Writers, Christian Smith and Haley Davidson in their book, The Paradox of generosity trace the origin of the word generosity. Really back to its Latin root generoso which means noble birth. There's another French word similar sounding that really has again, this definition of being noble or magnanimous. Now you shorten that word Jenner, the La Latin root there meaning kin or stock or race, shorten it even further. The indio European version of the word gen really is this picture of to beget. So father begets a son, begets a son and so on. You know, it's the same root word where we get genesis or gender or generation ingenious. And there's this picture that really in the 16th century was that when you describe someone as being generous, it was a picture of nobility of royal descent. And then it moved towards this description of a virtue. So a virtue of a noble person to which we now have the definition today of the idea of giving of one's goods to others. And I love that connection because while generosity is a biblical concept and and principle, the picture of it to help us understand is that when we are generous. When we give to those in need, we are embracing our nobility, we are embracing our identity as a son or a daughter of the king of the universe of God himself that we are created in God's image. And we give because God gave the most famous verse in the Bible John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave. And so this picture of generosity really is one that goes counter cultural to really the messages that we see on social media and on the news and and all these different things where the American dream to go get what you can while you can and the person with the most stuff at the end of life wins. And, and our picture for this series is when you play the Game of Life, the Game of Life here is where you want to get the best job by the biggest house, earn the most money. So that at the end of the game, whoever has the most wins. And while that's a fun game board game to play, it's not a great way to live life because on one sense you're always gonna left, want be wanting more or you're gonna be left feeling like you are not good enough and neither is a healthy place to live. And that the idea for us in this series here in this season of Thanksgiving and gratitude is that when we play a different game. When we play a game based in generosity, looking what we can give, not what we can get, that it becomes, becomes a winnable game and that changes your mindset and it changes your heart and it changes then how you live. So in week one, we address the mindset of generosity and we share that generosity really isn't an amount itself, but it is, in fact, a mindset is an attitude. And then in week two of our series, we address really the heart of generosity that we have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Well, today in week three of our series, we are gonna walk through the hands of generosity getting really practical and have a just hopefully what I feel is a healthy, helpful and maybe even hopeful conversation when it comes to faith and finances. And so our message today is simply entitled, what you do matters that you can make an impact. You can make a difference when you live a generous life. If you take a note, I want you to write this down that Jesus asks you to be generous with what you have, not, what you don't have. Jesus asked you to be generous with what you have, not what you don't have. In other words, we're asking everybody today to keep eyes on your own paper. OK? If you remember in school, when you take a test, the teacher say, don't look at somebody else's paper, ok? This is your own test. That's what we're gonna do today. Is that what the only question I really want you to think about is that what is God calling me to do? And then let's do that. Who is God calling you to be? What is God calling you to do? Because at the end of the day, God is gonna hold you accountable for what you do with what you have, not what somebody else has or doesn't have right. This Christian life can be described as a race, but each person is running a different race. And so when you think about generosity, we sometimes people have what I call someday, generosity. All right, this or this idea of one day generosity. Well, one day when I have this someday, when I get this promotion, one day when I get out of this or that or I'm here, then I'm gonna be generous. But your one day aspirations shouldn't keep you from two day obedience. The who has God called you to be right now? And what has God called you to do right now? And so let's just have a practical conversation when it comes to faith and finances. Let's open up our Bibles to First Timothy chapter six and pick things up here in verse six. The apostle Paul is writing to kind of a spiritual God son, someone he's mentoring and he's getting to the end of his ministry as Timothy is leading his ministry, young incredible leader leading the church of Ephesus, learn some cool things. And so he challenges him with this passage here in verse six. But Godliness with contentment is great gain for. We brought nothing into this world and we cannot take anything out of this world. But if we have food and clothing with these, we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. I want you to notice something