Faithful with Finances • 11.02.25
Nick Lees   -   November 2, 2025

Faithful with Finances
1 Timothy 6:6-19

Contrasting two ruling desires regarding finances and their ultimate outcomes

  1. Desiring godliness with contentment
  2. Desiring to be rich
  3. Reorienting our lives to be faithful with finances

Manuscript:

Good morning, church family! (Welcome visitors + introduce self)

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (1 Timothy 6; page 1180)

Welcome to November, which in our church is also known as Stewardship Month! Stewardship month is an opportunity for us to learn about the principles of biblical stewardship. Biblical Stewardship is based on the understanding that God owns everything… which includes you and me and all that we have.

The Scriptures teach that this world is God’s and so is everything in it!

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,

      the world and those who dwell therein,

Everything is God’s. He owns it all! Which means that anything you have – life, health, possessions, and so on – have been entrusted to you by God. As your Creator, he is generously sharing these gifts with you for your careful management. That’s what it means to be a steward. You are a manager of the resources that God has entrusted to you.

If it was all His to begin with, then anything we have is given to us by Him. So, the question we must ask ourselves is, “What does God expect me to do with all that he has entrusted to me?” Time, talents, treasure, my life, it’s all his!

Well, the Apostle Paul sets a helpful example in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2.

1 Corinthians 4:1–2

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

Just like Paul, we are to view ourselves as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. And not just any kind of steward, but faithful stewards.

God expects us to take what He has entrusted to us – His truth, His world, our lives – and to be faithful with them. I want to share with you four stewardship principles that drive what we’re discussing this month:

  • God owns everything, I own nothing
  • God entrusts me with everything I have
  • I can either be a wise or poor steward of what God has entrusted to me; He wants me to be a wise steward
  • God can call me to give an account at any time and it could be today

These principles inform the discussions that we will have each Sunday in November.

I also want to make you aware of some resources the church has provided to help you grow as faithful stewards. (Stewardship Resources Slide)

Share the 7-day Stewardship Study + the other online resources that we have compiled for their benefit. (https://www.harvestdesmoines.org/stewardship-resources/)

Please take advantage of these tools. They are for your spiritual growth and the glory of God. I would love to see every person, every family unit growing in obedience to God in these areas. I have personally benefited greatly from learning and following God’s clear teaching with my time, talent, and treasures.

Remind them to plan to join us for our annual Stewardship Celebration.

In our sermon series this November, we are focusing on A Faithful Life. Each Sunday we will cover a specific area of stewardship to live a faithful life.

  • Faithful with Finances
  • Faithful with Time
  • Faithful with Health
  • Faithful in Worldview
  • Faithful in Priorities/Values

To understand why our pastor team believes this is worth studying, let me direct you to a few passages of Scripture. First, the teaching of Jesus in his sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:13–16 (ESV)

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

When Jesus speaks about what it means to live as a disciple, he says that his people will be like salt and light. Meaning that Christians are to preserve righteousness in the land, slow down moral decay, and shine the glory of God to a world enveloped in spiritual darkness. To be a follower of Christ is to live a changed and faithful life that leads people to praise God. It is imperative that we learn how to pursue godliness in every area of our lives so that we bring glory to God!

Now let me take you back to the very beginning, to the plan of God to create mankind.

Genesis 1:26–27 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

God’s design for man and woman, from the beginning, was to be visible representatives of the invisible God. We were made to accurately represent and reflect the majesty of our heavenly Creator! It is your faithful life, lived according to God’s will and ways that accomplishes this.

I could also take you to several other passages that speak of being hearers and doers of the Word. But for the sake of time, I will not do that this morning. My point is this… These truths tell us that a faithful life is the expectation, not the exception. You were created to live faithfully (aka to be a wise steward) and here’s a little secret, God, as the Creator and Designer of all things, has told us the way to a faithful life.

So, as we approach this series, our desire is to seek out what God has to say in His Word. If He is the source of truth, and He is, then we are wise when we seek out his wisdom/ways and live according to them. Conversely, we are fools when we deviate from his wisdom/ways to live according to our own desires. This series is going to contrast the beauty of God’s way with the folly of any other way.

Now. Let me make a brief statement on our topic today. Faithful with Finances. This topic is for everyone, young and old, whether you have a little or a lot. So please pay attention to God’s life-changing truth.

