A Heart of Generosity | Acts 4:32-37
What happens when God’s grace gets a hold of your heart, not just your schedule or your Sunday? In this message from The Crossing in Milton, DE, Austin Garrett walks through Acts 4:32–37 and shows a church family so united in Jesus that no one clung to their own stuff and no one was left in need. When the believers saw a need, they met a need, because generosity had become their new normal.
“A Heart of Generosity” speaks to real questions many of us wrestle with: “It’s my money, why should I give it away?”, “Can I trust the church with my giving?”, and “Does what little I have even matter?” Austin shares personal stories of being on the receiving end of radical generosity, and he gently challenges the arguments we use to hold back. Whether you are living paycheck to paycheck, rebuilding after broken trust, or simply anxious about the future, this sermon offers a clear, biblical way forward. Jesus reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, NIV).
In this Acts series message, Austin explains how the good news of Jesus changes our relationship with money and possessions. At The Crossing, generosity is not about pressure or performance. It is about responding to the generous God who sent his Son, calls us to repentance and baptism, and promises to provide as we seek his kingdom first. If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, this teaching invites you to explore who he is and consider a next step of trusting him with your whole life. If you already follow Jesus, you will be challenged to take a practical step of generosity this week, right where you live in or around Milton, DE, so that more people can experience the care and hope found in him.
When money is tight, the Bible still calls us to a heart of generosity, not because God needs our money but because he wants our hearts. In “A Heart of Generosity,” Austin Garrett points to Acts 4:32–37 and Luke 21, where even a poor widow’s small gift matters deeply to God. The Crossing teaches that Jesus is more interested in a willing, trusting heart than the size of the amount. A simple, faithful step of generosity can help you fight fear and remember that your Father knows what you need.
If you have been burned by a church or leader mishandling money, it is understandable to feel cautious. In this sermon, Austin Garrett acknowledges that pain and then walks through Acts 4, where believers laid their gifts at the apostles’ feet so that real needs could be met with integrity and care. At The Crossing, giving is directed toward both physical and spiritual needs so people can become more devoted followers of Jesus. Trust is rebuilt slowly, but starting with prayer, transparency, and one step of obedience can help you move forward.
It feels hard because money is deeply tied to our security, identity, and sense of control. In “A Heart of Generosity,” Austin Garrett explains Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 that where our treasure is, our heart will be also, and that we cannot serve both God and money. The Crossing encourages believers to see every good gift as coming from God, which means we are stewards, not owners. As you remember God’s generosity in Christ, it becomes more natural to hold what you have with open hands.
A generous church community looks like people quietly meeting each other’s needs without needing attention for it. Austin Garrett shares stories of families receiving housing, vehicles, groceries, and support at just the right time because someone at The Crossing listened to God and gave. Acts 4:32–37 shows believers who considered one another’s needs as their own and responded in practical ways. When a church lives this way, no one is left invisible, and the love of Jesus becomes visible in everyday life.
If you are new to faith or still exploring, the first step is not giving money but getting to know Jesus and what he has already given for you. In this message, Austin Garrett explains that Jesus left heaven, took on flesh, and died for us while we were still sinners, offering new life through repentance, baptism, and ongoing discipleship. The Crossing invites you to ask honest questions, connect with someone on the team, and consider trusting Jesus with your life. As you experience his grace, a heart of generosity will grow from the inside out.
Well good morning church! If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, my name is Austin & I have the honor of preaching this morning.
Will just read our sermon text for today, . If you don’t have your Bibles turned there yet, go ahead and do that. You can find a Bible in the back of the pew in front of you.
Have you ever read something in Scripture that feels like the Lord is targeting you specifically? Like he must have hidden cameras around here somewhere… because how did that Scripture pop up at the perfect moment?
When I was a kid, I had a bad habit of stretching the truth and telling half-truths… aka LIES.
My brother, Andrew, would cry out and my mom would come into the room running. Andrew would tell Mom that I hit him. Confidently, I looked her in the eye and said, “I did NOT hit him.”
The truth is that I slapped him - there’s a difference.
Now that I have kids of my own — and have watched my son, Knox, try the same trick, I know exactly what my Mom went through. And my Mom watches every one of my sermons, so… I’m sorry, Mom.
I remember one time when I got sent to my room for lying. I can’t remember what it was about. But I remember knowing that I was wrong and feeling really bad about it.
While sitting on my bed and awaiting punishment, I opened my Bible and started reading.
Immediately, I froze. The first words out of my mouth were a warning from Jesus about telling the truth. Goosebumps on the back of my neck. Is this really happening? Lord, you didn’t have to call me out like that!
By the time my Mom walked in the room, I was reduced to tears and did everything I could to make things right.
I’m pretty sure I tried to preach a sermon on repentance and forgiveness so that I could avoid punishment. Didn’t work. 11 year old Austin wasn’t a skilled preacher.
