BUILT DIFFERENT

Radically Generous

May 25, 2025

Big Idea: God wants us to experience freedom, not fear. He wants our lives to be marked by peace, not pressure. He wants our hearts to be shaped by generosity, not ruled by greed.

Key Points:

Recognize That Everything You Have Belongs to God

• We behave as though everything in our hands belongs to us, but the Bible says that everything we have is on loan from God.
• Your money, time, relationships, and skills have all been entrusted to you. Not for control – for stewardship.

[Psalm 24:1] “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

[Leviticus 27:30] “One tenth of the produce of the land… belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.”

• The tithe is not a donation to God. It’s a declaration of His ownership.
• You’re not giving Him what’s yours – you’re returning to Him what was always His.

[Deuteronomy 8:18] “Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful.”

[1 Corinthians 16:2] “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned.”

[1 Corinthians 4:7] “What do you have that God hasn’t given you?”

“Generosity isn’t simply putting money in the plate. And tithing isn’t an act of generosity, it’s a step of obedience that proves you trust God.”

Resist the Lie That Money Will Give You Security

• Money is the number one competitor for God’s place in our hearts.
• Money feels like power. It gives us options, comforts, control. But it also deceives us.

[Matthew 6:24] “You cannot serve both God and money.”

[Luke 12:15] “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

[Matthew 6:19-20] “Don’t store up treasures here on earth… Store your treasures in heaven.”

• When we put our trust in our money, money slowly replaces our trust in God.
• Money promises security, but it delivers stress. It promises happiness, but it leaves us wanting more.

“Giving to God what belongs TO Him, is the act of dethroning the idol of independence FROM Him.”

Respond with Worship That Goes Beyond What’s Required

• The tithe is the starting block. Generosity is where you go from there!

[Mark 12:44] “They gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

[2 Corinthians 9:7] “You must each decide in your heart how much to give… For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

• Obedience returns what belongs to God. Worship gives Him what we never had to, simply because we love Him.
• The widow’s offering wasn’t about percentages. It was about priorities.

“Radical generosity is what grace, gratitude, and love for God, looks like when it reaches your wallet.”

Practical Steps:

1. Start with Surrender, Not the Spreadsheet
   • Let obedience begin with prayer, not panic
   • Say: “God, I want to put You first — show me how”
2. Build a Budget That Reflects God’s Priorities
   • If God is first in your life, He shouldn’t be last in your finances
   • Structure creates freedom
3. Practice Percentage Giving — Even If It’s Not 10% Yet
   • Start right now, with something but make it first
   • Make a decision to give proportionately
4. Obey First. Provision Follows
   • “Test me in this,” says the Lord (Malachi 3:10)
   • Obedience often precedes provision
5. Giving as a Spiritual Discipline
   • Generosity shapes who you become
   • Every time you give, you’re saying, “I trust God more than I trust this money”

“If we wait until giving feels easy, we will never do it. God isn’t waiting for you to find margin, He’s waiting for you to trust Him.”

Next Steps:

• Is it to start tithing?
• To build a budget around God’s priorities?
• To grow from occasional giving to consistent, Spirit-led generosity?
• To go beyond obedience into joyful, radical worship?

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