Talk
BRO. BO SANCHEZ:
WHAT I want to share with you is, you know, how many of you sometimes, you look around and attend The Feast? How many of you have been here for more than a year, more than two years, more than three years, more than ten years?
If you’ve been at it for ten, ask me how many years I’ve been here.
A total of 43 years ago, I was there in the garage in the first Feast. We did not call it Feast then– just a prayer meeting. But I was there, and sometimes when you keep attending The Feast, you know what happens? You begin to lose gratitude.
You lose gratitude for how amazing The Feast is and how amazing the people around you are.
Let me share with you about this one woman who started with me many, many years ago at The Feast– not at the very start, but somewhere along the start.
Her name is Fe Briones, and she was a single woman, who started serving the Lord, started saying Yes to God, became a small group leader, and took care of some of the single women.
Then, somewhere along the way, I had a call from God to build Anawim, our ministry for the abandoned elderly. At that time, I still didn’t even know what it was going to be like. But I knew that we’re supposed to get this big property–five hectares– in Montalban, Rizal, called Rodriguez now.
She Said Yes
I told my friends at The Feast here in the Light of Jesus: “Who wants to come with me? But God has to call you. God has to call you to serve with me.”
At that time, Fe was a very accomplished professional. Her resume reads “Bank of America.” It’s like, “Whoa!” She was really hitting it off in her career. And then from there, she went to another job and was doing so well.
There were four friends who told me, “We’re going to build Anawim with you, Bro. Bo.”
They were:
Joe Dean Sola and Ardis Abrogar, who would later marry Joe Dean. They’re leading He Cares Foundation, our street kids’ ministry right now;
Tita Neneng Mangahas. She was our cook. She owned a canteen– she left that and started serving with us;
And then, Fe Briones. She said, “Yes.”
So, we transferred to this property that had nothing: just cogon grass, no electricity, no running water, nothing else. And we lived there for three whole years. We slept in bahay kubo– nipa hut– nipa slats, bamboo slats. And little by little, the poor people would come. We would welcome them. The orphans came. The abandoned elderly came. We started picking up lolos and lolas from the streets and bringing them to Anawim. And Anawim started growing.
She Loves People
A number of volunteers joined us to serve in Anawim.
Three years after, I told Fe and the others: “I’m getting married. I have to leave you guys.”
And Fe took over Anawim.
Then, a few years later, Fe said, “Bro. Bo, may I talk with you?”
I said, “Sure.”
She said, “My mom needs me. I’m here taking care of lolos and lolas, but my mother needs me. God wants me to go back home to Bohol to take care of my mom.”
And I said, “Please do that.” So, she went home.
Still, in Tagbilaran, Bohol, she kept on saying Yes to God while taking care of her mom.
She started a small Feast in her home.
Fe is not a preacher. Fe is not a worship leader. But she loves people. And she started loving the young people who came to her house. There were very few. She started loving them and serving them. The Feast there grew because God raised up leaders and preachers in The Feast.
Last week, Fe messaged me, and she said, “Bro. Bo, our Feast is growing. We’re now at full capacity in our venue. Too many people. We’re putting up another Feast. Bro. Bo, I heard that you’re coming here to Tagbilaran to give a TRC (Truly Rich Club) seminar. Please visit our servants.”
She texted me on a Thursday. I could not respond. I was so busy. But I was able to read her message. The next day, Fe was on the computer, I was told. And then slowly, her head slumped… and she’s in Heaven. She was not sick. No pain, no struggle.
But God just called her: “I need you here. I need you here in Heaven.” And she said Yes.
For Those Who Say Yes
The Feast is a beautiful community. This is a home of people like Fe, who for the past almost 40 years, have said Yes and Yes and Yes to God.
This is an amazing place. If you’re new to The Feast, I’m telling you, we’re not perfect. We’ve got very imperfect people here. But I’m telling you, this is an amazing community because we’ve got people like my friend Fe Briones who kept on saying Yes to God all her life.
Anawim would not be Anawim if it were not for Fe. And The Feast in Bohol would not be there the way it is now if it were not for Fe, who could not preach, who could not lead worship– but she loved people.
And you know what? Right now, God is calling you to serve Him. How? Don’t look at me—I don’t know.
