Building Stronger: Faithful Stewardship for God's Kingdom

Summary

### Summary

Welcome back from summer! Today marks the beginning of year four in our six-year missional plan, focusing on "building stronger." This year, we aim to enhance and fortify our church, its members, and the Kingdom of God. Reflecting on the past three years, we have seen significant progress: from shining brighter by updating our facilities and ministries, to thinking smaller by fostering organic relationships, and living bolder by re-engaging in mission work post-COVID.

Our theme, "to whom much is given, much is required," is rooted in Luke 12 and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. This principle calls us to be faithful stewards of the blessings God has entrusted to us—our time, talents, treasures, and knowledge. We are reminded that Jesus will return, and we must be ready, living lives that honor Him and serve others.

To build stronger, we must live watchful, faithful, and encouraged lives. Living watchful means being prepared for Jesus' return at any moment, ensuring our actions, words, and thoughts align with His will. Living faithful involves stewarding our blessings—whether good or bad—for God's glory. This includes managing our finances, time, talents, and thinking in ways that honor Him. Finally, living encouraged means understanding that God will entrust us with more as we prove faithful with what we have.

In practical terms, this means prioritizing God's kingdom over our own desires, using our resources wisely, and continually seeking to grow in our relationship with Him. As we embark on this journey of building stronger, let us commit to living lives that reflect the love and grace of Jesus Christ, impacting our church, community, and the world for His glory.

### Key Takeaways

1. Live Watchful Lives: We must be vigilant and ready for Jesus' return at any moment. This means our daily actions, words, and thoughts should reflect our anticipation of His coming. Living with this eternal perspective changes our priorities and aligns our lives with God's will. [50:46]

2. Steward Your Blessings: God has entrusted us with various blessings—time, talents, treasures, and experiences. We are called to manage these gifts faithfully, using them to serve others and glorify God. This includes both the good and the bad, as God can transform all things for His purposes. [55:44]

3. Prioritize God's Kingdom: Our lives should be focused on eternal values rather than earthly gains. This means making decisions that honor God, whether in our careers, relationships, or daily activities. By living for God's kingdom, we find true joy and fulfillment. [54:24]

4. Engage in God's Word: Proper thinking is crucial for faithful stewardship. Immersing ourselves in Scripture helps us understand God's will and equips us to live lives that are pleasing to Him. The Bible provides the foundation for discerning right from wrong and aligning our lives with God's truth. [01:08:32]

5. Encouragement in Faithfulness: God promises to entrust us with more as we prove faithful with what we have. This principle encourages us to be diligent and trustworthy stewards, knowing that our faithfulness will lead to greater responsibilities and blessings in God's kingdom. [01:10:29]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[37:19] - Introduction to the Missional Plan
[38:43] - Year Four: Building Stronger
[39:33] - Recap of Previous Years
[40:31] - Living Bolder Post-COVID
[41:40] - Definition of Building Stronger
[42:44] - To Whom Much is Given
[43:37] - Parable of the Faithful Servant
[45:27] - Parable of the Talents
[46:35] - Living for God's Priorities
[49:51] - Living Watchful Lives
[55:44] - Stewarding Our Blessings
[01:00:37] - Stewarding Our Treasures
[01:01:44] - Stewarding Our Time
[01:05:45] - Stewarding Our Talents
[01:07:02] - Stewarding Our Thinking
[01:10:29] - Encouragement in Faithfulness
[01:15:27] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Luke 12:35-48 (Parable of the Faithful Servant)
2. Matthew 25:14-30 (Parable of the Talents)
3. Galatians 6:7-10 (Sowing and Reaping)

