Key #2 – God Provides For His People
Luke 12:35-46
• All Christians have been called to be stewards or servants of God’s resources
• Good stewards are always ready and always living in view of the reality to which we belong in the life of Christ
• When we are selfish, self-focused, or not good managers we demonstrate a lack of belief in the reality of God’s ownership, provision for his people, and rule over all of creation and our role as mere stewards of all to which he has entrusted us
• Stewards don’t bury or put to waste resources but put them to work by offering them to God first and then making them profitable
• To do this we must learn to be stewards in all areas of our lives
• Do you spend time thinking about what God’s will is for the things that he has provided you with?
• Do you truly use the resources that God has given you to advance his Kingdom or have you squandered much of them?
1 Peter 4:10
• Why does Paul urge Timothy to flee from the love of money? What does he want him to pursue instead?
• We are called to be stewards of the grace that God has given us
• It may be gifts, talents, abilities, time, knowledge, etc.
• God wants us to be productive with the things that he has given us. The words “productive” literally means “a positive” (pro) “flow” (duct). God wants to pour things into us so that we can allow them to flow through us to others
• When we pool up what God pours in it gets just like an algae-infested pond that has no outlet. We need to pour out what God gives us so that we do not become stagnant
• What are the things that God has given you to call you to be a good steward of?
• What does it mean to be a good steward of:
• Gifts
• Talents
• Abilities
• Time
• The Word of God
• The Gospel
• God provides for us much more than just monetarily but when we refuse to use any gifts that he has given us for his glory and his Kingdom we deny the grace to others that God wants to pour out through us
• How have you allowed God to pour out his grace through your life? How have you kept that grace locked up?
Galatians 2:20
• In order to truly be God’s steward we must first give up the rights of ownership to our own life
• We cannot be good stewards in the life of Christ that has been given us if we insist on maintaining ownership rights to our own lives
• Can you, like Paul, truly say that you have been crucified to your own will and no longer live?
• In what areas of your life are you still trying to maintain ownership rights and/or provide for yourself rather than trusting God?
Malachi 3:7-12
• This passage was written during the Old Covenant but the principles of giving and stewardship came before the law and continue to apply in the New Covenant
• They had demonstrated that they had left God by being poor stewards and refusing to give God what was his
• God asked for a mere tenth of all that he had given them as a reminder to them that everything had come from him and that they were mere stewards
• The tithe means literally “a tenth”
• The difference in covenants means that our blessings come in the life of Christ rather than in physical and material blessings but we are still called to be stewards in every area of our life including our finances
• Being a good steward means more than just giving ten percent to God, though, it means managing our resources well and being good stewards so that we can give generously to God and to those in need
Convictions
• Do you know and trust God as your provider?
• How does it change your view of finances to really embrace the thought that God promises to provide for the needs of his children?
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Each new blessing God has bestowed upon me He has also used as an opportunity to help me grow. You asked what grace have I kept locked up (great question)...and I appreciate the scripture; he who has been given much, much will be demanded. Well, it makes me think of the blessing of home owner. I was laid off the beginning of the year that we were hoping to buy a home. So I had no known future income and I had just learned we were pregnant a week prior to being laid off. So we prayed and God still blessed us. More specifically, I prayed that if God would bless us with a home that we would use it to serve him. And He has definitely giving us an opportunity to do so. I like to think that we are living up His expectation of the blessing He has given us and that grace/gift of hospitality and sharing what God has blessed us with He is pleased with. I definitely strive to welcome others into our home and we look forward to hosting another friend this summer.
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