Also, I’m not interested in speaking on this issue to try to get people to give more money to the church. My concern is our holiness. I want you to be able to stand before Jesus one day and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter in the joy of your Master.”

The reason our pastor team selected these topics is because they are common stumbling blocks in our lives that can detract from a faithful, holy life. God speaks quite often in the Scriptures to the deceitfulness of riches and the dangers of desiring to be rich. An unholy focus on wealth has caused much spiritual and physical destruction over the generations. To this day, finances are one of the most common sources of marital conflict. Jealousy, envy, greed, and covetousness are a few of the bad fruits that come from wrong beliefs on this matter. I assume you have no desire to shipwreck your faith through the mishandling of money. Please tell me you are tired of the stress that materialistic consumerism has put on your life. Wouldn’t it be great to know a better way to approach such a necessary, yet tricky area of our life? I think so! That’s why we’re studying the truth today.

In fact, the context of the specific passage we are studying in 1 Timothy 6 is that false teachers in Ephesus were seeking to undermine the truth of God’s Word. And as part of their deceitfulness, they were trying to get rich from their teachings. You could call them a precursor to the prosperity gospel preachers who just want your money to make much of themselves! They were in it for the money and platform that it gave them. And so, Paul is going to rebuke this unfaithful teaching with the truth. And the truth is going to have great application for all of us.

At the end of the letter, Paul speaks about godliness with contentment. He offers sage wisdom for faithfulness in our approach to finances. He helps us get to the heart of what we are wanting and living for… So, with that in mind, let’s turn our attention to our primary text for today:

1 Timothy 6:6–19 (ESV)

 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

In this passage, Paul paints for us two contrasting pictures. In the first we have a person who is ruled by the desire for godliness with contentment. Though much is left unsaid about this person, when Paul paints the second picture, we begin to see the first more clearly. The second picture is of a person who is ruled by the desire to be rich, this person falls into temptation and into many senseless and harmful desires that ultimately lead to ruin and destruction! If you were to hold these two portraits up next to one another, you would see one picture that shows chaos and destruction while the other portrays peace and life. One is ever searching but never satisfied, while the other is resting in the Lord’s provision and faithfully living out their life.

These two portraits encapsulate much of what we see all around us. People running themselves ragged to improve their standard of living or acquire more possessions or status. Yet there are others who work hard yet do so from a position of trust and confidence in the Lord. They are thankful for what they have and careful not to wrap up their identity in comparison to others. They are diligent to provide, yet also dependent on their Provider. Perhaps as you hear these two portraits, you’re already thinking about which best describes you…

As we continue to dig deeper into these concepts from the passage, we will be…

Contrasting two ruling desires regarding finances and their ultimate outcomes

What you need to understand is that this is an issue of desires. By desires, I mean what we want and long for, desires that shape our thinking, speech, and behavior. The Bible explains that humans are both body and soul (outer and inner man). Your inner man is described in terms such as soul/spirit/heart/mind – it is the intangible part of you that exercises great influence over the outer man (your body). Your heart (inner man) is the control center of your life. And whatever desire rules your heart rules your life. It exercises inescapable influence over your thinking, speech, and behavior. As we move through the sermon series this month, please do not lose sight of the heart. We are not interested in changing only our behavior, speech, and thinking. Lasting or true change happens at the level of the heart. We must get to our desires!

Paul’s teaching in this passage reflects this reality. Let’s contrast these two competing desires regarding finances… the first of which is…

  1. Desiring godliness with contentment

In verses 6-8 we are presented first with a positive desire. It is the opposite of what is coming next, and it is based in desiring to live in a manner pleasing to God. The word for godliness can also be translated as piety. Piety is a term we do not use much in our day, but it has been very common in centuries prior. If you were to ask one of the Puritans about piety, they would have told you that it is the source of virtue. It is ongoing reverence and obedience to God.

