Concord United Sermons

Truly generous hearts produce generosity with our time and talents often displayed through acts of service. Stephen was chosen to help lead a feeding ministry for the early church because he was a man of faith. He selflessly shared food and the Gospel – even to the point of giving up his life to do so. In the Old Testament, Queen Esther used her time and talent for influencing the king to save the Jewish people. After hesitating briefly, she eventually risked her life to save her people. 

Scripture - Acts 6:1-10, Esther 4

Truly generous hearts produce generosity with our time and talents often displayed through acts of service. Stephen was chosen to help lead a feeding ministry for the early church because he was a man of faith. He selflessly shared food and the Gospel – even to the point of giving up his life to do so. In the Old Testament, Queen Esther used her time and talent for influencing the king to save the Jewish people. After hesitating briefly, she eventually risked her life to save her people. 

Scripture - Acts 6:1-10, Esther 4

Cultivating generous giving requires us to understand our resources as having been entrusted to us by God. We are stewards – not owners – of our resources with the responsibility of using our resources to glorifying God (tithe), help those who have been mistreated, and share the Gospel with those who will come after us. The widow is an example of someone committed to glorifying God (tithing) according to her means. Zaccheaus became someone willing to go above and beyond to help those he had harmed. Barnabas could be considered the patron saint of estate giving as he gave a gift of real estate to enable to the early church to share the Gospel. 

Scripture - Luke 21:1-4, Luke 19:1-10, Acts 4:36-37

Cultivating generous giving requires us to understand our resources as having been entrusted to us by God. We are stewards – not owners – of our resources with the responsibility of using our resources to glorifying God (tithe), help those who have been mistreated, and share the Gospel with those who will come after us. The widow is an example of someone committed to glorifying God (tithing) according to her means. Zaccheaus became someone willing to go above and beyond to help those he had harmed. Barnabas could be considered the patron saint of estate giving as he gave a gift of real estate to enable to the early church to share the Gospel. 

Scripture - Luke 21:1-4, Luke 19:1-10, Acts 4:36-37

Jesus teaches that generous hearts produce generous actions and stingy hearts produce stingy actions. The first step to cultivating a generous heart is to develop a generous spirit. Generous of spirit develops when you begin to treat others better than they deserve because you recognize God treats infinitely better than you deserve. Paul and Jonah are good examples of our options for how to respond to God’s grace. Jonah knows God is gracious and resents it. He only serves God when he has no other good options. Paul knows God has been more gracious to him that he could ever deserve and he is joyfully, willing to give his life away to share that message with the world. 

Scripture - Luke 6:43-45, Jonah 4, 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Jesus teaches that generous hearts produce generous actions and stingy hearts produce stingy actions. The first step to cultivating a generous heart is to develop a generous spirit. Generous of spirit develops when you begin to treat others better than they deserve because you recognize God treats infinitely better than you deserve. Paul and Jonah are good examples of our options for how to respond to God’s grace. Jonah knows God is gracious and resents it. He only serves God when he has no other good options. Paul knows God has been more gracious to him that he could ever deserve and he is joyfully, willing to give his life away to share that message with the world. 

Scripture - Luke 6:43-45, Jonah 4, 1 Timothy 1:12-17

God created us to worship and placed a deep desire for worship in our hearts. Worship is defined by the New Testament as the “work of the people.” Our work for which we were created is to give glory to God. Through following God’s instructions for our communal worship – which include Bible teaching, songs of praise, and expressions of gratitude – we learn how to worship God with our whole lives.

Scripture - Colossians 3:16, Psalm 22:23

God created us to worship and placed a deep desire for worship in our hearts. Worship is defined by the New Testament as the “work of the people.” Our work for which we were created is to give glory to God. Through following God’s instructions for our communal worship – which include Bible teaching, songs of praise, and expressions of gratitude – we learn how to worship God with our whole lives.

Scripture - Colossians 3:16, Psalm 22:23

David was no stranger to grief. His own son, Absalom tried to overthrow him. In the ensuing battles, one of David’s generals kills Absalom against David’s wishes. While David celebrates the restored kingdom, he also mourns his son. At the end of his life, David chooses Solomon to succeed him as king. His final advice to Solomon is to walk in God’s ways. In these instances, we once again see David’s heart for God. He mourns a wayward son just as God mourns wayward sinners. He sought to offer grace to Absalom just as God offered him grace. And at the end of his life, he assures Solomon that every good thing worth having in life comes from faithfulness to God.  

Scripture - 2 Samuel 15-18 (selected verses), 1 Kings 1-2 (selected verses)

David was no stranger to grief. His own son, Absalom tried to overthrow him. In the ensuing battles, one of David’s generals kills Absalom against David’s wishes. While David celebrates the restored kingdom, he also mourns his son. At the end of his life, David chooses Solomon to succeed him as king. His final advice to Solomon is to walk in God’s ways. In these instances, we once again see David’s heart for God. He mourns a wayward son just as God mourns wayward sinners. He sought to offer grace to Absalom just as God offered him grace. And at the end of his life, he assures Solomon that every good thing worth having in life comes from faithfulness to God.  

Scripture - 2 Samuel 15-18 (selected verses), 1 Kings 1-2 (selected verses)