But God is calling you, and God is saying, “I want to use you to be a blessing to other people.” Will you say Yes?
If you say Yes, look at Him and tell Him, “I can’t do this on my own. You’ve got to be the one to do this.”
And you know what Fe taught me?
Before I leave the stage, I want to tell Fe: “Fe, I was not able to respond to you 24 hours before you died. I was not able to respond. So, Fe, you hear me now?
I’m going to Bohol. I’m going to meet the servants.”
A beautiful life well-lived. And I want to be like Fe.
You want to be like Fe? Serve until the end of your breath. You want that? You’re writing on the laptop and then that’s it. Say Yes. So beautiful. Amen.
One more time, tell somebody beside you: “Keep on saying Yes.” Next, our preacher. Be blessed by this man: JC Libiran.
BRO. JC LIBIRAN:
For our talk today, since we are on the series Thanks-Living, we are blessed to be a blessing. Last Sunday, we talked about Grateful Living. Today, we will talk about Generous Living.
And our one big message is this: The more you give, the more you receive.
If you’re saying Yes to that, let’s give the Lord a big hand.
And my dear friends, just before we sing the Word of God and honor God’s message today, let’s look at the message of this book by Adam Grant titled Give and Think. It’s a revolutionary way to approach success.
Grant says that there are three kinds of people in this world:
There are Takers, and they are people who just want to receive, receive, and receive.
There are Matchers, and their motto is, “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
But there are people who are also called to become Givers— giving without expecting something in return.
I want you to ask yourself: In your life, in your family, in your business, in your advocacies, which are you among these three?
Do We Give Our Best?
You hear sentiments like these: Receiving is all that matters; Get all you can out of life; If you want yours, go earn it yourself; Only the strong survive;
What’s in it for me?
Even if we are known as a Christian country here in Asia, we are also known as one of the most corrupt countries– from top to bottom.
I’m sure you’ve also come across some viral videos of people swallowing money or possibly a driver trying to extort (favor) from a foreigner. It gives a bad taste of us as Filipinos, and of us as Christians.
When you look as well at traffic on the street, are you able to see people giving way for each other? They’re not in beast mode…Possibly, they’re lining up.
But there are people who are cutting lines.
In our family, in our house, maybe some of us are trying to get the best part of the food.
So, it’s really a battle between greediness and generosity.
It’s up to us, my dear friends, who will win. But by the grace of God,
it is possible that generosity will win. Because God has given us the greatest gift of all. And that is His love.
I ask you now, to honor the Word of God:
Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.
Share…
Our study today takes us to Acts 20:35– very short but very powerful:
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
That’s why I remember this story:
During the Offertory time in the church, there was this boy reaching out for coins because he was about to put them in the Love Offering basket.
Then, suddenly someone tapped him on his shoulders, and gave him a 100-peso bill. He was somehow surprised. Why is the man giving him the 100 pesos? So, what he did was he put the cash in the Love Offering basket.
After that, there was a tap again from that same man, and he said, “That was your 100 pesos– it fell from your pocket.”
My dear friends, are we really giving our best– not just to God, but even to the people that God has entrusted under our care?
St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Let’s receive God’s message today. Take it to heart. Put both of your hands on your heart and say this prayer after me:
“Lord, thank You for Your generous love.
I receive it today.
I want to overflow with Your Love and share this with the world. Amen. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.
The Generosity Factor
You see, it’s also noteworthy to mention that the generosity factor is spread out in the Scriptures. And as we look into this in the Gospel of Mark, about that rich young man asking for counsel at the crossroads: What is it that he must do to have eternal life?
Still, even if the Lord has given him the mission of what to do, he has a difficult time letting go of what he has.
In contrast to that, the poor widow, she has only little money– but she still gives it to the Lord. Because she knows the money belonged to the Lord.
Here’s another:
We look into the parable of the unforgiving servant– the Gospel of Matthew.
The master has forgiven that servant for all his debts. But we find that this same servant doesn’t know how to forgive his fellow servant.
We also look into the parable of the Good Samaritan — in the Gospel of Luke.
There is a wounded man lying on the road. The first two passing by do not help him. But here comes a Samaritan giving everything to help and restore this person’s life.
…We should all receive this truth: That God is the owner of everything.