Here’s why I bring that up — our text for this morning might be a passage that the Lord wants to use to shake us up this morning. As I read it this week & sat with what the text was saying, I felt a similar conviction to what I felt as a child… “Lord, you didn’t have to call me out like that!”
Before we go any further, let’s pray for the Lord to speak to us through His Word.
Our passage starts by saying this in v32:
All the believers were one in heart and mind.
ALL of the believers were one. They were united. They were on the same team, from head to toe.
Does that mean that they agreed on every thing? By no means! How many times have you heard Adam and I argue about basketball from the pulpit?
No, they don’t agree on everything. They’re humans. If living in complete agreement with others was a pre-requisite to following Jesus, the church would be an empty place.
Unity ≠ Uniformity.
But it does mean that they were aligned on the important stuff. And that’s evident when we look at the end of our verse:
No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
This wasn't government redistribution. No political statement. Nobody was forced to sell anything. This was voluntary generosity flowing from one believer to the next.
As we’ve seen, the community in the book of Acts is on another level. They are living life in constant community with each other. They are a living covenant community, living out the commands and teachings of Jesus in real time.
N.T. Wright explains it this way:
These early Christians were “ready to regard one another’s needs as their own”.
They weren’t possessive over the things that they had. Rather, they looked for opportunities to share their stuff with those in their community.
Acts 4 shows us that one of the defining characteristics of God's people is a heart of generosity.
This posture paid great dividends. Look at verse 33:
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
The Apostles continued to do what they’d been called to do — point people to the truth of the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus was a real man, God’s chosen King. He was crucified and buried, but defeated death, proving He is who He says He is!
But the resurrection isn’t just trivia to remember — it’s a firm foundation to build our lives upon!
As a result, God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
The Church hears about a need. And when the the Church hears, the Church engages. The Church steps in to help people. Not with an elaborate ministry program, but with the radical generosity of everyday believers.
Why were they selling property? Why were they sharing possessions? Why are they giving so lavishly? Why was no one claiming ownership?
Because God’s grace had gotten a hold of them! And when the grace of God got ahold of them, it empowered them to be so generous.
Generosity doesn’t come from obligation, but from an overflow of what the Lord has done in your life.
When the grace of God gets ahold of us, it empowers us to be so generous.
The good news of Jesus changes everything. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus left the Father’s side to put on flesh.
He lived a perfect life — something we’d never be able to do. And, before we could even try to clean ourselves up, He went to a cross for us, giving us new life and a fresh start.
It’s not that money or possessions don’t matter to you anymore — but Jesus matters more… so if there’s a way that He can use this, “I’m in.”
To follow Jesus is to be generous.
And I’ve been on the receiving end of it more times than I can count.
When we moved to Delaware in 2019, we were fresh off of graduation and marriage… so we didn’t have a lot of money. We didn’t know where we were going to live.
And then someone stepped up to generously provide us with an apartment to live in, a rent that was affordable, and even waived the first month’s rent and security deposit.
They didn’t know it, but that act of generosity changed our lives.
Just a few months later, we needed a second vehicle. We looked for a while and continued to come up empty.
And then someone stepped up to GIVE us a vehicle.
And again, that act of generosity changed our lives.
That type of generosity is beautiful. It’s life giving.
As people who follow Jesus, we’re called to have that heart of generosity. It’s all throughout Scripture, from Psalms and Proverbs, to the teachings of Jesus, to the writings of Paul.
To follow Jesus is to be generous.
But there’s also probably a part within each of us that’s like… “um, that’s a bit reckless. That’s a bit excessive. Surely, there’s a way we can meet needs without selling houses, right?”
Does anyone else’s mind go there? No judgement from me. In fact, this is partially why this passage has done a number on my psyche this week.
I like to think of myself as a generous person… but this week, it’s as if the Lord asked me, “Are you really?”
Most of us don't reject generosity outright. We do, however, have a few well practiced arguments that keep us from it.
With the remainder of our time today, I’d like to challenge three recurring thoughts that stand in the way of a heart of generosity.
Thought #1 is simple. “It’s my Money”.
“I worked hard for this money. I should be able to choose what I do with it. Why does the church care so much about my money?”
While no one is ever going to force you to pony up the dough, I do think that line of thinking is misguided.
The book of James tells us that “every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord.”
Everything you have — from the money in your bank account to the boat sitting in the driveway — comes from the Lord.
And because that is true, we’re called to be good stewards of that which God has given to us.
Which sounds fine to me until it sounds like you’re telling me to sell my house. Austin, are you telling me to sell my house?”
The point of this passage isn't that every Christian must sell property. The point is that every Christian should hold what they’ve been given with open hands.
“Lord, here’s what you’ve given me. Thank you for trusting me with it. If you want to use it elsewhere, take it.”