This desire to live in an ongoing manner of reverence and obedience to God is combined with contentment – which is a state of satisfaction in God and what he has provided. Paul says that one who lives with this desire ruling their lives has great gain. What does he mean? Certainly, it is not that they will receive all kinds of material blessings, as that is the exact kind of false teaching he was speaking against! He had just said that the false teachers “imagined that godliness is a means of gain” – meaning financial gain. Listen to what Paul says about the true gain of godliness earlier in the letter:

1 Timothy 4:7–8 (ESV)

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

You might say, “How does that help?!” Well, Paul tells us that godliness’ value extends to all areas of life, both in this life and in the life to come. Paul has this confidence because God has consistently promised to bless those who make it their aim to please him! Perhaps the greatest blessing promised is that of salvation. God is pleased to save and sanctify (make holy) those who are his. And those who are his make it their aim to please him! A Christian seeks to live a godly life that is satisfied in God and what he has provided.

Paul modeled this for us and even wrote about it in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:10–13 (ESV)

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

The context of the verse that so many people misquote is about contentment. It is about trusting God and his provision, no matter whether you have a little or a lot. This is godliness lived out before us! As Paul stated to Timothy, “if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Is that your posture? Are you content with God’s basic provision for your life? Or are you constantly clamoring for more or bigger and better?

Paul demonstrates a depth of trust and dependence on the Lord that is deeply challenging and encouraging! His life was full of affliction yet also joy as he kept his focus on pleasing Jesus. He faithfully followed God through many toils and trials, and he had the delight of seeing God do many amazing things through his faithful labors. His focus was not on stacking up his money so that he could live a comfortable, easy life or have the nicest house on the block. He was laser-focused on revering and obeying his Lord and Savior. And he rested in God’s care for him as he followed him.

This posture of contentment is only possible when you trust God and recognize that possessions/finances are finite and temporary. They are simply a tool to be used to accomplish the mission of making disciples and glorifying God! In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul asked them, “what do you have that you did not receive?” And the answer is “Nothing!” Everything they had was given to them by God, including finances. And when God gives you provision, he expects you to use it in a manner consistent with his will/ways. To please him, as it were, whether that is in your finances, your time management, with your health, and so on… Many of us have heard this passage quoted before:

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

No matter what you’re doing, even the most mundane things in life like eating and drinking can be done in a manner that glorifies or pleases God. This includes how you view and handle finances. So, I ask you, is your ruling desire godliness with contentment? 

As Paul said, you did not enter this world with anything, nor will you take anything with you when you go! And everything you have while you are here is given to you by God! These truths ought to put things into perspective. It is better to have your life ruled by the desire for godliness with contentment, for it bears much good fruit of peace with God, satisfaction in this life, and the hope of eternal life to come.

The alternative to this ruling desire is allowing your life to be driven by a love of money or a desire to get rich. Do you recall what that produces? Let’s look again at the second competing desire in this passage:

1 Timothy 6:9–10 (ESV)

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

I want to share with you why I landed on this text for our study today. I have been participating in and helping lead our Crown Financial MoneyLife class on Wednesday nights over the last two months. A few weeks ago, we had a lesson on these passages. As I worked through that lesson, I was deeply convicted by what I was being taught. I realized that I had allowed an ungodly view of money to creep into my life over the years. Somewhere amid the turmoil and chaos of our culture and my own life, I had allowed a desire to be rich to sneak in. And even though I knew the destruction that such a desire could bring, I had not been quick or thorough enough in squashing it! And I experienced firsthand the pain and chaos that Paul describes in this passage.

I am convinced that I am not alone in this struggle. Let me ask you a question. You don’t have to say your answer out loud, but you’ll know it in your heart. Do you desire to be rich? If your answer is yes, then pay close attention! Paul warns us that such a desire will only bring pain and misery into your life. It comes at a very high cost, even your own soul!

Why would any of us allow our lives to be driven by a love of money or desire to get rich? Because we have believed a lie that it will somehow satisfy us in a way that only God can. We have believed a lie that “if only I was rich, then life would be better/easier” or whatever it is that you tell yourself. But that is not true. The truth is that cultivating the desire to be rich opens you up to all kinds of temptations, snares, and senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction!

So here it is… our second competing desire regarding finances…

  1. Desiring to be rich

In your life, you are either cultivating a desire for godliness with contentment or a desire to be rich. Which is it for you?

Now, I realize that this counsel might seem absurd given how much our world prioritizes wealth and success! “Why is it wrong to want to get rich?” you might be thinking. If the answers provided in verse 9 weren’t enough, look at verse 10 again!

