The Gift of Giving

Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread Ministries

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6 • 955 Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2025

⏱️ 4 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In his 2024 address to 1,200 university graduates, billionaire businessman Robert Hale, Jr. said: “These trying times have heightened the need for sharing, caring and giving. [My wife and I] want to give you two gifts: the first is our gift to you, the second is the gift of giving.” His words were followed by the distribution of two envelopes each to the unexpectant graduates—five hundred dollars to keep and five hundred to give away to a person in need.

Though Robert Hale’s wealth has allowed him to share like this on more than one occasion, generosity isn’t reserved for those with great means. Believers in Jesus in ancient Macedonia gave out of their poverty so the needs of believers in Jerusalem could be met. Paul said of the Macedonians, “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” (2 Corinthians 8:2). He commends them because “they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people” (vv. 3-4).

Those who recognize that they’ve been given much grace from God through Jesus can respond with generous hands to the needs of others. With God’s help, let’s give after the example of the One who said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Transcript

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0:00.0	each of you should give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
0:08.5	2 Corinthians 9, verse 7.
0:12.7	Welcome to this daily encouragement from our daily bread.
0:17.4	The gift of giving was written by Arthur Jackson and read by Wes Ward.
0:24.0	2 Corinthians chapter 8 verses 1 through 7.
0:28.2	And now brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
0:35.1	In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their
0:40.8	extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,
0:49.3	and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing
0:57.8	in this service to the Lord's people, and they exceeded our expectations. They gave themselves,
1:05.1	first of all, to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning,
1:15.1	to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything,
1:21.9	in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we have kindled in you,
1:29.7	see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
1:36.6	The Gift of Giving, written by Arthur Jackson.
1:41.8	In his 2024 address to 1,200 university graduates,
1:47.9	billionaire businessman Robert Hale Jr. said,
1:51.8	These trying times have heightened the need for sharing, caring, and giving.
1:57.1	My wife and I want to give you two gifts.
2:00.3	The first is our gift to you. The second is the gift of giving. His words were followed by the distribution of two envelopes each to the unexpected graduates, $500 to keep and $500 to give away to a person in need. Though Robert Hale's wealth has allowed him to
2:23.3	share like this on more than one occasion, generosity isn't reserved for those with great means.
2:31.3	Believers in Jesus in ancient Macedonia gave out of their poverty so the needs of
	...

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