by Senior Pastor Denis Beausejour

Series: HEALTHY FAMILIES IN HECTIC TIMES

Message: The Healthiness of a Generous Spirit
Text: Psalm 112 and other selections

How do you feel about your personal generosity?
 
Prayer: May God speak to us today about His generosity in the gift of Jesus Christ, and may we desire and seek the healthy benefits of a life of growing generosity!
 
Today's Text: Psalm 112 - The Benefits of Generosity
 

At the heart of Psalm 112 - especially verses 5 and 9 - we see a godly and generous man. His character is referred to in the most important passage on generous giving in the New Testament - 2 Corinthians 8-9.

• He is "blessed" He loves God and His Word
• His children will be strong and godly
• His house is rich and righteous
• He will get guidance and grace
• He is secure, now and for eternity
• He has status where it counts (L 12:33)
• He will be vindicated before his enemies
• His way of life exudes joy and confidence
• He has overcome fear, scarcity, greed, and worry: he trusts in His God

• A mistaken sense of entitlement - Psalm 24:1
• Fear of running out - a scarcity mentality - Matthew 6:31-32
• Debt burden - Proverbs 22:7
• Selfcenteredness, greed - Luke 12:15
• Bad doctrine - "neither a borrower or lender be" - Luke 6:30-31

• Good role models - like the man of Psalm 112!
• Gratitude for what you have, expressed in cheerful giving - 2 Cor 9:7-10
• Joy of salvation and God's amazing grace, plus knowledge of impact - 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
• Understanding and acting on the principle of eternal reward - Proverbs 19:17, Luke 12:33-34 Obedience to God's commands - Acts 1:8

3. How can we become a more generous church?

• Planning for giving is a priority and way of life
• Our missions opportunities
• Our community outreach opportunities
• Our benevolence
• Our love and generosity to one another

• 89 percent of households give charitably, averaging $1,620 per year, or 2% of GDP
• U.S. giving reached a record high in 2006, up 1% to $295 billion 
• Charitable giving rises about one-third as fast as the stock market and 2006 was in line with that 
• In 2000, 17 percent of Americans claimed to tithe (10% of income) while only 6 percent actually did 
• 8 percent of those making $20,000 or less gave at least 10 percent of their income to churches 
• This proportion dropped to 5 percent among those in the $20,000-$39,999 range, 4 percent among those making $40,000-$59,999, 2 percent for those making $60,000-$74,999, and 1 percent for those making $75,000-$99,999 
• The trend changes, as 5 percent for those making $100,000 or more give a "tithe"
• On average, evangelical Christians give 4% of their income to their church 
• 55 percent of Americans volunteer, representing the equivalent of over 9 million full-time employees 
• The value of volunteer time was $18.77 per hour in 2006, for a total value of $239 billion

Sources: National Philanthropic Trust and Generous Giving