Trusting God with Our Finances: A Journey of Faith
Summary
### Summary
Welcome to the Collective Church! Today, we continue our series "My Money, God's Problem" with a focus on "Trust Issues." Proverbs 3:5-10 teaches us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and honor Him with our wealth. Trust is a significant issue in our lives, and it’s even more challenging when it comes to finances. Many of us find it easier to trust God for our salvation than to trust Him with our money. This sermon explores why that is and how we can overcome it.
Trust is built over time and through relationships. God calls us to trust Him in every aspect of our lives, including our finances. The Israelites experienced seasons of scarcity, just enough, and more than enough, yet God was always with them. Similarly, we must trust God through our financial ups and downs. The Bible teaches that honoring God with our wealth means giving Him the first fruits, not our leftovers. This act of trust and obedience is a form of worship and comes with the promise of blessings.
Wealth is not just for personal gain but to be a blessing to others. The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21 warns against greed and storing up wealth without being rich toward God. As followers of Jesus, we are called to the principle of tithing—giving 10% of our income to God. This act of obedience is a test of our trust in God’s provision. Malachi 3:8-12 challenges us to test God in this and see if He will not open the windows of heaven for us.
God doesn’t need our money, but He invites us to participate in His kingdom work through tithing. This partnership allows us to see the fruits of our giving in transformed lives and expanded ministry. The New Testament encourages generous giving, promising that those who sow generously will also reap generously. Our giving should be done cheerfully and not under compulsion, reflecting a heart aligned with God’s purposes.
### Key Takeaways
1. Trust in God with All Aspects of Life: Trust is built over time and through relationships. God calls us to trust Him in every aspect of our lives, including our finances. This trust is not just for the good times but also through seasons of scarcity and hardship. Trusting God with our finances is a form of worship and obedience that comes with the promise of blessings. [09:02]
2. Honoring God with Our Wealth: Honoring God with our wealth means giving Him the first fruits, not our leftovers. This act of trust and obedience is a form of worship and comes with the promise of blessings. The Bible teaches that the blessings of wealth are conditional upon our obedience to God’s principles of giving. [11:41]
3. Wealth as a Blessing to Others: Wealth is not just for personal gain but to be a blessing to others. The parable of the rich fool warns against greed and storing up wealth without being rich toward God. As followers of Jesus, we are called to use our wealth to bless others and advance God’s kingdom. [15:45]
4. The Principle of Tithing: Tithing, or giving 10% of our income to God, is a test of our trust in God’s provision. Malachi 3:8-12 challenges us to test God in this and see if He will not open the windows of heaven for us. Tithing is an act of obedience that aligns our hearts with God’s purposes and brings blessings. [21:08]
5. Generous and Cheerful Giving: God invites us to participate in His kingdom work through generous and cheerful giving. The New Testament encourages us to give generously, promising that those who sow generously will also reap generously. Our giving should be done cheerfully and not under compulsion, reflecting a heart aligned with God’s purposes. [34:43]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:53] - Connect Card and Community Partners
[01:36] - Book Giveaway
[02:25] - Introduction to "My Money, God's Problem"
[03:02] - Proverbs 3:5-10
[04:20] - Prayer and Gratitude
[04:58] - Family and Grandparents
[06:06] - Trust Issues with Children
[07:44] - The Difficulty of Trust
[09:02] - Trusting God in All Aspects
[11:41] - Honoring God with Wealth
[15:45] - Wealth as a Blessing
[21:08] - The Principle of Tithing
[34:43] - Generous and Cheerful Giving
[40:17] - 90-Day Tithe Challenge
[42:36] - Prayer for Financial Struggles
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Proverbs 3:5-10: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."
2. Malachi 3:8-12: "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty."
3. Luke 12:16-21: "And he told them this parable: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Proverbs 3:5-10 say about trusting in the Lord and honoring Him with our wealth?
2. According to Malachi 3:8-12, what are the consequences of not bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse?
3. In the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), what was the rich man's mistake, and what was God's response to him?
