Scriptures: Luke 16:1-13, Romans 14:12

Often church members view giving and the church much like they view taxes and the government: the church "charges" a tithe and "all they want is my money." The attitude assumes that our resources are ours, our giving is to the church rather than to God, and that the cost of giving outweighs the benefits of giving. This is why most people don't plan their giving, don't give a percentage of their income and seldom let giving receive a second thought. None of these statements are true, and none of these attitudes are biblical. When we begin to see the offering not as something that is taken, but something that is given, we move from being reluctant givers to faithful stewards. In this message, Dr. Merritt explores the concept of a steward. What does it mean to use our earthly riches and possessions for God's glory, and what does God say about our responsibility--and reward--beyond this life based on how we steward what He has entrusted to us?

"In Bible days, rich people would often appoint managers or they were called then 'stewards' to manage their money and manage their financial affairs. They would be given the full power of attorney to act in the name of the master. They controlled all of the assets. They represented the master in every business transaction. They were given full authority to deal with the debtors and the creditors. It was their job to manage the assets of the business as effectively as possible. This concept is a mirror of our lives today. It is a reflection of all of us, because we are all in this verse. We are all managers. We are all stewards." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: offering, stuff, money, possessions, stewardship, entrusted, management, giving, God, resources, belongings, household, estate, business, accountable, careless, responsibility, wisdom, rich, shrewd, interest, salary, benefit, helping, security, investment