JUNE 7, 2024
READ: Acts 20: (Focus vs. 17-24 & 34-35)
MEMORY VERSE
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
BACKGROUND
When Keri’s young son was going through yet another surgery related to muscular dystrophy, she wanted to take her mind off her family’s situation by doing something for someone else. So she rounded up her son’s outgrown but gently used shoes and donated them to a ministry.
Her giving prompted friends and family members and even neighbors to join in, and soon more than two hundred pairs of shoes were donated!
Although the shoe drive was meant to bless others, Keri feels her family was blessed more. “The whole experience really lifted our spirits and helped us to focus outward.”
Paul understood how important it was for followers of Jesus to give generously. On his way to Jerusalem, the apostle Paul stopped in Ephesus. He knew it would likely be his last visit with the people of the church he’d founded there.
In his farewell address to the church elders, he reminded them how he’d worked diligently in service to God (Acts 20:17-20) and encouraged them to do the same. Then he concluded with Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v. 35).
Jesus wants us to freely and humbly give of ourselves (Luke 6:38). When we trust Him to guide us, He’ll provide opportunities for us to do so. Like Keri’s family, we may be surprised by the joy we experience as a result.
By: Alyson Kieda
INSIGHT
Joyful giving for believers in Jesus should be wholehearted and wholistic.
Paul’s ministry in Ephesus demonstrates this.
His ministry included passionate, bold preaching and teaching that touched the souls of his hearers: “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).
Paul’s ministry didn’t stop with speaking, however. He also labored physically for himself and others (v. 34). Through such self-giving, Paul mimicked the model of Christ who taught that, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v. 35).
By: Arthur Jackson
APPLICATION
In what way might God be calling you to give of yourself to another? When have you been the beneficiary of someone’s generosity?
PR’s RE-EMPHASIS (From Post)
“Jesus wants us to freely and humbly give of ourselves. When we trust Him to guide us, He’ll provide opportunities for us to do so.”
PR’s (PASTOR RICHARD) TAKE
Not only does God love a cheerful giver but in reverse and perhaps more appropriately, a CHEERFUL GIVER LOVES GOD pr
“It is easier to take than to give. It’s nobler to give than to take. The thrill of taking lasts a day. The thrill of giving lasts a lifetime.” Joan Marques
“The gift without the giver is rare” James Russell Lowell
PRAYER
“Dear Father, please help me to freely give of my time and resources to others.”
TODAY’S HYMN/WORSHIP/PRAISE/GOSPEL SONG
“THE JOY OF GIVING” Ken Bible
Lord, all that is, is Yours alone,
Poured out on us with tender care,
A gift enough for each and all,
A gift we’re meant to freely share.
For as we give, we share Your joy
With heartfelt thanks long overdue.
We live and breathe Your gracious love
With lives of faith that point to You.
The call to serve, Lord, comes from You.
You offer us the chance to share,
To change our small and selfish lives
To loving, joyful, grateful prayer.
O what a gift, to draw us in
To all the loving work You do,
To all the rich and daily joy
Of living in and unto You!
READING THROUGH THE BIBLE THIS YEAR (DAILY)
PSALMS 134
