The Generous Soul

How generous are you toward others? ...toward your church?
What about toward those who could never repay you?

The Generous Soul

"There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself."

(Proverbs 11:24-25)

Last year, GHBC paid off medical debt for over 4,000 families. The $50,000 we gave was leveraged by RIP Medical Debt to alleviate over $4 million in debt. We have received some wonderful words of appreciation from some of those who we were able to bless. Here is my favorite one so far:

"I am truly still in shock. I live on SSID and struggle each month to pay my bills. Medical bills have haunted me all my life. I am 63 and disabled. This bill stayed in my mind for so long. Many times I would just look at my bills and just cry. I am a woman with faith. When I opened the yellow envelope, at first I read Total Debt. At that very moment, a heaviness came to me. I will tell you that when I read that my medical debt was abolished, I laughed a little. Oh, another fake letter, and somewhere in the letter, they will ask for money. I look for blessings every day and today I found more than a blessing in this yellow envelope. Thank you RIP MEDICAL DEBT, and 501(c)(3) charity, and the GREAT HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH in Austin, Texas. I have tears of joy. Whoever else receives one of these letters, be sure you thank all that is involved and everyone. Thank you for making this senior citizen feel cared about."

I am so proud of our church for stepping up and helping many families in the central Texas area with their medical debt. I truly believe that we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others. But here is something remarkable: you cannot outgive God! We do not give in order to get, nor do we give generously thinking that God is in some way obligated to us. No, we give out of a cheerful heart, knowing that this pleases the heart of God. Does God bless us? Yes He does! Big time! In my 11 years as the pastor of GHBC, we have never been this far ahead in our giving at this point in the year. Is there a connection between us stepping out in faith and blessing these dear people who were struggling? I believe there is, both according to our text today in Proverbs and based on what Jesus said in Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

No, I am not a proponent of the prosperity gospel, nor am I a health and wealth preacher. But I do take God at His Word, and when He promises something, then we should act in faith and obey Him.

How generous are you toward others? ...toward your church? What about toward those who could never repay you? Here are a few verses from 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. I pray that God speaks to you and that you obey what He tells you.

"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."

Blessed to be a blessing.

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Podcast of the Week

Readings and Homilies in Romans, Pt. 1

Pastor Danny begins a new series, reading through the book of Romans one chapter at a time and afterwards offering a homily (a brief commentary on the Scripture that was just read). We hope this new series will nourish your soul with the truth of God's Word and help you to focus on it in a new way that you may not have focused on it before!

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