How to Teach Stewardship

How often do you talk about money to your congregation? When you do, what do you talk about? If you’re like most pastors and teachers, the answers are: (1) rarely, and (2) giving.

Your congregation is learning about money. And if they’re not learning at church, then all their input is from the world. The world doesn’t care about what’s wise and best for the believer, and it doesn’t care what brings glory to God. But you do. So, while money may be a difficult subject, it’s one your congregation needs to learn about from Scripture.

Common Mistakes in Talking about Money

Churches and pastors typically make one or more of these mistakes in talking about money:

• Too Seldom: In many, if not most, churches, the topic doesn’t come up regularly as part of a message from the pulpit.
• Too Narrow: Those churches that do talk about money tend to narrow the teaching to giving, as though giving were the only important aspect of stewardship. This approach tends to emphasize transactions more than transformation.
• Wrong focus: Related, much of the talk about giving is limited to the weekly offering, known as the “giving moment”. These moments tend to focus strictly on giving to the church, which creates a self-serving feel.
• Too targeted: When money is talked about more broadly, the message is nearly always targeted to a specific segment of the church audience – most often, those in debt.

Needed: A Holistic Approach

Effective stewardship teaching (and we need effective stewardship teaching!) has the following characteristics:

• Emphasis on transformation, focusing on God’s glory and our discipleship rather than the individual act of giving (or saving, etc.);
• Explaining the whole counsel of Scripture in a balanced manner, including all the key areas of stewardship;
• Engaging the whole congregation, including those in different places financially;
• Encouraging financial discipleship, teaching stewardship as a key part of following God.

This approach treats both the topic and the congregation holistically and has the best chance to produce disciples who understand and practice Biblical stewardship.

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Emphasize Transformation

As mentioned above, when churches talk about stewardship, the topic is often limited to giving, and it’s mostly done in conjunction with the taking of the offering. This creates a transactional approach to money rather than a transformational one.

This approach may indeed encourage some to give, but it doesn’t lead to the character development that God wants to see. Consider the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-24), the Pharisees Jesus spoke to in Matthew 23:23-24 or the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable praying in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). These were all givers (made explicit for the Pharisees but a very likely characteristic of the rich young ruler as well). Yet none of them lived with transformed hearts. Their giving was purely transactional.

Contrast them with Zacchaeus, who may or may not have been a giver prior to encountering Jesus. Meeting Jesus completely transformed him, and the result showed in his giving (Luke 19:1-9). We can reasonably surmise that this was only the initial outworking of Zacchaeus’ new faith and that many more followed.

How we handle money both impacts and reveals our hearts. Heart transformation is what we need.

Money Tests Our Character

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Luke 12:15

Money tests our character at several points, and all of them are spiritual characteristics. It tests our integrity when it comes time to pay taxes or when a cashier has given us too much change. It tests our patience and perseverance when we’re tempted to purchase something we don’t have the money for, rather than saving up to purchase it later. It tests our contentment when those impulse buys and once-in-a-lifetime sales tempt us.

Jesus tells us that our lives don’t consist of our possessions, but we’re often tempted to believe and act as though they do. In those moments, a transactional approach to stewardship that focuses on the offering plate (or equivalent) doesn’t help safeguard us against materialism. We need character transformation.

Money Plays God

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Matthew 6:24

Jesus could have picked any number of potential rival gods to contrast with serving the one true God. But he picked money. Money tempts us constantly in ways that nothing else does. It tempts us to dishonesty, to greed, and to any number of other sins that draw us away from God. Money wants to be God.

Paul tells us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Chief among these evils is the way it steals our hearts from God. It’s not possible for us to love God with all our heart, mind, strength, and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves at the same time that we’re loving money.

God will not share his glory with another (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 42:8). The place that money strives to hold in our lives is a place that belongs only to God.

Needed: Transformation

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

The pattern of this world includes, among other things, giving a place of supreme importance to money. And as long as we’re doing that, we’re not giving supreme importance to God. What’s needed is transformation.

Transformation starts in the mind, with what we know. Of course, it needs to grow beyond that start; but if it’s going to happen at all, it begins with knowledge. Wealth is deceitful and uncertain (Matthew 13:22; 1 Timothy 6:17) and pursuing it – whether in the form of investments or possessions – leads to a trap (1 Timothy 6:10).

Scripture urges us to set our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2), but wealth works to lower our sights. Hence Jesus’ warning to be on our guard against greed, which Paul refers to as idolatry (Colossians 3:5). It’s idolatry because greed leads us to seek and pursue money and possessions over seeking God.