here. It does not say those who desire to be rich are evil. Those who desire to be rich are sinful. But rather it, it paints this picture that hey, if you desire to be rich, there's gonna be a difficult path and ahead of you. In other words, it's not gonna be a walk along the beach on a nice smooth walkway, but rather it's gonna feel more like trying to cross the American Ninja warrior course, right? And so you go through look, if you desire to be rich, understand this that there's a good chance you're gonna fall into temptation into a snare into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. So it says for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. This picture is that chasing after riches is a difficult challenge and it, and it sets before you really a trap that you can fall into. And what's different about that is that it's a trap that you yourself are setting, that you're piercing yourselves with pangs of, of tribulation and trials because you think you need something and it's not, money itself is evil and that money itself is bad. But rather when you make money, your only goal, your purpose, your identity, you're gonna struggle, you're gonna have issues and there's gonna be a trap set before you because we were not made really just to hold money, but to steward money. And what happens is that it's not that we're holding money, but rather money is holding you. And so Paul is challenging people saying look, having money is not bad, but it's not your savior. It makes a great tool, but a horrible God. And that if you pursue the things of this world, if you think you need something to be rich, you're gonna be left wanting searching, either not feeling like you have enough or that you need the next newest biggest latest thing, house car phone boat. It, it's never enough, but Paul actually gives us an equation towards great gain in that first verse verse six. And that equation is this Godliness plus contentment equals great gain. Godliness, plus contentment equals great gain. And you need both. See, I would define Godliness as obedience or following Jesus trying to live out and do what God's word says. But if you have Godliness minus contentment. If you don't have that joy of the Lord in your spirit, Godliness minus contentment equals restlessness. That is the religious person who always feels like they need to go to one more Bible study. They need to have one more prayer, one more Harold Mary, one more uh action or, or penance or I need to give one more dollar. I need to, I need to serve one more time. And there's this constant chasing after God's approval. And it's when somebody lives in a way in order to be loved by God. But the gospel flips that and it doesn't say, ok, if you are good enough, then I will love you. But rather I love you. So go and live out of my love. It's living from your identity, not for it. And so if you pursue Godliness without contentment, you're gonna end up feeling exhausted. But the reverse is also not beneficial. If you have contentment, minus Godliness equals uselessness, right? Just because you're content doesn't mean you're doing what God called you to do. Ok? Maybe reading some mail here if you got that kid that came back in the house and is not pursuing anything, any career, any job, any action at all, but they're happy as a clam. That's not what you want for them. Is it just because someone is happy doesn't mean that they're in a great spot. It could just mean that they're lazy just, just being real here. Ok? Because, oh man, life is great. Life is good. Ok? But you have been created on purpose for purpose. Ok. Imagine somebody giving you the car of your dreams car, truck, you know, race car, whatever it is. Minivan, I don't know what your choice is but um minivans could be nice, you know, uh double sliding doors like look not gonna knock it. I used to now we got three kids. I can see, I can see where the trans transformation happens. I don't feel good about it, but I acknowledge it open here. Ok. So whatever your car of your dreams could be, imagine, brand new parked right in front of your house. Imagine if you never took that car out for a drive, you're happy, you're like, oh look at this car, I think it's great. Well, how does it drive? I don't know like what you got the car of your dreams and you never take it on the road. No, I wonder how many of us are spiritually parked in the driveway, right? God saw the world and uniquely created you for this exact moment, this exact time, but he didn't just create. You just sit there see contentment, minus godliness, minus pursuit of who God's called you to be and what God's called you to do equals uselessness, right? But when you combine both, when you follow after Jesus, try to obey his word at the same time, your attitude of contentment comes in realizing that every situation, good and bad is really a gift from the Lord that this exact season, this exact moment that you are here, you can have a joy beyond explanation. That is great, that is great gain for you and for the people around you. Let's take a look at some other people in scripture. Solomon, the richest man who ever lived, had more money than Warren Buffett, Bezos Elon Musk, all those guys combined. And at the end of his life wrote these encouraging words, whoever loves money, never has enough. Whoever loves