So, today's one of those days when I'm going to get in your face with a tough question (you're welcome!). Here it is: how do you treat strangers? If you see someone you don't know who's in need, are you the sort of person to step up and help, or do you cross to the other side of the road to avoid them?

Showing kindness or hospitality to a friend is great. And I'm sure that when you do that, they feel blessed. They may not always say thank you. They may not always appear grateful, but it makes them feel valued.

But what about when a virtual stranger goes out of their way to help someone? What if you cook a meal or open your home even, to someone you hardly know? Without doubt, such an unexpected act from a stranger multiples the blessing ten times, a hundred times, in the recipient's heart, doesn't it?

Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. (NRSV)

The original Greek word translated here as "hospitality" literally means "to love strangers." Back in a time without hotels, inns were rare, and those that did exist were often unsafe or immoral. So travelling Christians, missionaries, or displaced believers depended on the hospitality of fellow Christians.

And the word "extend" is intense. It means to pursue eagerly, even to chase down. So through His Word, God isn't merely suggesting that we be hospitable. He's telling us to pursue it with zeal; to go out of our way to welcome others, including those we don't know personally.

Extend hospitality to strangers.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Generosity is such a wonderful thing, isn't it? When someone's generous toward us, be it with their time, talents or treasures, we feel incredibly valued, incredibly blessed. Yet in truth, most people's default position is to hoard what they have, keeping it all to themselves.

Just recently, in my conversations with some incredibly generous people, I've been struck by that truth as they've recounted stories of wealthy people they know, who live with an attitude of "Well, I've worked hard. It's mine. Why would I give it away?" Why indeed.

Well, let's hear God's take on this whole generosity thing.

Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. (NRSV)

In the brutal first-century Roman world when that was written, this verse carried deep practical and spiritual weight, especially amongst the persecuted, scattered, and often extremely poor Christian communities.

The original Greek word for "contribute" carries the meaning of fellowship or sharing. "The saints" refers to fellow believers, those suffering persecution, famine, imprisonment, or displacement. In many cases, they lost jobs, homes, or even family connections because of their faith.

So this isn't about paying lip service by tossing over some loose change. It implies an active, personal participation by entering into the burdens of others. Make no mistake. This is a call to radical generosity.

Look, God knows nothing of stinginess. No, He exhorts us here to treat each other as family, meeting material needs as a natural outflow of our shared life in Christ. I know this is challenging. I get that. But God's calling us here not merely to generosity, but to radical generosity.

That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

I think you'd agree that perseverance is a tremendous quality for someone to have. If you think of your favourite movie, the plot almost certainly involves a hero persevering against impossible odds to win the day. And yet perseverance is a muscle that we hope we never to have to exercise, because we only need it when we're faced with adversity.

In 19th-century England, George Müller cared for over 10,000 orphans—yet he never once asked for money. Instead, he brought every need to God in prayer. At times, there was no food for the children, yet he'd pray calmly, thanking God in advance.

One morning, as they sat at the table with empty plates, a baker knocked on the door with fresh bread, saying he'd felt led by God to bake during the night. Müller once said, "The great point is never to give up until the answer comes." And he never did.

There have been times in our ministry when we haven't had the funds to keep going. At one stage, the unpaid bills amounted to 40% of our annual donations. We prayed and prayed. At the last minute, my phone rang. It was a man who wanted to donate exactly that amount on that day.

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. (NRSV)

Why can we rejoice in hope? Because God gives us a certain hope of an eternity with Him through faith in Jesus. Why can we be patient in suffering? Because there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.

And why should we persevere in prayer? Because God is faithful. His answer may not be what we'd expected or hoped for. But it will be the perfect answer at the perfect time. Persevere in prayer.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.