29 June 2024 by Ps. Benjamin Lim (Sg)
Elements of a community that is generous
1. Openness
2. High trust
3. Giving
Lacking generosity
1. Closed interaction
Shrinking community, defensive, suspicious, always thinking someone is taking advantage of you.
2. Selfishness
Prioritise personal needs
3. Stinginess
Acts 2:40-46
40 And [Peter] solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation.
41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
42 And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord’s Supper] and prayers.
43 And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).
44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;
45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.
46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts,
Generous in Greek = Singleness of heart
= Soil without stone
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Generous with our lives
1. Outwork with sincerity
· You can give but not generous.
· But if you are generous, you will give.
2. Appropriate and accurate but not accessive.
3. Done without seeking attention.
4. There is a divine reward.
Prov 11:25
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Discussion
1. How and who can you be generous with?
2. Share a time when you were generous and it, in turn refreshed you.
NEW SS12 CONNECT
We felt the presence of God in the connect after 10 days fast & pray and Encounter Night. A new visitor joined the connect with the intention to seek for a church to settle down for the family of 4. She felt the tangible touch of the Holy Spirit on the first worship song and meltdown with tears. Though earlier, she was uncertain whether to make Kingdomcity her home church, she is more certain that Kingdomcity is a place called home after the connect. She is planning to bring the whole family to the Sunday service ASAP. Wow! Let's proclaim that these souls will be added into the big family of Kingdomcity.
After the connect, a few of us wanted to be generous to ourselves after the 10 days fast. We adjourned to a steam fish head restaurant at Taman Subang Permai. When we were queuing up to be seated, we expressed our generosity by sharing a big table to a senior couple who were behind us at the queue. During the dinner, we came to know that the senior couple is living near to Onecity and do their regular grocery shopping at NSK, Onecity. We introduced them to Kingdomcity and shared the goodness of joining the senior chapel. The seeds of gospel were sowed and we proclaim they will sprout soon.
We experienced a wonderful, fruitful, miraculous and generosity filled connect evening. We are highly lifted up and ready for the MO SUNDAY !
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