Courageous Generosity

Introduction and Scripture

Joshua 1:10–11 NIV

So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’ ”

Hook:

When I was called into ministry. I started working with students and college kids. But I realized I didnt know what I was doing. I was also trying to convince this beautiful young woman to spend the rest of her life with me. So when it became clear that I needed to go to seminary, we had to take a look at everything. I remember during that time meeting with her mom, sister, and her brother-in-law to ask their blessing to propose to Lauren. Her sister and brother in law are a little older than us and they have already really established careers and plans, etc. They are very pragmatic and I knew they would ask me out of care for Lauren, what was my plan. So I went in with an understanding of all the provisions that I had, a plan to go to school, and an honest but careful presentation of the financial situation for a pastor. I wasnt going to law school or med school. But I also had faith because God was driving this ship more than I could really even communicate.

In Joshua 1, the Lord commands Joshua to be strong and courageous as he prepares to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Amid these instructions, there’s a practical and communal call to action: the leaders are to gather provisions and prepare for the journey ahead. This moment is more than logistics—it’s an act of trust and obedience, a demonstration of collective sacrifice and preparation.

Today, as the church, we find ourselves in a similar position. We are called to move forward in faith, relying on God’s promises while stepping boldly into what He has set before us. But just as the Israelites needed to gather provisions, we are called to offer our time, talents, and treasures to fulfill God’s mission.

The Biblical Call to Provision and Generosity

Joshua’s Call to Leadership (Joshua 1:10–11):

Joshua commands the officers to instruct the people to prepare provisions. This is not an individual effort but a communal one. The provisions symbolize readiness to obey God and invest in the journey He has prepared.

Generosity as an Act of Faith:

Gathering provisions was a tangible expression of trust in God’s promise. Similarly, our giving reflects our trust in God’s provision. Sacrificial giving strengthens our faith and unites us in purpose, just as it did for the Israelites.

This is a discipleship issue. I have said this all along. Lauren and I give 10 percent of our income to the church because it is about prioritizing 2 things:

Our devotion to God above money

Our commitment to the local body of Christ where we are called to serve.

I will give you a third small one…I am never going to ask you to go where I wont go.

The Israelites had to consider their belief in God and the leadership of God as they gathered provisions. This is an act of faith.

The Courage to Act:

The repeated call to courage in Joshua 1 is vital. Courage in giving often means stepping out of comfort zones and trusting God with resources we may feel hesitant to release.

We will talk about this more next week but a little preview…courage is the foundation for Joshua, courage comes from staying surrendered to God, faith is not faith unless it moves.

We are teaching our kids to swim…if a kid wont jump, they really dont believe that i will protect them. Faith has to act.

The invitation today is inviting everyone to move. The mission before us is:

Courageous Discipleship

Courageous Mission

Courageous evangelism

We are not foundationally giving out of duty or to an operating budget, we are giving in faith to God and to the mission God has invited us to participate in.

We shared at our charge conference that our operating budget for the year is nearly flat to 2024: $2,496,000

We have worked hard to reduce expense budget under that to provide for the potential of a contingency and room to breathe. There will always be surprises. We are also anticipating continued growth around the church in alignment with the last couple of years. Your leadership has made some very difficult decisions over the last couple of months to make this right.

The Reality of Giving Today While the biblical call to generosity is clear, current statistics show a concerning trend in the church:

General Giving Decline: A recent study revealed that only about 5% of churchgoers tithe (give 10% of their income).

You are not going to hear me lay down the tithe like some concrete declaration. I do think it is a biblical principal that encourages first fruits giving and proportional giving as an act of faith.

National Giving Trends: The average churchgoer contributes about 2.5% of their income, compared to 3.3% during the Great Depression.

Methodist give less than 2% of their income to the local church.

These numbers remind us of the gap between God’s call to radical generosity and our collective response.

We have about 600 households in our congregation. We have less than 300 that make a planned pledge or estimate of giving. We want to grow that because it is about inviting everyone on board to learn what God wants to do through you and with us.

I know we just completed a capital campaign. That is the elephant in the room. I want to name that. I wrestled with that this week. I dont want to talk about generosity again. But the truth is this…less than half of us have added this part of the journey to our discipleship. And we have a mission in front of us.

Lauren and I stretched as much as we can in Believing Together, so we are staying where we have been but that is an act of faith for us.

Application: Courageous Generosity Today

Next week, we will make our commitment to the 2025 mission.

Reflect on God’s Faithfulness

The Israelites moved forward because they trusted in God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promises. Consider how God has provided for you and your family and respond with gratitude.

Commit to Community Effort

Just as the Israelites gathered provisions as a community, we are called to give collectively for the mission of the church. Our giving supports ministries, outreach, and the sharing of the gospel.

Step Out in Faith

Take a courageous step in your generosity. Whether it’s tithing for the first time, increasing your giving, or offering your time and talents, trust that God will provide.

Conclusion In Joshua 1, God called His people to prepare for the journey ahead through courageous action and collective provision. Today, we face the same challenge. Let us rise with courage, trusting in God’s faithfulness, and prepare ourselves and our resources for the mission He has placed before us.

Yesterday we kicked off the new year with the leadership you elected at our charge conference with a training day.

As we respond to this call, may our generosity not only meet the needs of the church but also be a testimony of God’s abundant grace to the world.