Faithful Stewardship

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 Read and Discuss IX. Faithful Stewardship Effectively Managing Resources God Entrusts to You God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of finances, time, and spiritual gifts in their personal lives and in their service to God and others. Jesus taught his disciples the principle of stewardship by telling the story of a master and his three servants (Matthew 25:1430). The servants were given different amounts of money, called talents. The talent was a weight measurement in Jesus time; one talent of silver or gold was equivalent to approximately 66 pounds. The master also gave a period of timeuntil his returnduring which the servants were required to manage the talents. After some time, the master came back and called the servants to account for the money and time entrusted to them. 1. Your Money and Your Time Q: Reflect on your life and everything you own. What are you most important material possessions? How were they acquired? Time is a valuable resource that God has given to each person. It is the most perishable resource, because once it has passed, it is gone forever. Everyone is given the same amount of time each day. Evaluate your effectiveness in managing time. Q: Are you an excellent time manager, an average time manager, or a poor time manager? 2. Biblical FoundationIs it Really Mine? Consider the passage below: O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. You created the north and the south Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. Psalm 89:8-13 (NIV) The writer of Psalms affirms that God owns everything. He created the earth and everything in the earth. When looking at our resources, we must always remember that God is really the owner of everything; we are only managers. Look at these verses for further ideas:

 Our Possessions Consider the list of material possessions you identified on the previous page. In light of Psalm 89 and the passages mentioned above, who really owns your possessions? Q: Time is also a created entity. Who ultimately owns your time? Have you recognized the gift of time and given your time to God? 3. We Are Managers, Not Owners In the very first chapter of the Bible, immediately after describing the creation of the human race, the Bible affirms that God created us to manage the earths resources. God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Genesis 1:28 God is the owner of all creation. Human beings are the administrators and stewards of Gods creation. This includes our money, material properties, families, time, and even our bodies. Managing Money The Bible teaches three important stewardship principles that help us successfully manage the material resources that God entrusts to us: 1. The Principle of Faithful Tithing - Leviticus 27:30 affirms that the tithe, which is ten percent of our income or the fruit of our labor, ...belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Q: Look up Malachi 3:8-12 on BibleGateway.com. This passage teaches the benefits of tithing. Write here the promise that God makes to those who tithe? 2. The Principle of Sound Management - Tithing is the first step, but there is more to faithful stewardship. God owns the other 90 percent as well; our responsibility is to manage it wisely. God entrusts us to manage the remaining 90 percent of resources wisely. In Luke 14:28, Jesus uses the illustration of a man wanting to build a tower as he carefully considers the cost. We are responsible for effectively and efficiently managing resources with wisdom and purpose, according to balanced priorities.

 3. The Principle of Generous Giving In Luke 6:38, Jesus says, Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Jesus promises to bless the generous. Q: How could this principle of generous giving affect other areas of your life to become generous living? Managing Time The Bible teaches us to imitate Jesus. As in every aspect of life, Jesus models wise time management. Three examples from his life include: Jesus knew that his time was limited - In John 9:4, Jesus makes this clear by saying, As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. Jesus never lost sight of his purpose - In John 17:4, Jesus prays, [Father] I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Jesus understood that there is a right time to do the important things - In John 4:35, Jesus says, Do you not say, Four months more and then the harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. There are many "time robbers" in life. A time robber is any way we do not use the gift of time well. Examples include procrastination, poor planning and scheduling, and lack of clear priorities. Q: What are your greatest time robbers? 4. The Blessing of Faithfulness In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, when the owner of the talents returned from traveling, he called each of his servants, the stewards, to give an account of what they had done with the resources that had been entrusted to them. The master praised those who had invested wisely and gave them more responsibility. On another occasion, Jesus said, Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much (Luke 16:10). God will entrust more resources to those who show themselves faithful with few resources. We are accountable to God for the wise and effective use of both our material resources and the time we are given on this earth. The simple awareness of this accountability should move us to rethink how we use these resources in our daily lives. Faithful stewards experience the power and presence of God in their life.

 Apply God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of material possessions and time in their personal lives and in their service to God and others. Effective stewardship is learned. God has entrusted you with resources and time. You are invited to make a simple yet important covenant with God through prayer. This is your opportunity to recognize God as the source of everything in your life. Stewardship Covenant Prayer Lord, I recognize that you are the owner of all that I have. I am only the administrator of the material resources that you have entrusted to me and the time I have to live. I commit to managing your resources wisely and ask your guidance to do so. Teach me to be a better steward of what I have, so I can be entrusted with more. In Jesus name, Amen. Today, I have sincerely prayed this prayer and made a stewardship covenant with God to faithfully manage his resources. Sign this covenant by writing today's date below. Share What is one way you can be a better steward of the gifts and resources God has given you? Post what you come up with on Facebook, Twitter, email, and more. Make sure to discuss this with your group in the Group Forum. Interesting Thoughts I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week. John D. Rockefeller A leader committed to letting God work his will through him or her will be sensitive to Gods timing. The effective use of time consists of doing what God wants at the time he wants it done. Myron Rush We overexaggerate yesterday, we overestimate tomorrow, and we underestimate the importance of today. Dr. John Maxwell God entrusts resources to us and expects us to utilize those resources in a profitable way for godly purposes. Christian to the Core Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a

 love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. Oswald Chambers