First, we are told, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. When you indulge in this desire it is not the end of the story. Your heart is now ruled by another desire, and your life will inevitably follow it. Jesus warned about this in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:19–24 (ESV)

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Jesus tells us your heart follows your treasure. If you desire to get rich, that is where your heart will be set. And a heart set on getting rich is not set on God. You have created a competing god on the throne of your heart. The biblical word for that is idolatry. You are now worshiping or serving another master.

When your heart is ruled by another master, the desire to be rich, then there is no telling what you might do to serve it! All kinds of evil things have been justified in the pursuit of wealth. “But I would never do that!” you say. Sure, you wouldn’t! You have a lot more trust in yourself than God does and he knows your heart better than you do!

I would counsel you to take God at his word and realize that the Creator of your heart has warned you that if you desire to be rich or love money, it will be the springboard for all kinds of other evils in your life. Envy, lust, greed, jealousy, lying, theft, and so forth.

And if that wasn’t warning enough, Paul gave an even greater warning in the second half of verse 10 – “It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Desiring to be rich may lead you to abandon your profession of faith and bring eternal destruction upon yourself!

This is consistent with examples we see in Scripture. Consider Judas the Betrayer. What was his motive? Money!

Matthew 26:14–16 (ESV)

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Do you think Judas’ first act from his love of money was to betray Jesus? I don’t think so. I believe he hardened his heart further and further to get to that point. Consider its progression from what we read in the Gospel of John:

John 12:3–6 (ESV)

3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Love of money led Judas to steal from the moneybag long before it led him to betray the Savior of the world. Don’t you dare think that it can’t take you down the same destructive path! May we all have ears to hear and a heart to believe!

Consider Jesus’ teaching from the parable of the soils in Mark’s gospel:

Mark 4:13–20 (ESV)

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

I read this during my personal Bible time this week and I was struck by the warning of verse 19. It is the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things that enter our lives and choke the word so that we forsake faith and prove unfruitful in the end. OH MY!

Lord, help me take this seriously! The desire to be rich is a path to destruction and I pray that you’d help me to want nothing to do with it.

Do you have a desire to get rich? If so, heed the warnings of these teachings and cry out to God for help. He is the One who can change the desires of your heart. Ask him to help you desire godliness with contentment instead!

In fact, Paul provides counsel on how we ought to respond in verse 11 and following. For the sake of time, I’ll just review verse 11:

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

This is an exhortation to run from the ungodly desires that will wreck your life and instead to pursue the godly desires that lead to life! And this includes how you view money and handle finances. So, let’s wrap up our study together by considering some practical applications. I have captured it this way…

  1. Reorienting our lives to be faithful with finances

Ultimately, we are talking about a change at the level of the heart. We are dealing with deep seated desires. What is it that you want most in life? Godliness or riches?

Paul is exhorting Christians to flee the love of money and replace that desire with a love of God. Make it your aim to please Him. The language he uses indicates that this will not be easy. It is a fight. It is war. This is not for the faint of heart. This is not a short-term change. This is a life-long wrestling match. This is a daily decision to desire godliness over everything else. To remember that this is about more than physical resources in this life, it is a matter of eternal life.

Paul even mentions how the way we live in these matters can keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach. When Christians lead holy lives, including in their stewardship of finances, they bring glory to God. But when they lead worldly, selfish lives, they bring disrepute to the name of Christ. Rather than modeling the beauty of God’s ways, they invite the unbelieving world to mock Christianity – that they are no different (or even worse) than the rest. “Christian businesspeople are the stingiest, most self-righteous people to work for!” Or perhaps you’ve heard this in the restaurant biz: “Sundays are the worst days to work. That’s when all the Christians come in and are rude and leave terrible tips.” How we handle ourselves either brings glory to God or dishonors His name.

Let’s look at some specific counsel Paul gives the rich in this present age towards the end of our passage today. We’ll read verses 17-19 again:

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV)

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Notice that being rich is not the problem. It is not sinful to have wealth. God chooses to bless men and women with wealth as he pleases. But sin enters in when you desire wealth or use it selfishly.