wealth never is satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. Imagine if you walk into a business and like that's the verse on the wall. But it's true, isn't it? How much is enough? How much is enough? See, wealth is a great tool, but a horrible God. And so if you keep pursuing that over and over again and accumulation, you will never have enough. The same guy or some of the workers of this guy connected to this king also wrote this great book of wisdom called Proverbs. Writes this in Proverbs 1125 but a generous man will prosper that he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. I love that picture that when you give to others, your soul can feel it right? Gets refreshed, gets renewed. Now, what I love about scripture is that when we study what it says about money, it doesn't actually say that money is bad. It doesn't actually say that ambition is bad. That what if God's ambition in your heart and your soul was to create something to do something. Yes. To work hard. Right. Provide for your family, do all those things. But we have to remember that when it comes to ambition, that we have to make sure that our ambition is connected to God's mission. Right? It's important that if you're on a rowboat with God, you want to be rowing in the same direction, right? Yeah. Too many times. We're like, all right, God bless me. Come on, we're going this way versus, hey God, where are you leading? I wanna walk a line and in step with you because when we have that perspective, it changes things. Another just biblical principle is this idea that live with margin and then live on mission. It's not just how much money you make, but how much money you spend and no amount of money matters. If you're spending more than what you're making. Some of you, when you hear the word generosity, you feel overwhelmed because you have no margin in your life. But when you have margin, it gives you really a breath, a pause. Say, ok, again, who has God called me to be? What has God called me to do? And it allows you to live on mission. The Bible is not against the money. David, a man after God's own heart king ruler leader Paul was a tent maker. Why to resource the ministry that he was doing? The church in Philippi, started and funded by Lydia, a rich businesswoman. And we're gonna see here in a little bit that God actually talks about what to do with our riches and our wealth. And so when we have a conversation about money, it understand that everything comes from God and that it is not a bad thing nor a good thing, but rather it reveals what's in our heart. Now, a common topic in church world is this idea of tithing. And let's just have a real practical conversation. What does God's word actually say about it? Well, the first time, the word tithing really is used or practiced in the Bible comes from Genesis chapter 14 verses 19 and 20. And Abraham at the time was Abraham comes back and, and gives 1/10 of what he has. The word tithe literally means 10th. He gives 1/10 of what he has to Melchizedek, the high priest. And so there's an example of giving 10% in recognition that everything comes from God. So it's an act of worship of under and it's a perspective, it's a posture of humility and a posture of generosity, a posture of praise. And so tithing really isn't something that is for God, but actually for us similar to the Sabbath, right, the Sabbath was made for man. It is something given to us so that we can align our heart with God's heart. We then see the next practice or in the Old Testament. You see this throughout one example was found in Leviticus 27 verse 30. This is involving Moses and it says a tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees belongs to the Lord. It is holy to the Lord. And all throughout those first five books of the Bible in Numbers and Deuteronomy. In other places, you see examples of people giving of the tithe. There's a prophet um Hezekiah who in the religious reformation time of people coming back to God, it was connected with the joy and the attitude of bringing the tithe back salmon who I mentioned wrote this in Proverbs 39 and 10. It says honor the Lord with your wealth with the first fruits of all your crops, then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with the new wine. Then in Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament prophet actually writes these words says, bring the full tithe to the storehouse that there may be food in my house and that there thereby put me to the test says, the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. So God actually says, put me to the test test me in this, put in the storehouse. There's discussion on what that means. I think in the New Testament would be connected to the church, but just test me on it. He's right. It says you cannot out give God. We have a generous God who has called us to be generous. Now, there's a debate in religious circles that is the practice of tithing, giving 1/10 of what you have to the Lord. Is that a Old Testament only practice or a New Testament? Now again, eyes on your own paper here, you have to decide for yourself what you believe personally. I believe it is a continued practice in The New Testament. One of the reasons I believe that is found from Matthew chapter 23 verse 23 Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees the