UNSUNG HERO Bible Reading PlanSample

Day 4 - GIVING LAVISHLY

Have you ever received a gift so lavish, so unexpected that you were shocked to receive it? Perhaps someone helped you with medical bills, student loans, or a car payment. Perhaps you were the recipient of something deeply meaningful for a birthday or holiday.

In UNSUNG HERO, friends from their local church give the Smallbone family a car. And not just any car—their own car. They see a need and fill it by literally passing over the keys. These friends witnessed the need as the Smallbones were walking everywhere or catching rides to church or homeschool co-op, and they were proactive enough to see how they could bless the family. Later, these same friends help cover the hospital bills when baby Libby is born.

We are called to give lavishly, just as Christ was given unsparingly to us. But sometimes, it’s easier to be on the giving side than the receiving. In UNSUNG HERO, David Smallbone is both thankful but also uncomfortable by the church’s gifts. It’s as much a spiritual discipline to give grace and good gifts as it is to receive.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Imagine the greatest material need in your life. Is it a car like the Smallbones? Crippling debt? Stable housing? Imagine if someone met that need before you could even ask for help. How would that make you feel?
• What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever given?
• Do you find it harder to give or receive?