Stewards Before Givers | Administradores Antes de Dadores | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church

Jun 08, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stewards Before Givers

The call to stewardship begins not with obligation but with recognizing God’s ownership. Every resource, relationship, and responsibility in our lives is entrusted to us by the One who created and sustains all things. When we see ourselves as caretakers rather than owners, the weight of control lifts. We are free to manage what God has given with wisdom, knowing He remains the source and sustainer. This shift transforms how we handle time, talents, and treasures. [00:46]

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1, NIV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels heaviest to carry alone? How might surrendering ownership to God change your relationship with that responsibility?

Day 2: The Panama Canal and Counting the Cost

Building anything lasting requires honest evaluation. Just as the French underestimated the cost of constructing the Panama Canal, we risk failure when we ignore God’s provision in our plans. Stewardship demands humility: acknowledging what we’ve been given, using it wisely, and trusting God’s timing. True success comes not through self-sufficiency but through dependence on the One who owns every resource. [35:16]

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you.” (Luke 14:28-29, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you rushed ahead without seeking God’s provision? What practical step can you take today to align your plans with His stewardship?

Day 3: Budgeting as a Spiritual Act

Money reveals priorities. Tracking every penny isn’t about scarcity but intentionality—directing resources toward God’s purposes rather than letting them slip through careless hands. Just as the church carefully stewards offerings for community impact, our personal budgets become spiritual maps. They show whether we trust God’s ownership or cling to the illusion of control. [25:33]

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16:10, NIV)

Reflection: What does your spending reveal about where you place trust? How might reallocating one area of your budget reflect God’s priorities?

Day 4: God’s Account Never Runs Negative

Prayer shifts from anxiety to confidence when we remember God’s unlimited resources. Unlike human lenders, His “account” overflows with grace, wisdom, and provision. The Creator who feeds sparrows and clothes lilies invites us to ask boldly, not because He needs reminders, but because asking aligns our hearts with His ownership. Stewardship begins here—in reliance, not lack. [30:18]

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NIV)

Reflection: What need feels impossible today? How would approaching it as a steward—not an owner—change your prayers?

Day 5: The Parable of What’s Already in Your Hand

God entrusts talents not based on our capacity but His purpose. The servant who buried his coin misunderstood ownership—he feared losing what wasn’t his to begin with. Every gift, from time to skills, is a divine deposit meant to be invested, not hoarded. Faithful stewardship multiplies impact when we release our grip and trust the Owner’s vision. [31:59]

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.” (Matthew 25:14-15, NIV)

Reflection: What “talent” have you been guarding instead of investing? How can you actively put it to work this week for God’s kingdom?

Sermon Summary

Proverbs 30:7-9 sets the tone. The prayer asks for truth and for “my portion of bread,” fearing two ditches. Too much can puff up the heart to say, “Who is the Lord?” Too little can push a person to steal and drag God’s name through the mud. Stewardship stands right there in the middle, asking God for what he knows is needed and handling it in a way that honors his name.

The vision God gave this church stays simple and strong: reach immigrants and their families, care for those battling mental health, and call back those who wandered from the faith. That vision calls for unity, Scripture, love, welcome, mission, and financial health. So before giving, stewardship comes first. God’s order carries the whole argument. God creates and owns everything. God gives and provides. People steward what God entrusts. Genesis names the Creator and the Owner. Genesis 1:28 lays the stewardship mandate on human shoulders.

The renter-and-owner picture drives this home. If a person acts like the owner, the weight of every problem sits on his shoulders. If God is acknowledged as the true Owner, the steward can go to the Owner when things break. That shifts not only money but family, marriage, children, work, time, and abilities into prayer. Psalm 24 says the earth is the Lord’s. Psalm 50 says all the cattle are his. Haggai says the silver and gold are his. This frees the steward to seek first the kingdom because the Father already knows what is needed.

Jesus’ word clears the fog between wants and needs. Seek first, and needs are added. That is not stinginess. That is training. Budgeting then becomes a spiritual discipline, not just math. It tells the money where to go so the heart can stay aimed at the kingdom. A church that treats every cent as God’s money can care for its house and bless the community.