religious leaders at the time and he says these words woe to you scribes and Pharisees oh hypocrites for you tithe mint and dill and Cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faithfulness these you ought to have done without neglecting the others. So Jesus is challenging religious leaders and say, ok, yeah, you've been tithing, but you've been treating people awful, stop that, love people serve people. Don't forget the tithe, but yeah, treat people well. And so he continued on so he doesn't actually negate it, but rather he fulfills it. See, I think there's this pattern from Old Testament to New Testament where Jesus doesn't abolish the law but fulfills it. And so the Old Testament lays out these rules and then Jesus lays out these principles and we like rules because they are specific and you can mark whether someone pass or fail. But in the New Testament, Jesus simplifies things but actually takes them deeper and actually says, no, let's get to the heart of why I set this up in the first place. Here's an example, all these commands, all these laws, 10 commandments, all these things, right? Jesus comes onto the scene and says, love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, love one another as yourself. And then in John 13, he says, actually love one another as I have loved you. So he doesn't negate all these Old Testament things, but he summarizes them and says, no, love me, love others. Another example, he says, don't commit adultery in the Old Testament, New Testament. Jesus says, don't lust, Old Testament, don't commit murder. Jesus comes in and says, don't hate. So he gets deeper. And here's another example. This passage actually gets quoted when people say, well, I don't think tithing is a New Testament thing. And they often times quote this passage, but let's read it. It comes from Second Corinthians chapter nine now to set up the passage though in Second Corinthians chapter eight, Paul is writing in the church in Corinth and he highlights this church in Macedonia that is experiencing trials, tribulations actually doesn't have a lot of money but yet is giving to meet the needs of others. And then he gets to this chapter here. We're gonna pick it up in verse six. And he says here, the point is this whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver. Now, this is the verse that gets highlighted by everybody who doesn't believe in the tithe. And I wanna hang on to that. We're gonna come back to that. But let's just keep reading this passage in as an example and God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times may abound in every good work as it is written. He has distributed freely and he has given to the poor. He has righteousness and his righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. So we ask ourselves, what is it then that we're called to do? And so I love that the passage does say in there say, hey, look, no compulsion here, no guilt. You have to decide in your heart what you're gonna give. And so you are, you are correct in saying that Paul is not asking for a specific amount. But when we look at the context, I want you to tell me what he's trying to say. Hey, Macedonia had nothing and they gave everything. If you want to sow a little bit, you're gonna reap a little bit. But if you want to sow a lot, reap a lot. Hey, God loves a cheerful giver. Do you wanna be a cheerful giver? Right? Remember that all of God's grace covers all things and then supplies all needs and multiplies those that sow and the bread to those who live out their calling. Do you think God is calling us to less or more in that passage? Right. I've had someone come up to me before and be like, hey, I'm not gonna give 10% because God loves a cheerful giver. I was like, are you really telling me you're cheerful right now? Does that sound very cheerful to you? Like, is that a cheerful question? I don't know about you, but I wanna be a cheerful giver and look just full transparency here. I didn't really understand and really live out this practice of tithing until I was actually already working at a church. That's a little awkward to be leading at a church and then realizing, oh, wait, I'm supposed to be tied and then going back and like literally repenting of that and going in because it's not an amount really, it really is. A mindset and that 10% really isn't the ceiling, it's the floor and what do you and, and look whatever percentage, whatever you're walking through, whatever I want you to know that we, we love you and we are glad you're here. I really don't believe in guilt or any of that compulsion because you really do have to decide for yourself. That's why I say it's, it's gonna be eyes on your own paper here. But when you read scripture, you have to ask yourself the question. OK? What do you want to reap a little bit or a bountiful? Right? Like take another relationship involved? Do you have to talk legally to be married to someone? I mean, not technically if you got the paper, right? Do you have to go on a date? Well, what if I responded? God wants a cheerful spouse? Ok. Right. Secondly, you don't have to do anything, right? It's grace of bounds. But if you want a healthy marriage, right? You wanna have conversation and time and dates and serving, right? And so when we're asking the question, it shouldn't be how much simply do