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think trusting God with our finances is often more challenging than trusting Him with other aspects of our lives? [09:32]
2. How does the principle of giving the first fruits, as mentioned in Proverbs 3:9, reflect our trust and obedience to God? [11:41]
3. What does the parable of the rich fool teach us about the purpose of wealth and how it should be used? [15:45]
4. How does Malachi 3:10 challenge us to test God in the area of tithing, and what promises are associated with this test? [21:08]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you found it difficult to trust God with your finances. What were the circumstances, and how did you handle them? [09:32]
2. How can you begin to honor God with the first fruits of your income rather than giving Him what is left over? What practical steps can you take this week to start this practice? [11:41]
3. In what ways can you use your wealth to be a blessing to others and advance God's kingdom? Identify one specific action you can take this month. [15:45]
4. Have you ever tested God in the area of tithing as Malachi 3:10 suggests? If not, what is holding you back, and how can you take a step of faith in this area? [21:08]
5. The sermon mentioned that wealth is not just for personal gain but to be a blessing to others. How can you shift your mindset from seeing wealth as something to accumulate to something to distribute? [15:45]
6. How can you cultivate a heart of cheerful and generous giving, as encouraged in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7? What changes in attitude or behavior might this require? [34:43]
7. Consider the 90-day tithe challenge mentioned in the sermon. What would it look like for you to commit to this challenge, and how might it impact your faith and finances? [40:17]
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting God in All Seasons
Description: Trust is a fundamental aspect of our relationship with God, and it is built over time and through experiences. Proverbs 3:5-10 encourages us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and to honor Him with our wealth. This trust is not just for the good times but also through seasons of scarcity and hardship. The Israelites experienced various seasons—scarcity, just enough, and more than enough—yet God was always with them. Similarly, we must trust God through our financial ups and downs. Trusting God with our finances is a form of worship and obedience that comes with the promise of blessings. [09:02]
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV): "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Reflection: What is one area of your finances where you struggle to trust God? How can you take a step today to surrender that area to Him and trust in His provision?
Day 2: Honoring God with Our Wealth
Description: Honoring God with our wealth means giving Him the first fruits, not our leftovers. This act of trust and obedience is a form of worship and comes with the promise of blessings. The Bible teaches that the blessings of wealth are conditional upon our obedience to God’s principles of giving. When we prioritize God in our finances, we acknowledge His sovereignty and express our gratitude for His provision. This principle is not just about money but about our hearts and our willingness to put God first in all things. [11:41]
Deuteronomy 26:10-11 (ESV): "And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me. And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you."
Reflection: How can you practically honor God with the first fruits of your income this week? What changes do you need to make to ensure that God is prioritized in your financial decisions?
Day 3: Wealth as a Blessing to Others
Description: Wealth is not just for personal gain but to be a blessing to others. The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21 warns against greed and storing up wealth without being rich toward God. As followers of Jesus, we are called to use our wealth to bless others and advance God’s kingdom. This means being generous and looking for opportunities to help those in need. Our wealth should be a tool for ministry and a means to demonstrate God’s love and provision to others. [15:45]
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV): "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can bless financially this week? How can you use your resources to make a tangible difference in their life?
Day 4: The Principle of Tithing
Description: Tithing, or giving 10% of our income to God, is a test of our trust in God’s provision. Malachi 3:8-12 challenges us to test God in this and see if He will not open the windows of heaven for us. Tithing is an act of obedience that aligns our hearts with God’s purposes and brings blessings. It is a tangible way to demonstrate our faith and trust in God’s ability to provide for our needs. By tithing, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from God and that we are stewards of His resources. [21:08]
2 Chronicles 31:5-6 (ESV): "As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. And the people of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps."
Reflection: Have you been faithful in tithing? If not, what steps can you take to start tithing and trust God with your finances? How can you test God’s promise in Malachi 3:10 in your own life?
Day 5: Generous and Cheerful Giving
Description: God invites us to participate in His kingdom work through generous and cheerful giving. The New Testament encourages us to give generously, promising that those who sow generously will also reap generously. Our giving should be done cheerfully and not under compulsion, reflecting a heart aligned with God’s purposes. This kind of giving is a reflection of God’s generosity toward us and a way to participate in His mission. When we give generously, we experience the joy of partnering with God in transforming lives and expanding His kingdom. [34:43]
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV): "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a heart of cheerful and generous giving? What specific steps can you take this week to give generously and joyfully to God’s work?
