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When soccer star Sadio Mané from Senegal was playing for Liverpool in the English Premier League, he was one of the world’s highest paid African players, making millions of dollars per year. Fans spotted a picture of Mané carrying an iPhone with a cracked screen and joked about him using the damaged device. His response was unflustered. "Why would I want ten Ferraris, twenty diamond watches, and two jet planes?” he asked. “I starved, I worked in the fields, played barefoot, and didn't go to school. Now I can help people. I prefer to build schools and give poor people food or clothing. . . . [Give] some of what life has given me."

Mané knew how selfish it would be to hoard all his prosperity when so many of his neighbors back home struggled under crushing conditions. Hebrews reminds us that this generous way of life is for all of us, not only for those who are wealthy. “Do not forget to do good and to share with others,” Scripture says, “for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (13:16). Nurturing a generous heart isn’t only the right thing to do, but according to Hebrews, generosity also makes God smile. Who doesn’t want to make God pleased?

Generosity isn’t defined simply by how much we give. Instead, generosity refers to the posture of our heart. One thing we can do that’s “pleasing to [God]” (v. 21) is to simply open our hands and share what we have.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Proverbs 17:17

One of the greatest and deepest needs we have as human beings is friendship. We all long for someone who knows, loves, and accepts us—someone who understands our wants, needs, hurts, and fears.

The Book of Proverbs is full of wisdom for making friends forever, and how to first be the friend we all need.

Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

There are certain marks of true friendship.

A friend is someone who shares his or her strengths, blessings, and hope; a friend will share in hard times and in celebration; a friend loves at all times.

A true friend is also someone who sharpens; Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” A good friend is the sharp edge of our lives, who encourages,

challenges, and confronts us when necessary; true friends make us better people.

And a friend is someone who sticks; Proverbs 28:14 says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

There are some important things to remember when making friends:

We make friends by being friends; it is wise to remember that people want to be accepted, acknowledged, and appreciated. We need to pay attention to people, become great listeners, and find something to compliment.

People also want to be affirmed and assured; in this negative world, the most beautiful thing we can do is empathize with one another.

When we build friendships, we must remember to maintain them. Adrian Rogers says, “You can have a lot of acquaintances, but genuine friends are costly. They cost time and effort; there is an investment; don’t have more friends than you can show yourself friendly to.”

Finally, we must remember the ministry of a friendship. There are lost people in this world who need the love and friendship of Jesus Christ; as His Body, we have the responsibility of loving as He loved.

Apply it to your life

Are you in the ministry of making friends? If you are a leader, set the tone and the atmosphere; be approachable and real.

As a church member, learn how to greet people and remember to be warm and welcoming to the people the Lord brings in.

Today on BOLD STEPS, Pastor Mark Jobe concludes his powerful message about breaking free from the prison ... of unforgiveness. We’re continuing our series called Untangled Relationships, and today we’ll reach the conclusion of Mark’s three-part message on The Trap of Unforgiveness.  Mark has explained how unforgiveness works like a prison that we build for others but end up living in ourselves.  He showed us how unresolved anger creates footholds for the enemy in our lives, and why genuine forgiveness is the only path to freedom. To wrap up, we’ll learn some practical action steps we can take to spring the trap and untangle that aspect of our relationships.

Bold Step Gift: Lies Boys Believe: And The Epic Quest For Truth

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Some spouses don't have the personality to be organized. They may be able to make some progress in this area, but that tendency will never fully go away. Every couple needs to be able accept some things about their spouse and love them unconditionally.

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Paul addresses how to care for church members in 1 Timothy 5. He

advises respect for elders and outlines support for widows without

families. He concludes by reminding believers to do good works and maintain purity.

A couple of months ago I attended the True Charity conference in Huntsville, Alabama. One of the speakers there was my guest today, Megan Rose, the founder and CEO of a Florida-based ministry called Better Together.

Megan got my attention almost right away because of her personal story. I’m not going to give it away here except to say that you have to trust me on this. You want to keep listening if for no other reason than to hear that.

But the robust policy and practical content of her message also arrested me. My wife and I have been foster parents here in the state of North Carolina, and Megan said out loud what we had learned, and that is that the foster care system in this country is broken, and it is broken in ways that merely having more Christian foster parents won’t fix. Megan articulated that reality in ways that made sense to me.

That’s why I’m excited to have her on the program today. She had this conversation with me via zoom from her home in Naples, Florida.

You can learn more about Better together by clicking here.

Jeff McIntosh produced today’s program. Heidi Allums provided graphic and technical support.

Until next time, may God bless you.

Betty is ready. She began following Jesus as a teenager and has taken opportunities her whole life to serve and please Him. She attends Bible studies, worship services, and prayer meetings. She’s taught studies, visited mission fields, worked in the nursery, served alongside her pastor-husband, and she loves being with God’s people every chance she gets. And remarkably she’s 102 years old and is still ready to do whatever pleases God. She’s an inspiration to many who might not feel like gathering with other believers some days. Then they remember, Betty will be there. I certainly can get there! Betty now says she’s anxious to get to heaven to be with her Savior. She says, “I am ready to see Jesus; I love Him so.”

The apostle Paul said he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). But he knew God had work for him in encouraging believers in many churches (Philippians 1:23-24). So he kept serving and living “by faith” and “not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Paul remained ready and kept serving under God’s direction.

Whatever our age and stage in life, let’s ask God to help us make it our heart’s goal “to please [Christ]” (v. 9) and stay ready. Betty is ready. And if someday she isn’t ready, it’s because she’s already seeing Jesus face-to-face.