Give

The Church In Here, The Church Out There: Part 4
Give

In , we gain. In grasping we .

Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)

Genesis 4:6-7 (NLT)

Cain didn’t understand that in we gain, in we lose.

2 Corinthians 9:7b (NIV) … for God loves a cheerful giver.

In giving we actually , in grasping we actually .

Generosity is paradoxical, Those who give receive back in turn. By spending ourselves for others’ well-being, we enhance our own standing. In letting go of some of what we own, we better secure our own lives. By giving ourselves away, we ourselves move towards more flourishing. This is not only a religious or philosophical teaching but a sociological fact.
– “The Paradox of Generosity”, Christian Smith & Hilary Davidson

Generous People Experience:

1. Greater levels of happiness
2. Better mental and physical health
3. Greater sense of purpose
4. Less depression
5. Greater interest in personal growth

Generosity is something God wants for you, not from you.

Three Paradoxes of Generosity

1. We give to who first gives to .

John 3:16 (NLT)

2. We serve to serve .

Luke 6:38 (NCV) Give and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.

3. We bless those in to bless .

Matthew 25:34-40 (NLT)

“In giving I gain, in grasping I lose.”