Quotes
1. "But the truth is, we don't give away trust that freely anymore. A lot of us have trust issues. Some of you have walked in the church today and you don't know if you can trust me. Most of you will not fill out a connect card, although this is your first day. Because you don't know if you can trust our church yet. You don't know if you can trust me yet. You've come here today in hopes that maybe you would discover that we could be trust. But we don't trust people right away when you meet someone for the first time. Do you trust that person right away? No, they have to grow. Your trust has to grow. Trust is built over time. It's built over relationship." [08:23] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "He asks us to trust him in all aspects. In every aspect of our life. The good aspects. The bad aspects. The known aspects. The hidden aspects. But he calls us to trust him with every area in our lives. And here's the truth. For those of you who know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You have the faith, the trust, and the assurance to believe that Jesus Christ came from heaven. 100% man. 100% God. That he lived on earth. That he carried our shame. That he died on the cross. That he bled. That his blood forgives us of our sins. That he was resurrected after he died on the third day. So that we can have life and life forevermore. You trust that. You can take that idea to the bank. It's easy for you." [09:02] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We have this misinformed theology that makes us think that just because we are a Christian, just because we are children of God, we will never have tough times. We will never go through financial difficulty. We will never go through financial hardship. And because we have this misconceived theology, any time we go through a season of lack, we associate that with God not being with us. So I can't trust God in my finances. But then we negate the entire Old Testament in where the Israelites are sent on a journey. But before they start, they start in a season of not enough when they didn't have enough brick and material to make brick to a season of just enough when God would appear to them and provide manna daily to a season of more than enough in the promised land." [10:10] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "In order to honor God with your money, which is what Proverbs declares, you must learn to trust God with your money. Now that word honor, I want to focus on that because in the original language, the definition is this, to be heavy, weighty, and burdensome. So God understands something. Honoring him with your finances is not going to be easy. It comes with a weight. It's almost a burden. It is heavy. He understands that what he is asking you to do, asking me to do is not easy. He even utilizes language that would declare, that it comes with a weight, that it is a hard thing to do. But he calls us to honor him with our wealth." [11:41] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The blessings of wealth are conditional. They're conditional. What's the condition? Listen to this. Honor the Lord your God with your wealth and the best part of everything with your produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain and your vats will overflow with good wine. I mean, the guy who wrote Proverbs probably lived in Bakersfield. This is like a lot of farm talk. But listen. It's a conditional promise, meaning that if you do what he's asking you to do, then you get to receive what's on the latter end of that scripture. So he's saying, look, man, if you honor me with your wealth, if you trust me with your finances, if you give me the first fruits of your labor, if you take care of the house of God to that extent, then I will give you increase. Then I will give you more. Then I will give you more provision." [14:15] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Wealth is not for you just to keep to yourself. It's given to be a blessing. It's given to be a blessing. Remember what we talked about last week? We said your stewardship, everything that you have is not yours. It's God and he's the one that gives it to you. But he gives it to you to be a blessing. I briefly went over this scripture. But there's a scripture in the text in the gospel that says, Freely you have received, therefore freely you give. Now this is talking within the context of salvation. Freely you have received the message of Jesus. Now freely you go and give that message out. But when you kind of take that into our context, he's saying I've given something to you. Now I want you to go and give to others. That's how the kingdom works." [15:45] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "As followers of Jesus, we're called to the principle of tithing. We're called to the principle of tithing. What is tithing? What does the word tithe mean? It's a tenth. A tenth or ten percent. God calls us to tithe. He's calling ten percent of our income. Some of you are like, whoa, that's a lot. But I've always said this. Man, if you can't live off a ninety, then you can't live off of a hundred. The beauty is, is that God gives you everything. And out of everything he gives you, he says, all I'm asking you is for ten percent. You keep the rest of it. You do what you want to do, boo boo. You want to get that Louie? Get that Louie. You want to get them dunks? Get that dunks. You want to buy that boat? Buy that boat. But with this ten percent, I'm calling you to bring it back to the house of God." [21:08] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "God doesn't need our money, but he chooses to invite us into his kingdom work through tithing. This is the beauty. God invites us. He doesn't need your money. He doesn't need us. But he chooses to partner with creation. And he invites us into his kingdom work. And he says, hey, come be a part of this. Hey, come be a part of what we're doing. Isn't there something? Isn't there something beautiful when you sow a financial seed into the place that's a house of worship and you see God moving every Sunday and you see 13, 15, 20 people saying yes to Jesus and you see people at the altar and you see children worshiping and singing. That should give you a sense of excitement and encouragement to say, man, I had a part in that because I'm giving to that." [33:36] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "When you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly. When you sow generously, you're going to reap generously. Verse seven. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. Not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will be blessed. In every good work. The definition of the word abundantly is to be in abundance, to provide in abundance, to have more than enough. Excessive, cause to be more, have greater advantage. The word abound is to be over and above. When you take the definition of those two words and you actually plug it into verses eight, this is how it reads. And God is able to bless you. How? In abundance. Provide in abundance. Give you more than enough. In excessiveness. Cause you to be more and have greater advantage. Why? So that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will be over and above in every good work." [34:43] (67 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "If you are alive in this room and you have air in your lungs, and if you are breathing, you are blessed. I rather, I'm blessed to be a blessing. It's better to give than it is to receive. Do you know that only 20% Americans, 20% of American Christians have a church tithe? Only 20, that means the other 80% get to come into church, enjoy the benefits and the fruit of a garden that they did not tend to, on the behalf of someone else's 20% that they give to the church. So if there is almost 370 people in this room, that would say 20% of that who call themselves Christians and come to this church would give. And so my question is, who's robbing who? When the scripture says you rob the house of God, you're also robbing yourself of your blessing. There is something that happens in you when you begin to give and you begin to live to that capacity. And you begin to say, God, use me. You've blessed me so that I'm going to be a blessing. But greater than that, I'm going to walk in obedience to what you're calling me to do." [27:59] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?