Question 1

What does it mean to be a good steward?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 25:23“The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.”Psalm 89:11The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours—you created it all.Everything belongs to God—whatever we have is his, on loan to us to protect and use wisely.Genesis 1:26Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”Part of the reason we were created was to manage God’s world for him. We need to resist understanding ourselves as merely consumers; God intended us to sense responsibility for the world in which we live even as it keeps us alive.Romans 14:12Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.God holds each person accountable for how they manage what has been entrusted to them. This principle covers every area of our lives, including our possessions.Luke 17:5-10The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you! When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”The good steward’s attention is always on the master and the master’s desires and assigned duties. The mindset of the steward is not about gaining advantages from the master because, since God is the master, the best we can do is what we were supposed to do.

Question 2

How does God want me to use the resources available to me?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 25:21“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”This entire parable (Matthew 25:14-30) was used by Jesus to describe the functioning of the Kingdom of Heaven. Not every servant is given the same amount of resources, but each is expected to do their best in managing what has been entrusted. What is assigned to each servant is “in proportion to their abilities,” making God the source of resources as well as opportunities to use them well or poorly. The reward for faithful stewardship is more responsibility.Matthew 24:45-47“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.”God wants us to use what we are given to serve him faithfully. The reward for doing what he designed and equipped us to do is even greater opportunities for doing what he designed and equipped us to do.Ecclesiastes 11:1-2Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.We should be open handed with the wealth God gives us, sharing what we have with a generous heart. We should always hope for the best, but we should also not neglect wise planning in the face of unforeseen challenges.1 Chronicles 29:1-9Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the Lord God himself! Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble. And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. I am donating more than 112 tons of gold from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?” Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron. They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the Lord under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.We should have an attitude of joyous generosity as we seeking to please God in practical ways.Ecclesiastes 11:6Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.We should prepare for the future by wisely managing what is entrusted to us. We should not to put all our eggs in one basket and should not count our chickens before they hatch. Wisdom doesn’t reduce life to mechanical processes but sees God’s hand in all things.Deuteronomy 16:17“All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.”Proverbs 3:9-10Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.As we are able, we should give to God’s servants and God’s work even to the point of sacrifice. The discipline of tithing and sharing with others is not motivated by God’s needs but by ours. We are diminished when we fail to be generous toward God and others.Proverbs 3:27-28Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”Luke 3:11John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”Romans 12:13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.We should use our resources to help others who are in need. Radical generosity is also a radical trust in God.1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.It is important for us to take care of our bodies, so we will be strong and healthy to serve God and others. How we use and how we rest our bodies demonstrates our understanding of stewardship.Matthew 24:45-47“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.”Matthew 25:14-15, 29“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. . . . To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”Luke 12:48“But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”John 17:4“I [Jesus] brought glory to you [the Father] here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.1 Corinthians 9:16Preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!We are ultimately accountable to God for the use of our gifts and opportunities. God entrusts resources to each of us and then expects us to maximize the effectiveness of those abilities in wise and godly stewardship. While the most talented people may seem the most blessed, they are also carry the greatest responsibility.2 Corinthians 5:9-10So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.Stewardship means accountability, making daily decisions and conducting ourselves so we can stand before God on judgment day.

Question 3

How do I handle my material resources?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 25:23“The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.”Psalm 89:11The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours—you created it all.Proverbs 3:9-10Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.Stewardship begins by acknowledging that God owns everything. Since everything belongs to God, we should consult him before we use what he has given us.Proverbs 11:24-25Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.Luke 6:38“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.We shouldn’t give in order to grow richer, but our resources will grow when we give more. Our resources may not be material or monetary, but more spiritual and relational. One of the great paradoxes of the Christian life is that the more generously we give, the more God blesses us in some way or another. One of the reasons this often happens is that the same qualities that make us responsible and trustworthy also make us generous. But this is the primary reason God blesses us: He entrusts more to us so that we can channel his blessing to others in this world.Malachi 3:10“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”God honors faithfulness, including faithfulness in giving. The principles of faithfulness and generosity are not a scheme for us to manipulate God into giving us more things. They are traits we develop as we grow in our relationship with God.

Question 4

How does God reward those who have been generous?

Accepted Answer

2 Kings 4:1-7One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied. And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. Ehen she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”When we are generous with what we have, God may provide unexpected resources to meet our needs and the needs of others.2 Kings 4:8-17One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat. She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.” One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’” “No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.” Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?” Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.” “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!” “No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.” But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.When we are generous with what we have, God may provide unexpected benefits unrelated to our generosity.Mark 12:41-44Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”When we are generous with what we have, God will notice and reward us. The size of our gifts isn’t important as important as our expression of trust and honor to God as we give.

Question 5

What is my role as steward when it comes to the church?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 30:11-16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the Lord. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them. Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the Lord. . . . When this offering is given to the Lord to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less. Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the Lord’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”Exodus 35:4-9; 20-22Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Take a sacred offering for the Lord. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.” . . . So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing.The stewardship of giving includes making gifts of wealth, gifts of talent, gifts of time in the service of God and others.2 Kings 12:7-15So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Don’t use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs.” So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple. Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the Lord. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people’s contributions into the chest. Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the Lord’s Temple . . . It was paid to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs. No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men.2 Kings 22:4-6“Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the Lord’s Temple. Entrust this money to the men assigned to supervise the Temple’s restoration. Then they can use it to pay workers to repair the Temple of the Lord. They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the timber and the finished stone needed to repair the Temple.”God’s people are expected to meet not only the living needs of those who serve the church but to also contribute to the building and upkeep of places of worship, seeing both kinds of giving as unto the Lord.2 Corinthians 8:1-12Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. . . . Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.There is a place for both systematic planned giving and spontaneous needs-based giving among believers.

Question 6

As a steward, what is the difference between saving and hoarding?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 25:1-13“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”The meaning of parables is always related to their parallels with ordinary life. Anticipation about the Kingdom of Heaven includes both present activities and future expectations. The lamps are lit now but oil is saved for the future, since those waiting don’t know how long the wait will be. Saving is reasonable preparation for the future without ignoring present responsibilities and needs, including the apparent needs of others.Luke 12:16-21Then he [Jesus] told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”Generosity and giving are significant tools for controlling our greed. The difference between saving and hoarding is the greed line, that is, when our having enough is ignored and we begin to believe there’s never enough.