How Generosity Can Rob Us Of Our Joy

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Wait, what? Isn’t generosity supposed to bring us joy? How can acts of generosity rob us of joy? Well, stay tuned. I need to be careful with definitions if I am to make my point clearly. First, consider the definition of ‘generous’. One common dictionary offers this, “(of a person) showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.” Webster likes, “liberal in giving.” Still another, “the trait of being willing to give your money or time.” Pretty clear. To be generous is to give more (liberally) than expected of your […]

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A Community of Giving and Receiving

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(The following is excerpted from Rob Martin’s upcoming book, When Money Goes on Mission: Fundraising and Giving in the 21st Century by Moody Publishers) When money “goes on mission,” it travels in the form of financial gifts, carried along in the pockets of those who spend it on the ordinary things of life and ministry so they can do the extraordinary things God has called them to do… In general, money passing from one person to another is a transaction, nothing more than an exchange of something of value for something of value in return. However, unlike everyday financial transactions, […]

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What if God never intended you to have a life purpose?

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I heard a speaker at church shock the congregation with this statement: “God has not given you a purpose in life!” You could hear a pin drop as we waited for the next line, and he repeated it for emphasis. “You do not have a God-given life purpose!” As he continued his comments about how attempts to discover our own life purpose is an unbiblical concept, I found myself profoundly in disagreement with his statements. But then he made his point: God has a purpose. You have an assignment! My mind immediately opened up to what he was really saying. […]

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Biblical Stewardship and Fundraising

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Biblical stewardship provides the paradigm for Christian fundraisers. It begins with the acknowledgement that God who created all things is also the owner and provider of all that we need, including the resources to fund his kingdom work. What a liberating thought! My conversion to biblical stewardship set me free as a fundraiser. As development director of the seminary where I was working I used to think about the money I had to raise before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. The burden of raising the money felt heavily on my shoulders until I […]

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Biblical Stewardship: The Foundation of All Generosity

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Generosity is the overflow of the stewardship mindset that says God owns it all and I am only a steward of the resources in my hands, including my life. This truth has far-reaching implications in the way we live our lives and use the resources entrusted to us including money, possessions, our work, our business, and everything else we got. God bestows material blessing to his people in order that they can help those who have less in this life. Giving and sharing liberate God’s people from hoarding material things and loving mammon. If we train ourselves to give away […]

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