In his message this past Sunday, Pastor Steve discussed the importance of living our lives with an attitude of generosity. It is no secret that we all struggle to put the needs and wants of others above our own. It is simply human nature. However…loving others is also human nature. When we give, love, and serve by putting others above ourselves, we are loving others.
This is the biblical love that Jesus modeled. After Pastor Steve’s message on giving from Sunday, it is important to remember why we give. Giving is an action of the heart. The catalyst is love: a love that puts others above ourselves. So, when we exercise generosity, we are loving others. We don’t give out of obligation, or habit. We give because, as followers of Jesus, there is an overflow of love in our hearts and we desire to share that with others.
Now, what is it that your generosity actually does? In short, it provides hope, community, and purpose for those who need it most. A church is a hospital for the hurting — not physically, but spiritually. Your giving funds a hospital of restoration. It provides the life blood of life change to more and more people in our city.
As a church, Trace Ridge is deeply committed, more than ever, to reach our city with the Good News. Our vision is to see hundreds of lives changed and people baptized in the next few years. To do this requires not just a sacrificial generosity, but a joyful generosity.
And, to be completely honest, the idea of giving 10% of our income to a church seems pretty outlandish to most of the world. But that is just the kind of outlandish that Jesus came to set in place. An outlandish that welcomes sinners into the household of a perfect, all-powerful God. An outlandish that replaces fear and rules with love and grace. What an honor it is to be a part of this outlandish plan of God!
God is calling us all to make a difference in this world. For some, that calling starts with making generosity a habit. We want to help. Take the 90-Day Tithe Challenge. If you don’t feel like God blesses you as a result by the end of the 90 days, we will refund everything. Yep, no joke. Take the challenge now: