John 3:16
Genesis 1 and 2
“God is a giving God.”
“To be generous with your time is to think deeply about what it is you want to see, what it is you need to do, and what are the priorities you need to execute.”
“The degree to which we work together to produce and deliver what God has gifted and called us to do individually and interdependently, will be the degree to which we experience either fracturing, functioning, or flourishing.”
“Treasures are things we possess—materials, resources, and finances—that we give to meet and exceed the [holistic] needs of others.”
God challenges each of us to be generous with our time, talents and treasures.
From the beginning in Genesis 1 and 2, God shows us how He brought about the flourishing of creation as He took the time to create the heavens and the earth. Also, in these first two chapters in the Bible, God uses his master talents as He spends time thinking about His purpose, plan and priorities as he brings creation into existence from nothing. God also shares His treasures as he met the needs of Adam and Eve in Genesis so that they could become everything that God created them to be.
God continues, throughout the Bible, to be generous with His time, talents and treasures. By studying the Bible, we come to understand God’s generosity so that we then can take steps to be a generous people. For example Psalm 36:5-8 states, “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies …. People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.” Can you name some additional examples of God’s generosity in the Bible?
As we continue to think about generosity, we need to consider that we don’t necessarily need material wealth to be generous. As we think, plan, and reflect on generosity with an open and willing heart, we can come up with creative ways to be generous with our time, talent and resources. For example: Could we serve our family by doing a chore that no one else cares to do? Can we encourage a stranger who appears to need a boost with a kind word? Might we tell someone we love them and why we love them? Can we be fully present and not be looking at our phones or thinking about the next thing we need to do when we interact with people?
Our God is a generous God. Just as with Adam and Eve, He exceeds our needs by giving us more than enough. As we leverage our time, talents and treasures to bless others, we reflect God in all His glory as we work toward the flourishing of the people and things that we love.
Key learning points from the sermon:
Time
Talents
Treasures
Lord, we thank you for the twenty-four hours in each day that you have given us so that we can invest this time in glorifying and serving you and others. May we use the talents that you have graciously given us in ways that are pleasing to You. Thank you for the treasures that you have entrusted us with so that we can invest our treasures in people and things that have eternal value. Let us be good stewards every day of our time, talents and treasures, honoring You in all that we do.
The Backstory of Generosity
back-sto-ry
noun
a history or background, especially one created for a fictional character in a motion picture or television program. - Google’s English dictionary
What if we told you that the backstory of generosity isn’t fictional? It’s real and the characters at its forefront lived in real-time. You think you already know what you need to know about generosity? Think again.
The Backstory of Generosity
back-sto-ry
noun
a history or background, especially one created for a fictional character in a motion picture or television program. - Google’s English dictionary
What if we told you that the backstory of generosity isn’t fictional? It’s real and the characters at its forefront lived in real-time. You think you already know what you need to know about generosity? Think again.
In our new 4-week series The Backstory of Generosity, you’ll learn about the biblical birthplace of generosity (spoiler alert: it’s in Genesis!). Find out about its great purpose to bring heaven on earth. Take in how you can live generously via real-life practices and patterns. Finally, discover how you can develop a passion for generosity. Remember, generosity isn’t a behavior, if you are a child of God, generosity is a part of your very being.
» November 19-20
THE BACKSTORY OF GENEROSITY | The Passion of Generosity | Lead Pastor Josh Laxton
» November 26-27
SIMPLE CHRISTMAS | Complicated Family, Simple Savior | Lead Pastor Josh Laxton
» November 19-20
THE BACKSTORY OF GENEROSITY | The Passion of Generosity | Lead Pastor Josh Laxton
» November 26-27
SIMPLE CHRISTMAS | Complicated Family, Simple Savior | Lead Pastor Josh Laxton
Tuesday, November 22 at 9 a.m.
Come deck the halls at Northland to help us prepare for the Christmas season. Wear your festive Christmas apparel and enjoy hot chocolate and snacks. We will be setting up Christmas Trees in the foyer, making decorations for our children’s areas, setting up garland, and many more projects around the building. Children of all ages are welcome! There will be stations set up for kids to make ornaments for our Early Childhood area!
Join us on November 29 where we will be raising money for our Lifehope Childcare, who has been providing free childcare in our community since 2015.
Saturday, November 19 at 9 a.m.
Pastor Josh has introduced the phrase “towel holder” into our vocabulary. To be a towel holder simply means to serve the way Jesus did.Join us as we celebrate all the towel holders who have served this year! Come for a yummy breakfast, fun festivities, and prizes! We’ll gather together to recognize our faithful towel holders and look forward to the future that 2023 holds!