As a result, our teaching about stewardship must emphasize the context of discipleship, not simply giving or more broadly wise money management. We want to grow our congregations in stewardship not primarily so that we can meet church budgets or take on outreach projects (important as those are). We want our people to practice stewardship because money is one of the primary blockers in the world to growth in our relationship with God.

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Explain the Whole Counsel of Scripture

As we mentioned above, stewardship is about much more than just giving and generosity. And even if it weren’t, we’d need to teach Biblical wisdom on other key topics like saving, debt, and spending because the believer that doesn’t have those under control isn’t likely to be in a position to give consistently or generously.

Start Here: The Faithful Steward

“Well done, good and faithful servant!” How many times have we heard (or used) that thought in teaching about the importance of being faithful to God and the reward that ultimately brings? But in all of Jesus’ teaching, that phrase is used only once – in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27). It makes sense that this longed-for acknowledgment from God occurs in the context of a parable of stewardship. Our stewardship is an outward demonstration of whom we’re serving (back to Matthew 6:24).

Some key elements of the Parable of the Talents include:

• God as the source of everything we have (Matthew 25:14);
• Accountability for the resources God has entrusted to us (Matthew 25:19; see also 1 Corinthians 4:2 and Romans 14:12);
• The joy of being found faithful by God (Matthew 25:20-23).

Starting with God’s ownership is fundamental to teaching about stewardship. From a generosity perspective, it transforms the question of “How much of my money should I give to God?” to “How can I best use the money that God has entrusted to me?” Scriptural wisdom regarding money and stewardship all stems from this one premise: that God owns everything, and that he has (temporarily) entrusted resources to us to use for his glory. But just like in the parable, it all eventually goes back to God because it all belongs to him.

This is why starting with a spending plan can lead us astray. A spending plan helps us pursue our priorities – but the problem is that it’s possible to have the wrong priorities. Helping our people understand God’s ownership puts them in a position to prayerfully seek God’s priorities for their stewardship.

Serving God: The Diligent Earner

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:22-24

Paul tells us to do our work as though we were working for the Lord. And we owe that to God; after all, he’s the one who gives us the ability to work and earn money in the first place (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)! So, what does it look like to work with “sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord”?  Among other things, it looks like:

• Gratitude to God for our gifts, abilities, and knowledge – and for the economic opportunities he has provided. While we’ve worked for much of that, the truth is that many people around the world have worked and are working much harder than we are, without all the benefits that our work brings to us.
• Diligence in our tasks. Too often, we think of work as trading time for money. Scripturally, we should see it as trading value for money. It’s about treating our employer with respect and dignity and also about working toward our employer’s interests.
• Enthusiasm in our approach. This doesn’t mean that we ignore hard issues, but when we work without complaining or arguing, we set ourselves apart from non-believers and reflect positively on God (Philippians 2:14-16).
• Contentment in God’s provision (Philippians 4:11-13). Again, this doesn’t mean that we never ask for a raise or that we can’t consider changing jobs to earn more money. But this should never be done out of greed or discontent. Instead, it should be done out of a sense of God’s direction.

Exercising Self-Control: The Prudent Spender

In the broadest sense, spending includes everything we do with money – giving, lifestyle, saving (future spending), and debt repayment (past spending). And all of these affect each other – we can only spend a dollar one time. If we save it, then we’re not using it on lifestyle; if we repay debt with it, then it’s not available for giving. How often do we do something with money and then wish later that we had that money available for something else?

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:15

Paul was writing here about sin and the law – but this could easily be a summary of buyer’s remorse! We often find ourselves making hasty decisions in the moment, only to regret them later when we realize that we spent foolishly. Our deepest desire may be to live out faithful stewardship, but our strongest desire in the moment often overcomes us.

This is where self-control comes in. Peter admonishes his readers multiple times to self-control (1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8; 2 Peter 1:6). Self-control starts with clear thinking (a “sober mind”). In the area of stewardship, this includes clarity regarding financial priorities and the effects of daily decisions on our ability to pursue those priorities.

When it comes to spending, self-control sets us up for success; lack of self-control leads us to failure. The ultimate picture of this lack of self-control is the prodigal son. This parable is not about stewardship per se, but it does illustrate the inevitable ramifications of ill-considered spending. Many in our congregations are facing significant consumer debt today that parallels the difficulties that the prodigal son found himself in.

Self-control is the opposite of the self-indulgence that many practice and that marketers encourage. It’s not a popular topic. This isn’t new; when Paul talked about self-control (along with righteousness and the coming judgment), Felix sent him away (Acts 24:25). But when we train our congregations to focus on things above rather than on earthly things, that shift in values enables growth in self-control.

