Redeem the Commute is not just about courses – it’s about being part of a community of people being challenged to live differently by following Jesus. We posted fresh daily challenges from 2012 to 2016 that followed a daily and weekly rhythm:
- Mondays: A New Idea
- Tuesdays: Study It
- Wednesdays: Change our Thinking
- Thursdays: Act on It
- Fridays: Reflect on It
- Saturdays: Rest
- Sundays: Community
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CloseRyan Sim - April 25, 2013
Thursday - Act On It - Generosity
Matthew 6:2-4 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Why does Jesus talk about rewards for giving generously? Why not just encourage altruism? He knows us. Having created us, and been one of us, he knows us and our motivations intimately. If he had commended doing good acts for purely altruistic reasons, do good just to be good, help others just for them, give to charity just for the charity, we’d very quickly have found a way to make it about us. A reputation for generosity, or a feeling of goodness..we can make these our God...the source of our ultimate worth. This is what Christians have traditionally called sin...putting something earthly in God’s place. Generosity should be a good thing, but when it becomes our Gods, becomes pride and self-conceit. These can pretend to be better rewards than God himself. It's hard to avoid...human nature. Seems whenever we give, someone will notice. Either others notice, shower us with praise. Or, Even if we hide it from others, we shower ourselves with praise. Jesus’ claim is that these are small rewards in the grand scheme of things...and we’re wasting our time if we receive them, as we can easily believe we’ve been “paid in full” And so Jesus commends something different...do it just for God. Whether you give money, time, medical help, gifts, talents, whatever. Hide it from others, hide it from ourselves, and give to others because God loves them as his own children. Give in order so they will see God loves and values them…and wont’ even notice us. Our heavenly father sees this kind of thing – his children becoming more like him – and rewards it with his attention, himself, far more rewarding than the temporary attention of any human, even ourselves. In God’s presence, we realize that anything less, like worldly praise or feeling smug, was a poor substitute. Jesus can commend this because it’s his way. We now realize how spiritually poor we are. We’ve been accepting the applause of others & ourselves instead of God, we’ve let our pride and self-conceit replace him! But all the same, from the safety of heaven, as God the creator and sustainer, came to earth. He gave up his safety and majesty in the most selfless act possible. He died for us, and gained nothing but a restored relationship with us, a relationship that asks us to follow him into our own selfless acts of service. When giving is done for God and God alone, a much greater reward awaits…God! Challenge: What practical steps can you take to be more generous to others, and to keep the focus on God instead of yourself?
Related Topics: Generosity | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Sermon on the Mount"
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
Wednesday - Study It - The Look | February 27, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - The Look | February 26, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - The Look | February 25, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Anger | February 22, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Anger | February 21, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Anger | February 20, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Anger | February 19, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Anger | February 18, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Law | February 15, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Law | February 14, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Law | February 13, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Law | February 12, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Law | February 11, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Light | February 8, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Light | February 7, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Light | February 6, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Light | February 5, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Light | February 4, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Salt | February 1, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Salt | January 31, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Salt | January 30, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Salt | January 29, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Salt | January 28, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Living Backwards | January 25, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act on It - Living Backwards | January 24, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Living Backwards | January 23, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Living Backwards | January 22, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - New Idea - Living Backwards | January 21, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Persecuted | January 18, 2013 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act - Persecuted | January 17, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Persecution | January 16, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Persecuted | January 15, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Persecuted | January 14, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Peacemakers | January 11, 2013 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act - Peacemakers | January 10, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Peacemakers | January 9, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Peacemakers | January 8, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Peacemakers | January 7, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - January 4 - God | January 4, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - January 3 - Generosity | January 3, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - January 2 - Grace | January 2, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
New Years Day - Groups | January 1, 2013 | Watch | Listen | ||
New Years Eve - Growth | December 31, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - December 28 | December 28, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - December 27 | December 27, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Boxing Day | December 26, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas Day | December 25, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Christmas Eve | December 24, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pure in Heart | December 21, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pure in Heart | December 20, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pure in Heart | December 19, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pure in Heart | December 18, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pure in Heart | December 17, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Merciful | December 14, 2012 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act On It - Merciful | December 13, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Merciful | December 12, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Merciful | December 11, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Merciful | December 10, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Righteousness | December 7, 2012 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act On It - Righteousness | December 6, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Righteousness | December 5, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Righteousness | December 4, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Poor in Spirit | December 3, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Meek | November 30, 2012 | Music | Watch | Listen | |
Thursday - Act - Meek | November 29, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Meek | November 28, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Meek | November 27, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Meek | November 26, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Those Who Mourn | November 23, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act - Those Who Mourn | November 22, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Those Who Mourn | November 21, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Those Who Mourn | November 20, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Those who Mourn | November 19, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Poor in Spirit | November 16, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Poor in Spirit | November 15, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change - Poor in Spirit | November 14, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Poor in Spirit | November 13, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - New Idea - Poor in Spirit | November 12, 2012 | Watch | Listen | ||
Introduction to Daily Challenges | November 2, 2012 | Watch | Listen |
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