Stewardship

What is Stewardship?

Understanding that all we are and all we have belongs to the Lord.

God has called us to be managers of what He has entrusted to us.

The Greek Word for “stewardship” is our word for economy

The three areas of Christian Stewardship are Time, Talents, and Treasures

Stewardship means giving the Lord our time

There are 168 Hours in a week. The Lord calls us to manage them for His glory.

Each hour belongs to Him, not us. Knowing this, time is precious.

The Sabbath is a special day to the Lord. On this day we especially honor the Lord by worshiping Him.

Our time is spent serving the Lord when we keep His Commandments.

Our time honors the Lord when we serve Him by loving others.

Stewardship means sharing our talents with the Lord and His Church.

Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

1 Corinthians 12:1–27 ESV

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

What are the Spiritual Gifts that the Lord has given you in your Baptism? (Hint: What are some things that you love to do, or that you excel at doing?) What part of the body would best describe it? How can you use your Spiritual gifts to serve others in the household of God?

Stewardship means that we offer our treasures to the Lord through His Church.

Next to our salvation, the topic of money is the most discussed by Jesus.

In the Old Testament, God’s children were required to give a tithe, that is ten percent of all that they brought in. Anything after this was considered an offering.

The New Testament redefines how we give.

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Nevertheless, percentage giving is a good discipline.

Offerings should always be planned, deliberate, worshipful, and regular.

God will not receive offerings from unbelievers. One can only give to the Lord through Jesus Christ.

Giving to the Church is the primary way we give to the Lord. Giving to other worthy causes should be in addition to what we give to the Lord’s Work at Church, not split with our offerings or given in place of our offerings.

The Church provides envelopes to aid us in our giving.

Stewardship is always an act of Worship to the Lord.

We give not as we ought but as we are able.

Our giving should always be a reflection of our love for the Lord. Nothing less will do.