“Giving”

 

DISCUSSION:                                                

A teenage boy, Jack, is riding his aging bicycle down the road when he is pulled over by one of his friends, Tom. Tom was sporting a new car.  As he exited the car he told Jack that it was a gift from his brother.  He continued to show all of the extras the car had and how plush the insides were.

Jack was taken aback by the costly gift Tom's brother had given him. For a moment he was speechless.  Even though he hadn’t said anything, Tom had a good idea what he was thinking. Jack opened his mouth and said, "I wish I…."  Tom didn't even listen to what Jack actually said for he knew he was going to say he wished he had a brother like Tom.  However, what came out of Jack's mouth was a surprise. Jack said, "I wish I could be a brother like that!"

Jack has the right idea about gift giving. As our text says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."  It is a higher privilege; it tends more to the happiness of the individual and of the world. The giver is more blessed or happy than the receiver. This appears:

(1)  Because it is a condition for which we should be thankful when we are in a situation to promote the happiness of others.

(2)  Because it tends to promote the happiness of the benefactor himself. It gives one happiness in the act when done with pure motives.

(3)  It is blessed in the reward that shall result from it. Those who give from a pure motive God will bless.  They will be rewarded, not only in the peace which they shall experience in this life, but in the higher bliss of heaven. (Matthew 25:34-36) 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

Resolutions: Draw closer to God through study of His word

BIBLE READING: John 14.7 Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just studying the life of Jesus will help us to know God better.   In seeking God’s help, we can draw closer to Him through prayer, meditation, nature, and study.   “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2  I Tim.4:13,15 - “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them.”   Regardless of our circumstances we can rely on God’s unchanging character.  God is good. God loves me. God is with me. God knows my problems. God cares. Romans 8:31(b) tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Make a resolution to slo...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more