So when it comes to the “it’s my money” line of thinking that we might resort to, I think a bigger issue is revealed. It’s a heart issue… which is why Jesus speaks so much about money!
Look at what He has to say to us in Matthew 6:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Those are strong words from Jesus. We’d be wise to take them to heart - because He meant them.
When we start to feel burbling possessiveness of “our stuff”, of “my money”, that should set of alarm bells for misplaced allegiance and priority.
Nothing will combat that idolatry quite like intentional generosity.
Thought #2 might come from a distrust in organizations, people, or a previous church. Sometimes, we might say: “I want to know where my money is going”
Maybe you’ve been burned before. Maybe you trusted someone, only for them to misuse money for their own benefit. Maybe someone took advantage of your generosity. Maybe that even happened at a church.
I hear you. I know once that trust is broken, it’s difficult to rebuild.
In Acts 4, we see these believers bringing the money and laying it at the apostles feet, only to be immediately redirected where there’s a need.
I want to to be assured that when you do that around here, the money goes toward making sure that people are cared for — both physically AND spiritually.
One of the things that I love about Jesus is that he was quick to meet people’s needs, no matter what they were.
He healed the sick. He raised people from the dead. He brought sight to the blind. He helped the lame to walk again. He even filled people’s bellies!
But, through all of this, Jesus never lost sight of the bigger picture. Immediately after feeding the 5,000 in John 6, a crowd follows him to the other side of the lake.
Jesus immediately recognizes what they’re after:
“Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
While Jesus was concerned with making sure people had what they needed to survive, he was more concerned with eternal matters.
And that’s the way we approach things around here. That’s “where your money goes”.
We work to make sure that needs are met - both physically and spiritually. We steward every dollar that is given toward helping people become more devoted followers of Jesus.
And we’re always going to keep same priorities as Jesus, pursuing that which endures over that which fades.
Thought #3 approaches a touchy subject, so I want to approach this with great sensitivity. Thought #3 says “I don’t have much to give”.
“Austin, I’d love to be generous. I’d love to help those in need. I’d love to tithe to church.. But I just don’t have much money. The budget is really tight. No wiggle room at all. How much good could actually come from what I have to give?”
In Luke 21, Jesus has an encounter that I think might be helpful for us to consider this morning:
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury — the first century offering slots.
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
Now, it doesn’t take an economist to realize that the gifts given by the wealthy are going to outpace these two small copper coins.
But Jesus says, “This poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Jesus lifts up this woman as an example for everyone to aspire toward. She didn’t have much, but that didn’t stop her from being generous with what she did have.
This woman had a heart of generosity.
I know that you might not have much to give. But let me re-assure you of what Jesus says: Jesus is less impressed by the size of the gift than by the heart behind it.
$1 given from a generous heart is greater than $1M given with a begrudging heart. So there is an entry level for you, regardless of whatever tax bracket you might land in.
And even still…
Some of us may be hesitant to pursue a life of generosity, not because we’re poor… but because we’re afraid that we’ll run out, that we’ll need it later, or that God won’t take care of us.
In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus gives us a poignant reminder that I want to share with you this morning. I am going to read it slow. I think many of us, myself included, need to hear this today:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you— you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well
God’s generous gift of salvation puts things into perspective.
Which is the greater conviction — that I “need my stuff” or that the Lord will provide?
I was raised by a single mom. At various points in my childhood, my Mom worked three jobs — she was a Children’s Minister, a substitute teacher, and a waitress at a golf course.
She worked hard to provide for my brother and I. And to be quite honest, I don’t think either of us had a clue how sparse things were at times.
One year, I remember being at my Grandparents house for Christmas dinner between Christmas Eve services. We heard a knock on the front door — which was odd. No one ever came to their front door.
When we opened the door, no one was there. But there was a tub filled with groceries, gift cards galore, and plenty of other goodies. It had my mom’s name on it and, despite using our best detective skills, we never found out who had given to us so generously.
The Church saw a need. The Church engaged. And as a result, people were taken care of. I was taken care of.
No performative generosity. No filming the reaction so that it can be posted to social media. Quiet, but obedient generosity. A heart of generosity that comes from the Lord.
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.
Church, we’re not here to sit around and sing “kumbaya” in a Christian social club.
When we see a need, we meet a need. We respond to those around us with a heart of generosity. It’s who we are. It’s what we do.
This type of radical living only makes sense on this side of the cross, after we’ve come to grips with the great generosity that we’ve been shown by Jesus.
A mind filled with ‘ifs, ands, and buts’ keeps us from having the heart of generosity that defines God’s people. This life of generosity will take a leap of faith, but it’s one worth taking…
Because, as Richard Foster says, "Just as the obsession with possessions forms our hearts, giving forms our hearts as well."
Let’s pray.