Highlands Fellowship Difference Maker: Generosity That Changes Lives Transcript
0:00 Well, hey everybody and welcome to Highlands Fellowship. It's so good to have each and every one of you here with us today at all of our campuses and all of our venues. I'm excited that we get to talk about what God is doing in our church and all around the world through Difference Maker. One of the things that I'd want you to know that if you're here for the very first time is that you are welcome here. And I want you to feel right at home because as we like to say around here, Highlands is home. And so welcome home today. I also want to just mention that this past Tuesday we had an election in the United States of America if you didn't know that already. And one of the things that I think is very important, one of the things that I tell myself both before and after the elections is that our hope was never in a government. Our hope is never in a person who necessarily represents us in that way. Our hope is always in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And today He sits on the throne, the right hand of the throne of God, and He's still in control. And He's the one where we find our peace, we find our joy, and we find our hope.
1:00 And I encourage you as a follower of Jesus Christ that if you are in Him, you live in victory both now and for eternity. So live on that and continue to trust the Lord. Our job remains the same. We're to share the gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ with the people we come into contact with no matter what the outcomes of any election might be. So I encourage you, I challenge you to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people around you. And I believe our world will become a better place. Now, last week we began talking about a Difference Maker offering that we take up each year here at Highlands Fellowship. And what we did is we talked about the heart behind what we do. We talked about our mission as a church, which is to help people experience life with Jesus. We looked at how that mission comes directly from the heart of God and how the Great Commandment calls us to love God and love people, while the Great Commission calls us to go and make disciples.
2:00 We also talked about how that mission extends beyond the walls of our church. We invest in the next generation. We invest in our communities. We invest in the world because people matter to God, and we want them to have an opportunity to get to know Him as well. And today, what we're going to do is we're going to bring that mission a little closer to home. So we're going to talk about some specific opportunities that God has given to us to make a difference in the lives of children, students, and people right here in our community. You'll hear some stories of life change, and at the end of our time together, we're going to be receiving our Difference Maker offering. But before we really get into the offering portion, what I want to do is I want to talk about generosity. Because I don't want us to see this as simply another financial need that the church is asking us to meet. I want us to see this as something we understand and as we develop as followers of Christ, we understand what generosity
3:00 means in the life of a follower of Jesus and why giving is an important part of our worship. So in 2 Corinthians 9, verses 7 and 8, Paul writes, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." Notice that Paul doesn't begin by talking about a dollar amount, right? He talks about the heart behind it. He says that we should be willing, we should give willingly, not reluctantly or because somebody is pressuring us. You know, biblical generosity isn't about being guilted into giving. It's about understanding what God has given us and then choosing to respond to that with open hands.
4:00 Everything that we have ultimately comes from Him. Our abilities, our opportunities, our resources, and even the breath in our lungs are gifts from God. And when we begin to understand that, giving actually becomes more than something we do with our money. It actually becomes a way of acknowledging that our lives actually belong to Him. Generosity is not just about what we give away, but it's about who we trust with what we have. Jesus said in Matthew 6, verse 21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Our giving reveals something about what matters most to us. It shows where we're placing our confidence and what we believe is really worth investing in. That's why we give. We give because God has been generous to us. We give because people matter to Him.
5:00 And we give because, you know what? We want to be part of what He's doing in the world. I mean, think about the gospel for just a moment. God didn't stand at a distance and simply tell us that He loved us. No, He demonstrated His love by sending Jesus. Romans, chapter 5, verse 8 says this, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God's generosity, it moved toward us. His love took action. And when we experience that kind of love, it really changes the way that we live. Like we become people who are willing to move toward others, to serve, to give, and to make a difference in other people's lives. That's the heart behind this offering. We aren't giving to earn God's love. No, we're giving because we have already experienced it. We aren't giving to make ourselves look generous.
6:00 No, we're giving because, you know, we want the love of Jesus to reach people who need to experience it for themselves. And there are three specific areas where we're asking you to consider how you can be part of that work. The first one is this, is we invest in the next generation. You know, one of the greatest opportunities that God has given us is the opportunity to help children and students discover who Jesus is and what it actually means to follow after Him. What we know that the next generation is growing up in a world that's full of competing voices, they're challenging them for their lives, and they need people who will encourage them, teach them God's word, and help them to build healthy relationships. And we need to show them what it looks like to live their faith out day after day after day. That's why we invest in opportunities like Windshape Camp for children in kindergarten through the fifth grade.
