Sunday 23rd August 2020 - Generosity
Holy Habits 8 - Generosity
Video
Worship:
Why not start with our ‘Holy Habits Theme Song’?:
Then go on to worship with The Well actions team with ‘Everyday’ by Hillsong United:
Word:
Watch the following clip from ‘Finding Nemo’ and listen out for which word is used the most:
“Mine!” I wonder if we are sometimes guilty of thinking like the seagulls and wanting everything to be ‘mine’? Jesus wants us to live with an openness to sharing and being generous because we should know that God blesses us and in turn we should want to bless others. In Acts 20 verse 35, Jesus is quoted as saying: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Have you ever experienced this?
What is the best gift you’ve ever given?
How does it make you feel when you give?
Being generous does not only mean giving money or giving things, it can also mean being willing to share time with people or to share kind words and even sometimes being generous with our willingness to forgive when people have upset us.
Look at the photograph of ‘The Great Oak’. This tree is found in Sherwood Forest, perhaps you’ve been and seen it? The Major Oak is the biggest oak tree in Britain, with a canopy spread of 28 metres, a trunk circumference of 11 metres and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes. It’s not clear whether the Major Oak is one tree or multiple saplings that have fused together. It is really old (estimated between 800 – 1100 years old!)
This enormous tree started as a tiny seed that was planted in the ground years ago. It is possible that it then joined with other saplings (baby trees grown from seed) and just look at the size of it now! When we give to others, when we offer something of ourselves or give our money, it is like planting a seed. It might seem small or we might wonder how it will help, but when it is given with a generous heart, it will grow and make a big impact, often in ways that we will never know fully.
Practising the holy habit of being generous and being willing to share can help us to think differently, to not always react like the seagulls shouting ‘mine’! Being thankful for all that God blesses us with, can help us in turn to practise blessing others by being generous; remembering that no matter how small our gift might seem to us, it can make a much bigger difference than we ever realise - remember how big the Great Oak grew to be from tiny seeds.
Activity Suggestions:
Research local charities:
Find out about local charities. Which ones particularly catch your attention? Are there ways that you could support them as a family? By gifting money or time or telling others about their work?
Have a clear out:
Go through your toys and put aside the ones you don’t want to keep or that you’ve grown out of. Then either sell the toys and give away all or some of the proceeds to a charity, or, donate the toys to a charity of your choice (check for current Covid-19 guidelines first).
Be generous with your time:
As it is the summer holidays, is there a way you could bless someone else by helping them out? (Be aware of being safe, especially following Covid-19 safety procedures.) A couple of examples to get you thinking…Do you have an elderly neighbour you could bless by doing some weeding? Could you wash your parents car? Could you offer to help prepare and cook tea one evening?
Giving:
Talk about how you give financially; do you plan to give away (or tithe) or do you wait until you feel challenged by God? Look up further Bible passages about giving. Talk as a family about what charities you support now or have in the past and why. If you are given spending money, could you plan to spend, save and give each month?
Reflection:
If you like listening to music whilst you think, why not play ‘One Thing Remains’ by Bethel Music Kids and think about how generously God blesses you:
Then take time to reflect on people or places that you know are in need. Pray for them. Ask God to bring about change. Remember that we cannot physically help with every need, but we can pray and hold people and situations before God - God is the God of miracles!