We need to be reminded that we have a lot of blessings. Yes! But we need to focus on the Blesser. And we know that when we focus on God, everything else will be added unto us.
That’s why there’s this word in Filipino, UNLAD: Unahin Natin Lagi Ang Diyos.
When we put God first, everything else will be added unto us.
Call to Stewardship
We all know what happened in the Creation story. We are reminded that Adam and Eve did not follow God. They disobeyed God.
Still, we are reminded today of our call to stewardship. Everything that we see, that we have, belongs to God.
And we are asked to be stewards, to take care of what God has given us.
So, I want to ask you this question: How are you taking care of everything that God has given you in your life?
We are reminded that the secret to living is giving.
Even the poet Maya Angelou said this: “Giving liberates the soul of the giver.” Bro. JB Rodriguez even shared this with us in the first talk, Grateful Living.
We decide, we choose to be grateful for what has been, what is now, what will be, and what may not be.
And that’s why I remember Bro. JB and I, together with some young builders years ago, we had a vacation, like a three-day vacation with Bro. Bo and the leaders. And everything was taken care of. All expenses paid. And we were so blessed because we were just receiving. Nalibre kami.– Everything for free.
We realized that it’s good to experience these blessings. But what’s on the other side– of us giving instead…?
We should provide. We should be the ones donating. The ones supporting those in need. And we dream of doing that.
Gusto mo bang manlibre o magpalibre? Do you want to receive things for free– or be the one to give things for free? We want to experience both, right?
In my life, I can say that after that experience of receiving, giving has come true in my own special ways, little ways. I’m able to become not just blessed but also a blessing to my family, to my friends, to our Feast, and whenever I’m being called to serve outside– in the content that I do and so on.
Friends, say this with me: “I am blessed to be a blessing.”
Pay It Forward
Let me introduce you to one of my mentors who is a philanthropist.
His name is Tony Robbins, and he said this: “It is not what we get but who we become and what we contribute that gives meaning to our lives.”
He’s not just known for his transformational events, but he’s also known for donating to a lot of charities, most especially to this ministry, Feeding America. But you know, looking back, he was not that at the beginning.
There was a time in his life– when he was a kid– when they were so poor that he was so hungry. And someone gave them food in a basket at their doorstep. Ever since he experienced that generosity, that love, that blessing, he made the decision that he was going to pay it forward.
I believe, my dear friends, we don’t need billions or millions to become a philanthropist. Because we are all God’s philanthropists.
A philanthropist is someone who shares his resources, skills, network, time, money to create a better world. So, don’t be caught up in all the glitz and glamour. You are already a philanthropist in your own special way.
For those of you who are into journal-writing– writing reflections in the Feast Light, or maybe our Light Groups– I invite you to ask these questions:
Generosity Is a Way of Life
Yes, we are also reminded that generosity is not just an act– it is a way of life.
So, can you all do this quick exercise with me? Everybody, sit up straight, inhale, exhale. So, see, that’s the normal way.
But how about if we do this: Inhale, inhale, inhale…
See? You’re having a difficult time already.
So, you cannot take everything. You need to give. And the world needs more givers, more generous people.
When we make a decision to give,
Proverbs 11:25 says: “A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
That’s why I like to honor all of our servants here. Can you just give them a round of applause?
Mother Teresa even reminded us that it is not how much we give– but how much love we put into giving.
Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough. People need your heart to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go. Even after The Feast, bring love to your home. Bring it into your workplace. Bring it into your business. Bring it to those people who need this the most.
I love the story of the boy who had five loaves and two fish. The food was not enough, yes, but in the hands of God, it became one of the miracle stories.
That’s why I’m asking you as well, right here, right now: What is it in your hands that God has given you?
Maybe in your own capacity, it’s just little. Offer it to the Lord– just like what Bro. Bo was sharing earlier about Fe giving her all to God– and they multiplied.
Four Ways To Live a Generous Life
The second letter of Paul to the Corinthians says: “Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when you take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11)
Think of this: You won’t just ask for answered prayers, but you will be God’s answered prayer to the people around you.
Now, let’s get practical. Let me share with you now four ways to live a generous life.
1. Be generous with your time. We all know that we are equal when it comes to this. There are 86,400 seconds every day. How are you using the most precious gift of time? Are you using it to advance the Kingdom of God, to advance
and pursue the things that matter most to you—your dreams, your aspirations?