The parable of the talents clarifies that God entrusts real resources and expects faithful return. Talents there were money, but the charge reaches time, gifts, family, job, and car. Luke’s call to count the cost keeps plans from collapsing halfway. Even a canal can stall when the cost is not counted. Proverbs urges attention to the state of the flock because riches are not forever. Wise mayordomía over what God has already given becomes the path to finishing what God has called and to giving generously without neglecting the home.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s order: Owner, Giver, Steward God creates and owns; he gives and provides; people steward what he entrusts. This order lightens fear and anchors prayer because responsibility is real but not ultimate. Faithfulness grows when ownership is settled in God’s hands. Fruit grows when stewardship takes his gifts seriously. [11:11]
2. Pray for your portion The prayer of Proverbs 30 asks for neither poverty nor riches but for the portion that keeps the heart faithful. Abundance without worship grows proud; lack without trust turns desperate. Asking for the portion is not small thinking, it is holy dependence that protects God’s name. [01:40]
3. Ownership mindset crushes the soul Treating life like personal ownership loads every crisis on human shoulders. A steward mindset sends problems to the true Owner and turns anxiety into prayer. Freedom starts when God’s title deed is honored and the steward does faithful work under his care. [15:43]
4. Budgeting is spiritual discipleship Budgets are not just spreadsheets, they are training for the heart to seek first the kingdom. Telling money where to go protects worship and keeps generosity intentional. This practice respects limits, sustains mission, and finishes what God started. [42:40]
5. Seek first, needs are added Jesus names the Father as the one who knows needs before words are spoken. Seeking the kingdom first untangles wants from needs and opens space for contentment and wise planning. In that place, generosity is not guilt-driven but joy-shaped. [24:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Stewards before givers introduction
[00:56] - Reading Proverbs 30:7-9
[02:35] - Prayed-for church and simple vision
[04:25] - Dreaming of a building and impact
[05:27] - Counseling and being a light
[07:10] - United, biblical, financially healthy
[07:28] - Stewardship before giving
[11:11] - God creates, owns, provides
[12:19] - Dominion and stewardship mandate
[14:30] - Renter vs owner analogy
[16:16] - Taking burdens to the Owner
[18:53] - Scriptures on God’s ownership
[23:16] - Matthew 6 and needs vs wants
[25:33] - Practical budgeting testimony
[27:24] - Handling church finances carefully
[28:47] - God supplies according to riches
[31:07] - Parable of the talents explained
[33:13] - Time, gifts, family entrusted
[34:20] - Count the cost wisdom
[36:30] - Panama Canal cautionary tale
[41:11] - Know your flocks; riches fade
[42:40] - Budgeting as spiritual discipline
[44:37] - Call to wise mayordomía

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Proverbs 30:7-9 (ESV)
Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Observation Questions

What two dangers does the prayer in Proverbs 30:7-9 ask God to protect against?
According to the sermon, how does the "renter vs. owner" analogy ([14:30]) clarify the difference between human responsibility and God’s ownership?
What practical example was shared about budgeting as a spiritual discipline rather than just a financial tool? ([25:33])
How does the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) connect to stewardship beyond money?

Interpretation Questions

Why does the prayer in Proverbs 30:7-9 emphasize asking for “my portion” instead of abundance or lack? How does this reflect trust in God’s provision?
How might an “ownership mindset” ([15:43]) lead to anxiety, and how does recognizing God’s ownership free a person from that burden?
In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus says to “seek first the kingdom” and trust God for needs. How does this teaching redefine our relationship with material desires versus eternal priorities?
The Panama Canal example ([36:30]) warns about failing to “count the cost.” What does this reveal about the consequences of poor stewardship in God’s work?

Application Questions

In what area of your life (finances, family, time) do you most struggle to act as a steward rather than an “owner”? What step could you take this week to surrender that area to God’s ownership?
The prayer for “my portion” in Proverbs 30:7-9 resists both greed and desperation. How might you adjust your prayers or daily decisions to reflect this balance?
Budgeting was described as “telling your money where to go” ([42:40]). What is one practical way you could create or refine a budget to align your spending with kingdom priorities?
Reflect on a talent, resource, or relationship God has entrusted to you. How could you invest it more intentionally for His purposes this month?
The sermon warned against asking God for more while mismanaging what He’s already given ([41:48]). Is there a area where you’ve neglected stewardship? How can you begin to restore faithfulness there?
How could your small group support one another in praying for “daily bread” (needs) rather than chasing excess or fearing scarcity?

