Be Generous Like God Is Generous with You

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Financial Fitness

Be Generous Like God Is Generous with You By Rick Warren — Feb 22, 2015 “Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 MSG) God wants you to use some of your money to help people in need. God didn’t put us on this earth to live for ourselves. He blesses us so that we can bless others. This is all part of God making us more like himself. God is generous. Everything we have in life is because of God’s generosity. We wouldn’t have anything — we wouldn’t even be alive — if it weren’t for God’s generosity. And God wants us to be generous like he is. Imagine if your father was a billionaire, and he wanted to share his fortune with you. But he knew you needed to be tested first to see if you would be able to handle it. So he gives you a set amount of money and says, “I want you to learn to live on less so you can use the rest to help others. I’m going to be watching you to see how you manage and distribute my resources. If you do well, I’m going to will it all to you.”                                             How would you use that money? God particularly wants us to be generous with the poor. Throughout the Bible, God tells us he is watching how we help the poor, and he attaches tremendous promises if we do so. For example “Give to the poor and you will never be in need. If you close your eyes to the poor, many will curse you” (Proverbs 28:27 TEV). “When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the LORD, and the LORD will pay you back” (Proverbs 19:17). The more we help others, the more God blesses us. He gives to us so we can give to others.          Why? Because God wants you to be like him, and God is a giver! PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Take some time to count your blessings. How has God blessed you in your family, your career, and your spiritual life? If you had to stand before God today and give an account of how you’ve used his blessings, would you be embarrassed or proud of your report? Why? What is one way you can use your resources to bless someone this week who is in need? Our Gift: Financial Fitness Study Kit Learn the biblical principles of how to save, invest, and spend your money. Receive the Financial Fitness Study Kit with your donation. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Financial Fitness teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Foundation of Financial Health Message 2: The Law of Contentment Message 3: The Laws of Sowing and Reaping Message 4: The Habits of Financial Health Message 5: Where Best to Invest PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe