptures. We tell the truth. We encourage obedience and trust the Holy Spirit to work in His people.

Giving should become another place where the disciple says:

Jesus, I believe You.

We Notice Need

Jesus noticed people.

The blind man beside the road.
The widow placing her offering in the temple treasury.
The hungry crowd.
The grieving mother.

People others walked past caught His attention.

A generous church must learn to notice.

Need is often quiet. Not everyone who is struggling will make an announcement. Pride, embarrassment or simple weariness may keep a person silent.

So we pay attention.

We listen.

We learn to ask questions.

Sometimes generosity begins with seeing what everyone else missed.

This is especially important as Cornerstone serves our community. We do not want to create ministries simply because churches are expected to have them. We want to know our neighbors. What burdens are families carrying? Where are children struggling? What challenges face seniors, single parents and young adults?

Then we ask:

What has God placed in our hands that could become an expression of His love?

Our compassion may open a door.

Christ transforms lives.

We Give Without Needing Credit

Jesus warned against practicing generosity in order to be seen by others. Apparently, people have enjoyed recognition for a very long time. Social media didn't invent that. It just gave it better lighting.

There is nothing wrong with thanking people. Faithful service and generosity should be appreciated. But the mature disciple does not need applause in order to give.

Sometimes nobody will know.

That's all right.

Your name may not appear on a plaque. Nobody may call you to the front. The person you helped may never fully understand what your gift cost you.

Christ knows.

That is enough.

Generosity does not need an audience when Christ is the reward.

We give for the glory of God and the good of people.

A Generous Church

I want Cornerstone to be generous.

Not merely a church with generous programs.

A generous people.

I want generosity to be so woven into our life together that we instinctively ask how we can help. When a family is hurting, we move toward them. When our community faces a need, we prayerfully consider what we can do. When another church or ministry is faithfully advancing the Gospel, we rejoice that the Kingdom of God is larger than Cornerstone.

We do not have to put our name on everything.

The Kingdom belongs to Christ.

Some of the most important seeds we plant may grow in fields we do not own and produce fruit we never personally see.

Plant anyway.

Give anyway.

Serve anyway.

Love anyway.

We have freely received.

So we freely give.

Open hands. Generous hearts. Faithful stewards.

This is the life we desire.

Because at the center is Christ.
Always Christ.