Sunday Worship: Embracing Stewardship in Our Lives

Today’s gathering invites us to reflect deeply on the meaning of stewardship and discipleship in our lives, especially as we consider what it means to truly follow Christ. Drawing from the Gospel of Mark, we encounter the story of the rich young man who approaches Jesus with a question that feels urgent and pressing: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ response is not the easy affirmation the young man expects, but a radical call to let go of everything—wealth, status, security—and follow him wholeheartedly. This moment is not just about money, but about what we hold most tightly, what we trust, and what we believe will save us.

Mark’s Gospel is marked by urgency and movement; Jesus is always on the way, always calling people to decision and action. The encounter with the rich young man is a reminder that following Jesus is not a passive or accidental journey. Holiness and discipleship require intentional choices—choosing to put God first, to let go of the things that compete for our allegiance, and to trust that God alone is the source of our salvation. Jesus’ words challenge the assumptions of his time (and ours): that wealth or hard work or even religious observance can secure our place with God. Instead, he insists that only God’s grace can save us, and that our part is to surrender and follow.

The story of the boat ride at summer camp serves as a vivid illustration: it’s easy to hold on to the wrong things, to focus on what seems important in the moment, and miss what truly matters. When life turns suddenly, as it inevitably does, we discover whether we’ve been holding on to God or to something else. Jesus’ call is to hold on to God first and foremost, trusting that everything else will fall into place. This is the heart of stewardship—not just about money, but about our whole lives, our priorities, and our willingness to trust God with everything.

As we move into a season of considering our stewardship—of time, resources, and service—we are invited to prayerfully examine what we are holding on to, and to choose, again and again, to put God first. In doing so, we find not only challenge, but also the promise that God will not abandon us, and that in Christ, we are given grace, forgiveness, and hope.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True discipleship requires intentional surrender. The rich young man’s encounter with Jesus reveals that following Christ is not about adding one more good deed to our list, but about a radical reordering of our lives. We are called to let go of what we most tightly grasp—whether wealth, status, or security—and to trust God above all else. This surrender is not a one-time act, but a daily choice to put God first. [21:25]
• 2. Salvation is God’s work, not ours. Jesus’ teaching that it is impossible for us to save ourselves—no matter our effort, intelligence, or virtue—strikes at the heart of our self-reliance. Grace is not earned; it is received. Our role is to open our hands, release our illusions of control, and trust in the God who alone can save. [25:00]
• 3. What we hold on to shapes our destiny. The story of the boat ride reminds us that it’s easy to cling to the wrong things, mistaking them for what matters most. When life takes an unexpected turn, only those who are holding on to God will remain secure. We must continually ask ourselves: are we grasping the camera, or the side of the boat? [31:22]
• 4. Holiness is a conscious pursuit, not an accident. Righteousness and spiritual maturity do not happen by default or by drifting along. They require us to choose, again and again, to lay down our lives for Christ, to seek God’s kingdom first, and to cultivate habits of faithfulness. This is the ongoing work of stewardship and discipleship. [26:20]
• 5. God’s call to stewardship is an invitation to trust. When Jesus asks us to give, to serve, and to follow, he is not calling us to deprivation for its own sake, but to a life of deeper dependence on him. As we put God first, we discover that God provides for us, surrounds us with community, and gives us all that we need for this life and the next. [33:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:52] - Introduction to Stewardship
• [02:52] - Call to Worship
• [03:38] - Opening Prayer
• [04:19] - Children’s Time
• [18:32] - The Gospel of Mark’s Urgency
• [19:25] - The Rich Young Man’s Question
• [21:25] - Jesus’ Radical Response
• [23:03] - The Young Man’s Grief and Worldview
• [25:00] - Salvation: God’s Work Alone
• [26:20] - Choosing Holiness
• [27:00] - The Boat Story: Holding On
• [31:22] - What Are We Holding On To?
• [33:08] - The Heart of Stewardship
• [39:24] - Prayers and Community Concerns
• [48:31] - Announcements and Opportunities to Serve
• [51:14] - Stewardship Forms and Invitation
• [59:28] - Closing and Sending Forth

Bible Reading

Mark 10:17-31 (ESV) — > And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
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> And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Observation Questions

1. What question does the rich young man ask Jesus, and how does Jesus respond? ([19:51])
2. According to the sermon, what are the four difficult things Jesus tells the young man to do? ([21:25])
3. How do the disciples react to Jesus’ teaching about wealth and entering the kingdom of God? ([24:19])
4. In the boat story, what was the difference between what Tanner was holding on to and what he should have been holding on to? ([31:22])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus’ answer to the rich young man was so different from what he expected? What does this say about what Jesus values most? ([22:17])
2. The sermon says, “It’s not possible for you to be saved. It’s not possible. You can’t do it. But God can do it.” How does this challenge the idea that we can earn our way to God? ([25:00])
3. The story of the boat ride was used as a picture of what we hold on to in life. What are some things people commonly “hold on to” instead of God, and why might that be dangerous when life takes a sudden turn? ([31:22])
4. The sermon says, “Holiness is not a garment that we can put on accidentally.” What does it mean for holiness and discipleship to be a conscious, daily choice? ([26:20])

Application Questions

1. The rich young man was asked to let go of what he valued most. What is something in your life that you find hard to let go of or trust God with? How might you begin to surrender that to God this week? ([21:25])
2. Jesus says that only God can save us, not our efforts, wealth, or good deeds. Are there ways you find yourself trying to “earn” God’s love or approval? What would it look like to rest in God’s grace instead? ([25:00])
3. Think about the “boat story” from the sermon. When life gets hard or unpredictable, what do you tend to hold on to for security? How can you practice holding on to God first? ([31:22])
4. The sermon talks about stewardship as more than just money—it’s about our whole lives, including time and service. What is one area (time, resources, service) where you feel called to trust God more or put God first? ([33:08])
5. Holiness and discipleship require intentional choices. What is one habit or practice you could start (or restart) this week to help you put God first in your daily life? ([26:20])
6. The sermon invites us to examine what we are holding on to. Take a moment to reflect: Is there something you need to let go of so you can follow Jesus more fully? What support or encouragement do you need from this group to take that step? ([33:22])
7. As we enter a season of considering stewardship, what is one practical way you can serve or give in the church or community that would be a step of faith for you? ([52:00])