7:00 You know, Windshape Camp actually creates an environment where kids can have a ton of fun but build relationships, hear about Jesus, and experience a week that really can have a lasting impact on their lives. But we're not investing simply to give kids a fun summer activity, all right? We're investing because we believe that what a child learns about God today can actually shape the person they become tomorrow. We want them to know that they are loved by God, that their lives have purpose, and that they can begin to follow Jesus right now. Let's take a look at a story of how God has used your investment and your generosity in and through the Windshape Camp to make a difference in everybody's life. Let's look at this video.
11:00 Isn't it absolutely incredible how God can use an experience like that in a child's life? Liam's life has completely changed. His eternity has changed because people took the time and made the investment in camps like Windshape. And we may look at it and see a week of camp on a calendar, right? That may be what we see. But God sees a life that matters to Him. And we have the opportunity to help create more of those types of moments. You know, we also want to invest in our middle and high school students through Fuge Camp. And these are important years in a young person's life. Students are asking questions about who they are, about what they believe, and what direction they're going to go with their lives. So we want to help them.
12:00 We want to give them opportunities to step away from their everyday distractions, to grow in their faith, to build relationships with other believers, and hear the truth of God's Word. Our hope is that they don't simply come home with great memories. You know, we want them to actually come home with a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and a greater desire to follow after Him. So let's hear another story of what God has done in Harper's life when she accepted God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ at Fuge Camp. Let's listen to this story.
16:00 You know, these stories remind us why this matters so very much. You know, we can't force someone to experience life change, but we can faithfully create opportunities for people to encounter Jesus and to trust God with the results. So when we invest in the next generation, we're investing in people that God loves and in opportunities for them to discover a faith that can shape their entire lives. The next thing that we invest in is we invest in the community. Jesus didn't call us to love people only in theory. He calls us to put that love into action. And in Matthew chapter 22, Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means paying attention to the people that are around us and being willing to respond when we see a need. And that's part of the heart behind Love Week. You know, it gives us a focused opportunity to serve our communities, to build
17:00 relationships, and to demonstrate the love of Jesus in very, very practical ways. It's also why we value partnerships with people who are already doing this important work in our communities. And one of those partnerships is with Rick Mitchell and the Mended Women and the Lifestyle Recovery Centers. So what I want to do is I want you to hear from Rick and see what God has done and see what God is continuing to do. So let's hear from Rick right now.
23:00 Through partnerships like this, we have opportunities to come alongside people facing extremely difficult circumstances. We can support meaningful work, and we can help people understand that they are not forgotten.
24:00 We don't have to be the answer to every problem to make a difference, but we can show up, we can serve faithfully, and we can work alongside others who share a heart for helping people. You know, sometimes the most powerful way to show somebody the love of Jesus Christ is to put that love into action before we ever say a word, and that's what we can do through Love Week and our community partnerships, that's what they represent. Like we want people to experience the kindness and the compassion and the hope of Jesus Christ through the way we serve them. And then the third thing that we invest in is we invest in the world. Last week, we talked about how our mission extends far beyond our walls and out into the world. Through our global partners, through leadership training, equipping disciples and mission trips, we get to be part of helping people experience life with Jesus in places far beyond our own communities.
25:00 We believe the Great Commission is a call for the whole church, not just a few people who feel called to travel overseas. Some will go, some will train leaders, some will encourage and support local churches. And all of us, all of us can pray, all of us can serve, and all of us can give something so that the message of Jesus continues to reach people all around the world. Our Difference Maker offering helps us participate in the work that God is doing all around the world while also investing in children, students, and in our local communities. It allows us to look beyond ourselves and to ask God, God, how can you use what you've entrusted to me to make a difference in somebody else's life? And that brings us to today. You know, as we prepare to receive our Difference Maker offering, I want you to understand that this is a moment that is about much more than reaching a financial goal.
