Lessons for the Week (Dec. 14)

Generosity
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing. (Proverbs 28:27)

Getting Started
Most people enjoy being generous. To give someone a small amount of money, time, or help makes us feel good. But most of us reach a point where we say, “Okay, I’ve given enough. I have to take care of myself now.” However, there are some people whose generosity is amazing. It seems to have no limits. What do you think about people like this? Many of us admire these people, but not many of us would want to have their lifestyle of sacrifice. What is the secret of being whole-heartedly generous all the time?

Vocabulary
generosity (n) – willingness to give something away, money, help, time, etc.
reach a point (v phr) – to come to a certain state or condition
to have no limits (v phr) – never stops or lessens
sacrifice (v) – to give up something you love
widow (n) – a woman whose husband has died
measure (n) – an amount of something

Reading God’s Word

Acts 9:36-42

36 In Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. (Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning "a deer.") She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. 37 At that time she got sick and died. Her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs. 38 Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him with the message, "Please hurry and come to us." 39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, he was taken to the room upstairs, where all the widows crowded around him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was alive. 40 Peter put them all out of the room, and knelt down and prayed; then he turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 Peter reached over and helped her get up. Then he called all the believers, including the widows, and presented her alive to them. 42 The news about this spread all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Luke 6:38
38 Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands — all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.

Taking a Closer Look
1. From this story, what do we know about the kind of person Dorcas was?
2. Why do you think the believers in Joppa wanted Peter to come to them? (Acts 9:38)
3. What did the widows show Peter when he arrived in the room upstairs? (Acts 9:39) How did these ladies feel about Dorcas?
4. What did Peter do after the others left the room? (Acts 9:40)
5. Who heard about this news? What was their response? (9:42)
6. What are some benefits of being generous? (Luke 6:38)

Taking Action
1. One of the keys to being generous is really paying attention to other people’s needs — not just seeing them and forgetting about them. Think of some people you see every day. What are their needs? How can you be more generous to them?
2. It is hard to be generous if we are worried about not having enough for ourselves. How can we stop worrying? How can we remind ourselves that God will take care of our needs?

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Chinese Translation
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