We spread the message of generosity because it transforms lives. Our work is often misunderstood—people assume experiences centered around generosity will involve giving to an organization.
Generous Giving is funded by a small group of families and foundations, so we do not ask participants for money nor do we allow others to do so. These experiences create space to deepen our walk with Jesus.
But generosity does not stop with us. It forms disciples who embody Christ’s love, strengthens marriages and families, builds churches marked by open-handed compassion, and becomes a gateway for the world to encounter God’s love.
Giving is a Heart Issue
We invest our time, energy, and resources in the things that matter most to us. These are often things that ensnare us and stand in the way of liberation from materialism.
Remarkably, in much the same way your treasure reveals your heart, the purposeful reallocation of your ‘treasure’ can be an effective way to guide your heart away from earthly values and toward more meaningful treasure.
“My heart always goes where I put God’s money.” – Randy Alcorn
Giving is not only an indication of where your heart is, but it is also a means of moving your heart toward God’s generosity in a never-ending journey, expanding your heart to hold all the blessings of a closer walk with God.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
God Gave First
God is the most generous of all givers. God’s grace has blessed us with goods, skills, and opportunities to generate what we need in our lives and a rich and wonderful world in which to live out His calling. God gave at a level beyond anything we can fully comprehend. He gave His Son, whose life bought our salvation.
God’s giving to us is like the filling of a cup, and our giving to others reveals the cup running over.
In the context of our own blessings and gratefulness, we learn to be generous givers. We didn’t earn it; we never will.
God’s gift was the highest demonstration of unconditional generosity.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…
John 3:16
God Owns It All
Money managers administer assets for the benefit of their owners. They are always aware that the funds they handle are not their own. With all the attention we place on managing our money, how does our perspective change when we come to understand that it is not our money, our wealth, our possessions, or our assets, but instead, that it all belongs to God?
We are God’s money managers. The wealth of the earth and all its resources are entrusted to us, with the privilege of stewarding it wisely. Our money is never ours to spend as we choose; our money is God’s to spend as He directs.
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
Psalm 24:1
We Are to Seek First the Kingdom of God
Jesus assures us that we do not have to worry about our earthly life because God has promised to always take care of us. With earthly matters in God’s control, we are free to pursue more spiritual matters, seeking first
and above all else, God’s kingdom and His righteousness through spiritual intimacy. Intimacy with Christ offers the highest levels of satisfaction, both right now and for eternity.
But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all of these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
Heaven, Not Earth, is My Home
Life is short. Eternity is long. And our home is in heaven, where we will spend eternity. This simple yet radical thinking begs an important question: Why should we invest a large amount of time, energy, and resources in what is short? Why should we focus on our (or even our children’s) very temporary life here on earth, when heaven is real and coming and calling?
It isn’t wrong for us to spend money on things that are temporary. However, if we have an eternal perspective—understanding that heaven, not earth, is our real home—then we know that we can store up treasures in heaven. There, we (and those reached with the gospel) can experience them for eternity. A life of generosity—for all who know Christ—means the opportunity to draw closer to God, now and in eternity. It means joy, a fulfilled heart, and the potential to store up treasures in heaven.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20
Giving Brings Joy
Our life becomes joyful, fulfilling, and purposeful as we live in God’s calling. Joy is experienced in the act of giving, but even more so in the alignment of our hearts with God’s will. As generosity comes into our hearts, it blesses us in ways we know in the moment, in ways recognized over a lifetime, and in ways that are revealed to us only in eternity.
Generosity enables us to live in the joy of a “life that is truly life.”
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. – 1 Timothy 6:19
…remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Acts 20:35
