Jesus’ gift of salvation was the greatest act of sacrifice, generosity, and obedience. Why, then, do we trust God with our souls and not always with our resources?  God gives us instructions to choose between the weak god of money and Him— the faithful Provider. We cannot serve both. We have to evaluate our hearts and recognize that generosity is more than the amount given—it exposes the condition of our hearts.

Scripture References

Matthew 6:19-34

Found | Austin Stone Worship
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1. Generosity is an act of worship, but it is also an investment for future reward. It is a response in obedience to what God has given us. What is your relationship to the local church? How are you participating? How are you lending your creativity, your energy, your money, and your resources to the growth of believers?
2. Your heart is like an eye to your soul. When your heart is unhealthy, your desires can take you on a dark path that you are deceived into thinking is light. Are you overly focused on something of this world that you have convinced yourself is most important? What would your community say your heart’s focus is?
3. If you trust God with your soul, it should be easy to trust Him with the money He has given you. If you don’t trust Him with your money, you may need to evaluate whether you are trusting Him with your soul. Are you open to God showing you the truth of your heart on this matter? Are you willing to follow God where you are afraid?

Thoughts to Consider

– The local church is what God has given to the world to advance His kingdom, and life change is the fuel for sustaining and growing healthy churches.

– God and money both want to rule our souls, and it is difficult to diagnose who we have given authority to. These characteristics can help you evaluate if you are obeying money rather than God:
1. Envious of what other people have
2. Fear that there will not be enough money
3. Thinking your money is yours and you have authority over it
4. People avoid asking you for anything
5. You are not generous
6. You accumulate stuff
7. You don’t give to the local church or only give where you are noticed
8. You are underwater in debt
9. Money is a source of tension in your marriage, your soul, your workplace, etc.

– Matthew 6 reveals a greater comparison of fear versus faith. Fear is about not having enough or as much as others; it can drive us to over-work, incur debt, worry, be reluctant in our giving, or create walls and tension in our relationships.
– We say we trust God with our souls, but then we don’t trust Him with our resources. Matthew 6 tells us that even in a culture of scarcity, being fearful is disobedient. In our culture of affluence and abundance, how much more faithful and generous should we be?
– When we are trusting God with our resources, it’s not just a number or a discipline; we are addressing our heart’s craving for ambition, control, security, status, materialism, etc.