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The Good Life - Ben part 1 - 10am
Sermon Summary
Ben teaches that true abundant life comes not from wealth or possessions, but from trusting God fully, living generously, and aligning our actions with His will through a daily choice to surrender and follow Jesus.
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The abundant life refuses to be confused with abundance. Jesus names the world’s pitch for the good life as theft that steals, kills, and destroys, and he offers life that is truly life. Paul then puts handles on that life for the rich in this present age (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19): hope must not sit on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who richly provides for enjoyment. The text insists that the path into this life runs through doing good, being rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, storing up a better foundation for the future in order to take hold of “the life that really is life.”
Proverbs 23:4-5 exposes why shifting hope is hard. Riches are sprinters with wings. Budgets, calendars, and shopping histories often tell a different story than stated beliefs, which reveals a gap between what disciples say is the good life and how they actually live. Generosity closes that gap one act at a time, moving behaviour toward belief.
Jesus sharpens the point with the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22. Eternal life in view is not merely postmortem rescue but Kingdom life now. Commandment-keeping was not the missing piece for the young ruler, attachment was. Jesus' invitation to “Go, sell… give to the poor… and follow Me” surfaces the rival love for possessions and wealth, and the man’s grief shows how strong that love can be. Jesus then describes the reality: it is hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom. Entry requires a death to the old self and a daily cross. Choosing life means choosing a kind of death, and Jesus’ word to Martha anchors that costly trust: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25-26).
Micah 6:8 names what God calls good: do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God. Status, comfort, and control do not appear on that list. Repentance therefore begins with a mind shift. Not ten per cent God’s and ninety per cent mine. One hundred per cent is God’s, and disciples are caretakers. The question changes from “How much should be given?” to “How much should be kept?” Practised over time, that stewardship mindset becomes a generosity muscle. Being ready to share means planning to be interruptible, treating every unexpected provision as a chance to ask what portion to keep and what portion to release. Each act stores up treasure as a good foundation and helps disciples take hold of the abundant life Jesus gives.
Key Takeaways
1. Abundant life is not abundance:
The life Jesus gives is richer than having options. It is participation in his care, presence, and purpose, not the removal of limits. Limits often become the place his provision shows up. Abundance without him is empty, but constraint with him overflows.
2. Rich in good works, ready:
Paul does not just commend generosity; he commands readiness. Planning to be interruptible means holding time, money, and attention with an open hand. Readiness dignifies the neighbour and trains the heart to expect God to provide through it.
3. Close the gap with generosity:
Beliefs become believable when bank statements and calendars change. Every gift recalibrates desire, reminding the soul where real security lives. Over time, giving is not loss but a way of taking hold of “the life that really is life.”
4. Kingdom life requires daily surrender:
Entry into the Kingdom is death and resurrection in practice, not just theory. Saying “not mine, but your will be done” reorders love and loosens the grip of possession. The cross taken up today becomes room for the life Jesus promises.
5. Shift from ownership to stewardship:
If a hundred percent is God’s, discernment replaces entitlement. The better question becomes how much to keep for faithfulness, not how little to give to appease guilt. That mindshift frees joy and makes space for surprising obedience.
Daily Hope Devotionals
Day 1: Wealth’s Wings: Chasing What Cannot Stay
Scripture:
Proverbs 23:4-5 (NIV)
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2023%3A4-5&version=NIV
Devotional:
The world promises satisfaction through wealth, experiences, and control, but these vanish like birds taking flight. Jesus warns that thieves steal temporary treasures, while He offers lasting abundance. True riches aren’t found in bank accounts or bucket lists but in trusting the God who designed satisfaction. Every grasping hand eventually holds air, yet open palms receive daily bread. The good life begins when we stop chasing wind and start anchoring hope.
Reflection:
Where have you recently seen “riches sprout wings” in your life?
What practical step could help you release your grip on temporary things today?
Prayer:
Father God, help me to remember that true life and satisfaction come not from chasing fleeting riches, but from trusting in Your generous provision and living with open hands to share and serve others. Teach me to shift my heart from holding tightly to what flies away, to embracing the abundant life You offer through generosity and surrender to Your will. Amen.
