What does First B Jackson teach about generosity?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on generosity starts with a simple observation: the way a person handles money reveals who they actually are. Pastor Scott worked through all of Luke 16 to show that Jesus is not primarily issuing financial rules but exposing the heart. Money is called the wealth of unrighteousness, and Jesus says flatly that you cannot serve both God and money. The decisions a person makes about what to do with what they have show their actual character, not the character they present to people.
Pastor Ray has returned more than once to Paul's closing words in Philippians 4, and both times the same thread runs through: generosity is not a transaction but a partnership. The Philippians had been supporting Paul when no one else was, and Paul tells them their gift was a fragrant aroma, acceptable to God. What he values is not the money itself but the fruit that builds up on their account. He draws a direct line from that to the way First B operates, where people in the office can say yes to needs in the community because the congregation has been supplying the means. And because the Philippians had been so faithful, Paul's confidence ran in one direction: God would supply their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, not as a reward for a transaction but as the overflow of a God who is not operating from scarcity.
Pastor Carl, preaching from 2 Corinthians 8, pressed further into what makes giving genuinely generous. The Macedonian churches were broke and under real pressure, yet they gave beyond their means without being asked, and Paul says their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty overflowed together into generosity. The key phrase Carl kept returning to was 'of their own accord.' Grace, by definition, is unmerited and unforced, and a compelled gift is not grace but a payment. Pastor Ray reinforced that same logic from 1 Corinthians 16, where Paul commands regular, prayerful giving tied to how God has been prospering each person, so that generosity becomes a steady habit rather than a pressured moment. The invitation across all of these messages is the same: hold what you have with an open hand, trust a God who gives freely, and let that trust show up in the way you give.
Taught from Philippians 4:15-16 · Philippians 4:19 · 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 · 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 · Luke 16:1-31
The passage taught · Ephesians 1:15-20
15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,
16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
World English Bible
The messages that teach on it
- February 18, 2024 My Crown Is Called Content Philippians 4:10-23 explored: contentment in plenty and in need, the true meaning of "I can do all things," and why joy and gratitude travel together.
- June 25, 2023 Living Life With an Open Hand Pastor Scott walks through Luke 16, two parables about money, time, and eternity, showing why faithful generosity with what God has given us reveals the character of a believer.
- February 4, 2018 In Everything and In All Things Paul writes from prison with contentment and joy, showing that in every season of need or abundance, God supplies and Christ strengthens those who trust Him.
- February 4, 2018 I Have Learned to Be Content Pastor Ray walks through Philippians 4:10-20, exploring what Paul teaches about contentment, generous giving, and trusting God to supply every need through Christ.
- November 8, 2015 The Biblical Reaction to Grace Received Paul shows from 2 Corinthians 8 how receiving God's grace naturally moves believers to extend that same grace to others, freely and voluntarily.
- March 15, 2015 Set Something Aside Paul walks through 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 to show what the Bible actually says about giving: who, how often, how much, and why it matters for the whole church.
Mentioned along the way
- September 13, 2026 Philippians Chapter 4:14-23 Pastor Ray closes Philippians and opens Colossians, showing how Paul's gospel of grace, contentment, and unity speaks across every congregation, culture, and century.
- March 2, 2025 Gospel Carriers in Word and Deed Acts 11 traces how scattered believers carried the gospel to Antioch. Pastor Carl walks through what that early church moment means for how we live and give today.
- February 23, 2025 Gospel Carriers in Word and Deed Acts 11 shows a young church carrying the gospel outward through scattering, sacrifice, and ordinary witnesses. A sermon on staying true to the Lord and joining what God is already doing.
- February 23, 2025 Stay True to the Lord A sermon from Acts 11 on how ordinary believers carried the gospel outward, and what it looks like to take, remember, rely on, encourage, and participate today.
- December 1, 2024 One of Heart and Soul A sermon from Acts 4:32-5:11 on the early church's unity, generosity, and faith, with lessons from Barnabas and the sobering story of Ananias and Sapphira.
- December 1, 2024 Barnabas, Ananias, and the Fear of the Lord Acts 4-5 traces the early church's unity, generosity, and the contrasting stories of Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira, with a call to encourage, stay alert, and fear God.
- December 1, 2024 One of Heart and Soul Carl walks through Acts 4:32-5:11, showing what a Spirit-filled church looks like through the examples of Barnabas, Ananias, and Sapphira.
- August 14, 2022 Little Is Much When God Is in It Jesus feeds 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Pastor Ray walks through all four Gospels to show what God can do with the little we offer Him.
- February 18, 2018 Seek the Kingdom Above All Else Carl preaches from Luke 12 on why seeking God's kingdom above all else frees us from greed and worry, and why God takes genuine delight in giving us that kingdom.
- February 18, 2018 Seek the Kingdom Above All Else A Wyoming pastor explores Luke 12 and why seeking God's kingdom above all else is the answer to the joy-robbing grip of greed and worry in our lives.
- June 30, 2013 Continuing in Acts, Morning Praise (2) A sermon from Acts 4-5 on the early church's unity and generosity, the warning in Ananias and Sapphira's deception, and what it means to follow Barnabas's example.