#### Observation Questions
1. What does it mean to be "dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning" as described in Luke 12:35-36? [43:37]
2. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), what were the different responses of the servants to the talents they were given?
3. According to Galatians 6:7-10, what is the principle of sowing and reaping, and how does it relate to our actions and their consequences?
4. What are some examples given in the sermon of how our church has "shined brighter" and "thought smaller" in the past years? [39:33]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the principle "to whom much is given, much is required" challenge our understanding of stewardship and responsibility? [42:44]
2. What does it mean to live a watchful life in anticipation of Jesus' return, and how might this perspective change our daily priorities? [50:46]
3. How can the concept of faithful stewardship apply to both positive and negative experiences in our lives? [55:44]
4. In what ways does prioritizing God's kingdom over our own desires lead to true joy and fulfillment, as mentioned in the sermon? [54:24]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily actions, words, and thoughts. How can you align them more closely with the anticipation of Jesus' return? What specific changes can you make this week? [50:46]
2. Identify one area of your life where you feel you have been blessed abundantly. How can you use this blessing to serve others and glorify God? [55:44]
3. Think about your current priorities. Are there any areas where you are prioritizing earthly gains over God's kingdom? How can you shift your focus to align with eternal values? [54:24]
4. How can you immerse yourself more in God's Word to better understand His will and align your thinking with His truth? What specific steps will you take to engage with Scripture daily? [01:08:32]
5. Consider a time when you were faithful with a small responsibility and were later entrusted with more. How does this principle encourage you to be diligent in your current responsibilities? [01:10:29]
6. Reflect on your use of time. Are there any activities or habits that are not honoring God? How can you better steward your time to glorify Him in your daily life? [01:01:44]
7. Think of a person or group in your community who could benefit from your talents and experiences. How can you reach out to them and make a positive impact this week? [01:05:45]

Devotional

Day 1: Living with Eternal Perspective
To live watchful lives means to be vigilant and ready for Jesus' return at any moment. This readiness should permeate our daily actions, words, and thoughts, reflecting our anticipation of His coming. Living with this eternal perspective changes our priorities and aligns our lives with God's will. It encourages us to focus on what truly matters and to live in a way that honors God and serves others.

Being watchful is not about living in fear but about living in a state of preparedness and purpose. It means making conscious decisions that reflect our faith and hope in Christ's return. This perspective helps us to stay grounded in our faith and to live lives that are pleasing to God. [50:46]

Luke 12:35-36 (ESV): "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks."

Reflection: How can you adjust your daily routine to reflect a life that is watchful and ready for Jesus' return? What specific actions can you take today to align your priorities with God's will?

Day 2: Faithful Stewardship of Blessings
God has entrusted us with various blessings—time, talents, treasures, and experiences. We are called to manage these gifts faithfully, using them to serve others and glorify God. This includes both the good and the bad, as God can transform all things for His purposes. Faithful stewardship means recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God and should be used in a way that honors Him.

Stewarding our blessings involves being intentional about how we use our resources. It means making wise decisions that reflect our commitment to God's kingdom and our desire to serve others. By doing so, we demonstrate our faithfulness and trust in God's provision and plan for our lives. [55:44]

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."

Reflection: Identify one specific blessing in your life (time, talent, treasure, or experience) that you can use more faithfully. How can you use this blessing to serve others and glorify God today?

Day 3: Prioritizing God's Kingdom
Our lives should be focused on eternal values rather than earthly gains. This means making decisions that honor God, whether in our careers, relationships, or daily activities. By living for God's kingdom, we find true joy and fulfillment. Prioritizing God's kingdom involves seeking His will in all aspects of our lives and making choices that reflect our commitment to Him.

When we prioritize God's kingdom, we shift our focus from temporary, worldly pursuits to eternal, spiritual goals. This change in perspective helps us to live more purposefully and to find deeper meaning in our daily lives. It also allows us to experience the joy and peace that come from living in alignment with God's will. [54:24]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV): "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: Think about a recent decision you made. Did it reflect a priority for God's kingdom or earthly gains? How can you make future decisions that align more closely with God's eternal values?

Day 4: Immersing in God's Word
Proper thinking is crucial for faithful stewardship. Immersing ourselves in Scripture helps us understand God's will and equips us to live lives that are pleasing to Him. The Bible provides the foundation for discerning right from wrong and aligning our lives with God's truth. Engaging with God's Word regularly helps us to grow in our faith and to develop a deeper relationship with Him.

By immersing ourselves in Scripture, we gain wisdom and insight that guide our daily actions and decisions. This practice helps us to stay grounded in our faith and to live lives that reflect God's love and grace. It also equips us to face challenges and temptations with confidence and strength. [01:08:32]

Psalm 119:105 (ESV): "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Reflection: How can you incorporate more time for reading and meditating on Scripture in your daily routine? What specific steps can you take to ensure that God's Word guides your thoughts and actions?

