My friend Garry Friesen was a member of the Bible College faculty at Multnomah University for 37 years. He is now in his second “dream job”, teaching at Africa College of Theology (ACT) in Kigali, Rwanda.

Last weekend I attended the three sessions of Randy’s Q & A on the joy of giving at Good Shepherd Community Church.

Jesus tells us that one day His faithful servants will hear their Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23, ESV).  

Giving is doing what we were made for: loving God and our neighbors (Matthew 22:36–40). It is a blessed act that leads to joy. 

Randy talks about why we feel so much joy when we give, speaking to a group of Physicians (both secular and Christian) on giving.

Randy talks about discovering the joy of giving, speaking to a group of Physicians (both secular and Christian) on giving.

David tells us that in God's prescence is the fullness of joy and pleasures unceasing. From this Randy Alcorn argues that Christians are supposed to seek pleasure - in God that is. This Christian hedonism says, "I want to find all the joy in God I can find." And I will sacrifice lesser, immediate pleasures in order to pursue God. This video clip was excerpted from Randy's Eternity 101 DVD class.

We know that Christ is our greatest joy. But Paul tells us that God giving us His son provides the opportunity to give us all things. It is not quite biblically accurate to say that Christ is our only treasure. Rather he is our primary, ultimate treasure who enables us to receive secondary treasures from God. This video clip was excerpted from Randy Alcorn's Eternity 101 DVD class.

Randy Alcorn tells the story of Anna Swanson, his wife's grandmother, who suffered greatly in her life, and speaks of his expectation of God blessing those whose lives on earth have been full of loss and suffering with joy, completeness and a fulfillment of their joy. This video clip was excerpted from Randy's Eternity 101 DVD class.