Growing A Healthy Church Sample

Healthy Churches Give

In Acts, we see the birth of the church and the incredible move of God in the hearts of people. In the very beginning, we see the church being irrationally generous. Their faith is so extraordinary that they share everything they have.

Healthy churches give. I love Pastor Robert Morris’ idea that the verb of the entire Bible could very well be “give” instead of “love.” Because at the heart of the Gospel, we see that God so loved the world that He gave. When we give we are most like God. This kind of generosity in healthy churches is not about resources but about the heart It’s a shift from thinking “our” church to “His” church and from “our” resources to “His” provision. Healthy churches make the decision to give based on the needs they see, not the costs they project.

In giving churches, needs are met, both for believers and for those far from Christ. There is joy and fellowship. People outside the church are attracted to the church. Children without permanent homes would have families. The underprivileged and under-resourced would have the support and resources they need.

As you read today’s passages, let the words “give” and “gave” jump off the page.