I give, but rather it's like, well, how much do I actually keep? Because here's what I've learned when I study scripture, is that what you keep is what you have? But what you give God multiplies, what you keep is what you have. But what you give God multiplies, there's story after story after story that when someone gave just a little bit to God in the hands of God, it multiplies it so much greater and that when we give to the church, the bride of Christ that we're doing so as an act of worship, not reluctantly, not under compulsion, but cheerfully because it is a posture of generosity that I'm gonna challenge you in a little bit and, and really, it goes across the board because if you've never given anything like I want you to know God loves you. And I'm so glad you're here. If you've never given anything, understand, love you. So glad you're here. I wanna challenge you as a pastor say, give something, try it. Yeah. See how your attitude and heart and posture and mindset changes when you start to give things away. If you've never given anything, just give something. If you've given something, I want to give you a challenge. Yeah. Give something significantly. You reap what your sow decide in your heart, what it is that you wanna read. I wanna challenge you to give significantly to consider the tithe and that if you've given significantly my challenge to you is to consider to give sacrificially. You see all in all three cases, there's not an amount that's in there. I'm not gonna give you a certain number to say, ok, hey, do this, don't do this because it's deeper than that. Right? Is a posture in your life. He said, you know, what God, I'm gonna worship you with this. Right. I believe you can do more with nine than I can do with 10. The reality is, it's all yours anyway. Right. If you've ever given money to your kids to go out to eat or something or an event and they bring you back the change, they bring you back the change, they don't give it back to you. Go. You're welcome parents. Like, wait a second, I gave you that money in the first place. Or have you ever done this where uh when they're younger too? Right? It's, it's like your birthday or something. Hey, mom, dad can I have money so I can buy you a gift, right? And we do that and, and they do get a gift. You know what we think as parents like, oh, they did think about us, right? It is special and the reality is it's but you gave him money. Ok? True or false. Everything comes from God. OK? So if that is our starting point, then the question is God, what have you called us? The steward? And to do feels so much deeper than that, it's so much deeper than just a certain number somewhere. It's a posture. Paul, the writer talked about contentment and Godliness. Same chapter a few verses later, verse 17. He says this, he says as for the rich in the present age. So he's addressing the rich, he's, he's addressing them directly. So it's not a sin to be rich. And in fact, if you're sitting in this room or you're watching this video here in America, we are in the richest parts of the whole world. It says as for the rich charge them to not be haughty, don't be prideful. And then he says, do not set, do not set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides with everything to enjoy. Let's keep that verse up for a second, says a couple things to us don't be prideful and says, don't put your identity in your riches because the riches might come and go. But put your identity and your hope in the God who richly provides. This especially has new meaning to us. On the other side of a global pandemic, we think we're in control. We think we know the market, we think we understand real estate or this or that and all of a sudden boom, the world changes. So don't put your hope in riches itself, but rather the God who richly provides. And here's the thing too. I love this and some people hear the word money and, and hear the word tithe and they're like, oh, they want my money. Ok? Check this verse out a God who richly provides with us everything to enjoy. Do you know God wants you to enjoy life? See, some of us have swung from the Prosperity Gospel all the way to the other side of the poverty gospel. And we think in order to be a Christian, I must hate life. Have my head down like, oh, what was me? Quick question when God created the world? The tree, forbidden fruit. How many trees were that? It's not like a forbidden garden, right. How many trees are we talking here? One? Right. How many good trees were there in the garden? Like infinite? Do you understand that Adam and Eve had to walk past the infinite good options for them to enjoy? To get to the one thing they weren't supposed to have. God created the world to be good. He wants us to enjoy it. How do we know that we have a little bit of a poverty gospel mindset. Ok. And I, I'm with you on this one. Ok. My reading my own mail here for a second. How many of you as soon as you receive a compliment for a shirt or something you purchased? You immediately explain that you got it on sale. You know what I'm talking about? Oh, I love that. Oh, no, no, I, I got it 70% off, man. That's a great car. Well, I need it. It's great on gas mileage. You know, I'm saving so much money now that I'm electric, right? Don't we do that? We immediately qualify why? Because we feel like we're not