What we have in this passage is a beautifully redemptive picture of a man or woman who is on the lookout for ways to use their wealth to bless others! Now, you might say, “That’s for the rich. I’m not rich!” If you live in America, you’re rich. You have access to more resources and wealth than much of the rest of the world!

So, let’s talk about what this means for you. A man or woman who pursues godliness while rich is aware that the primary calling on their life is to be an ambassador of the Gospel. Your riches are just one more resource to accomplish that calling. Another word for this type of lifestyle is stewardship.

So, as far as practical takeaways go, you are called to put off some things and put on some things.

  • Put off
    • Desiring to be rich
      • Beware the temptation/lie – “If only I had it, then life would be better.”
      • The fruit of this desire – envy/greed/covetousness
    • Proud hearts
      • “It’s my money. I earned it. I’ll use it as I please. No one gets to tell me what to do.”
    • Setting your hopes on the uncertainty of riches
      • “This is what will satisfy. Look at what I have built! Eat, drink, be merry.”

The Bible is full of men who learned the hard way that riches are no place to put your hope. King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, the rich man who built the bigger barns in Luke 12, and the rich man who treated Lazarus the beggar poorly in Luke 16 all experienced the shame that comes from putting riches before God. When you worship riches, God will humble you, either in this life or the one to come.

  • Put on
    • Setting your hopes on God
      • The One who richly provides us with everything to enjoy
    • Do good
    • Be rich in good works
    • Be generous and ready to share

Wise stewards are on the lookout for how to use their resources to bless others! Because they know those resources ultimately belong to God and that is what pleases him.

Speak to:

  • The Grime Storehouse
    • Yes, this month we saw 16 new families come to the pantry, with additional families reaching out this week to ask about getting help.
    • As we prepare for an increase in numbers, some of the products we need help stocking are actually non-food items.  Those products include toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, cleaning products (dish soap / disinfectant wipes / etc).  We are also in need of baby wipes and diapers in sizes 4, 5, 6, and 7.  It makes such a difference for people to be able to receive these products when they come here to shop as they can be so expensive for them to get at the store. 
  • SPP Blessing Bags
    • Each bag has instructions on what kinds of gifts to provide, such as gift cards, lotion, devotionals, candles, and many more options! Whatever gifts you decide to bless this single momma with, we just ask that you return all bags to Harvest by November 30th! Then Single Parent Provision will be able to give each blessing bag to a mother, at their annual Single Moms Christmas Dinner on December 6th. What a great opportunity to show the love of Christ!
  • Giving Tree
    • With Christmas coming up, we desire a tangible way to show Christ’s love to our Harvest family. And as a body of believers, one of the ways we can do this is to meet the physical needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. So this year, we’re giving people who need assistance the opportunity to submit their needs through our giving tree. And this allows people in our church to care for others by then meeting those needs.
    • Anyone who needs assistance, can submit needs starting this week – and we encourage anyone who has a need to use this opportunity to allow someone to care for you! This process is anonymous, and you can submit monetary and non-monetary needs, such as medical bills, home repairs, clothing, and food. There are complete instructions on both submitting a need, and fulfilling a need at the table at the back of the worship center. You can also get all the information on our website. We pray that this is a real way that our people can tangibly meet the physical needs of those within our church.

Paul says the result of this kind of generous lifestyle is that you are storing up treasures in eternity. Paul is not saying that you EARN your way to heaven. Rather, generosity and godliness in this life is a foundation for eternal life. You are taking temporary treasures in this life and transferring them to eternity. These choices please your Creator and you will have the privilege and pleasure of hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter in the joy of your master.” What a wonderful day that will be!

As Paul says, by your generosity you are taking hold of that which is truly life. You have demonstrated that you value eternal riches over fleeting pleasures/treasures. Such a man or woman is a powerful witness for the Gospel! And a sharp contrast to false teachers who seek to become wealthy from their efforts.

I am thankful to have studied this text with you and to continue to consider how we are called to be faithful with finances. If you’d like further teachings on this matter, I recommend the Crown Financial MoneyLife course. It has been a blessing for our current class!

May we be wise stewards of all that God has entrusted to us.

Let’s pray.

Pray

Song – Trust You

Nick Closing

  • Stewardship Packets + Communion (Next Sunday)
  • Ask for Prayer + Meet the Pastor
  • Visitors + Welcome Gift
  • You Are Loved