The Secret Power of Generosity | Do As I Do – Part 7
We live in a world that constantly tells us to get more, keep more, and protect what’s ours. But Jesus calls us to something radically different — to give. In this message, part seven of our Do As I Do series, we’re looking at what it means to live generously like Jesus did. Generosity isn’t just about money; it’s a lifestyle of trust, joy, and freedom. When we begin to live under our means and open our hands, we find that God fills them again and again — not so we can store it up, but so we can pour it out.
Pastor Zoe Hatcher | Open Arms Community Church – Bradford, PA
Living the Way Jesus Lived
Doing what Jesus did — that’s what disciples do.
We’ve been walking through this series called Do As I Do: Sabbath. Prayer. Fasting. Solitude. Miracles.
And now, we’re talking about Generosity — the most JOYFUL of all the practices.
But just like the others, generosity is a discipline. It doesn’t just happen on its own. Living a generous life requires focus, practice, and trust.
As we slow down, center our lives around Jesus, and apply these disciplines, our lives simplify. That simplicity frees us up to live under our means — instead of chronically overextended — and opens all kinds of possibilities to bless others.
God Is a Giver
God is a giver — that’s who He is.
He operates in a constant outflow of generous, self-giving, forgiving love. He held nothing back, even giving His only Son for us in the ultimate act of love.
John 3:16 (NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
When we give — our money, our resources, our time, our love — we get to participate in that same divine outflow of love.
That’s what radical generosity looks like. It’s counter-cultural, not normal — but we don’t follow normal, we follow Jesus.
So ask yourself honestly:
Are we known as people who give radically? Or as people who take and hoard? Ouch.
A Heart Check for the Church
Let’s be real — most Christians today aren’t known for generosity.
- U.S. Christians collectively make $5.2 trillion a year — nearly half of the world’s Christian income.
- The average giving per churchgoer is $17 a week — about the cost of a pizza.
- That’s $73.67 per month, or $884 per year.
That’s not the heart of our radically generous God. That’s a heart problem — and it’s time we face it.
Be Rich Toward God
Jesus tells a story in Luke 12:13–21 that hits this right on the head:
Luke 12:13–21 (NIV)
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
The man’s problem wasn’t saving. It was that he wasn’t rich toward God.
Being rich toward God means choosing generosity — storing up treasures in heaven, not just here on earth.
What It Means to Be “Rich Toward God”
Paul explains this beautifully in 1 Timothy 6:6–11, 17–19:
1 Timothy 6:6–11, 17–19 (NIV)
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Radical generosity toward others is being rich toward God.
God’s vision is for His people to live this way — giving out of a ready and cheerful heart, knowing we’re laying up treasures in heaven.
Three Ways to Be Rich Toward God
1. Give a Full Tithe
A tithe is 10% of your income — given to your local church, your spiritual home.
Leviticus 27:30 (NIV)
“‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.’”
That 10% belongs to Him. It’s holy.
Here at Open Arms, we’re sustained solely by what our church family gives. No outside support, no government funding — just faithful giving. And we tithe too! 10% of what you give goes right back out into local and global missions.
Still, the average Christian gives just 2.5%. Imagine if we all gave faithfully — there’d be an extra $139 billion every year for God’s Kingdom!
Malachi 3:8–12 (NIV)
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings.
9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.
12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
This isn’t about guilt. It’s about invitation. God says, “Test me in this.”
He’s not trying to take something from you; He’s trying to bless you beyond measure.
Matthew 23:23 (NIV)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
Jesus Himself affirmed tithing — but He reminded us not to forget why we give.
Hebrews 7:1–2 (NIV)
“This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything.”
Abraham gave a tenth before any law commanded it. Why? Because his heart was already generous toward God.
2. Give Sacrificially
Offerings — anything above the tithe — flow from a generous heart.
Mark 12:41–44 (NIV)
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
It’s not about the amount — it’s about the sacrifice.
Paul praises the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8–9 for giving joyfully even in poverty, reminding the Corinthians to “excel in this grace of giving.”
3. Give for God’s Eyes Only
Matthew 6:2–4 (NIV)
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
This kind of giving — what we call alms — is done in secret. It’s not for applause; it’s for God.
That’s why Open Arms keeps an Alms Box in the back. Everything in it goes straight to help those in need — quietly, humbly, generously.
The Measure You Use
Luke 6:38 (NIV)
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
God measures generosity by our hearts, not our wallets.
If you give with a thimble, you’ll receive a thimble back. But if you give with an overflowing cup — watch how He pours it back, pressed down, shaken together, and running over!
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Making It Practical
Not giving yet? That’s okay. Start small.
If tithing 10% feels overwhelming, start with 1%. Then increase by 1% each paycheck until you reach it.
Put your goal on your prayer card so we can pray with you. The enemy will fight your commitment to generosity — but you won’t fight alone.
The Challenge
Are you ready to commit to generosity and experience the JOY of the Lord through it?
Because when you live open-handed, you’ll discover that God’s hands were open all along.
If this message has stirred your heart, don’t wait to put it into action. Generosity isn’t just something we talk about — it’s something we live. Every gift you give helps us continue sharing the hope of Jesus, serving families in need, and reaching our community with love. Whether you’re starting small or stepping out in faith, your obedience makes an eternal impact. You can give safely and securely anytime at openarmscommunitychurch.org/give. Let’s keep living open-handed and watch what God can do through our generosity.