26:00 It's an opportunity for us to worship God through our generosity. In Romans chapter 12, verse one, Paul says to believers, he says, "Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, "in view of God's mercy, "to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, "holy and pleasing to God. "This is your true and proper worship." And I read that to show you that worship isn't limited to the songs that we sing on Sunday mornings. It includes the way that we live, right? It includes the choices we make and the way that we surrender our everything to God. And that includes our finances. When we give, what we're saying is, God, everything I have comes from you and I trust you. And I want my resources to be used for what matters to you. I wanna be part of helping people experience life with Jesus Christ. Giving is really an act of worship because as we give, it honors God.
27:00 It's an act of surrender because we're acknowledging that our money doesn't own us and that he is the one that we trust. And it's an act of sacrifice because generosity sometimes means choosing to give up something that we could use for ourselves so that somebody else can be served. And I wanna be clear, all right? I wanna be very clear. This isn't about comparing gifts or measuring anyone's faith by the amount that they give. Paul says that each person should give what they have decided in their hearts. And for some, that may be a very large financial gift. For others, it may be a smaller amount, but with great sacrifice. What matters is that we come before God with willing hearts and ask him how he wants us to respond.
28:00 So as you consider your difference maker offering, don't just ask, what can I afford to give? But take a moment to ask, God, what are you inviting me to do through this? How can I use what you've entrusted to me to help somebody else experience life with Jesus? You know, we wanna be a church that is generous because we serve a generous God. We wanna be a church that invests in children and students. We wanna be a church that loves its community in practical ways. We wanna be a church that cares about the people and we wanna be a church that understands that the resources God has placed in our hands can be used to make an eternal difference. In just a moment, we're gonna receive the difference maker offering together. Now as we do, I want you to see it as an opportunity to worship God.
29:00 Not out of pressure or obligation, but out of gratitude for all that God has done for us. God has really made a difference in our lives through Jesus Christ. Now we have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Let's pray together. Lord, we thank you so much for all that you've given to us. Most importantly, the gift of your son, Jesus Christ. And if we have faith in him and we give him our lives, you have promised us that we will receive the grace that you've given through him and that we can live in right relationship with you. And I pray with everything in me that as we look at what we have, our resources, that we would realize that everything that we have comes from you. And so God, it's an opportunity for us to return just a small portion back to you to use for your honor and your glory to
30:00 make a difference in every aspect of our lives. And so God, I would ask that you would bless this offering in a way that we can't even understand yet, that you would truly do immeasurably more than anything we could ask or imagine. And we feel like we're believing you for big things, but you tell us that it goes far beyond that. So today, as we give above and beyond our normal tithes and offerings, I pray that you would do a work in and through our lives, the life of the church, and through the gifts that we give in a way that we could never even imagine. God, and as we give, I pray that it would be given with a grateful heart, as an act of worship to our good God, who truly has given us everything. And so as we receive this, we do it humbly, understanding that every bit of this offering goes toward the mission to
31:00 help people experience life with Jesus. And so God, we give you all praise and honor and glory right now, even before the offering is received, to do the work that you've called us to do. We love you, we praise you. It's in the name of Jesus, we pray. And everybody said, amen. All right, at this moment, I would like for you to take out your card, your Difference Maker card. You may have received one as you came in today. You may have gotten one the last couple of weeks in your seat, but I would like for you to look at it, the white portion on the back. And on the right-hand side, there is a place where you can make your gifts or your offerings. And so you can put your name, your email, your phone number, the amount that you wanna give as a one-time gift, or if you plan to give throughout the course of the year. There is a way for you to do that digitally as well, you can look at the QR code, you can also go to hf.church.give, and
32:00 you can give there as well. But whatever God has put on your heart to give, I pray that you would be obedient to that and follow what it is He's called you to do. And I believe that God will use it in a way that we can't even imagine to change the lives of people, both in our communities and all around the world. So what we're gonna do is we're inviting our worship teams to come up and they're gonna play an instrumental, give you time to fill this out. And then what we're gonna do is we're gonna have a time of worship, because I believe that our offerings are an act of worship to God, and we're gonna worship Him for what you've given, what we've received together in this offering, and we're gonna worship Him for what He is going to do in the future. But let's do that together right now.