The Spirit of Christmas Is Generosity

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Christmas is For All People

The Spirit of Christmas Is Generosity By Rick Warren — Dec 18, 2015 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV) During this Christmas season, you’ll hear one word more than any other. It’s not “merry,” “tree,” “Santa,” or even — unfortunately — “Jesus.” It’s “gift.” Starting on Black Friday (and sometimes even before then), we begin a month-long dash to find the right gift for everyone on our list. The word “gift” consumes us for a month. Many people think that gift giving at Christmas was started by the Wise Men when they brought gifts to the baby Jesus. But it was God who gave the first Christmas gift. God so loved that he gave. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). On the first Christmas, God gave the greatest gift of all — he gave his Son. He gave his Son to die on the cross so you can have your past forgiven, a purpose for living, and a home in Heaven. Jesus is the original Christmas gift. We only give because God gave to us first. Christmas is about generosity. It’s not just about compassion. The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of generosity. Acts 15:11 says it like this: “We are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us” (MSG). If it weren’t for God’s generosity, we would have nothing. The air we breathe is a gift of God’s generosity. The blood coursing through our veins is a gift of God’s generosity. The fact that our hearts are beating is a gift of God’s generosity. Every good thing in your life — including your life — is a gift of God’s generosity. But God’s greatest act of generosity came on the very first Christmas when he gave us Jesus. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over: How do you respond to knowing that God gave the first Christmas gift? What are some gifts from God not mentioned in the devotional today that you are grateful for? What can you do this Christmas to better remember God’s gifts to you? Our Gift: Sermons for Life Change Vol. 2: The Most Requested Rick Warren Sermons Would you like to live a life of significance? These six sermons have helped so many people live exceptional lives that we’ve put them together in Volume 2 of Sermons For Life Change: The Most Requested Sermons by Rick Warren. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Christmas is For All People teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Christmas is Generosity Message 2: ​​​​​Christmas is For All People 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