We begin a four-part series on Generosity, the Joy of Giving More this week. We’ll look at the concept of generosity in the Bible and the motivating principle behind the practice of generosity. We’ll learn that generosity is not just giving, it is giving more than is needed, expected, or required. It is also giving with the right spirit. It is motivated by the simple truth Jesus revealed to us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We’ll get a chance to decide to be generous givers before the message is finished.

The principle of generosity tells us that being generous benefits us more than it costs us. It is more blessed to give than to receive. But how is this true? Is there enough benefit to being generous to make it something we should promote? In this message, we’ll start with a promise to the generous in the New Testament, and then look at other passages that speak about many benefits of being generous. Before we close we’ll look at the results of a study published in 2014 that listed nine benefits of being generous and the conclusion that study made about promoting generosity. We’ll then draw our own conclusions and suggest an application for this week.

This final message on generosity looks at the power that generosity has, power to transform situations, futures, people, relationships, and even eternal destinies. We’ll start by seeing the transforming power found in God’s generous gift of his Son, given so we might be saved and have eternal life. We’ll move on to see examples of lives and situations that were transformed by generosity, and conclude by deciding whether we would like to get in on the transforming power of generosity.