supposed to have or do anything. Now, don't get me wrong if you get a clearance deal. I'm all in. Right? You get that adrenaline rush. You're like, yeah, I feel like you stuck it to the man or something. You ever do? You know what I'm talking about? Take that store? Still get your money. But do you know what I'm saying though? Why, why do we qualify things? Someone compliments you? Why don't we say thanks? He doesn't actually say having things is bad. I get that we don't want to raise spoiled brats. But all of us in here want to give our kids something for Christmas, right? Or you want them to open something on their birthday. You're not gonna give your kid no parent Christian or non-christian, it's gonna give their kid a box and just to be empty inside and be like here happy birthday over what? There's nothing inside that's life. Kid get used to it. Even earthly parents want to give good gifts to their kids. God created the world and said this is good. Too many Christians live life having or not having singing about the joy of the Lord and living life in complete anguish. Yeah. So enjoy life. Enjoy what God has given you, right? Enjoy a feast, a meal with family and friends, good food, good company, right? But do you want to know what true joy really looks like? He tells you next verse verse 18 for they are to do good and to be rich in good works to be generous and ready to share. Thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that, which is truly life. I love that phrase. Take hold of that, which is truly life. OK? See if you play a board game or you play that board game, a game of life, no matter if you win or lose all the pieces. Go back in the box when the game's over. I know how, no matter how much money or stuff you earn in this life, when you pass on, it's done. So how are you investing in the relationships in the people in his church, in his bride? That makes a difference to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and to share with people. I don't know about you, but I wanna take hold of that, which is truly life. Yeah, I don't wanna be ashamed by what I have at the same time. I don't wanna be wasteful and I don't wanna be a slave to what I have either. It's fun to have stuff. It's bad when stuff has you right to give you a picture here before we close. There's a guy named George Britton mcclellan. I don't know what the deal was in the 18 hundreds with the hand and not even in the pocket but in the center. Apparently that was a thing nine in 1861 he was appointed the commanding general of the United States army. Now what happened in the 18 sixties? Ok. Some of you need to be reminded of history, but the civil War, ok. He was, he was named the commanding general Abraham Lincoln had just recently come into office. He had the north versus south. Here was this general West Point grad known for training and building armies. In fact, someone saw his training regiment of his army, the army of the Potomac and was so impressed. They wrote what's now sung as the battle. Um the battle hymn of the Republic, famous song that was written in response to one of his training sessions. That's how good this guy was. So he was training an army, building an army. It was growing and growing and growing. And so the number of men, the number of resources vastly outnumbered what they had in the South. But for whatever reason, he wouldn't attack, he had an excuse every time. Well, it's not the right time. It's not the right season. So the summer of 61 went to the fall of 61 to the winner of 61 to the spring of 62 and it continues on and he's not attacking it even in the few battles that he was in. He wouldn't send everybody in. He would purposely withhold it's a world strategy. Eventually in 1862 Abraham Lincoln would visit the army camp with a gentleman by the name of Osias M Hatch. And I mentioned that name because Osias M Hatch was the one who documented the visit. Early one morning, Lincoln invited hatch and said, hey, let's go for a walk. The sun was rising. The men were just waiting for their daily responsibilities and hatched notes of how crazy it was. The the country was at war. Millions of lives was at stake. And here it was on a quiet walk with the leader of the country. They get to the edge of the camp overlooking the army. Lincoln looks at him and asks the que question hatch. What is all of this? To which hatch? Replied, this is the great army of the Potomac Lincoln paused for a moment, stared straight ahead and stood straight up in a loud voice. Said, no, this is mcclelland's bodyguard and just a few short weeks later, he was removed from his position. See, while mcclellan was known for accumulating resources, he was pulled because he refused to use the resources. He had to live out the purpose that he was called to. He never engaged in battle. And I wonder how many of us experience that we keep thinking one day, some day a year from now, two years from now, 10 years from now, then I'm gonna be generous. That's not truly life. And so let's get this real practical. Ok. Starting today between now and the end of the year we're launching what we call, share the love, share, love. Go ahead and turn to your neighbor and just say, share the love. OK? But I feel like you can't like whisper it. You know what I mean? You gotta have a little bit of energy. Some of