Expressing Love: The Generous Giver

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40

The command to love pervades Scripture, especially the New Testament. Paul says that without love, nothing else we do matters (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and goes on to list love as the greatest of the things that remain (1 Corinthians 13:13). And the primary way we demonstrate love is the giving of our time, our talents, and our treasure. True love is based on God’s love for us (1 John 3:7, 19) and goes beyond words and feelings to actions (1 John 3:16-18).

Often, our exhortations around giving center on need: the church’s needs or the needs of the poor, etc. And understanding and caring about those needs is important. But there are two primary motivators for meeting needs: guilt, and love. Guilt says, “you ought to give because”… fill in the blank. Others have it worse than you. The church needs to meet its obligations.

Such exhortations may indeed lead people to give, but that’s not the kind of giving that honors God. It’s the kind of giving done out of guilt, under compulsion.

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.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Giving out of love is evidence of the transformation that God is working in our hearts. Further, giving money away is the best way of breaking the hold that money has on us. This is part of what Jesus meant by storing up treasures in heaven vs. on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

Once we’ve established these motivations for giving (and only then!), we can share some of the key teachings of Scripture on what faithful giving looks like:

• It’s priority, not an afterthought (Proverbs 3:9).
• It’s proportional, not leftovers (1 Corinthians 16:2).
• It’s periodic, not a rare event (1 Corinthians 16:2).

Developing Perseverance: The Wise Saver

The wise store up choice food and olive oil,

but fools gulp theirs down.

Proverbs 21:20

Scripture is full of admonitions and examples encouraging wise saving. Perhaps the most dramatic example is Joseph’s saving plan for Egypt in light of the coming famine (Genesis 41). Joseph’s wisdom led to the saving not only of Egypt, but also of his family and multitudes from neighboring lands (see Genesis 41:57).

It’s easy to see how self-control applies to saving. But saving requires more than self-control in the moment – it requires perseverance over a period of time. Joseph embarked on a 7-year saving plan in order to provide for the country during the famine.

Wise saving doesn’t imply lack of faith (though over-saving can get to that point). Instead, it shows careful stewardship of what God has provided. Saving not only guards against emergencies, it empowers future generosity. Every act of giving recorded in Scripture – and there are many of them – was preceded by saving.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Believers save with a different purpose than the world does. The world typically saves out of fear (“I won’t have enough”) or out of a desire for future pleasure (“I’ll save now so I can live it up later”). Believers understand that wealth is uncertain; as a result, they don’t put their hope in savings to provide for them. Instead, they enjoy God’s provision gratefully and they see wealth as an opportunity for generosity. They avoid hoarding for themselves (see the parable of the rich fool, Luke 12:13-31) while faithfully setting aside provisions for the future.

Applying Wisdom: The Cautious Debtor

The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:13-14

Scripture never condemns debt as sin. In fact, God created a cyclical system of cancelling debts every seven years, in acknowledgment that there would in fact be Israelites who found themselves in debt (see Deuteronomy 15:1-15) and further provided the Year of Jubilee as an additional relief for the poor (Leviticus 25:8-17).

That said, in Israel’s economy, most debt occurred as a result of poverty. Today, debt in Western society is far more likely a result of materialism than a consequence of poverty. In particular, most consumer debt that believers have built up is a result of the lack of many of the things we’ve already talked about – self-control, perseverance, and God-centered priorities.

Realizing this, when we teach about debt, we need to start with the heart. Retiring consumer debt should be a priority, but if we don’t deal with the heart conditions and the priorities that led to the debt, we won’t be making a permanent difference. Helping our congregations to refocus their thoughts on stewardship vs. ownership and to value what God values when it comes to money is the first step.

Another kind of debt

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:16

The so-called “Proverbs 31 woman” is praised for her astuteness in decision-making. She did the research and bought a good field for planting a vineyard. In all likelihood, she bought that field with money she had saved.

In our economy today, this is pretty rare. Most of our biggest expenditures – purchasing a house or land, starting a business, getting an education – typically require a certain amount of debt to get started. This kind of debt isn’t necessarily about materialism (although it can be) – often, it’s about planning and preparing for the future. There are a number of uses for efficient debt in today’s economy. This doesn’t automatically make debt the best decision in each case, but it does mean that there are situations where a carefully-considered decision to enter into debt may prove to be wise in the long run.

Stewardship and the Balance of Scripture

As in so many things, Scripture provides a balanced view of stewardship. We’re to save wisely, but not to hoard. We’re to work diligently, but not to base our identity on our career. We’re to enjoy God’s provision, but not to covet possessions or be ruled by materialism.