Day 5: Encouragement in Faithfulness
God promises to entrust us with more as we prove faithful with what we have. This principle encourages us to be diligent and trustworthy stewards, knowing that our faithfulness will lead to greater responsibilities and blessings in God's kingdom. Being faithful in small things prepares us for greater opportunities to serve and glorify God.

Faithfulness is about consistently doing what is right and honoring God with our actions, even when it is difficult or goes unnoticed. It is about trusting that God sees our efforts and will reward our diligence in His perfect timing. This encouragement helps us to stay motivated and committed to living lives that reflect God's love and grace. [01:10:29]

Luke 16:10 (ESV): "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you have been faithful with what God has entrusted to you. How has this faithfulness prepared you for greater responsibilities? What new opportunities might God be calling you to embrace?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "We really want to fill all 24 hours, and so if you see a spot that's open and you can fill it, please fill it. And we're going to have just a time to just kind of settle our church and focus our church on what God wants to do in this new year as we pray about building stronger, not just our church, our church members, but the kingdom of God. And so I hope that you'll participate in that. I promise it'll be a blessing for you and your family." [37:19] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "God expects you, expects you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you and even you guys. He expects you to live every minute of every day for his glory. That's the calling. That's the commission he's put upon us. In fact, I would go so far as to say that what he desires is that we live for the eternal, more than we live for the earthly." [47:34] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Do you realize that every day God gives you 1,440 minutes? He gives you something more valuable than money. He gives you time. And the question is, how are you using your time? Are you using your time to, to, to work? To make more money? Are you using your time with your family, with your friends? Are you using time to serve the Lord? How are you using your time?" [01:03:46] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "If you do not steward and do not understand the stewardship of your wealth, you will not steward your time. Well, you will not steward your talents. Well, and you will not steward your thinking. Well, I can guarantee it. I've seen it over and over and over. Why? Because God understands that the door, the doorway to the, to all the areas of your life begin with how you view and see money." [01:01:10] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "We must live watchful lives thinking about what it means if he returns. Second, we need to think about living faithful lives. This is really the heart of this parable. To live faithful lives means that we are called to steward and manage the blessings that God has entrusted to us. Whether that blessing is a gift, whether it's an ability, whatever that blessing is, and sometimes it can even be something not just good, it can be something bad." [54:52] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Today, we begin year four of our six-year missional plan, and this year we're going to be focused on what it means to build stronger. What it means to build stronger. Now, just to recap very quickly, year one, we had been unleashed from our church's past debt. We also were unleashed from about 20 years of deferred maintenance, not just on our facility, but really in some of the areas of our church." [38:43] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "And so this year, we are going to be focused on what it means to build stronger. Now, the phrase build stronger, it really means it's an intentional process of enhancing and fortifying something. So whether it's physical, whether it's spiritual, emotional, relational, it's to improve and increase its effectiveness, its endurance, its resilience, and its quality. And so in a way, you could say it's engaging in actions. It's engaging in practices that positively impact ourselves and others." [41:40] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We are all going to be held responsible for what we have done with what we have. We're all going to be responsible and be held accountable for what we have done with what we have, what's been entrusted to us. And so whether it's a little or a lot, God's going to hold us responsible because he expects us to put into practice the blessings that he has given to us, the blessings of our time, our talents, our treasures, our abilities, our knowledge, and he wants us to use them to benefit others for his glory." [45:27] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We must live watchful lives. We have to be vigilant. We have to be ready and prepared that at any second Jesus could return. In fact, as far as I can tell from my understanding of biblical prophecy, the study of eschatology, what I have learned is that there is nothing on the biblical calendar left except for Christ to return. It literally could happen right now. The question is, if he came right now, would you be ready? Would you be ready?" [49:51] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "And so the key to all of life is thinking properly about God and the things of God. And you are a steward of that. We're, we're called to renew our minds. We're called to engage. And, and the best way I know, the best way I know, to have right thinking is to be in God's word. This is a lamp unto your feet and a liner to your path. In this, we find out what is truth, what is right, what is wrong, what is good and evil, what is, what is of God, what's not of God." [01:08:32] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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