Or maybe you are lost in scrolling in social media, to the point that you aren’t able to do what you’re supposed to do?
I believe, my dear friends, that all of us are challenged now to share and be generous with our time, most especially with the people who matter most to us. You see, if you want to see the value of time, try to visit someone who is dying, wanting to extend his or her life.
In Filipino, oras mo na– it’s already your time. It’s your time to grow, it’s your time to move on, it’s your time to forgive, it’s your time to be a blessing to people. That’s number one. Be generous with your time.
2. Be generous with your talent. And that’s why, my dear friends, I’m standing here in front of you. Not because I’m already, you know, all perfect– but actually, I’m continuing to harness the gifts, the talents that God has given me. And I’m very grateful for The Feast. Looking back, way back in college, when I started attending The Feast, I aspired just to serve in the Children’s Ministry. From the Children’s Ministry, I got to serve in the Worship Ministry. After that, in the Campus And then, eventually, now in Feast building as well.
But I believe my dear friends, it’s not just serving in The Feast. Maybe in your own way, how are you developing the gifts and talents that God has given you? Use them. In Filipino, talentado ka– you have talents.
3. Be generous with your
And I believe this is not just during the Love Offering time. But being generous with your treasure means intentional thinking, living: “I’m going to continue to share my time, my talent, and my treasure. Not just in The Feast, but even beyond here.”
You don’t have to go far. Maybe in your home, family members need you. They want to have more time with you, to have more opportunities to spend and create memories with you.
But, of course, we all know that we cannot give to charity if we are a charity case ourselves. No. We cannot give tithes if our budget is tight.
And that’s why, Bro. Bo, in his book, The Abundance Formula, encourages us to earn our income 100%. You give your all. Use the talent that God has given you. Monetize it. Of course, tithing means we give to God our best, our first fruits. If you cannot do the 10%, you can start with 1%, 2%, 3%.
There are some people who have decided reverse-tithing. They’re already giving the majority of what they’re earning because that’s how good their finances are.
We have savings because we know that we will not always be strong. We need to prepare for our future. We save 20% of our income for the future. Then, for our present expenses, 70%.But normally, what happens, it’s a lot of add-to- carts, a lot of expenses… Instead of us making o God first, taking care of ourselves… Take care of your finances.
4. Be generous with your
And that’s the message of the book that I’ll be launching today, Life Begins Today:
Inspirations and Reflections to Guide Your Way.
It’s my third book. The first one was Byahe ni
Juan, with the message Enjoy the Ride of Your Life. The second book was Wholehearted: 21 Ways to Live a Courageous Life. It’s about embracing life wholeheartedly.
And finally, here’s a challenge now: to live life to the max, with meaning, appreciation– and extraordinary. It’s actually a collection of my writings. Ten years of my testimony of how God has been faithful in my life. And I believe, my dear friends, you may not be an author or writer, but you have God’s story within you. You are capable of sharing that powerful story that people need to hear.
Share your testimony with your friends, family, and eventually, the Lord will use it to bless people.
Give…and Receive
The Lord invites us: Be generous with your time, talent, treasure, and testimony.
My dear friends, you see, when we give these to the people around us, to the people who matter most to us, to where God is calling us– through the lost, the last, and the least– we know that we can never outgive God when it comes to generosity.
That’s why we are reminded in the Gospel of Luke: Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.
The amount you will give will determine the amount you get back. (Luke 6:38).
Ask God to bless you. Not just for your own sake.
Not just for the people who you want to benefit from your blessings. But there are people out there who need you– who need your time, who need your talent, who your treasure, who need your testimony.
And when you give them to the Lord, just like that little boy did, the Lord will use your five loaves and two fish.
See, look at the Cross: The Lord died not just for Himself. He didn’t die like this:
He didn’t die just for one person.
He died for all. He died for you, for you, for you— for the salvation of mankind. You can never outgive God…
Because He paid the ultimate price of sacrifice: with His Love.
God has given you that Eternal Love, that Precious Love.
What will you do with it?
Say Yes to being generous, to being a giver. In this world of a lot of takers and matchers, your life will never be the same again.
Let’s give the Lord a big hand—a round of applause for Him.
Let’s come before Him. Let’s worship Him today.