Our teaching about stewardship needs to account for this balance. We can hinder this balanced view of Scripture in a couple of ways. First, we can present only one side of the story. The prosperity gospel, for example, promotes the view that God rewards obedience with wealth, citing verses such as Proverbs 3:9-10. These verses are true but not the complete picture; this view ignores, for example, the widow whose two small copper coins were all she had (Mark 12:41-44). She was obviously faithful to God, but her faithfulness did not lead to material prosperity.

A second way we get a bit off balance is by assuming that Scriptural narratives are normative for all believers. Some, for example, assume that Jesus’ command to the rich young ruler to sell all that he had and give to the poor (Matthew 19:16-22) is meant for all believers at all times. But we never see this instruction elsewhere in the gospels. In fact, Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church to give to the poor in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9) specifically calls out that Paul doesn’t want the believers to be hard-pressed as a result of their gifts (1 Corinthians 8:13). And in his call to the wealthy to share with others (1 Timothy 6:17-19; see discussion above), he never implies that they were to give everything away; in fact, he specifically acknowledges that God gives us possessions for our enjoyment.

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Engage the Whole Congregation

We’ve talked elsewhere about the need to engage the entire congregation in the stewardship conversation. Broadly, people are in different places in their financial lives and even in their understanding of stewardship. More specifically, even people in similar broad categories are in different places. One person has accumulated consumer debt as a result of a spending problem; another has accumulated the same debt because they’re house-poor, unable to afford the basics due to their high mortgage cost. Speaking to the need to reign in spending won’t help the second person, who really needs to downsize the housing cost.

Let’s start with the big picture. Our congregations include people in three broad categories (some break these categories down further). We’ll think of them as three “lanes” on the road to financial stewardship.

Financial Crisis: Lane 1

Financially, life isn’t working for people in Lane 1. They tend to have significant consumer debt and are struggling each month to pay all their bills. Most likely, they’re falling further behind each month, with expenses outpacing their income. People in this lane need:

• Grace, not judgment: Likely they already feel guilt and shame about where they are financially. And while bad decisions may be the reason behind their financial situation, at this point they need to reconnect with God’s love and grace. They don’t need further shaming.
• Gratitude and contentment: With financial crisis hanging over their heads, people in Lane 1 feel constant pressure, discouragement, and even despair. They likely focus all their attention on their seemingly impossible financial situation. And while they do need to prioritize addressing their financial state, a focus like this will take their attention away from God. They need to learn what Paul learned – the secret of being content in any and every situation (especially if materialism has contributed to their financial state).
• Faith and hope: The outlook may be dire, but no situation is beyond God’s rescue. People in Lane 1 need faith to trust in God’s provision and to believe that there is a way out of their financial crisis. They need hope that God has not discarded them; he still has a plan for their lives.
• Patience and Perseverance: Most likely, it took some time to get into this financial crisis, and it will take some time to get out. A single balance-transfer transaction isn’t going to make their problems go away (despite what the loan companies promise!). People in Lane 1 need perseverance to be in it for the long haul and patience to see God work over time.

Lane 1 folks need stability. They likely need someone to coach them and walk alongside them to help them set a new course. They definitely need to start with an understanding of God’s ownership and our stewardship to motivate them toward change.

Lane 1 folks are likely to respond to giving campaigns with defensiveness and/or shame. They may want to contribute but simply be unable to in their current circumstance. Or they may feel that the church is just asking too much without understanding their situation. Either way, they’ll likely feel that they’re not valued if they can’t give. This is why starting with an understanding of stewardship – rather than an encouragement to give – is so important for this group.

Making Ends Meet: Lane 2

Whereas Lane 1 people know that they’re in trouble financially, Lane 2 people are often in trouble but don’t realize it. This is because they’re making ends meet month to month. They’re keeping up with payments on their credit cards (at least the minimum payments; but they might still be losing ground). But one or two missed paychecks would put them in crisis. They need clarity. Clarity around their financial situation and clarity around the concept of stewardship.

In Lane 2, people often treat their finances with disinterest. Because they’re making ends meet month to month, they’re not too concerned. This approach again stems from a philosophy of ownership rather than stewardship; if the resources belong to them and they’re making ends meet, they’re doing OK. These are the folks most in danger of being like the third servant in the Parable of the Talents, who didn’t lose his master’s money but also didn’t multiply it. An understanding of stewardship would significantly alter their path and their priorities.

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,

give careful attention to your herds.