you, I some of you heard it, I could hear it. Right. Just go ahead. Right, one more time to the neighbor to say, hey, share the love. All right. Or maybe a little too much energy on this side. But no, see we want, we want to be this river of life. The dead Sea is dead, not because nothing flows into it but because nothing flows out. Right? Water flows in evaporates the mineral. Stay. The process continues to where nothing is living in that body of water. We don't want that to be us as a church. We want the blessings of God to flow through us to impact and transform and change our community. And so we're gonna challenge you to do three things. We wanna challenge you to give invite and serve to be generous to take hold of that, which is life. We have a web page up there might be a QR QR code and things there too. So you can check out what it is we're talking about. You're actually gonna get little booklets and things on the way out to remind ourselves of this. But here's our goal. I'm not even setting an amount or anything on this. My goal for us is to have 100% participation. You can't do everything but everyone can do something. And so eyes on your own paper. What is God calling you to do? Who is God calling you to be? So the challenge has three things. Number one, wanna challenge people to give, to give a practical outlet. We wanna say to give to this crazy love project. We're halfway through that. The crazy love project helps get us into this facility as well as giving away to local and global missions. But I want you to consider those three challenges from earlier in the message. If you've never given anything, consider giving something, try it, try it see how that changes your perspective. If you've given something perfectly consider giving significantly. T got on. He says it, if you've given significantly, I want to challenge you to prayerfully consider to give sacrificially. So we truly believe you cannot out give God, let's expand our reach into this community and beyond between now and the end of the year. But secondly, I want to challenge you to then invite someone, share the love means. And if if you've been encouraged by this church or by this ministry or by this message, share it with somebody, don't hang on to it, but share it with the people around you, invite a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, bring him into this message and in this ministry and in this house and in this family, every single person that comes through these doors will be welcomed with open arms because we are for you just take that simple step and invite. The last thing here is look for opportunity to serve to serve within the church and in our community, whether it's music or technology or greeting or preparing the food or helping the kids. You know, there are people serving so that you can be in this room right now. We want to invite you into that process, talk to anybody who's serving the mystery and they're gonna tell you that they've been blessed and look for a way to bring light and love into the wall around you. How can you serve in our community this Christmas season and everyone can do this, right? Just Friday for myself trying to live this out. We did a parent child breakfast at a local school here um doing like a cool thing with, with dads and parents and kids and at the end we did a raffle and uh and uh my middle kiddo fifth grade won the, won one of the prizes and it's super fun. You know, it's always fun to win a prize, right? I was super proud because he took that prize and immediately went to his little kindergarten buddy and said, hey, this is for you. See, over half the room just goes all and the other half, I don't know if you have a heart of stone or what come on, that's cute. You know why you and all because when you see generosity, it encourages, inspires and I was a child, right? So what if we filled this holiday season, filled this community with story after story, after story of sharing the love of Christ with the world around us. So serve, help, give invite and then tell us about it. And we let's fill this community fill this area with the love of Christ this holiday season because you're gonna get discouraged and see darkness everywhere you turn. So let's bring some light into this and share it on social tag us, hashtag share the love, let us know celebrate people when someone does something nice for you. Thank them, celebrate it. When someone does when you do something nice for them, tell that story and let's inspire others because we are generous because God is generous. Will you join me? Let's share the love this Christmas season. Let's pray dear God to thank you for who you are and what you've done. Now, this principle of tithing is not just for you. It's actually for us to place us with a posture and a position of humility and gratitude that everything comes from you. And so we freely give back to you. What is already yours to take hold of that? Which is truly life. May we be generous with our treasure, with their time and with their talent and give this holiday season? Invite others to experience your love and to serve God. You yourself said that you didn't come to be served but to serve. May we follow your example and be a blessing to others? This season, we love your gods, your sons in your brain. Amen. Will you stand and sing with me?