Here’s the list:

Books

The Bible

Mover of Men and Mountains by R. G. LaTourneau – a generous businessman with over 300 patents and the founder of LeTourneau University

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn – Jesus intended His followers to discover that joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure.

The Eternity Portfolio by Alan Gotthardt – Investing in God’s Kingdom is the ultimate financial opportunity.

How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy – In this short story, a peasant believes owning land will solve all his problems. The Devil decides to take him up on his boast.

Business by the Book by Larry Burkett – What would happen if you made your business decisions by The Book, that is the Bible? A step-by-step presentation on everything from hiring and firing to management selection, and to tithing.

Experiences

Crown Financial Ministries Biblical Financial Study – 10-week study that combines God’s wisdom with practical application related to managing all of one’s resources

Crown Financial Ministries Biblical Financial Study – Special Edition - This financial study is designed specifically for those entrusted with wealth. Many Christians have only been taught to give, but not what Scripture says about handling all of your resources.

Generous Giving – provides generosity retreats, an annual event, and giver stories to encourage others in their generosity journeys

Super Service Challenge – a nationwide initiative that encourages and rewards volunteers from the workplace who come together to serve charities and make a difference in their communities. Winning teams receive a share of more than $1 million for their charities.

Organizations

National Christian Foundation – NCF is the largest Christian grant-making foundation in the world. They work with givers, ministries, and churches to create a culture of generosity.  Individuals and families can set up private funds for their own giving.

One Hundred Shares – This Atlanta-based nonprofit supports local ministries. They also provide support and tools to women seeking to start their own giving circles.

GenerosityMovement.org – The Global Generosity Network collaborates with Christian churches, networks, business leaders, and generosity ministries to encourage giving and stewardship.

Kingdom Advisors – This is a community of Christian financial professionals integrating faith and practice for Kingdom impact.

Helping Hands Ministries – This ministry provides direct financial assistance to deserving and qualified individuals, ministries, and charities. They also help donors give anonymously to individuals.

Halftime – This ministry works with mid-life marketplace leaders who desire to live the second half of their life rich in eternal significance.

What about you? Which two resources look the most interesting? Or, what resources have influenced your own generosity journey?

For Craig Chapman, his family’s giving capacity greatly increased after he sold half of his equity in the successful traffic and navigation company he helped build. However, even he said that sometimes he hears other stories of generous givers that make him feel like the rich man in the Bible who walked away.

“Too many people look at generosity stories and think, ‘I can’t do that,’” Craig said. “But God doesn’t necessarily want ‘that’ from me. Maybe that’s not what God is calling me to. But I do have to be asking, ‘What is God calling me to?”

His wife, April, added, “One thing we’re finding is that everyone’s journey is unique. It’s not prescriptive. What God has shown us, or what He has done in our lives, is not exactly what He’s going to do in others. The opportunities He’s given us are unique to the skills He’s given us. If there’s any common thread, it’s that we have to be available, be seeking Him, and be asking Him to show us opportunities. Then, we have to obey.”

Starting Somewhere.

The beginnings of generosity will look different for everyone. Dr. John Koehler was freed to be joyful generous after God convicted him to write a $10,000 check. John & Sherri Kasdorf experienced a gradual journey that began with writing $25 checks for Thanksgiving and tithing maybe 2 percent. For Dayton Moore, generosity was sparked by his father’s example of working hard and caring for his neighbors.

Your Personality. 

Everyone is wired a different way and your personality will affect how you practice generosity. Jim Blankemeyer, an engineer and business owner, enjoys thoughtful, logical giving to a very specific cause. He feels that since his business excels in training employees, he ought to be doing the same for the Kingdom—supporting ministries that equip Christian leaders in their jobs. For this reason, the majority of his giving is for Christian leadership and development.

For others, like Bob Hodgdon, his family foundation focuses on small and start-up ministries and ministries that someone in their family is passionate about and involved in. Thus, they give to a wider variety of causes.

