What is stewardship?
Everything we have belongs to God. In fact, everything that exists belongs to God. He is the creator of everything. He is also King, and by his providence he preserves and governs all of his creation.
As citizens of his Kingdom, he has given gifts to his people, and he calls us to cultivate those good gifts as stewards. We manage those things which ultimately don’t belong to us on God’s behalf for his glory and for the benefit of others. We do this according to the values and priorities of the Kingdom.
In the Kingdom of God, then, a steward is both a ruler who manages the King’s resources and a servant who is accountable to the King. Our stewardship encompasses all that God has given us: time, finances, skills, influence and position—no matter how great or small.
While being a steward is a kingdom role, generosity is a kingdom value—an attitude of the heart. Generosity is prompted by the grace of God. The “riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us” (Ephesians 1:7-8) come through the gift of His Son whom “He did not spare… but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32).
It’s this grace that compelled the Macedonian believers to lay not only their finances, but also their whole lives before God: “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5). Paul used their example to challenge the Corinthians:
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. (2 Corinthians 8:1-2)
As a church, we too have experienced his grace beyond measure. It’s this grace that undergirds and motivates us toward generosity and cheerful sacrifice. Our hearts swell with gratitude toward God and compassion for our community, and so we give joyfully and freely toward God’s service and to see his Kingdom advance.
It’s this spirit of generosity that also drives our vision for church planting. We share the gospel of grace, the gift of God’s Son, broadly and freely as we see new churches take root and flourish throughout the city.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. ~ Deuteronomy 10:14
For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. ~ Psalm 47:7-8
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ~ 1 Peter 2:9
As each has received
a gift, use it to serve
one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace… in order that
in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
~ 1 Peter 4:10-11
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ... ~ Ephesians 1:7-9
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ~ Romans 8:32