Giving Up

In an age when many Christian denominations are shrinking and the demographics of the churchgoing public seem to get more dire by the day, pastor and author David Roseberry reveals the two-thousand-year-old secret weapon that conquered the first-century world: generosity. Citing the principal “meme” of the earliest Christians—“It is more blessed to give than to receive”—Roseberry demonstrates the power of unselfish giving to propel the message of Christ throughout a culture obsessed with “selfie theology.” Roseberry challenges churches to rethink everything they know about generosity, giving, and the gospel by drawing on powerful examples from the biblical record, from church history, and from the front lines of today’s culture wars. He shows how the simple, profound influence of sacrificial generosity is the most powerful antidote to the self-obsessed, cynical spirit of our age. Building on this foundation, he lays out simple, actionable strategies designed to galvanize followers of Christ and activate the church for a radically counter-cultural way of life. The “twin engines” of evangelism and discipleship can no longer, by themselves, effectively drive the Gospel message, Roseberry asserts. Instead, the church must harness the irresistible moral force of the message proclaimed by the sacrificial life and death of its Lord, as reflected in the lives of those who follow Him. Giving Up: How Giving to God Renews Hearts, Changes Minds, and Empowers Ministry offers a fresh, thoroughly biblical, deeply theological alternative to the latest theories of discipleship and church growth. As Roseberry explains, “The Body of Christ is at its best and most powerful when it is at its most giving.” If we want to win the world, we have to learn how to give up.