Day 2: The Good Life: Redefining Abundance Through Surrender
Scripture:
John 10:10-11 (NIV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010%3A10-11&version=NIV
Abundance isn’t a full calendar or overflowing pantry but a heart content in Christ’s presence. Jesus’ definition of a “rich and satisfying life” clashes with society’s obsession with more—more money, more security, more control. Like Jim Carrey discovering fame’s emptiness, we learn true wealth comes through surrender. The Shepherd’s voice cuts through cultural noise, inviting us to trade self-made kingdoms for daily dependence.
Reflection:
What “more” are you clinging to that’s actually lessening your capacity to receive Christ’s abundance?
How might surrender deepen your experience of true life?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to surrender my desires and possessions to You. May I trust fully in Your generous provision, so I may live the abundant life You call good by being rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. Amen.
Day 3: Possessions or Pilgrimage: The Cost of Clinging
Scripture:
Matthew 19:21-22 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2019%3A21-22&version=NIV
Devotional:
The rich young ruler’s grief reveals our modern dilemma—clutching possessions while longing for purpose. Jesus’ radical invitation still unsettles: abundant life grows through open hands, not full storage units. Every object we own owns part of our attention; every dollar saved without eternal vision becomes a chain. True freedom comes when we stop asking “What’s mine?” and start realising it's all God's.
Reflection:
What possession, habit, or security blanket makes you hesitate to say “yes” to Jesus’ next invitation?
How might releasing it create space for unexpected joy?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to release my grip on possessions and fully trust You as the source of true life and abundance, teaching me to live generously and follow You daily, even when it costs me dearly. Amen.
Day 4: From Mine to Thine: Stewardship as a Spiritual Lens
Scripture:
1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV)
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%206%3A17&version=NIV
Devotional:
Tithing’s danger lies in believing 10% belongs to God—the rest is ours. Paul dismantles this math: 100% is God’s, managed through daily surrender. This mindset shift transforms budgeting from allocation to worship and spending from indulgence to investment. When we see resources as divine currency, generosity becomes breathing—not a spiritual extra.
Reflection:
What financial decision this week would change if you saw it through the lens of stewardship rather than ownership?
Where might God be inviting you to redefine “enough”?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to remember that all I have is Yours, and teach me to live generously, trusting You fully so that I may experience the abundant life You desire for me. Amen.
Day 5: God's Kingdom Economy
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%209%3A6-7&version=NIV
Devotional:
Sometimes, we think the “good life” means having enough to do whatever we want, whenever we want, with no limits. But that kind of life—chasing after wealth, comfort, and possessions—is fragile and often leaves us feeling empty inside.
This scripture isn't talking about a Christian get-rich scheme (or scam!) It's referring to sowing in generosity and reaping in eternal rewards.
The abundant life Jesus offers is different. It’s about trusting God, who richly provides for us, and living generously from what He has given us. Our reward, what we reap, is a changed heart and Kingdom perspective - it makes us more like Jesus.
Reflection:
What mindset do you need to change about how and why you give to align it with God's Kingdom of generosity?
Where do you need to trust God more and sow generously?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, change my mindset to be more like Yours - to sow generously into Your Kingdom. Lord I pray that all I give will reap Kingdom rewards and I trust that You will continue to provide all I need. Amen.
Day 6: Growing the Generosity Muscle
Scripture:
1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV)
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%206%3A18-19&version=NIV
Devotional:
Paul encourages us to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, so we store up treasure in heaven. Jesus also challenges us to follow Him by surrendering our possessions and living generously. Living the abundant life means more than just believing in God’s provision; it means acting on it by being generous. It’s a muscle that needs exercise.
Reflection:
Are you willing to do one unplanned act of generosity this week?
What can you do today to exercise your generosity muscle?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to exercise my generosity muscle. Show me opportunities and give me the courage to take them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Day 7: Living What God Requires
Scripture:
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=micah%206%3A8&version=NIV
Devotional:
Micah reminds us that God’s idea of “good” isn’t about accumulating stuff or climbing the ladder of success. It’s about how we live with others and how we live with God. Doing justice means standing up for what is right and caring for the vulnerable. To love mercy is to show generosity, patience, and compassion. To walk with God is a daily choice to surrender our plans and say “Not my will, but yours be done.” Living this way requires a mind-shift in how we see our resources, time, and even ourselves.
If there’s a gap between what you believe and how you live, invite God to help you close that gap, one step of generosity and humility at a time.
Reflection:
Are you doing justice and loving kindness? Are you walking humbly with God?
Do you need to invite God to help you close the gap of how you live compared to what you believe?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to live according to your standard of good, to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you. Amen.
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