DO YOU THINK YOU’RE A GENEROUS PERSON?
A BLOG BY PASTORS RYAN AND DAVE
Money is a very powerful thing! People sell their souls for money. What would you do? Would you…lie, steal, manipulate, cheat, or bend the rules? What if I asked you, what would you do to be a generous-aire? Gener…what? In other words, what lengths would you go to ensure that you could be a giver? Paul asked the Corinthian church this question. (2 Cor. 8:7-9) He reminds them that they are good at a lot of things – in faith, speech, knowledge, etc. But what about your giving? Do you excel there? You’re excellent at a lot of things but what about your giving patterns, are you excellent there? – See that you also excel in this grace of giving. (vs 7)
In September 2013, a man in Brazil developed what doctors called “pathological generosity.” In an article published in the journal Neuroscience, doctors described the strange case of a 49-year-old man identified as “Mr. A” who had a remarkable personality change after suffering a stroke. His physicians said that after the stroke, it affected the subcortical regions of the man’s brain, he suddenly had an “excessive and persistent” urge to help others. He wouldn’t stop giving money and gifts to people he barely knew. According to his wife, he would buy candy, soda, and food for kids he met on the street. Dr. Larry Goldstein, a neurologist at Duke University said, “Although the observation of personality change is not that unusual, this particular one is apparently novel.”
Jesus instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven, a spiritual form of generosity. It’s true, over the years, I may have been accused a time or two of being “pathological”, but never for the reason of generosity. For the first time in my life, I’d really be ok with this label if it was followed by the word “generosity.”
Pastor Ryan
Friends,
Please accept my / our invitation to learn about culture today and consider future Kingdom opportunities. A longtime friend and mentee of mine, Cris Zimmermann, is a gifted communicator that I’d like to share with you.
Through Cris’ gifts and experience in a culture where the church has become irrelevant, we can begin to think about our role in the Kingdom. Cris and his brother Philip Zimmermann founded Kirche in Aktion (Church In Action) in the Rhine-Main region of Germany nearly 14 years ago.
Germany is a country where less than 2% of the population attends church. It is from that context for us to learn from and help us to think about the Kingdom moving forward.
An Opportunity
From Learning to Intentional Action
Culture – Looking Ahead
- What is to be understood about Cultural Trends
- Church Engagement in Europe
- US Realities
Generosity- Being All-in for Kingdom Impact
- Charity (Relief) & Impact (Restoration) = Integrated Kingdom Impact
- Giving & Investing = Integrated Kingdom Impact
Kingdom Investing
- Creating Ripples That Go Beyond
For any who are interested in knowing more about this, you’re invited to attend an informational lunch or dinner on Wednesday, April 20. This is not a fundraiser of any kind, just an opportunity to learn about generosity and eternal investments. It will also open our eyes in fresh ways to our own harvest field here in Canyon County. You will need to reserve a seat so we know how much food to prepare. Thank you for your kind consideration.
As for this Sunday…there’s an incredible day that awaits you at Deer Flat Church. Come expecting a significant time with the Lord and His people. We can’t wait to see you!
Truly Grateful,
Pastor D