Proverbs 27:23

Lane 2 people need to learn the wisdom of saving and the importance of paying attention to their finances. They may not need to make the drastic changes characteristic of Lane 1, but they do need to make some changes to build net worth and likely to grow in generosity.

Lane 2 people will often respond to a giving campaign out of a sense of obligation. If they see themselves as owners rather than as stewards, then they’ll give what they can without making any major sacrifices. More importantly, giving for them will tend to be transactional rather than transformational until they grasp the concept of God’s ownership and our stewardship.

Living With Surplus: Lane 3

In Lane 3, people are living with surplus. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re millionaires, but rather that they have positive cash flow and minimal if any consumer debt in comparison to their assets. Most of them are probably diligent earners who’ve carefully managed their finances for a long time; a few may be in the category that most of us would call “rich”. They’re either financially set for retirement or headed in that direction.

In some ways, Lane 3 people face spiritual dangers that people in Lanes 1 and 2 don’t face. This is because wealth is deceitful (Matthew 13:22). It can (and often does) form a barrier to discipleship, as Jesus indicated after the encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:23-24). Lane 3 people are in danger of putting their hope in wealth and falling into temptation (1 Timothy 6:9, 17).

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Luke 12:48

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:2

Once again, the key is to start with stewardship vs. ownership. Lane 3 people may be tempted to think that they’ve earned everything they have by their own effort – but this is exactly the kind of self-centered, false thinking that God warned the Israelites about as they were getting ready to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Stewardship teaches us to regard everything we have as a trust – something we’re executing on behalf of another. And we’re called to be faithful with that trust.

Lane 3 folks will tend to respond to giving campaigns somewhat liberally if they connect to the cause or if they see benefit in it for themselves. However, once again, if they’re not giving out of a context of stewardship, their giving will tend to be transactional rather than transformational. Lane 3 folks are most in danger of thinking of giving as a sort of “works righteousness” and expecting something from God in return.

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Encourage Financial Discipleship

Have you noticed how stewardship is tied to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? That’s no accident – stewardship is basically financial discipleship. Just as God calls us to discipleship in other areas of our lives, he calls us to discipleship in the area of finances. And, as we’ve pointed out, this area is particularly important because money sways our hearts (Matthew 6:19-21).

Since stewardship is part of overall discipleship, it needs to be approached from a spiritual angle. There are practical and even emotional aspects to stewardship, but above all it’s a spiritual issue. True stewardship is transformational, not transactional. This is one key reason why we need to get past thinking of stewardship only in terms of giving – and why our congregations need to learn the entire context of stewardship.

Stewardship is for the entire congregation, regardless of financial position. It’s possible to be the best stewards we can be in any lane. In Lane 1, that might look like faithfully repaying debt to get to a place of stability. In Lane 2, it might entail dialing back on lifestyle spending to emphasize giving and saving. In Lane 3, it might mean catching a vision from God for a specific ministry and giving generously (of our time and our finances) to that ministry.

Whatever it looks like, stewardship must always be presented in the sense of what we want for our congregations rather than what we want from them. For this reason, it’s best not to invoke stewardship teaching in the context of a capital campaign or other giving initiative; this context makes it feel like stewardship teaching is all about getting the congregation to give more. Stewardship is not about the needs of the church – it’s about the growth of discipleship in our congregations, directing our hearts and minds more and more heavenward as we seek to carry out God’s will here on earth.

Shepherding the Flock

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

Acts 20:29

Stewardship teaching is an important part of shepherding the flock. After pleading with elders among his readers to be shepherds of God’s flock, Peter warns us that the enemy prowls about like a roaring lion, looking for people to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Scripture and experience teach us that one of the enemy’s main tools is money. Demas, a companion of Paul, fell away and deserted Paul because of his love for the world (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:10). The battle is real.

Money sets itself up as a rival god, forcing us to choose whom we will serve (Matthew 6:24). It deceives us (Matthew 13:22) and entraps us (1 Timothy 6:9). Our best protection against all this is the Word of God – but if we’re not teaching the wisdom of Scripture when it comes to finances, we’re depriving our people of the best weapon available.

Bringing Glory to God

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:12-15

Above all, when our people manage their finances wisely, their overflowing generosity brings glory to God. It brings praise from believers and powerfully demonstrates the truth of the gospel to non-believers. The generosity of God’s people was one of the key characteristics of the early church that led to daily conversions and the multiplication of the disciples (Acts 2:42-47). All that from faithful, Biblical stewardship!

Our approach to money sets believers apart from the world. It demonstrates the transforming power of the gospel in a way that few other things can. As a result, training our congregations holistically in Biblical stewardship opens the door to both spiritual growth and multiplication.

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