You may also be wired toward a specific kind of giving. Some people like being very intentional and strategic. They give after carefully researching a cause or ministry. Others enjoy spontaneous giving. They give as soon as they hear about a need. Still others enjoy giving their time or skills to practically help others.

Your Background.

You’ll also find that your background—your parents, your childhood, your struggles—affect the way you think about giving. If your parents were very openly generous with their money, you’re probably more inclined to give that way (or conversely, you may be careful about giving what seems like too much). If your parents emphasized helping others, you may be more inclined to get involved in other’s lives. If your parents emphasized professional success, it may be harder to give up your valuable time, resources, or money.

Regardless of your background, anyone can learn to be generous. It’s just important that you realize how your background shapes your giving decisions.

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Overall, your generosity journey is just that—a journey, and uniquely yours. Your story, your background, your personality, and so much more, all play into the way God has been shaping and directing your story. There is no one right way to give. Instead, it is a matter of always seeking where God is asking you to take that next step.

Learn more about the Chapmans’ generosity journey and discover inspiration for your own at The Generosity Bet.

What is God asking me to do?

First and foremost, we should always be asking where God is calling us to give. Be sensitive to those “God nudges” that ask you to notice someone, to give. An older gentleman, one of the most generous people I know, said that when he’s in a position for spontaneous generosity, he’s found he needs to obey those God nudges within 10 seconds, otherwise his more logical brain will talk himself out of it. Of course, this doesn’t mean to give to everything that pulls your emotional strings—instead, it’s about very intentionally and carefully listening for God’s voice. 

And God isn’t always asking you to give money. Sometimes it would be more helpful to give in another way—take someone out to coffee (time), babysit their kids (service), help them set up a budget (talent), repair electrical wiring (skills), lend them your car (resources), introduce them to a friend whose company is hiring (influence), etc.

What if the recipient doesn’t use my gift wisely?

Again, it goes back to listening to God’s voice. If God placed that person on your heart, He has a reason for your gift and you can trust Him with it. After all, we must first remember God’s grace toward us—an undeserved gift. God gave us His Son knowing that we did not deserve it and would so many times not use His gift well. And yet, He gave anyway.

Also, the gift you’re thinking about making is God’s money or God’s resource in the first place. Since God owns it all, your credit cards belong to Him. He’s just given us some of His credit cards to manage for a little while. So, if God asks us to use His credit card to love on one of His people, God will take care of the results.

God sees the whole picture and has a purpose for your gift, even if it appears the recipient did not use the gift well. Maybe the act of giving is for your own heart, for someone else watching, or for the recipient later on down the road. I read a story recently about a woman who didn’t have money for a bus pass, so a gentleman gave her twenty dollars. At the time, she was a raging alcoholic, so she spent the money and got drunk. However, the memory of the gift always stayed with her, and eventually was one of the reasons she is now sober and tries to serve others.

But what about being a good steward? 

There definitely is a balance. God calls us to be good stewards and to use the resources He has given us wisely. Many generous givers will tell you they have developed giving guidelines or have specific types of ministries they believe they are called to support. They typically use the majority of their resources like a spear—to specifically and strategically support a few ministries and causes God has laid on their hearts. Good stewardship does call us to thoughtfully give of our resources.

However, most generous givers will also tell you about the importance of spontaneous or undedicated giving. Spontaneous giving is spur-of-the-moment giving, like when your waitress mentions she’s expecting a baby and her husband just got laid off. Undedicated giving is when you give to your church or a ministry and don’t place any restrictions on where the gift should go.

These two types of giving are what Pastor Rick Warren calls the “good for your heart” giving.  As you listen to God, you’ll find that these kinds of giving are just as important because they help your heart let go of control as you experience the joy of generosity.

In all, generosity is not a set formula. It’s not giving your 10% and assuming God is now pleased with you. It’s not about giving in a certain way or to certain people at the right times. It is a journey and it is about listening to God’s voice along the way.

For more stories on how real people have dealt with these issues on their generosity journeys, purchase “The Generosity Bet” today.