Sermon Clips

31s

#BudgetingIsSpiritual

“Buggitting is not just math. Buggitting is not just something for your house hold. El presupuesto no solamente es matemáticas, el presupuesto no solamente es algo para tu casa. Budgeting is a espiritual discipline. El presupuesto es una disciplina espiritual. I tell my money where goes. Instatement my money telly me where wants to go. Yo le digo a mi dinero dónde tiene que ir, en vez de decirle a mi, en vez de que el dinero me diga a mí a dónde quiere ir.”

25s

#OwnershipMeansResponsibility

“When you renting, you just got the landlord and heal take care of it. Cuando estás rentando, nomás llámale al dueño y él se encarga, when you are the owner, you get a figurate out. Tú tienes que ver cómo se hace. And I think the same thing is true about life. La la misma cosa es real en la vida. That if I think I'm the owner, I'm gonna care the way of everything on my holders.”

32s

#StewardNotOwner

“I can come to him because he is the owner and I'm just the rentor, porque él es el dueño y yo simplemente soy el que renta. me, I'm gonna feel the way of my shoulders. Mientras que yo reconozco que todo es de él, yo puedo venir a él. Pero si yo creo que yo soy el dueño de todo, entonces, todo el peso cae sobre de mí.”

25s

#StewardshipOverSelfReliance

“But If I reject this ownership and I think it's all because of me, then the way of everything will fall on me. Pero si yo rechazo que él es el dueño y creo que todo lo que tengo es por yo mismo, entonces, todo va a caer sobre de mí. God is the owner, dios es el dueño. He gived, el da, we stuart, nosotros somos administradores.”

25s

#FamilyIsOnLoan

“You're not the owner, no eres el dueño, you are the stuart, tú eres el mayordomo, el administrador. There god children the his lent you. Son los hijos de dios que te ha prestado, your spause, tu tu tu cónyuge, your housben, your wife, tu esposo, tu esposa. There not yours, no son tuyos. God has lentem to you, dios te los ha prestado.”

43s

#UseWhatYouWereGiven

“We tent to as god to give us more and god sang I ready gabe you what you need it. A veces, queremos pedirle más a dios, y dios dice, yo ya te di lo que necesitas. Luego gastamos en cosas necesarias y gastamos en cosas que no son necesarias. All runs out. Y ahora nos quedamos con nada, wor're crying not to god, y estamos llorándole a dios. Y this is I ready gabe you what you need it. Ya te di lo que necesitabas. What did you do with it? ¿Qué hiciste con él?”

43s

#EntrustedByGod

“This scripture, chose as god's order. Esta escritura nos muestra la orden de dios. The man is representative of god. El hombre aquí es representante de dios. Who's savvy by huskingdom, está hablando de su reino. el hombre vino a sus siervos, somos tú y yo, and he en trusted them with this property, y les encomendó sus bienes. He's the owner, he gives, we stuart. Él es el dueño, él da, nosotros administramos.”

36s

#BeAGoodSteward

“Esa escritura nos enseña esa foto, that we need to be good stures of a got has gived us. Oraus we won't be even to finish, we got was us to finish. Que tenemos que ser buenos mayordomos de lo que dios nos ha dado o nunca podremos terminar lo que dios nos ha llamado a terminar. Your time, your habilities, your finance es tu tiempo, tus habilidades, sus finanzas. You need to be a good store, because god has a purpose for your life. Tienes que ser buen mayordomo, porque dios tiene propósito para tu vida.”

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Stewards Before Givers | Administradores Antes de Dadores | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church

Devotional

Day 1: Stewards Before Givers

Day 2: The Panama Canal and Counting the Cost

Day 3: Budgeting as a Spiritual Act

Day 4: God’s Account Never Runs Negative

Day 5: The Parable of What’s Already in Your Hand

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Stewards Before Givers | Administradores Antes de Dadores | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church

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